Bernal Heights, San Francisco facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bernal Heights
Neighborhood
The Bernal Heights hill and microwave tower.
Nicknames:  Bernal, BH
Bernal Heights Location in San Francisco County
Country	United States
State	California
City-county	San Francisco
Area
• Total	1.049 sq mi (2.72 km2)
Population  (2019)
• Total	25,125
• Density	23,951/sq mi (9,248/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	94110, 94112
Area codes	415/628

Bernal Heights is a lively neighborhood in southeastern San Francisco, California. It's known for its big hill, Bernal Heights Summit. From the top of the hill, you can see amazing views of the San Francisco skyline. There's also a tall microwave tower there. You can even spot the famous Sutro Tower from Bernal Heights.

Discover Bernal Heights

Bernal Heights is a residential area. It has a main street called Cortland Avenue. This street is full of shops, restaurants, and bakeries. It's a great place to find local businesses.

Where is Bernal Heights?

Bernal Heights is located south of San Francisco's Mission District. Its most famous spot is the open parkland on Bernal Heights Summit. This large, rocky hill has a radio tower on top.

The neighborhood is surrounded by important streets. Cesar Chavez Street is to the north. San Jose Avenue is to the west. US 101 is to the east. I-280 is to the south.

A Look Back in Time

Bernal Heights has a long and interesting history. It was once part of a large Mexican land grant. This grant was given to José Cornelio Bernal in 1839. Later, in the 1860s, a man named François Louis Alfred Pioche owned the land. He divided it into smaller pieces.

The streets were planned during the American Civil War. Army engineers from the Presidio designed them. This is why many streets are named after military figures. Irish immigrants were among the first people to settle here. They farmed the land and ran dairy farms.

After the 1906 Earthquake

Bernal Heights grew a lot after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Many people who lost their homes moved here. The hill's structures were built on strong bedrock. This helped them survive the earthquake. The area also avoided the huge fires that followed.

Shops filled Eugenia Avenue as the city rebuilt quickly. Small "earthquake cottages" were built to house refugees. Some of these tiny homes still exist today. Three of them were even moved up to Bernal Heights.

Growth and Change

During World War II, more people moved to Bernal Heights. Many African-American families came to work at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard. This shipyard was located nearby at Hunters Point.

In the 1990s, the neighborhood became popular again. Its pleasant weather and small houses attracted new residents. Many houses have beautiful Victorian or Edwardian styles. Easy freeway access to Silicon Valley was also a big draw.

Fun Things to See and Do

Bernal Heights is a great place for families. The local San Francisco Public Library is on Cortland Avenue. It was built in 1940 and reopened in 2010 after renovations.

At the bottom of the northern slope, you'll find more restaurants and cafés. They are near the lovely Precita Park. Precita Eyes, a mural art center, is also in this area. It's a place where you can learn about and see amazing wall paintings.

Community Spirit

The Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center was started in 1979. It helps the community in many ways. They work to create affordable housing and offer services for seniors and young people.

The center also hosts "Fiesta on the Hill." This is a big street fair held every October. It's a fun event that brings everyone in the community together.

The Steepest Street?

Bernal Heights is known for its very steep streets. Bradford Street, above Tompkins, is said to be the steepest in the world. It has an amazing 41% grade! This claim is still waiting to be confirmed by Guinness World Records.

Fresh Food at the Market

In the southeast part of Bernal Heights, you'll find the Alemany Farmers' Market. This is one of the oldest outdoor farmers' markets in the US. It has been open every Saturday since 1947. You can buy fresh produce and other goods there. On Sundays, the same area hosts a flea market.

The market is named after the Alemany Farm. This farm is also located in the neighborhood.

Nature and Wildlife

Bernal Heights has a special climate. Its north slope is sometimes called a "banana belt." This means it gets warmer temperatures from San Francisco Bay. It also gets less fog than other parts of the city.

The hilltop is covered in grassland. It's home to many native wildflowers, including the California poppy. This is California's state flower. You can also spot raccoons, opossums, and skunks. Birds of prey like American kestrels and red-tailed hawks fly overhead. Sometimes, you might even see a coyote.

Bernal Hill Park is a popular spot for dogs. It's one of the largest off-leash parks in San Francisco. Bernal Heights Boulevard circles the hilltop. It has a one-mile path for walking and running. This path is closed to cars.

Precita Park and Holly Park are also great green spaces. They offer open grassy areas north and south of the hill.

Amazing Geology

Bernal Hill is a "folded hill." This means it was created by the Earth's plates pushing together. About 150 million years ago, the Pacific Plate moved under the North American Plate. This caused the land to wrinkle up, forming hills.

Near the top of the hill, you can see layers of a very hard rock called radiolarian chert. This rock gets its silica from tiny sea creatures called radiolaria. The red color comes from iron. Between the chert layers are thinner layers of shale. These shale layers come in many colors, like red, white, green, and purple.

Other rocks found on the hill include serpentinite, jasper, and clay. The different layers of rock suggest a cycle of sea water coming in and the Sacramento River flowing out.

Images for kids

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  Bernal Heights. The Mission District is in the foreground and Hunters Point and the bay are in the background

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  Swing near the top of Bernal Heights Park, looking east.

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  San Francisco as seen from Bernal Heights