Mission Dolores (technically San Francisco de Asis) was built in 1776 . This sunny protected location, along the Mission Creek, which still runs under this area, made it an ideal place on which to settle. Once described as "San Francisco's oldest neighborhood and, with each new wave of immigrants, San Francisco's newest neighborhood."

The Mission district historically has provided comparatively inexpensive access to many immigrants new to the City. At 7.9 miles long, Mission Street is the longest (and one of the oldest) in the City. It follows the original road which joined the village of Yerba Buena (SF's original name) to the Mission Dolores. A portion of it, a toll way, was planked with wood, starting at 3rd street. In the past few years, a number of hip restaurants have emerged, I think as part of an overflow influence from the hyper-current offerings of the adjacent South of Market (SOMA) area.