Visitacion Valley, San Francisco, California
Encyclopedia
Visitacion Valley is a neighborhood located in the south eastern quadrant of San Francisco, California
.
and Gleneagles Golf Course to the West, Mansell Blvd to the North, Bayview Hill and Candlestick Cove
to the East, and the San Francisco / San Mateo County
line to the South. The streets of this neighborhood straddle the border between San Francisco and Daly City, hence Visitacion Valley partially blends in with the adjacent Daly City neighborhood of Bayshore. The grounds of the Cow Palace
, straddling the San Francisco/Daly City border, are partially within Visitacion Valley.
Visitacion Valley takes its name from Rancho Cañada de Guadalupe la Visitación y Rodeo Viejo
, a large tract of land that also included the Bayshore district of Daly City, the city of Brisbane
, and San Bruno Mountain
.
The area was originally settled by Irish
and Italian
immigrants who worked in the nearby factories. The construction of the nearby Hunters Point Naval Shipyard during World War II
, led to a massive influx of African Americans who worked in the shipyards. Many settled in the Sunnydale Projects which were originally constructed as barracks to house workers. After the war ended, more African Americans, relocated from the Fillmore District and the Western Addition because redevelopment programs provided inexpensive housing. The area still has a 30% African American population; http://www.city-data.com/zips/94134.html however, this number has been declining in recent years due to the rising cost of living in San Francisco and black flight
to the East Bay
area. The Black population is being supplanted by an influx of ethnic Chinese immigrants
who now make up more than half of the neighborhood's population. http://www.city-data.com/zips/94134.html
The former barracks turned housing projects on Sunnydale Avenue, the Sunnydale Projects is the largest in San Francisco and remains one of the most violent areas of the city.
The two high-rise apartment buildings, Geneva Towers, originally built as private housing in the 1960s, were converted to public housing in the 1970s. They suffered through dilapidation and poor maintenance throughout the 1980s, and were plagued by gangs and drug activity. The City ordered the destruction of the buildings in 1998, and replaced them with lower-density units.
The Visitacion Valley Redevelopment Area for the area centering at Leland Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard, including the former Schlage Lock Factory, was adopted by the Board of Supervisors in April 2009. A transit-oriented mixed use development (Visitacion Valley TOD Project) will be constructed on the former Schlage Lock Factory and Southern Pacific Railyard following demolition of existing buildings, except for the Historic Office Building, and brownfield remediation, which started after Remediation Action Plan was approved on November 16, 2009. This project will feature a grocery store, condos, parks, and other new redevelopment designed to revitalize the neighborhood.
Since the crackdown on crack cocaine in the mid 1990s and the demolition of the Geneva Towers public housing complex, crime in the neighborhood has been reduced, though many of the same problems remain. The Chinese American residency has grown and more businesses have opened on Leland Avenue, the location of the Visitacion Valley Street Fair which began in the mid-2000s.
Redevelopment also came in the construction of a new Muni Metro
line called the T Third Street, which terminates at Sunnydale Station
. The extension into the neighborhood is part of a major project to ultimately extend Muni
to the northwest section of the city, thus granting easy and faster access for the neighborhood's Chinese residents to Chinatown, and for future development along Third Street.
The neighborhood was featured in the movie Sucker Free City
. One of the gangs featured in the movie called themselves "The V-Dubs" (a.k.a. The V-Dub MAFIA). The word 'Dub' is not an abbreviation of 'W' but means 'double'. San Franciscans may notice the inaccuracy in this part of the film, as the gang in the film was actually located in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood of the city.
The Old Visitacion Valley Branch of San Francisco Public Library
is a small storefront located at 45 Leland Ave at Desmond Street. A replacement/renovation is currently under construction. The newer one is now on Leland and Rutland and finished construction in the summer of 2011.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Location
Visitacion Valley is roughly defined by McLaren ParkMcLaren Park
McLaren Park is a park in south-eastern San Francisco. McLaren Park is the second largest park in San Francisco after Golden Gate Park. The park is surrounded mostly by the Excelsior, Crocker-Amazon, Visitacion Valley, Portola and University Mound neighborhoods.-History:McLaren Park was once a...
and Gleneagles Golf Course to the West, Mansell Blvd to the North, Bayview Hill and Candlestick Cove
Candlestick Point State Recreation Area
Candlestick Point State Recreation Area is a state park unit of California, USA, providing an urban protected area on San Francisco Bay. The park is located at the southeastern tip of San Francisco immediately south of Hunters Point and north of Sierra Point in Brisbane...
to the East, and the San Francisco / San Mateo County
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
line to the South. The streets of this neighborhood straddle the border between San Francisco and Daly City, hence Visitacion Valley partially blends in with the adjacent Daly City neighborhood of Bayshore. The grounds of the Cow Palace
Cow Palace
Cow Palace is an indoor arena, in Daly City, California, situated on the city's border with neighboring San Francisco, notable as a sporting arena.-History:...
, straddling the San Francisco/Daly City border, are partially within Visitacion Valley.
Visitacion Valley takes its name from Rancho Cañada de Guadalupe la Visitación y Rodeo Viejo
Rancho Cañada de Guadalupe la Visitación y Rodeo Viejo
Rancho Cañada de Guadalupe la Visitación y Rodeo Viejo was a Mexican land grant in present day San Mateo County, California and San Francisco County, California given in 1841 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Jacob P. Leese. The rancho included three separate valleys: Cañada de Guadalupe, La...
, a large tract of land that also included the Bayshore district of Daly City, the city of Brisbane
Brisbane, California
Brisbane is a small city located in the northern part of San Mateo County, California on the lower slopes of San Bruno Mountain. It is on the northeastern edge of South San Francisco, next to the San Francisco Bay and near the San Francisco International Airport.The population was 4,282 as of...
, and San Bruno Mountain
San Bruno Mountain
San Bruno Mountain in northern San Mateo County, California is the northernmost part of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Most of the mountain lies within the San Bruno Mountain State Park, a unique open-space island in the midst of the San Francisco Peninsula's urbanization. Next to the state park is the...
.
Attractions and characteristics
The area is a largely family-oriented working-class neighborhood. Average Adjusted Gross Incomes for the area are at $38,802,http://www.city-data.com/zips/94134.html much lower than the citywide average of $73,798. http://www.city-data.com/county/San_Francisco_County-CA.html. Median rents in 2007 for the neighborhood at $896 a month are also far below the citywide average at $1,141 http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Visitacion-Valley-San-Francisco-CA.htmlThe area was originally settled by Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
and Italian
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
immigrants who worked in the nearby factories. The construction of the nearby Hunters Point Naval Shipyard during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, led to a massive influx of African Americans who worked in the shipyards. Many settled in the Sunnydale Projects which were originally constructed as barracks to house workers. After the war ended, more African Americans, relocated from the Fillmore District and the Western Addition because redevelopment programs provided inexpensive housing. The area still has a 30% African American population; http://www.city-data.com/zips/94134.html however, this number has been declining in recent years due to the rising cost of living in San Francisco and black flight
Black flight
Black flight is a term applied to the out-migration of African Americans from predominantly black or mixed inner-city areas in the United States to suburbs and outlying edge cities of newer home construction...
to the East Bay
East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
The East Bay is a commonly used, informal term for the lands on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States...
area. The Black population is being supplanted by an influx of ethnic Chinese immigrants
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
who now make up more than half of the neighborhood's population. http://www.city-data.com/zips/94134.html
The former barracks turned housing projects on Sunnydale Avenue, the Sunnydale Projects is the largest in San Francisco and remains one of the most violent areas of the city.
The two high-rise apartment buildings, Geneva Towers, originally built as private housing in the 1960s, were converted to public housing in the 1970s. They suffered through dilapidation and poor maintenance throughout the 1980s, and were plagued by gangs and drug activity. The City ordered the destruction of the buildings in 1998, and replaced them with lower-density units.
The Visitacion Valley Redevelopment Area for the area centering at Leland Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard, including the former Schlage Lock Factory, was adopted by the Board of Supervisors in April 2009. A transit-oriented mixed use development (Visitacion Valley TOD Project) will be constructed on the former Schlage Lock Factory and Southern Pacific Railyard following demolition of existing buildings, except for the Historic Office Building, and brownfield remediation, which started after Remediation Action Plan was approved on November 16, 2009. This project will feature a grocery store, condos, parks, and other new redevelopment designed to revitalize the neighborhood.
Since the crackdown on crack cocaine in the mid 1990s and the demolition of the Geneva Towers public housing complex, crime in the neighborhood has been reduced, though many of the same problems remain. The Chinese American residency has grown and more businesses have opened on Leland Avenue, the location of the Visitacion Valley Street Fair which began in the mid-2000s.
Redevelopment also came in the construction of a new Muni Metro
Muni Metro
Muni Metro is a light rail system serving San Francisco, California, operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway , a division of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency...
line called the T Third Street, which terminates at Sunnydale Station
Sunnydale Station
Sunnydale Station is an island platform light rail station of the San Francisco Municipal Railway's Muni Metro system located in the median of Bayshore Boulevard at Sunnydale Avenue in Visitacion Valley, San Francisco, California. This is the terminal for the T Third Street Muni Metro line...
. The extension into the neighborhood is part of a major project to ultimately extend Muni
Central Subway
The Central Subway is an extension of the Muni Metro light rail system in San Francisco, California, from the Caltrain commuter rail depot at 4th and King streets to Chinatown. The subway is the second phase of the Third Street Light Rail Project...
to the northwest section of the city, thus granting easy and faster access for the neighborhood's Chinese residents to Chinatown, and for future development along Third Street.
The neighborhood was featured in the movie Sucker Free City
Sucker Free City
Sucker Free City is a 2004 film directed by Spike Lee. The film examines white, black, and Chinese characters in San Francisco and the conflicts they encounter with each other. The film was intended to be the pilot for a Showtime television series. Showtime declined to pick up the series...
. One of the gangs featured in the movie called themselves "The V-Dubs" (a.k.a. The V-Dub MAFIA). The word 'Dub' is not an abbreviation of 'W' but means 'double'. San Franciscans may notice the inaccuracy in this part of the film, as the gang in the film was actually located in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood of the city.
The Old Visitacion Valley Branch of San Francisco Public Library
San Francisco Public Library
The San Francisco Public Library is a public library system serving the city of San Francisco. Its main library is located in San Francisco's Civic Center, at 100 Larkin Street at Grove. The first public library of San Francisco officially opened in 1879, just 30 years after the California Gold...
is a small storefront located at 45 Leland Ave at Desmond Street. A replacement/renovation is currently under construction. The newer one is now on Leland and Rutland and finished construction in the summer of 2011.