Dea

Merced Heights is a hidden gem. It is a small neighborhood of single family homes with backyards, and many of the homes have Ocean views. The residents are families with children, retirees, singles and the occasional college student. Most of the residents are home owners so they take pride in their property and they take the time to get to know, and look out for, their neighbors. There is even a community garden at the top of the hill so neighbors can come together and garden, or just chat.

The neighborhood is safe, clean and quiet, and it's in an ideal location to be able to venture out and take full advantage of living in the city. Transportation is easy with quick access to 280, bus and muni stations within a block or two, and the Balboa Bart station less than a mile away. It's easy to commute into downtown for work or exciting nightlife and then come back to a quiet and safe neighborhood where parking is easy.

If you prefer staying closer to home and reducing your carbon footprint it's also relatively easy to walk with shopping (e.g., Stonestown mall, Nordstroms, Traders Joes), neighborhood restaurants, coffee, groceries, a library, and a movie theater all within easy walking distance. Of course the neighborhood is built on a hillside so those few blocks may be more challenging than a flat area of the city.

The neighborhood sits in the SW corner so it has a combination of the cooler West weather and the sunnier South weather. It isn't as warm as the Mission or Potrero but it's a much warmer and sunnier microclimate than the Sunset and it boasts a larger than average number of sunny days.

The neighborhood is desirable but also small so it was almost impossible to find an available house between 2003 and 2008 during the boom. The neighborhood is still great and getting better with the Ocean Ave revitalization (e.g., a new Whole Foods, etc.) and it's more attainable than ever.