Neighborhood Spotlight: Potrero Hill

Known for its striking vistas and sunny days, Potrero Hill has become a destination for luxury buyers since the 1990s. Found on the eastern side of the city, Potrero Hill features a pair of freeways and a Caltrain station, making it an ideal spot for commuters.

A variety of cultures made use of the land over its history. Spanish missionaries grazed cattle here in the late 1700s, while European settlers migrated from Dogpatch to Potrero Hill in the middle of the 19th Century. Indigenous peoples also used the mostly vacant pasture land for hunting. Potrero Hill gets its name from the Spaniards, who called it “Porto Nuevo”, or new pasture.

A major shift in the desirability of Potrero Hill came with the Long Bridge in 1865, which linked Mission Bay to Potrero Hill and Bayview. The Long Bridge was built in anticipation of the transcontinental railroad and was closed in the early 20th Century.

Like a few other neighborhoods in San Francisco, Potrero Hill was spared by the earthquake and fire of 1906. The subsequent years saw an influx of immigrants as people relocated from devastated parts of the city.

Dogpatch’s industrialization also lead to more people flocking west to Potrero Hill. Shipbuilding in neighboring Dogpatch boomed during World War II, leading to an uptick in population on Potrero Hill’s southern slope.

US Route 101, which cuts through the community, was constructed in the 1950s. Interstate 280 arrived a decade later along Potrero Hill’s east side.

A coveted location and low rents made Potrero Hill a welcoming area for the LGBT community. Artist studios, art schools, showrooms and designer studios sprouted as a result. There’s a special light-industrial district named Showplace Square north of Potrero Hill.