Beyond the ‘Stro is the Queerty/GayCites series exploring the popular San Francisco districts outside the Castro.
San Francisco‘s hidden ‘hood just south of the city promises steady sunshine. Bayview is, in fact, the best neighborhood to soak up the sun, with its alfresco restaurants, undiscovered parks and repurposed shipyards. The gays, of course, are moving in.
Close to downtown San Francisco, and equidistant to the SF airport, this sunny neighborhood is home to an emerging arts community community and unrivaled parks along the waterfront, just blocks from AT&T park, where the Giants are seeking yet another World Series victory. So if you’re visiting S.F. soon, make sure to bust out your tank tops in Bayview.
Hotspots perfect for basking in the sun
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Bayview’s San Francisco Shipyard has gotten a recent million-dollar makeover to become one of coolest outdoor hotspots in San Francisco. Innes Court Park is right across the street, where you can join “pop-up” exercise classes like yoga and boot camp.
The repurposed San Francisco Shipyard is also surrounded by some of the city’s most unique businesses. For brick-oven pizza, try All Good Pizza, the super-scenic outdoor restaurant that also serves Panini made from scratch and served out of a truck. Plus, beer and wine that you can sip leisurely on the patio.
Equally Instagram-worthy is Flora Grubb Gardens, a special place for green thumbs. For beer connoisseurs and anyone who enjoys an afternoon buzz, Speakeasy Brewery offers an eclectic range of beers. And if you prefer your buzz to be of the caffeinated type, check out the Ritual outpost inside Flora Grubb, one of San Franciscans’ favorite coffeehouses.
Also super close by is Pier 70 in the Dogpatch ‘hood. A revitalization project to reclaim historic waterfront buildings and turn them into housing, public parks and local businesses, Pier 70 will provide park access to the bay. Pier 70 has hosted big headlining concerts when the Superbowl was in town, as well as the TechCrunch conference.
For a sun-soaking experience, hike up Bayview Park. This wild park with great views of the city and the bay was once teeming with grizzly bears. But fear not, the only bears wondering this park now are of a friendlier kind.
Arts powerhouse
Bayview is such a staple in the S.F. arts world, that the neighborhood’s Hunters Point Shipyard has been selected to kick-off the Artspan Open Studios series in 2016. In mid-October, you will be able to tour the former naval yard that’s been repurposed as affordable work-and-live studios for 250 artists-in-residence. The largest arts community in the country is only open to the public three times a year, and Artspan Open Studios is one of those rare occasions. They also open the studios in the Spring and during their holiday party in December.
You would never expect this tucked-away neighborhood to have its own opera house, but that just shows the range of culture Bayview offers. The Bayview Opera House has events geared towards families and their kids on a recurring basis, even a full-blown circus festival.
The Opera House is also a presenting partner in 3rd on Third, Bayview’s monthly neighborhood festival that takes place every third Friday of the month. Each month, 3rd on Third fest features special programming revolving around a specific theme, from jazz performances to petting zoos. Find events on its Facebook page.
