ByJ.K.Dineen, StaffWriter
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This downtown S.F. neighborhood was built for office workers. Now families are moving in Asakidandyoungadult,SanikoTogafauspenttimeinnoshortageofSanFrancisconeighborhoods Shestartedlifeinthe ExcelsiorandherfamilybouncedbetweentheBayview,VisitacionValleyandPotreroHill.ShemovedtoAntiochwithher threesonsforawhileandspent20yearsworkingforUnitedPlayaz,theSouthofMarketanti-violenceandyoutheducation nonprofit.
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Twoweeksago,Togafaumovedherfamilyintooneofthefewneighborhoodsthathadn’tbeenonherradar:downtown’sEast Cut.
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“I’vestayedineveryneighborhoodyoucouldthinkof,”shesaid.“ButIneverthoughtIwouldlivedowntown.”
Togafau’sfamilyisoneof184householdswhowillbemovingoverthenextfewmonthsintoLarkLanding,a17-storyaffordable housingcomplexoverlookingtheCrossing,theEastCutsocialhubwithbasketballandpickleballcourts,aplayground,food andcocktailkiosks,andamassivescreenwhereresidentsgathertowatchmoviesandsportingevents
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Fromherfifth-floorapartment,Togafaulooksnorthoverthebustlingpark.Alreadysheandherthreeschoolagechildrenhave becomeregularsthere
“Mykidsaresostoked—theywakeupandarelike,‘CanwegodownstairstotheCrossing?’andI’mlike,‘Howaboutyouguys maybebrushyourteethfirst?’”shesaid.“AfterschooltheyrushhomesotheycanhangoutattheCrossing.”
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SanikoTogafau,right,playscornholewithhersonChaseVea,11,attheCrossing TheyaresomeofthefirstresidentstomoveintoLarkLanding,alow-incomehousingdevelopmentinthe EastCutneighborhood MinhConnors/FortheS F Chronicle
Deridedbysomeasarealestateindustry-inventedneighborhoodfullofhalf-emptyofficetowersandrarelyoccupied multimillion-dollarcondos,theEastCuthasquietlyemerged,alongwithTreasureIsland,asoneofSanFrancisco’sfastestchangingneighborhoods It’saplacewhereapartments,somevacantsincethepandemic,aregettingfilledbyhighlypaidAI workersat$10,000rentsevenastheonlynewhousingunderconstructionissubsidizedaffordableprojects.
WhilefamilieshavejuststartedmovingintotheLarkLandingbuilding,directlytothewestisanothernewlyopenedaffordable complex:PhilipChinCommons,with151seniorapartmentsbuiltbytheChinatownCommunityDevelopmentCenter.
Together,332unitsofhousingwillbringupwardof800newresidentsintothedowntownneighborhoodboundedbyMarket andHarrisonstreetstothenorthandsouthandSecondandSteuartstreetstothewestandeast.Itrepresentsthefirstnew housingintheEastCutsinceearlyinthepandemicwhentwonewdeluxecondobuildingsdebuted:thetwistywhiteMira buildingandOneSteuartLane,overlookingtheEmbarcaderoonthewaterfront.
WhileEastCutwillneverhavetheHaight’skaleidoscopeofVictoriansorNoeValley’snestledvillagevibe,neighborhood boosterssaythenewdevelopmentsareproofthatitisbecomingamodernSanFranciscotwist—ahigh-densityneighborhood wherelow-incomefamiliescansharespacewithwell-to-docondoowners.Therearenowmorethan9,000homesintheEast Cut,rangingfrom$10millionpenthousestostudiosfortheformerlyhomelessearning15%ofareamedianincome.
“Iknowpeoplewholiveinmillion-dollarcondosintheInfinitybuilding,andIliveinaffordablehousing,”saidPatrickKelly,a volunteerpickleballcoordinatorattheCrossingwholivesatnearbyNatalieGubbCommons.“Wewouldneverknoweachother wereitnotfor(theCrossing)andthepickleballcourts.”
ChaseVea,11,playscornhole.Hismothersaidheandhissiblingscan’twaittogotocommunitygatheringareaoncethey’rehomefromschool. MinhConnors/FortheS F Chronicle
MajidQasinmovedintothePhilipChinbuildinginFebruary.Afteralifetimeofworkinginairconditioningrepairand installation,the76-year-oldbecamehomelessafewyearsagoafteralongillnessputhimoutofwork.
HesaidlivingintheEastCutfeelsaworldawayfromhispreviousplaceinaresidentialhotelatSixthandHoward Helovesthe cleanandquietstreets
“Yougooutsidethedoorat10or11atnight,youdon’thavetoworryaboutthedrama,thedefecatingonthesidewalk—bythe dogsortheindividuals,”Qasinsaid.“Thisneighborhoodisgreat.Whenyoucallthecops,theycomeimmediately.”
Still,residentssaytheneighborhoodcontinuestolacksomeofthebasicsthatmostdistrictstakeforadvantage:mom-and-pop retailandaffordablegroceries.WhileEastCuthascoffeechainslikePhilzandBluestoneandformulasaladspotslikeSweet Greens,thoseplacesgodarkintheafternoonandonweekendswhenofficeworkersdisperse.
Butreliefisonitsway,thankstoMercyHousingandChinatownCDC,whichhasbeenaggressivelyrecruitingsmallbusinesses forthefiveretailspotsinthenewbuildings TheLarkLandingbuildingispoisedtogetitsfirsteverfull-servicebookstore,Book Castle,whichhadastoreonCortlandStreetinBernalHeightsduringthepandemic
Andtwootherbuzzyfamily-ownedlocalfoodbusinessesareslatedtoopen:theMexicanbakeryAmidulce,knownforits popupsandbakingclasses,andthefirstbrick-and-mortarspotfromJenniferHuang,anIndonesianchefknownforsavorybeef rendangandthousand-layercakes.
“TherearemoreandmoreresidentsinEastCut,butmostofthebusinessesstillcatertoofficeworkers,”saidJuliaKatz,who headsupleasingforMercyHousing.“Peopleareinterestedinaffordablefood,placesthatarefamilyfriendly,neighborhood shopsthathelpcreatethefabricofaresidentialneighborhood.Alotofitisaboutaffordabilityandcharacterbuilding.”
AndrewRobinson,executivedirectoroftheEastCutCommunityBenefitsDistrict,saidhisorganizationispushingtomake sureanaffordablegrocerystoreispartofthenextphaseofdevelopment
“Wefailasaneighborhoodifwearecreatingverticalsuburbia,”saidRobinson,whoseorganizationoperatesboththeCrossing andSalesforceParkatoptheTransbayTransitCenter “WefailifyouhavetoleavethisneighborhoodandgototheMissionor NorthBeachtohaveacityexperience.”
SanikoTogafau,left,losesagameofJengaagainsthersonChaseVea.
MinhConnors/FortheS F Chronicle
Thearchitectsofthetwonewaffordablebuildingsworkedtogethertocreatesynergyandfostercommunity,accordingto MithunManagingPartnerAnneTorney,whooversawthedesignofthePhilipChincomplex.BothbuildingsareC-shapedwith courtyardsthatlookoutontoapublicpaseothatconnectsFolsomStreettotheCrossing Theseniorbuildinghasagarden seatingareaonthepaseowheretheretireeswillbeabletoseethechildrenrunningaroundintheplayareaofthepreschool thatisslatedtoopenintheLarkbuilding
ThetownhomesinthePhilipChinbuildinghavestoopswithviewsofthepark,andthereisasixth-floorpatiolookingoutatthe playground.WithnearbybuildingsdesignedbysuperstararchitectslikeJeanneGangandRemKoolhaas’Officefor MetropolitanArchitecture,thestandardsintheEastCutareperhapshigherthansomeotherpartsofthecity,Torneysaid
“Thevisionisyoucan’ttellbywalkingaroundthecitywholiveswherejustbythearchitectureofthebuildings,”Torneysaid. Inmanyways,thepandemichittheEastCutharderthanotherpartsofSanFrancisco Mostoftheneighborhood’s80,000 workersvanished.Residents,drawntotheareabyconveniencetowork,fled.Thedevelopmentofmarket-ratehousingalso cametoahalt Residentscomplainedthatthevacuumleftbywhathadbeenadowntownbustlewasfilledbyanumberof vagrantsandencampments.ThestreetswereeerilyquietandrestaurantsshutteredinthewakeofCOVID.
“Alltheseofficesarestillempty,”saidMilanJezdimirovic,arealestateagentwhospecializesintheEastCutandMissionBay condosalesandrentals.“Westillneedmorepeople.”
EricPassetti,whoownsmorethanahalfdozenbarsandrestaurantsinEastCutornearby,hadplentyofpeopleadvisinghim thatdowntownSanFranciscowasnotcomingbackandthatheredirecthisattentionelsewhere
“ComingoutofCOVIDwhenpeoplewerecautioningmethatdowntownwasdeadandpeoplewerenevergoingbacktothe office,theonlythingthatgavemetheresolvetokeepgoingwasthefactthattheinfrastructurewasallthere,”hesaid, referencingthe$2billionSalesforceTransitCenterandPark,thenewferrylinesofftheEmbarcadero,andnearbyBARTand Munistops.“Nomatterhowbadthingsgot,Ifiguredtheywouldneedtofigureoutwhattodowithallthesebuildingsandall thistransit.Thatwasmybet.”
It’spaidoff.Whiletheorganichappyhourandlunchrushthatfueledbusinessbeforethepandemicisstillwaydown,revenue fromcorporateeventsandprivatepartieshasmadeupforit.
Othersmallbusinessownersmadesimilarwagers In2023,longtimeSiliconValleyengineerShubhraSarkaropenedthewine barMiliintheMirabuilding,whereshelived,becauseshefeltthatEastCutlackedacasualgatheringspot.
“Wewereallisolatedandwerealizedhumanbeingscan’tlivealone,”shesaid “Youneedahumanconnection”
MiliWineBarmanagerJohnJassosaidbusinesshaspickedupafteradismal2024,buthesaidtheneighborhoodistransient andheisalreadyhearingfromregularswhoaremovingbecausetheirrenthasbeen“jackedup.”Hesaidtheyoungerafter-
workcrowdtendstoleaveafteroneortwodrinkstomeetfriendsintheMarinaoronPolkStreet,whiletheoldercrowdmight stickaround
Condopricesarestill10%to15%belowpre-pandemiclevels,accordingtoJezdimirovicandpartnerDunjaGreen,butthe artificialintelligenceboomisfuelingstiffcompetitionforluxuryrentals.
EastCutcondorentalsareaveragingnearly$6,000amonth;athree-bedroompenthouseat401HarrisonleasedinMayfor $21,000.GreenandJezdimirovicrecentlylistedaunitforrentonthe27thfloorofMirafor$9,500amonth.Theygotsixoffers withthehighestbidder,anAIexecutiverelocatingfromMinnesota,offeringanextra$1,000amonth.Greensaidthat“allthe applicantsweresuperhigh-profile—peoplewhocouldaffordtobuyhalfthebuilding.”
“Theydidn’tevenlookatthekitchen—theydon’thavetimeforcooking,”Greensaid.“Theywantedanicenewbuildingwith greatviews”
Andwhilemarket-rateprojectsarestillonhold,fornow,it’slikelythattheEastCut’snextbuildingswillalsobeaffordable: MercyHousinghasanotherbuildingslatedforthenorthernendofwhatisnowtheCrossing
Meanwhile,theneighborhoodwillcontinuetoevolve Workissettostartonthefour-blockEastCutPark,a$42millionpublic spaceunderandaroundtheFremontStreetI-80freewayoff-ramps.
PedestrianswalkonFolsomStreetpastPhilipChinCommons,backgroundcenterleft,andLarkLanding,buildingswhereaffordableapartmentsarebringinginmorethanjustofficeworkers totheEastCut
LeaSuzuki/S F Chronicle
And,thoughtheMercybuildingprobablywon’tbreakgroundforthreeyears,thedeveloperisalreadylookingforanaffordable grocertooccupya4,200-square-footspace.TheonlymarketnowintheEastCutisWoodlandsonFolsomStreet,whichKelly describesas“doublethecostofWholeFoods,plusadollar.”
Still,TogafausaidtheconvenienceoflivinginEastCutmakesupforthelackofconvenientgroceries.Heroldersonisgoingto playfootballatJuniperoSerraHighSchoolinSanMateonextyearandwillbeabletotakeCaltraintogettoschool Heryounger twosonsattendschoolintheBayviewandwillbeabletotakeMuni.
“Livingintheheartofthecitymakesitalleasier,”shesaid.“IalwayswantedtotakemykidstoPier39.Ialwayswantedtotake mykidstotheballpark Therearealotofplacesyouwanttotakeyourkids,butwhenyoudon’tlivedowntown,youdon’twant tocomedowntown.”
June1,2026
J.K.Dineen REPORTER
J.K.Dineencovershousingandrealestatedevelopment.HejoinedTheChroniclein2014coveringSanFranciscolandusepoliticsfortheCityHallteam.Hehassince expandedhisfocustoexplorehousinganddevelopmentissuesthroughoutNorthernCalifornia Heistheauthoroftwobooks:"HereTomorrow"(Heyday,2013)and "HighSpirits"(Heyday,2015)