Much like downtown Flint, MI, Gary, IN, or other similiar grey and gritty Great Lakes cities, the neighborhoods at the bottom of Portrero Hill in San Francisco are often perceived as the place to go if "you wanna get shot," as one local put it. But the rundown and crime-ridden area is changing dramatically in anticipation of a new light rail line.
The T-3rd - a 5.6 mile transit route running down Third Street south of the city - is scheduled to open in April 2007. But the $667 million public works project already is attracting significant attention from from developers, local business owners, and other private investors. They're busy constructing luxury condos, developing a new campus for UCSF, and transforming empty storefronts into fancy wine bars, like Yield pictured above.
Together, their work is beginning to change a forgotten and seedy area into a vibrant, thriving urban district that's a model for the redevelopment of dilapidated Great Lakes cities.
"It's only a matter of time," said Jake, the barkeep at the Dogpatch. "The new rail line will improve mobility for people so business is really optimistic this area."
