The Mission is a neighborhood that is found roughly east of central San Francisco. Its borders are, roughly, Highway 101 to the east and north, Dolores Street to the west, and Cesar Chavez Street to the south.
This neighborhood consists of many Latino families as well as twentysomethings. It is considered one of hippest and most desirable locations to live and hang out, perhaps due to its flat terrain (good for bicycles), relatively sunny weather, and proliferation of shops, restaurants and cafes. This desirability in turn gives rise to concern to many Mission residents about the unfortunate effects of gentrification.
The 16th Street and 24th Street BART stations are on Mission Street, which, along with Valencia Street, is the neighborhood's main street. The neighborhood is home to the highly popular Mission Dolores Park, whose namesake is located at 17th and Valencia.
The Mission is also home to many murals and street art of varying levels of permanence.
