Silver Terrace, San Francisco

This is where 280 and 101 meet and is definitely a metal bars and gates kind of a neighborhood—as you would expect given that is right next to Bay View. The small lots of the homes here are actually rather quaint and if it were not for crime worries this might actually become a fairly attractive neighborhood. However, it is currently an area of neglect with its steep cracked streets and the general feeling of decline through the neighborhood.

The schools in the area also look to be pretty bad. Thurgood Marshall, the local high school, has dismally low standardized test scores—mostly in the bottom quarter.

One of the things this area definitely does have going for it is a strong restaurant seen, from nearby Auntie Aprils to an excellent southern style soul food place called Queen Louisiana’s.

There are also a surprising number of fitness joints in and around Silver Terrace, including martial arts and gyms.

There are some shopping options in the area but they are not particularly fantastic—it’s mostly florists and hardware type stores.

Overall a bit of a mixed bag.

Silver Terrace isn’t that great of a neighborhood. I myself have done some construction work there with my father, and have also taken the SATs there at Thurgood Marshall High School. And for every time I’ve been there, I have always done a take-back or two, in other words, I’ve always looked behind me and around me, to make sure I know my surroundings. I do this because of the way I’ve been raised by my parents and from their experiences in Silver Terrace. My parents have lived in San Francisco for nearly 30 years so I trust their words. And it’s quite true to some extent from what I’ve experienced during my time there.

The neighborhood is quite shady to be honest. It lies right next to Bayview and Hunters Point, and much of the bad things that happen in Silver Terrace are mostly influenced by these two neighborhoods.

A good thing about Silver Terrace is the abundance of restaurants there. Aside from all the bad things about Silver Terrace, the neighborhood itself is known for its food. There’s a large variety of food to choose from, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, etc. you name it.

Living in this neighborhood, I’d personally think twice about it; this is due to the reputation Silver Terrace has. Some San Franciscans who don’t live in Silver Terrace regard it as a shady or bad neighborhood. I have a family friend who lives there who also thinks the same. The living cost there isn’t as high in other parts of San Francisco due to the nature of the location, which could be a good starting location for new San Franciscans.

Silver Terrace has a large multi-sport park nestled near Highway 101 within the neighborhood, at Thornton and Bayshore. The recreation area includes an artificial turf athletic field, tennis courts, slides, and climbing walls/structures.

The Upper Crust Deli & Grill is the best deli I have ever been to, and my friend’s call me a “deli snob” – so what does that tell you? Offering up great sandwiches and great service, this deli is a must. You probably don’t want to venture around here alone at night though.

Something interesting and unique about Silver Terrace is that there is a California commuter rail line (Caltrain) that runs directly under the neighborhood. Efficient transportation to any other community you want to travel to.

The best thing this part of town is good for is getting out of town to go south or go to the San Francisco Airport. If you travel a lot or work in the South Bay, but want to be in San Francisco, this is a great compromise (and rents are somewhat cheaper too!). Because it is South of the Cesar Chavez exit, the highway experiences less backup and subsequently, getting to and from here can also be easier.

That said, the area is somewhat run down and feels a bit on the lower end of things economically. Part of this can be attributed to the more industrial feel this part of town has -- with glass shops and manufacturing areas and more 18 wheelers than other parts of town.