Bernal Heights

For the month of September, we are exploring neighborhoods in San Francisco's District 9. The first in the series will be Bernal Heights, otherwise referred to as 9A, which is located on the hill at the southern border of the Inner Mission. The majority of homes in Bernal are single family homes, and it is a very popular neighborhood for young families. It is also an excellent place for dogs as the very top of the hill, Bernal Hill Park, is also a dog run where you can let your pups run freely off leash. The average purchase price here is just under $800,000 and the homes currently on the market range from a small artist's cottage listed at $499K to a luxurious new home designed by architect Craig Steely listed at $2,295,000. The wide range of property types is a direct indication of the diversity this neighborhood has to offer. So what can you get for the average price? Here's one example: 57 Bessie Street is a three bedroom one bathroom home just a block of way from Precita Park, two cafes, an Italian restaraunt, and a market. The home is listed for $849,000 and has been on the market for almost one month now. A month on the market is on the longer side; in this case I believe the problem is that there is no garden, but the house itself has been upgraded nicely and it does come with parking. Just a tip; when a home seems to be sitting on the market longer than the average time, it may be a good time to negotiate a lower price.

Cortland Avenue is the main commercial drag in Bernal Heights and you can find pretty much everything you need there. There are grocery stores, a video store, cafes, restaurants, public library, community center, shops, yoga and Pilate's studios, and much much more. Aside from Precita Park there is also Holly Park which has all new play structures and a nice view of the city. Public transportation in Bernal is limited to buses, but there are a number of them that run throughout the neighborhood. There are three public elementary schools, one Catholic, and one small but popular Montessori preschool. Bernal Heights is a small community in a big city; you get the best of both worlds.