Quirks, history-making locales, and a celebratory attitude.
Eureka Valley and Dolores Heights, which includes the world-renowned Castro district, have a wonderfully rich history as the epicenter of the gay rights movement.
Today, the neighborhood is undergoing another transition as the long-standing gay community welcomes young families to the increasingly diverse neighborhood. On the eastern end, coveted Liberty Hill offers tremendous views and one-of-a-kind residences.
Located centrally with downtown access via Muni streetcar and freeway access just off of Market Street, the hard-to-resist neighborhood is also graced with a wide variety of architectural styles and property types — including many pre-Quake Victorians. Bustling Castro Street is home to some of the city's most beloved landmarks, including Harvey Milk's storefront and the historic Castro Theatre, as well as great restaurants and bars, clubs and pubs serving all your nightlife needs.
A celebratory attitude often reigns, as each year the streets come alive during the Castro Street Fair and Pride Week. Venture up the hills and you'll find quieter streets lined with charming, well-kept homes. Locals love to take advantage of many hidden mini-parks like Kite Hill (formerly Solari Hill, which was actually named from the builders of our house since his cows from the dairy farm would graze there), and the Seward Street slides.
Eureka Valley is my neighborhood and I’m so proud to be here. It’s centrally located and has some very interesting history. The neighborhood was actually built to follow the curvature of the land on Twin Peaks, which is why the houses look like they are built into the hills. At night, it offers a wonderful feeling of being tucked into a valley of twinkling lights. We are just below the fog line on 18th St, so we mostly get sun here. This area had water and even a street car that ran up 18th street to Douglass before 1900.
It’s walkable to Castro and all of its offerings, but some of the side streets are so quiet and the houses are so beautiful. It’s been a lovely place to live.
How Dolores Heights got its name
The name Dolores may hint at the area of town this is near. Mission Dolores was named in 1776 by a chaplain who accompanied Juan Batista de Anza when they stopped at a creek in the area on September 15th (the feast day for Our Lady of Sorrows, Dolores). He had written in his diary about how lovely the area was. The “heights” are referring to the hills behind the Mission.
