Hayes Valley (San Francisco, California)

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Hayes Valley is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California. In this historic neighborhood sandwiched between the historical districts of Alamo Square and Civic Center, historical Victorians, Queen Ann's and Edwardians abound.

The boundaries are not very well defined, but it is generally considered to be the area around Hayes Street west from Fillmore Street (near Alamo Square) and to Franklin to the East. Northward and southward, it extends a few blocks away from Hayes Street in either direction.

At one time the Central Freeway ran though the neighborhood, but it was closed after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and eventually demolished. In an arial photograph the path of the highway can easily be seen running through the neighborhood in the form of empty lots and surface parking lots, many of which are now slated for development of new senior and affordable housing.

As of 2005, a section of the freeway has been rebuilt to exit at Market Street, with a boulevard running north from the exit at Market Street through the Hayes Valley along Octavia Street to Fell Street. Between Fell Street and Hayes Street, Hayes Green replaces the middle lanes of this new Octavia Boulevard. Hayes Green provides seating, green space, and a play structure for the neighborhood. It was recently the showcase for a temple structure for the renowned artist David Best.

Rapidly gentrifying Hayes Valley has an eclectic, very urban, mix of boutiques, high end restaurants, hip stores, condominiums and Victorians coupled with public housing and some mixed, and one-time rough, neighborhoods.