The Richmond District is a neighborhood in the northwest corner of

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, on the West Side of the city. Developed initially in the late 19th century. It is sometimes confused with the city of Richmond, which is northeast of San Francisco; accordingly, the neighborhood usually is referred to as "the Richmond." The Richmond is bordered by

Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park is an urban park between the Richmond District, San Francisco, Richmond and Sunset District, San Francisco, Sunset districts on the West Side (San Francisco), West Side of San Francisco, California, United States. It is the Lis ...

on the south, the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

to the west, and Lincoln Park, Mountain Lake Park and the

Presidio of San Francisco The Presidio of San Francisco (originally, El Presidio Real de San Francisco or The Royal Fortress of Saint Francis) is a park and former U.S. Army post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part ...

to the north, bisected by the Presidio Greenbelt.

Name

The neighborhood was given its name by

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

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 Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. 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 A supervisor, or lead, (also known as foreman, boss, overseer, facilitator, monitor, area coordinator, line-manager or sometimes gaffer) is the job title of a lower-level management position and role that is primarily based on authority over la ...

Eric Mar introduced legislation that officially renamed the area north of Golden Gate Park and west of Arguello Boulevard the Richmond District.

History

The Richmond District, originally an expanse of rolling

sand dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

s called

Outside Lands Outside Lands was the name used in the 19th century for the present-day Richmond District and Sunset District on the West Side of San Francisco. With few roads and no public transportation, the area was covered by sand dunes and was conside ...

, was developed initially in the late 19th century. 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. 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. Adolph Sutro was one of the first large-scale developers of the area. After purchasing the Cliff House in the early 1880s, he built the Sutro Baths on the western end, near Ocean Beach. 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 A streetcar suburb is a residential community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation. Such suburbs developed in the United States in the years before the automobile, when ...

. The

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

and subsequent civil war brought many Anti-Communist White Russian, Orthodox Russian refugees and immigrants into the neighborhood.

Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (), also called Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia or ROCOR, or Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA), is a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Pat ...

briefly made its headquarters at Holy Virgin Cathedral on Geary Boulevard. In the 1950s, and especially after the lifting of the

Chinese Exclusion Act The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was a United States Code, United States federal law signed by President Chester A. Arthur on May 6, 1882, prohibiting all immigration of Chinese laborers for 10 years. The law made exceptions for travelers an ...

in 1965, Chinese immigrants began to replace the ethnic Jewish and Irish-Americans who had dominated the district before

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Chinese of birth or descent now make up nearly the half of residents in the Richmond.

Location

Located directly north of

, "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 A cliffed coast, also called an abrasion coast, is a form of coast where the action of marine waves has formed steep cliffs that may or may not be precipitous. It contrasts with a flat or alluvial coast. Formation In coastal areas in whic ...

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 State Route 1 (SR 1) is a major north–south state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either Route number, ...

). Geary Boulevard is a major east–west thoroughfare that runs through the Richmond and to

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

. 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

The Richmond has been popularly divided into four parts: Lake Street 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 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, Thai, Korean, Burmese, and Russian cuisine. The Inner Richmond is a diverse area with sizable Chinese and Russian populations. Central Richmond 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. Outer Richmond 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. calle
Balboa Village

Streets

250px, The 4 Star theater located on Clement street. 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. 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 Frederick Funston (November 9, 1865 – February 19, 1917), also known as Fighting Fred Funston, was a General officer, general in the United States Army, best known for his roles in the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American ...

, a U.S. Army general, famous for his exploits during the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

, the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...

, and the 1906 earthquake. Many of the east–west streets are still named after the Spanish

Conquistadors Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...

, but there are exceptions. The creation of

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.

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 The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is a U.S. National Recreation Area protecting of ecologically and historically significant landscapes surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area. Much of the park is land formerly used by the Unite ...

. 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.

Education

The Richmond is home to San Francisco Unified School District elementary, middle and high schools. Elementary schools have distinct attendance zones. ; Preschools: * Argonne Early Education School - Inner Richmond ; Elementary schools: * Alamo - Established in 1926, in the center of the area. * Argonne - In Inner Richmond * Lafayette - In Outer Richmond * Claire Lilienthal Alternative School (K-2 Madison Campus) - Inner Richmond * Frank McCoppin Elementary School - Inner Richmond * George Peabody Elementary School - Inner Richmond * Sutro Elementary School - Inner Richmond ; Middle schools: * Roosevelt Middle School * Presidio Middle School - Outer Richmond George Washington High School is located in Outer Richmond, 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.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" 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.Anza Library History
. San Francisco Public Library. Retrieved on July 4, 2011. A rebuilt library opened on June 18, 2011. Jing Mo Athletic Association lion dancers provided entertainment at the ceremony.

Climate

References

External links

{{Authority control Neighborhoods in San Francisco Chinatowns in California Russian-American culture in California Russian communities in the United States Ukrainian communities in the United States Populated coastal places in California