Curbed Cup 1st round: (2) Bayview vs. (15) Inner Richmond

The Curbed Cup, our annual award for the neighborhood of the year, kicks off with 16 neighborhoods vying for the prestigious (albeit fake) trophy. We’ll reveal each of the neighborhoods this week, and polls will be open for 24 hours so you can cast your vote as to which hoods should advance. Let the eliminations begin!

Bayview

Rounding out the top 16 are Bayview and Inner Richmond, Curbed Cup 2016’s reigning champion and second place winner, respectively.

Let’s begin with the city’s southside winner: Bayview boasts more working class residents than other tony neighborhood in the city. It’s also one of only two neighborhoods where the average San Franciscan can buy a home. Which is to say, asking prices don’t always break the $1 million mark. Small victories.

Also—shhh—Bayview is home to some of the nicest properties in the city.

In 2017, people foolishly compared the neighborhood to the Mission, with disastrous results.

Notable places in the neighborhood include the historic Bayview Opera House. The circa 1888 building underwent a major overhaul—new floors, repair of water damage and dry rot, new look inside. San Francisco architect Henry Geilfuss’s Italianate and Gothic influences were brought back to life. And Flora Grubb is always a winner.

Photo by Lynn Friedman

Inner Richmond

One of three neighborhoods that make up the Richmond District, the folks who call this charming neighborhood home proved to be some of the most ardent diehard supporters of any SF neighborhood this year.

A stretch of street with Chinese, Cambodian, Korean, Burmese, and Russian restaurants, it’s managed to stave off a lot of insufferable food trends and eateries. It’s also a popular nightlife sport, too, as well as one of the few remaining neighborhoods with an independent bookstore.

The Inner Richmond is also next to USF, meaning that it’s also a hub for college students. In other words, the Inner Richmond is a decent (albeit not at all inexpensive) neighborhood for renters, unlike most of its competitors. But in 2017, we saw rent prices climb in this central neighborhood.

But now, the decision is in your hands: Which area should make it to the finals? Cast your vote below, and may the best neighborhood win. Remember, polls close in 24 hours.