Mission District part 1

From Ranchos to Dolores Park

Did you know the Mission District is one of the oldest neighborhoods in San Francisco?

It actually gets its name from Mission Dolores, which was founded in 1776 and is the oldest surviving building in The City. Long before tech companies and burrito lines wrapped around the block, this area was farmland and open land belonging to the Ohlone people.

When the Spanish arrived, they built the mission and started what became the original settlement of San Francisco. Over time the surrounding land turned into ranchos, and eventually the neighborhood began to grow into a working class community filled with immigrants from Germany, Ireland, Italy, and later Latin America. That mix of cultures is what makes the Mission so lively and a huge part of what makes the Mission feel the way it does today.

And of course we can’t forget Dolores Park, also know as DoLo to locals.

If you’ve ever spent an afternoon on a hill in DoLo, you know it’s basically San Francisco’s living room. On a sunny day the hillside fills up with people picnicking, playing music, drinking something out of a red cup, and watching the skyline light up in the distance.

But what most people don’t realize is that Dolores Park used to be a cemetery. After the 1906 earthquake it also served as a refugee camp while the city rebuilt.

Today it’s one of the most iconic places in San Francisco. I’ve probably sat on that hill more times than I can count and every single time I stop and think, I can’t believe this is my home.

Next week in Part 2 we’ll talk about the Mission after dark. The bars, the nightlife, and some of the places that have become neighborhood institutions.