San Francisco Neighborhoods · Mint Hill
Mint Hill
Sun zoneA tiny, history-soaked wedge at the seam of SoMa, the Mission, and Mid-Market, anchored by the granite hulk of the Old U.S. Mint and the buzzing pedestrian world of Mint Plaza — central, dense, and transit-rich.
- One of the most transit-connected spots in the city
- Walk to Mint Plaza dining and 5th Street shopping
- Built around a true 1906 survivor landmark
- Central to SoMa, Union Square, and the Mission
On the map
Open Mint Hill on the map →The story
The Old United States Mint at 5th and Mission, completed in 1874, is a neoclassical fortress nicknamed the 'Granite Lady.' When the 1906 earthquake and fire leveled the surrounding South of Market, Superintendent Frank Leach and his crew fought back the flames, and the building survived as one of the few structures left standing for blocks. At the time it held roughly a third of the nation's gold reserves and briefly served as the city's only working financial institution during the recovery. The Mint operated until 1937; a century later, in 2007, the once-neglected alley behind it was reborn as Mint Plaza, a privately funded pedestrian square that now hosts dining, markets, and events at the heart of this small, central district.
Things most people don’t know
Survived 1906
The Old Mint was one of the few buildings left standing for blocks after the 1906 earthquake and fire, saved by its superintendent and staff.
A third of the gold
At the time of the 1906 fire the Mint held about $300 million, roughly one-third of the entire nation's gold reserves.
The Granite Lady
Built 1869 to 1874 in neoclassical style, the Old U.S. Mint earned its nickname and coined gold and silver until 1937.
Mint Plaza
In 2007 the alley behind the Mint became Mint Plaza, San Francisco's first privately funded conversion of a city street into a public pedestrian plaza.
Eating and drinking near Mint Hill
Mint Hill is primarily residential — these sit in SoMa, Union Square.
Restaurants
- 54 Mint Cucina Romana · 16 Mint Plaza
Bars
- SOMA Restaurant & Bar · 85 5th St
Getting around and getting care
Transit. Powell Street BART/Muni Metro station is a block away, serving BART (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue) and Muni Metro lines J, K, L, M, N. The F-Market streetcar and Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason cable cars run nearby on Market Street.
Nearest hospital. CPMC Van Ness Campus, 1101 Van Ness Ave (about 1 mi)
Thinking about Mint Hill?
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.