Ingleside Heights & Oceanview (3G & 3J): Functional, Fast-Paced, and Changing
On the backside of Merced Heights, where the hill peaks at Shields/Lakeshore, you’ll find Ingleside Heights and Oceanview. These neighborhoods slope quickly downward toward I-280’s valley, but before you get there, you’ll hit the unexpected Broad Street drag, home to a library and a nearby rec center.
This area sits at the convergence of 19th Avenue, I-280, and Brotherhood Way, so traffic and road noise are part of the landscape. The houses here are utilitarian and functional, mostly Sunset-style junior 5 tunnel-entry homes. In-law units are common and often rented to students or immigrant families.
The streets here are narrower, lined with cars, and many homes still have bars over windows and doors—though that’s slowly starting to change. Given the proximity to BART rails, MUNI tracks, and I-280, the area has a built-in functional vibe, but it’s not exactly the homiest part of San Francisco.
That said, things evolve. As more long-time owners sell, renovate, or pass down their homes, the area is seeing incremental shifts in both aesthetics and desirability—though it still leans more practical than picturesque.