Inside the Outside Lands

Killing some time at the Sutro Library, I was browsing through a bound edition of the San Francisco News Letter and California Advertiser for July 3, 1886 (124 years ago today). Under the title “The Real Property Market,” I found an interesting assessment of real estate in the Richmond and Sunset districts. The writer mentions a railroad to the beach that spurred speculation. This was the Park & Ocean Railroad, which started service on December 1, 1883, shuttling passengers from Haight and Stanyan streets to Ocean Beach along today’s Lincoln Way:

When, a few years ago, the railroad to the beach was being constructed, there was almost a scramble for land south of the Park along the line of the road. It was bought up by speculators in large lots. it was expected that the railroad would surely bring settlers and improvements with it, and large and speedy profits were expected. The fortunate owners of the land were full of hopes, and pictured to themselves ow beautifully the land was located for villas, with views of the ocean and Park, and how anxious the well-to-do people of the city would be to locate here. But the result has been quite unexpected. After the road began to operate one trip through the sand dune has been invariably sufficient to scare off buyers, and it goes without saying that if the speculators had taken the trip before purchasing they would never have become owners. Since the road began to run trains it has been impossible to do anything with lands south of Golden Gate Park.

The writer notes that the inner Richmond District, which gave less of a Saharan impression (although sand was present), was faring better:

It has been different however, with lands north of the Park. For these there has sprung up a good demand, and numerous subdivisions have been made to accommodate purchasers with small means. A little town has grown up now, reaching as far west as Twelfth Avenue, and which is receiving additions daily. It is this demand which is going to be catered to, especially during the fall month, and if the sellers could only give positive assurance of better railroad service, a heavy business would be sure to ensue.

And so it was. The Richmond developed quicker and earlier. The inner Sunset didn’t really get going until the 1894 Midwinter Fair, and wind-swept dunes were a part of Sunset District life into World War II.

Any comparison to real estate speculation in the this century or comparison of relative values between the two “Avenues” districts, I’ll leave to others.