Bernal Heights, San Francisco, California

The Bernal Heights neighborhood, familiarly called Bernal, lies to the south of San Francisco's Mission District. to the south and east.

History

Bernal had its origin in an 1839 land grant to Don Jose Cornelio Bernal (September 7 1796 - 1842), who grazed his cattle on what he called Rancho Rincon de las Salinas y Potrero Viejo. By 1860, the land belonged to French merchant Francois Pioche (1818 - May 2 1872), who subdivided it into smaller lots.

Bernal remained undeveloped, though, until the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Built atop bedrock, the hill's structures survived the temblor, and the sparseness of the development saved much of Bernal from the ravages of the firestorm that followed. The commercial corridor of Cortland Avenue filled in with shops as the pastureland on the hilltop was developed for workers' homes during the rapid rebuilding of the city. Some of the tiny [http://www.nps.gov/prsf/history/1906eq/cottages.htm earthquake cottages] -- that the city built to house quake refugees -- survive to this day, including three which were moved up to Bernal Heights. During World War II, the area saw another population surge including many African American families thanks to its proximity to the San Francisco Naval Shipyard at Hunters Point. During the Vietnam War, the neighborhood was known as "Red Hill" for the anti-war activists in shared households and collectives who moved in among the working class families.

By the 1990s, Bernal's pleasant microclimate, small houses (some with traditional Victorian or Edwardian architecture) and freeway access to the peninsula and Silicon Valley led to a third wave of migration. Bernal has not gentrified to the extent of its neighbor Noe Valley, but gentrification and property values are increasing as urban professionals replace working-class home owners and renters. Bernal is a haven for young families (especially famous for the concentration of lesbian families) and is teemingFact|date=August 2008 with their children. For this reason Bernal Heights sometimes goes by the nickname "Maternal Heights."

Notable residents include: Tom Ammiano, Bob McGee, Dan Nakamura, Dan Schutte, Annie Sprinkle, Pedro Teles and Terry ZwigoffFact|date=August 2008

Features

The neighborhood is primarily residential, with a commercial strip along Cortland Avenue featuring restaurants, a bookstore, a bakery, a video store, a grocery store, a wine and beer store, cafes and bars (including a well-known lesbian hangout, Wild Side West). The local branch of the San Francisco Public Library at 500 Cortland was built by Frederick Myers with funding from the Works Progress Administration and dedicated in 1940. The library closed in early 2008 for renovations.

A strong tradition of neighborhood activism led to the establishment of the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center in 1979. It works to promote community organizing, affordable housing services, senior services and youth services.

Bernal's north slope has been referred to as one of San Francisco's "banana belts", with warmer temperatures from the San Francisco Bay and less marine fog making its way inland.

The grassland on the hilltop is home to a remarkable urban ecosystem, including the California poppy, raccoons, opossums, skunks, a variety of raptors (including American Kestrels, Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, Sharp-Shinned Hawks, and Great Horned Owls), and, at times, at least one coyote. The microwave tower is a major connection point for the metropolitan San Francisco area. Bernal Hill Park is a designated "off-leash" park for dogs, and it is a destination for many dogs and their owners. Bernal Heights Boulevard, which circles the hill top, has about a one mile (1.6 km) long path of asphalt and hard packed sand for walking and running that is closed to motor traffic. It is also the site of the San Francisco Illegal Soapbox Society's annual derby.

Precita Park and Holly Park provide grassy play areas for children and adults to the north and south of the hill, respectively.

See also

*List of San Francisco, California Hills

References

External links

* [http://www.sfpl.org/librarylocations/branches/bernalheights.htm Bernal Heights Branch, San Francisco Public Library]
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/03/16/HOG44BOSS31.DTL&hw=Bernal+Hill&sn=005&sc=565 Native Plants Survive on Bernal Hill] : San Francisco's best display of urban wildflowers puts on a fabulous springtime show.
* [http://www.bhnc.org Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center]
* [http://www.bernalheightspreservation.org Bernal Heights Preservation]
* [http://www.sfgov.org/site/recpark_index.asp San Francisco Parks]