San Francisco Neighborhoods · Stonestown
Stonestown
Persistent Fog zoneSan Francisco's southwest crossroads, where a mid-century mall reborn as a dining-and-shopping hub meets a university campus and the open green of Lake Merced.
- Anchored by the Stonestown Galleria
- Next to San Francisco State University
- Steps from Lake Merced parkland
- Muni Metro and major bus lines on 19th Avenue
On the map
Open Stonestown on the map →The story
Stonestown was developed by brothers Henry and Ellis Stoneson beginning in the late 1940s on former farmland southwest of downtown. The Stonestown Shopping Center opened in 1952, with The Emporium department store as its anchor, and was one of the West's first large regional shopping centers paired with adjacent apartments housing several thousand residents. The neighborhood grew up alongside San Francisco State University, whose campus sits just across 19th Avenue. A 1980s renovation enclosed the center and rebranded it the Stonestown Galleria, and in 2024 the city approved a major redevelopment to add roughly 3,500 new homes, parks, and a new retail main street on the surrounding parking lots.
Things most people don’t know
Opened in 1952
The original Stonestown Shopping Center opened in 1952, anchored by The Emporium, and was among the first large regional shopping centers in the western U.S.
Built by the Stoneson brothers
Brothers Henry and Ellis Stoneson developed Stonestown's mall and apartments in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Next to SF State
San Francisco State University sits directly across 19th Avenue, bringing tens of thousands of students to the area.
3,500 homes coming
In 2024 San Francisco approved a Brookfield-led redevelopment to build about 3,500 homes, parks, and a new retail main street around the Galleria.
M-line on 19th Ave
The Muni Metro M Ocean View light rail runs in the median of 19th Avenue with a stop adjacent to the Galleria.
Eating and drinking
Restaurants
- Le Soleil · 3251 20th Ave, Ste 221
- Marugame Udon · 3251 20th Ave
- Rooster & Rice · 3251 20th Ave
- Shake Shack · 3251 20th Ave
- Supreme Dumplings · 3251 20th Ave, Ste 219A
Getting around and getting care
Transit. The Muni Metro M Ocean View light rail stops at Stonestown Galleria station in the 19th Avenue median, serving SF State and the mall. Bus lines on 19th Avenue and nearby include the 28-19th Avenue, 17, 18, 29, and 57.
Nearest hospital. UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus, 505 Parnassus Ave
Thinking about Stonestown?
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.