Where are the borders of the neighborhood? Links to historical maps follow.
The boundaries of Sunnyside
When Sunnyside was laid out by the Sunnyside Land Company in 1891, a plat map showing the streets, lots, and boundaries was submitted to the city. The company had this map reproduced (with a few misspellings) on their big splash half-page advertisement in the SF Chronicle to announce the property speculation project.
The San Francisco Planning Department has a different set of boundaries, somewhat more generous than the original ones, which puts City College, Dorothy Erskine Park, and all of Sunnyside Playground inside the borders. This bit of political jiggery-pokery artificially boosts what is actually a low open-space-to-resident ratio for this neighborhood.
Real estate agents have yet a different take on Sunnyside boundaries, having chipped away at the north and east a bit, as apparently putting a “Glen Park” or “Miraloma Park” or “Westwood Highlands” label on a house in these areas draws a bit more cash.
Historical Maps
Some links for exploring old maps of San Francisco, including Sunnyside, found on DavidRumsey.com. All linked maps contain a navigation slider to allow zooming in.
- 1938 aerial photo-map of San Francisco
- 1929 Board of Public Works (MM O’Shaughnessy) San Francisco
- 1924 Rand McNally San Francisco
- 1915 Chevalier Map of San Francisco, gorgeous, colorful, fun
- 1905 Sanborn Insurance Maps (check index; Sunnyside found 715-719)
- 1899 San Francisco Sewer Map (includes streets & topographical lines)
- 1892 HW Faust Map of San Francisco (lots of streets never built, aka “paper streets”)
- 1887 Britton & Rey’s Guide Map of the City of San Francisco (before Sunnyside laid out)
- 1881 Bancroft’s Official Guide Map Of City And County Of San Francisco (also before Sunnyside)