About the Historic District

The Uptown Tenderloin has long been known as the "heart" of San Francisco. It has been the last refuge for seniors, disabled persons, and low-income working people striving to stay in the city, and the community where newly arrived immigrants seek a fresh start. The neighborhood is now being transformed into an exciting and desirable area where restaurants, theaters and other small businesses prosper, and low-income people of diverse ethnicities can still afford to live.

The Uptown Tenderloin was officially designated a national historic district in 2009. Efforts toward becoming an historic district began in the early 1980's, but the neighborhood halted the process until other land-use measures were in place to prevent gentrification. In 2007, the Tenderloin Housing Clinic received a grant from the SF Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development through the San Francisco Historic Preservation Fund Committee to restart the designation process.

With city funding, architectural historian Michael Corbett was hired to research Uptown TL architecture and history for the historic district application. The National Register of Historic Places designation was secured and the Uptown TL now features over 400 buildings with architectural accolades.

Fueled by the historic designation, non-profits Uptown Tenderloin Inc. and North of Market/Tenderloin Community Benefit District combined forces to secure $15,000 in funding from the San Francisco Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development to launch an historic district plaque project with Uptown TL buildings owners.

The project has proven to be highly successful with active community participation and renewed dedication to the unique historic character of this San Francisco neighborhood. 73 buildings have already participated in the project displaying solid bronze plaques with historic information highlighting where film director Frank Capra once lived, where Grateful Dead founder Jerry Garcia resided and where reknown boxer Muhammad Ali trained at Newman's Gym in the Uptown TL.

Efforts are currently underway to seek funding to restore historic advertisement murals in the Uptown TL. Stay tuned for further updates.

To view other Uptown Tenderloin architectural photos taken by photographer Mark Ellinger, visit his website and experience the neighborhood's unique architecture and history: http://upfromthedeep.com/uptown-tenderloin/