San Francisco Neighborhoods · Little Hollywood
Little Hollywood
also Bayshore TractFog zoneA hidden pocket of red-tile-roofed bungalows tucked between Bayshore Boulevard and Highway 101 — one of San Francisco's quietest, most surprising residential enclaves.
- Quiet, tight-knit residential pocket
- Distinctive 1920s–30s Spanish-style bungalows
- Steps from Bayshore Caltrain
- Easy freeway and transit access to the Peninsula
On the map
Open Little Hollywood on the map →The story
The area was developed by the Crocker Estate Company in the early 1920s as part of the 'Bayshore Tract.' In the late 1920s and early 1930s, builder William H. Grahn put up rows of Spanish- and Mediterranean-style homes, many designed by architect Charles Strothoff. Their stucco walls and red tile roofs evoked the houses of the Hollywood Hills, earning the enclave its 'Little Hollywood' nickname. Hemmed in by Bayshore Boulevard, U.S. 101, and the rail corridor, the small neighborhood remains an isolated, working-class pocket of about 1,165 residents on the city's far southeastern edge.
Things most people don’t know
How it got its name
The 1920s–30s stucco-and-tile bungalows resembled homes in the Hollywood Hills, giving the neighborhood its 'Little Hollywood' nickname.
Bayshore Caltrain
The Bayshore station at 400 Tunnel Ave sits right beside the neighborhood, with commuter rail service down the Peninsula.
A pocket-sized enclave
Spanning only about a quarter square kilometer, Little Hollywood is home to roughly 1,165 residents.
Cow Palace nearby
The historic Cow Palace arena (2600 Geneva Ave) sits just to the southwest, hosting concerts and events for generations.
Wedged by the freeway
Tucked between Bayshore Boulevard and U.S. Highway 101 near the San Mateo county line, it is one of the city's most tucked-away neighborhoods.
Eating and drinking near Little Hollywood
Little Hollywood is primarily residential — these sit in Visitacion Valley.
Restaurants
- La Joya Mexican Cafe · 28 Leland Ave
- Creative Ideas Cafe · 58 Leland Ave
Bars
- 1945 Restaurant Bar Lounge · 5 Leland Ave
Getting around and getting care
Transit. Bayshore Caltrain station (400 Tunnel Ave) is adjacent. Muni buses 9-San Bruno, 8-Bayshore and 56-Rutland serve the area, with the T-Third Muni Metro line nearby in Visitacion Valley.
Nearest hospital. Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, 1001 Potrero Ave (about 4 mi)
Thinking about Little Hollywood?
Send me an address and I will come back with its sun, wind and fog, what is under it, and what has closed on the block.