Artworks and murals in San Francisco's Bayview neighborhood.

Heart of the City
Bayview

San Francisco’s Bayview may be the city’s best kept secret. Let the artists and entrepreneurs making waves in this community welcome you to the neighborhood.

San Francisco’s icons are wonderful and timeless, but they’re only a small part of what makes our city special. Savvy travelers know this; that’s why they spend less time on more traditional tours and more time on self-guided explorations of our neighborhoods. Yet even the most experienced, repeat visitors to San Francisco may not realize that they’re missing out on one of the most innovative and inviting neighborhoods of the city.

In the Bayview, change is in the air. There’s an excitement about what’s new, as well as an eagerness to share what residents have long known and treasured: deep community roots that make this neighborhood a heart of the city.

Heart of the City

Bayview

Martin Luther, a resident from the Bayview.

Bayview

San Francisco’s Bayview has its own unique history. As a corner of the city where waterfront access was easy and available, it became a center for shipbuilding in the early 20th century. These jobs attracted tens of thousands of Black Americans during the Great Migration.

Jobs and job-seekers continued to multiply with the onset of World War II. Before long, Bayview had developed into one of the hubs of Black culture and community in San Francisco. In the post-war era, that community blazed a bold path to the future.

“This community has had a history of activation,” says Martin Luther McCoy, a musician, artist, and Bayview native. He speaks with admiration of the local leaders and activists who, over decades, brought national attention to the issues facing their community and others like it: redlining, food insecurity, and environmental safety, to name a few.

“It’s a rebellious spirit that thrives here.”

Musician Martin Luther McCoy

Thinking Outside the Box

Martin is keen on seeing that spirit at work throughout the Bayview, for the good of the Bayview. “We have to start thinking outside the box,” he says, “As to how we can generate resources and be a power center, as opposed to just a pawn.”

Power can be found in many places. For Dontaye Ball, chef and owner of Gumbo Social, he found it in his kitchen.

In 2020, during the depths of the pandemic and the outrage that followed the death of George Floyd, Dontaye was among those looking to make an impact is his own way. “There was a lot of turmoil in the country,” he remembers, “And I had a thesis that gumbo could bring humans together. And I think I was right.”

Chef and owner of Gumbo Social, Dontaye Ball

What began as a series of outdoor pop-ups has since blossomed into a runaway success. You can now find Gumbo Social at the Ferry Building’s epic farmers’ market, massive festivals and events like Outside Lands, and their Bayview brick-and-mortar location on Third Street.

Gumbo Social’s menu includes hearty variations of its titular dish, as well as po’ boys and delicious sides—all with a special San Francisco spin. “We don’t really fit in the soul food box,” says Dontaye. “We don’t fit into the Creole Cajun box.”

“We really have our own kind of unique thing.”

Just up the street from Gumbo Social, at a busy intersection where multiple Muni lines converge, you’ll find a narrow, unassuming facade set back from the bustling streets. You might think it’s a movie theater or a small playhouse; but, in fact, it’s Old Skool Cafe, a jazzy supper club that was the brainchild of Bayview resident Teresa Goines.

Old Skool isn’t your regular lounge. Once you look past the wonderful Art Deco decor, you’ll notice that the people running Old Skool are all barely old enough to be out of college. That, Teresa says, was by design.

“I was a corrections officer right out of college,” she recalls. “I worked with young people that were incarcerated, mostly due to gang violence. I was asking them, “What would it really take for you to break out of this whole cycle?” The things I heard were “a sense of community,” and also “a sense of purpose.” That is really what propelled me to start Old Skool Cafe.”

Teresa Goines, founder of Old Skool Cafe

Under the mentorship and guidance of restaurant professionals, Old Skool’s young staff execute every aspect of the business: serving guests, bussing tables, cooking food, and providing live entertainment. The staff gain experience that gives them a look into and a leg up on potential careers. The guests gain something more. “[It’s] a space that brings people together to see our young people in a different light,” says Teresa, “[to] get to know them, get to love them.”

“It’s showing what’s possible when we give young people an opportunity.”

A Community of Care

One of the first people to seize that opportunity was Bayview native Tiffany Fuller. “I needed a sense of community,” Tiff says. “At the time, I didn’t know it was what I needed. But when you get what you need, it’s just like, “My God, I feel good. I’m home. I’m comfortable.”

Tiff is proud of the fact that she’s “the first graduate” of Old Skool, as well as the first to go on to complete college and get a master’s degree. She remains involved with the cafe and enjoys watching the subsequent generations succeed. “Now they’re going to college and now they’re starting businesses and now they’re doing things with their lives that do affect the community.”

Teresa Goines and Tiffany Fuller catch up at Old Skool Cafe

Young and old alike find their dreams supported in the Bayview. “The community was the reason why I ended up having the opportunity,” says Dontaye. “Folks were really advocating and rooting for me to put some roots in the Bayview.” Now, Dontaye is eager to pay it forward.

“An opportunity to give opportunity back to people who need opportunity is super-duper special.”

The Heart of the City

Bayview has weathered booms, busts, and battles for its future—all of which have shaped it into the neighborhood it is today.

“It’s not the “big city” vibe at all,” says Martin. “It’s more like a small, blue-collar town.”

“When you come as a visitor to the Bayview, “ Teresa says, “you get welcomed into this large family and feel a sense of…home.”

Businesses old and new line Third Street. Old Skool Cafe, which is younger than its teenage staff, is just half a block from the 136-year-old Bayview Opera House. Abandoned shipyard buildings have been repurposed as artist studios and galleries that attract hundreds of visitors. The energy and effort that this community has put into maintaining its institutions while creating new ones inspires. “There’s a lot of really great things working out here,” says Dontaye.

“Even though it’s changed a lot,” says Tiff, “the air in this neighborhood is still the same.”

“Come and check it out, get lost, and see what you find.”

Skateboarder in the Bayview neighborhood.

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Tyler Cohn

Tyler is the Sr. Manager of Global Content & Communications at San Francisco Travel. He has lived in San Francisco since 2015 and has been part of the San Francisco Travel team for just as long. He enjoys splashy production numbers and outdoor sporting events equally, which means you can usually find him at one of San Francisco’s many great theaters or at Oracle Park, cheering on the Giants.