Richmond District, San Francisco

The Richmond District is a neighborhood in the northwest corner of San Francisco, California, developed initially in the late 19th century. It is sometimes confused with the city of Richmond, which is 20 miles (32 km) northeast of San Francisco.

Richmond District Park-Presidio District (1917–2009)
Neighborhood
San Francisco's Richmond District in foreground, with Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands, and the Presidio in background
Nickname(s):  The Richmond, The Avenues
Richmond District Location within San Francisco
Coordinates: 37°46′40″N 122°28′58″W / 37.77778°N 122.48278°W / 37.77778; -122.48278
Country	United States
State	California
City and county	San Francisco
Named for	Richmond, Victoria, Australia
Government
• Supervisor	Connie Chan (politician)
• Assemblymember	Phil Ting (D)^[1]
• State Senator	Scott Wiener (D)^[1]
• U. S. Repr.	Nancy Pelosi (D)^[2]
Area
• Total	2.705 sq mi (7.01 km^2)
• Land	2.705 sq mi (7.01 km^2)
Population
• Total	59,297
• Density	21,920/sq mi (8,460/km^2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	94118, 94121
Area codes	415/628
^[3]

The Richmond is in many ways defined by its relation to the parks; the district is bordered by Golden Gate Park on the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and Lincoln Park, Mountain Lake Park and the Presidio of San Francisco to the north, bisected by the Presidio Greenbelt.

Overview

JFK Drive at Golden Gate Park is permanently closed to traffic. It is a haven for runners, bikers, exercise enthusiasts, tourists, and pedestrians. Many locals and other visitors come to GG Park for its museums, have a picnic, play tennis/soccer/basketball etc., skating, go on its slide with a cardboard, and look at the buffalos and windmill. There are a few hiking trails, rental bikes and boats at the lake, and there are food trucks near the Bandshell on weekends.

The Richmond has many influences from the Chinese, Korean, and Russian culture. The movies Shang-Chi and Always Be My Maybe were filmed here. The commercial strips are Geary Boulevard, Clement, and Balboa Street. The Richmond has many diverse restaurants with cuisines from all over the world.

The Richmond has deep Irish and Russian roots and has many Catholic and Orthodox churches, as well as Irish bars. This neighborhood is known as Little Russia, and has many Russian bakeries, restaurants, grocery stores, and deli. Some people used to also call it New Chinatown. Nowadays many Chinese establishments are in the Sunset instead, but there are still a number of Chinese restaurants, bakeries, hair salons, and grocery stores here. The Richmond also has many Korean establishments including churches, a small grocery store, and at least ten restaurants.

Name

The neighborhood was given its name by Australian immigrant and art dealer George Turner Marsh, one of the neighborhood's earliest residents, who called his home "the Richmond House" after Richmond, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia.^[4] In 1917, the district was legally named "Park-Presidio District", chosen to avoid confusion between the district and the city of Richmond right across the bay. In spite of the official change, San Franciscans continued to use the old name.

The name Park-Presidio remained on the books until January 2009, when newly elected Supervisor Eric Mar introduced legislation that officially renamed the area north of Golden Gate Park and west of Arguello Boulevard the Richmond District.^[5]

History

The Richmond District, originally an expanse of rolling sand dunes called Outside Lands, was developed initially in the late 19th century.^[6] Before this development, the Yelamu Tribe of the Ohlone Nation frequented the coastal sites of the current day district and had a village where the development would take place.^[7] In the later 18th century, they were not able to use this land anymore after Spanish explorers arrived and began setting up missions with the intent of converting and displacing the Ohlone people.^[8] Adolph Sutro was one of the first large-scale developers of the area. After purchasing the Cliff House in the early 1880s,^[9] he built the Sutro Baths on the western end, near Ocean Beach.

 

First built in 1858 and rebuilt in 1896, the Cliff House in the Outer Richmond went through several incarnations and is now a popular restaurant.

After the 1906 earthquake, development increased with the need to provide replacement housing. The last of the sand dunes and coastal scrub that once dominated the area were built over to create a streetcar suburb.

The Russian Revolution and subsequent civil war brought many Anti-Communist White Russian, Orthodox Russian refugees and immigrants into the neighborhood. Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia briefly made its headquarters at Holy Virgin Cathedral on Geary Boulevard.

In the 1950s, and especially after the lifting of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1965, Chinese immigrants began to replace the ethnic Jewish and Irish-Americans who had dominated the district before World War II. Chinese of birth or descent now make up nearly the half of residents in the Richmond.^[3]

Location

 

A panorama of the Richmond District as seen from the Lincoln Park golf course, facing east

Located directly north of Golden Gate Park, "the Richmond" is bounded roughly by Fulton Street to the south, Arguello Boulevard and Laurel Heights to the east, The Presidio, Lincoln Park, and Sea Cliff to the north, and Ocean Beach to the west. The western portion, "Outer Richmond", and the eastern portion, "Inner Richmond", are divided by a major thoroughfare, Park Presidio Boulevard (California State Route 1).^{[10][better source needed]} Geary Boulevard is a major east–west thoroughfare that runs through the Richmond and to downtown. Technically, the Farallon Islands, about 30 miles to the west of mainland San Francisco, are also part of the Richmond District.

The Richmond is easy to access by the 38R (Rapid) or 38 bus, which is around a 35 minutes bus ride from downtown running on a red bus lane. It is around a 15 minutes walk to GG Park taking the 38 bus. The 5 bus goes on Fulton to get to Golden Gate Park directly. The 31 bus runs on Balboa, the 2 bus runs on Clement, and 1 bus runs on California.

Sub-neighborhoods

 

Aerial view due east of Lands End and Sea Cliff and Richmond districts, outer at lower right, inner at upper left

The Richmond has been popularly divided into four parts:

Lake Street^[11] is just south of Presidio of San Francisco and north of Inner Richmond. It is an affluent area characterized by its many Victorian/Edwardian mansions. Its boundaries are: the Presidio to the north, Arguello Blvd to the east, California St. to the south, and 25th Ave. to the west. Its name is derived from its proximity to Mountain Lake, one of the few remaining natural lakes in San Francisco, and Lake Street, the neighborhood's northernmost east–west artery. Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza ended his second northward expedition at the lake, stopping for two days in 1776. While here he located a site for the Spanish presidio that was later built. A plaque was placed in September 1957 near the point where he stayed.

Inner Richmond^[12] sits south of Lake Street. Its boundaries are: California St. to the north, Arguello Blvd to the east, Fulton St. to the south, and Park Presidio Blvd. to the west. The hub of the Inner Richmond is Geary Blvd & Clement St, which are particularly known for Chinese, Cambodian, Korean, Burmese, and Russian cuisine. The Inner Richmond is a diverse area with sizable Chinese and Russian populations.

Central Richmond^[13] is between Inner Richmond (to the east) and Outer Richmond (to the west). It is bounded by Park Presidio Blvd to the east, California St. to the north, Fulton St. to the south, and 32nd Ave. to the west. Its hub is on Geary Blvd. (between Park Presidio Blvd. to 28th Avenue). Within Central Richmond, in the area around Geary between about 17th Ave and 27th Ave, is sometimes called Little Russia.^{[14][15][16][17]}

Outer Richmond^[18] is to the west of the Central Richmond. It is bounded by Clement St. to the north, 32nd Ave. to the east, Fulton St. to the south, and Ocean Beach to the west. It borders the Ocean Beach and the Cliff House, currently operating as a restaurant. Lincoln Manor is a small enclave of larger homes within the Outer Richmond. It includes a vibrant merchant corridor on the western portion of Balboa St. from approximately 32nd Ave. to 42nd Ave. called Balboa Village.

Streets

The Richmond District and the neighboring Sunset District (on the south side of Golden Gate Park) are often collectively known as "The Avenues", because a majority of both neighborhoods are spanned by numbered north–south avenues. When the city was originally laid out, the avenues were numbered from 1st to 49th and the east–west streets were lettered A to X. In 1909, to reduce confusion for mail carriers, the east–west streets and 1st Avenue and 49th Avenue were renamed. The east–west streets were named after Spanish explorers in ascending alphabetical order in a southward direction. First Avenue was renamed Arguello Boulevard and 49th Avenue was renamed La Playa Street.^[19]

Today, the first numbered avenue is 2nd Avenue, starting one block west of Arguello Boulevard, and the last is 48th Avenue near Ocean Beach. The avenue numbers increase incrementally, with the exception that what would be 13th Avenue is called Funston Avenue named for Frederick Funston, a U.S. Army general, famous for his exploits during the Spanish–American War, the Philippine–American War, and the 1906 earthquake.

Many of the east–west streets are still named after the Spanish Conquistadors, but there are exceptions. The creation of Golden Gate Park took out the streets previously lettered E through G. The former D Street became Fulton, which is the northern boundary of most of the Park.

North of the Park in the Richmond District, the streets are named Anza, Balboa, and Cabrillo.

Architecture

The "Marina Style" houses are popular in Central and Outer Richmond. The Marina style uniquely consists of a sun room (a room with windows on three sides), that can only be accessed through a bedroom - essentially a bedroom inside of a bedroom; and the split bathroom where the bathtub and sink is in a separate room from the toilet, which has its own room.

To lure home buyers with promises of large houses while keeping prices low, homes were built with large basements (basements are an unusual feature in California because its weather permits shallower foundations) with the intention that the buyers could convert the basements into living space at their own volition. This essentially marketed a house as two stories, with the first story (basement) unfinished. This decision would prove to be ingenious as the 20th century evolved, as many basements were converted to garages. Some were converted with garages in the front and in-law units in the back.

Parks and recreation

Major parks in the Richmond District include:

• Lincoln Park and Golf Course in the Outer Richmond, also the location of the California Palace of the Legion of Honor art museum.
• The historic Fort Miley Military Reservation on Point Lobos (San Francisco) is now within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. A portion houses the large San Francisco VA Medical Center.
• Mountain Lake Park, constructed around the recently restored small lake near the Park Presidio entrance to the San Francisco Presidio park. Mountain Lake is the only natural lake in the entire 80,000-acre Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and it feeds the Presidio's Lobos Creek.
• Rochambeau Park is located between 24th and 25th Avenues, with tennis and basketball courts and play structures.
• Sutro Heights Park, the former site of silver magnate Adolph Sutro's estate, is located in the Outer Richmond District above the Cliff House.^[20]

Education

 

George Washington High School

The Richmond is home to San Francisco Unified School District elementary, middle and high schools. Elementary schools have distinct attendance zones.^[21]

Preschools

• Argonne Early Education School - Inner Richmond^[22]

Elementary schools

• Alamo^[23] - Established in 1926, in the center of the area.^[24]
• Argonne - In Inner Richmond^[25]
• Lafayette - In Outer Richmond^[26]
• Claire Lilienthal Alternative School (K-2 Madison Campus) - Inner Richmond^[27]
• Frank McCoppin Elementary School - Inner Richmond^[28]
• George Peabody Elementary School - Inner Richmond^[29]
• Sutro Elementary School - Inner Richmond^[30]

Middle schools

• Roosevelt Middle School^[31]
• Presidio Middle School - Outer Richmond^[32]

George Washington High School is located in Outer Richmond,^[33] at 32nd Avenue and Anza St.

Additionally, Katherine Delmar Burke School, an independent girls' school for kindergarten through eighth grade, as well as Kittredge School, a small, independent private elementary school serve the district.

The Richmond/Senator Milton Marks Branch and the Anza Branch of the San Francisco Public Library serve the Richmond District.^[34][35] In 1930 voters approved a city charter amendment that would increase funding to the library system so a new library could be built. John Reid, Jr., the architect, designed and landscaped the $57,117.29 new library, which was placed on the site of the former Lafayette School. On April 10, 1932, the Anza Library, the 17th municipal library branch, was dedicated. In May 2009 the library system closed the Anza Branch for repairs.^[36] A rebuilt library opened on June 18, 2011. Jing Mo Athletic Association lion dancers provided entertainment at the ceremony.^[35]

See also

• Internet Archive - A nonprofit digital library whose headquarters is situated in this district.
• The Chutes of San Francisco

•  San Francisco Bay Area portal

References

1. "Statewide Database". UC Regents. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
2. "California's 11th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC.
3. Richmond District from city-data.com
4. "Richmond District — Western Neighborhoods Project". Retrieved 15 October 2013.
5. Lagos, Marisa (January 28, 2009) "Richmond District name has never been official, but that soon may change". San Francisco Chronicle. (Retrieved 1-28-09.)
6. "Social and Architectural History of the Richmond District - Western Neighborhoods Project - San Francisco History". www.outsidelands.org. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
7. "Lands End History - Golden Gate National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
8. "Ohlones and Coast Miwoks - Golden Gate National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
9. Adolph Sutro (1830-1898) August 13, 2004, at the Wayback Machine from sfmuseum.net (Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco). Retrieved 2012-10-28..
10. "Richmond District - San Francisco Neighborhood Guides - FriendlyNeighborhoodGuide". www.friendlyneighborhoodguide.com. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
11. "Lake District Real Estate, San Francisco".
12. "San Francisco: Inner Richmond (SF Chronicle)". The San Francisco Chronicle. October 27, 2011.
13. "The Central Richmond neighborhood in San Francisco".
14. "The SF enclave that came to be known as Little Russia". 17 August 2021.
15. "Businesses in San Francisco's Little Russia Say They're Being Impacted by War in Ukraine". 18 March 2022.
16. "'The Front Steps': How "Little Russia" Came to the Richmond". 9 June 2022.
17. "SF's 'Little Russia' businesses experiencing waves of the war 6,000 miles away from Ukraine". 18 March 2022.
18. "San Francisco: Outer Richmond (SF Chronicle)". The San Francisco Chronicle. October 27, 2011.
19. Street Naming Controversy - 1909 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine sfhistoryencyclopedia.com
20. "Richmond District is the true heart of San Francisco". The Washington Times. December 2, 2000. Retrieved on July 4, 2011. "Perhaps the Richmond District's bestkept secret is Sutro Heights Park a little gem on the hill high above Cliff House[...]"
21. http://www.sfusd.edu/en/assets/sfusd-staff/enroll/files/all-in-one-school-map-2011-2012.pdf^{[bare URL PDF]}
22. "Argonne Early Education School". San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved 2020-05-13. - The page identifies the school's neighborhood.
23. "Alamo Elementary School". San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved 2020-05-13. - The page identifies the school's neighborhood.
24. "Home". Friends of Alamo Elementary School. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
25. "Argonne Elementary School". San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved 2020-05-13. - The page identifies the school's neighborhood.
26. "Lafayette Elementary School". San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved 2020-05-13. - The page identifies the school's neighborhood.
27. "Claire Lilienthal Alternative School (K-2 Madison Campus)". San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved 2020-05-13. - The page identifies the school's neighborhood.
28. "Frank McCoppin Elementary School". San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved 2020-05-13. - The page identifies the school's neighborhood.
29. "George Peabody Elementary School". San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved 2020-05-13. - The page identifies the school's neighborhood.
30. "Sutro Elementary School". San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved 2020-05-13. - The page identifies the school's neighborhood.
31. "Roosevelt Middle School". San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved 2020-05-13. - The page identifies the school's neighborhood.
32. "Presidio Middle School". San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved 2020-05-13. - The page identifies the school's neighborhood.
33. "George Washington High School". San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved 2020-05-14. - The page identifies the school's neighborhood.
34. "Richmond". San Francisco Public Library. Retrieved on November 13, 2011.
35. McDede, Holly. "Written on the Dock of the Bay: June 18, 2011". KALW. June 18, 2011. Retrieved on July 4, 2011. "Library re-opening // Library lovers! Residents of San Francisco's Richmond District! Residents of the world, rejoice! Another library is among us, and it is the reconstructed Anza Branch Library. Come for the re-opening ceremony. Lion dancers from the Jing Mo Athletic Association will be there to bless the building. // DETAILS: Saturday, June 18, 1pm. Anza Branch Library. 741 30th Avenue, San Francisco"
36. "Anza Library History". San Francisco Public Library. Retrieved on July 4, 2011.

External links

  Media related to Richmond District, San Francisco at Wikimedia Commons