Taking a cue from our sisters over at Eater, we're going to closeout the year by surveying local design, building, and real estate luminaries to get a read on the highlights and lowlights of the past year of real estate and development in San Francisco. The answers to our questions are in no particular order; all responses cut, pasted and unedited, below:
Q: Your favorite neighborhood this year and why.
Margie O'Driscoll, Executive Director at AIA San Francisco: My favorite neighborhood is my neighborhood- the "Trans-mission."
Name me another neighborhood with a gay synagogue, a California Mission, world famous coffee houses, a park with one of the best views in the state, bakeries, restaurants and some of the coolest shops in the world. My teens are just beginning to understand that for most of American teens an exotic night out is hanging out in a 7-11 parking lot- not eating gourmet ice cream at a free movie night in a public park with a spectacular view.
Erin Feher, Editor-in-Chief at California Home + Design: I would love to be able to say my own—Mid-Market—but it's not quite there yet. Although Machine Coffee, Elmira Cafe and our new smooth bike lanes are helping build a convincing case for next year. I would have to say Mission Prime (nabe name copyright, Aaron Harvey). I walk all my out of town guests through the sunny hood with stops at Heath, Local Kitchen, Coffee Bar, and the oldie but goodie, Universal. And their bike lanes have always been legit.
Allison Arieff, architecture and design writer: Glen Park. Now and forever. Best kept secret in San Francisco.
Catherine Kwong, Principal of Catherine Kwong Design: This year, we moved into our new office in the Design District. This is obviously an important neighborhood for us professionally, but being here every day has really made me appreciate the neighborhood as a community. There's been a new infusion of small companies moving in: tech startups next to design studios, next to family-owned workshops. Design Within Reach just opened up a brand new flagship store across the street, and everyone gathers around the Papa November coffee truck in the mornings. There's a lot of excitement in the air, and it's nice to be a part of it.
Craig Scott, Founding Partner at IwamotoScott Architecture: Dogpatch - there's still an exciting potential in how it might evolve.
Frank Nolan, Development Sales Director at Vanguard: Mission Dolores- it has EVERYTHING and is getting better by the minute.
Kearstin Krehbiel, Executive Director at San Francisco Beautiful: Upper Market is my new sweetheart; we just moved in together and it's dreamy.
Brock Keeling, Editor-in-Chief at SFist: SOMA. It's a) my neighborhood, b) it was originally called "South of the Slot," c) home to the greatest baseball team, d) close to downtown e) one of two remaining neighborhoods with gay bars/LGBT culture, and f) all of the glorious Saitowitz.
· What Building Trends Do You Want to See Crushed in 2014? [Curbed SF]
· Local Luminaries Sum Up 2013 in Three Words [Curbed SF]
· Experts Share What Development Caught Their Eye This Year [Curbed SF]
· Experts' Dish on the Biggest Building Trends in 2013 [Curbed SF]
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