Our Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system is hands down my favorite way to go from my home in Noe Valley to downtown. BART also runs to the East Bay, Peninsula and SFO. But the system unfortunately only runs through a limited swath of the city. So if you’re thinking about buying a new home and BART access is a priority for you, it’s good to know the neighborhoods that are closest to a station.
Here’s a BART map for reference purposes (click to enlarge):
Here are the neighborhoods with the best BART access, with the caveat being that this is not an exhaustive list. (I’m sure there are plenty of people who do various BART-related commutes who don’t live in one of these particular neighborhoods.) And note that I’m including the most commonly sold property types in a given area, with average prices based on sales in the October – December 2024 time period.
Mission
Stations: 16th & Mission, 24th & Mission
Avge condo price: $1,028,933
Avge house price: $1.6M
Pro Tip: Stick to the area west of Folsom for relatively close BART proximity.
Mission Dolores
Station: 16th & Mission
Avge condo price: $1,350,000
Avge house price: $2,250,000
Pro Tip: The J Church also runs through Mission Dolores if you need another option besides BART.
SoMa
Stations: Civic Center or Powell Street
Avge condo price: $960,000
Pro Tip: Stick to blocks above Folsom. SoMa streets are pretty long and it can be a hike once you hit Harrison.
Noe Valley
Station: 24th & Mission
Avge condo price: $1,638,000
Avge house price: $3,068,000
Pro Tip: The farther west in Noe you go, the farther away you’ll be from the station. The J Church Muni runs through Noe, so there’s more than one option to downtown.
Glen Park
Station: Glen Park
Avge condo price: $1,310,000
Avge house price: $2,125,000
Pro Tip: The closer you get to Diamond Heights, the farther away you’ll be from BART.
Sunnyside
Station: Glen Park
Avge house price: $1,352,000
Pro Tip: The northeast part of the neighborhood is best for BART access.
Bernal Heights
Station: Glen Park or 24th & Mission
Avge condo price: $1,321,000
Avge house price: $1.6M
Pro Tip: Microhoods like Precita Park, Northwest Bernal and St. Mary’s Park are closest to the nearby stations.
Mission Terrace
Station: Balboa Park
Avge condo price: $773,500
Avge house price: $1,290,000
Pro Tip: Blocks right around San Jose offer proximity to both BART and the J Church.
Ingleside
Station: Balboa Park
Avge house price: $908,017
Pro Tip: The eastern end of Ingleside is closest to the BART station.
Excelsior
Station: Balboa Park or Glen Park
Avge house price: $1,134,000
Pro Tip: Aim for areas in the southwest part of Excelsior for the Balboa Park station, or the northeast end for Glen Park.
Ingleside Heights
Station: Daly City
Avge condo price: $743,600
Avge house price: $540,000
Pro Tip: Check out the Oceanview Terrace condo community for a straightforward walk to the station.
Outer Mission
Station: Daly City or Balboa Park
Avge house price: $1,158,000
Pro Tip: Stick with the north end of the Outer Mission for the Balboa Park station, or the south end for Daly City.
Wish you could add a BART station somewhere in San Francisco? Check out the Build-a-BART game, where you can create your dream BART map.