Lone Mountain, San Francisco: Homes, History & Local Life

Lone Mountain’s residential streets were built, almost literally, on top of the dead. Between 1854 and the 1930s, four large cemeteries occupied the 162-acre base of this hill: Laurel Hill, Calvary, Masonic, and Odd Fellows, together holding an estimated 150,000 remains. After decades of civic battles over removal, the bodies were relocated to Colma, the gravestones were repurposed as harbor fill and erosion control at Ocean Beach, and the land was subdivided for housing. Every once in a while, after a storm, a full-sized gravestone re-emerges at the beach (Wikipedia, Lone Mountain Cemetery).

Is Lone Mountain right for you?

Lone Mountain sits between the Inner Richmond and the Haight-Ashbury, bordered by Geary to the north, Masonic to the east, Fulton to the south, and Arguello to the west. The University of San Francisco occupies the hill’s summit and defines much of the neighborhood’s character: it keeps the area mixed between long-term residential homeowners, faculty, and student renters, which moderates prices compared to adjacent Presidio Heights while maintaining walkable access to Geary and the park corridors.

The buyer profile here is typically someone who values central location without wanting to pay Pacific Heights or Presidio Heights premiums. The neighborhood is quieter than the Upper Haight or NoPa corridors nearby but more urban than the Richmond’s numbered avenues. Move-up buyers from Cole Valley or the Inner Sunset who want proximity to both the park and the Geary transit spine often land here.

How do you get around in Lone Mountain?

Lone Mountain is well-served by Muni. The 31-Balboa runs east-west along Balboa and connects to the Civic Center and downtown. The 5-Fulton and 5R-Fulton Rapid run along Fulton Street at the neighborhood’s southern edge, providing frequent service to the Financial District and downtown. The 43-Masonic runs north-south on Masonic Avenue, connecting Geary to the Castro. The 38-Geary and 38R-Geary Rapid, the highest-ridership bus in the Muni system, are accessible on Geary at the northern edge. There is no BART in the neighborhoo. The nearest station is the Castro/Church area via the 43 or the Civic Center via the 5-Fulton.

Walk Score: 92. Transit Score: 71. Bike Score: 79. Source: walkscore.com, Lone Mountain.

For a two-career household: downtown commuters are reasonably served by the 5-Fulton or 38-Geary with 25-to-35-minute transit times. Peninsula commuters need to reach Caltrain at 4th and King, which requires a connection and adds time. The neighborhood’s central position makes it functional without a car for most daily errands, though grocery options require a trip to Geary or Clement.

The history of Lone Mountain

The hill was known from early San Francisco history for its prominence above the western sand dunes. In 1854, the city’s first large planned cemetery complex opened at its base, using the area’s remote location outside city limits to create what became four adjacent burial grounds: Laurel Hill, Calvary, Masonic, and Odd Fellows. By the late 19th century the cemeteries had become a standard destination for Sunday family outings, as there were few public parks available (OpenSFHistory). Andrew Smith Hallidie, inventor of the cable car, was buried at Laurel Hill, along with numerous other prominent 19th-century San Franciscans (Wikipedia).

Pressure to remove the cemeteries began in earnest in the 1880. The Board of Supervisors prohibited new burials within city limits in 1900 and ultimately forced the removal of all remains in the 1920s and 1930s. The Masonic Cemetery land became the lower campus of what is now the University of San Francisco in 1934, after USF purchased approximately 14 acres of former cemetery land (USF History). The Laurel Hill Cemetery land was subdivided for housing and shopping centers. The Calvary Cemetery site became the City Center shopping complex.

The one surviving artifact of the cemetery era is the Odd Fellows Columbarium at 1 Lorraine Court, designed by British architect Bernard J.S. Cahill in 1897, in a neo-Classical style with a copper dome, housing over 8,500 niches. After decades of neglect, it was purchased by the Neptune Society in 1979 and restored. It is the only non-denominational burial place within San Francisco’s city limits still open to the public (artandarchitecture-sf.com).

The Lone Mountain campus of USF has its own distinct history as the site of the San Francisco College for Women, established by the Religious of the Sacred Heart convent, which built the main Gothic-Spanish campus buildings in the early 1930s. The school went coed in 1969, renamed itself Lone Mountain College, and closed in 1978. USF acquired it, in what the university describes as its “own Louisiana Purchase,” nearly doubling its campus acreage (SF Chronicle).

What does the housing look like in Lone Mountain?

Detached single-family homes are scattered through the residential blocks, primarily on the streets west of Masonic and north of Fulton. Most were built in the 1920s through 1940s following the removal of the cemeteries and subdivision of the former burial grounds, giving the neighborhood a consistent Edwardian and early-Moderne character. These homes tend to be modest by SF standards, typically 1,500 to 2,200 square feet on 25-foot lots, with garages and small rear yards. Views from the higher portions of the hill can be significant, and proximity to the USF campus gives blocks here a college-town feel on weekdays.

Attached homes, flats, and Edwardians make up the majority of the housing stock on the main residential streets. The standard configuration is the two-over-one Edwardian flat, with a full floor per unit, garages at street level, and period details including bay windows and ornamental facades. These are typical of the blocks closest to Geary and the numbered avenues that border the Inner Richmond. Prices vary substantially based on proximity to transit and the university.

Multi-unit buildings and condos appear primarily along the Geary and Masonic corridors. The neighborhood has a meaningful population of student renters in these properties, particularly in the blocks immediately adjacent to USF. For buyers, the ground-floor retail and multi-unit stock requires more careful diligence on tenant situations and rent control status than more purely residential blocks.

Where locals eat, drink, and shop in Lone Mountain

Lone Mountain is primarily residential and draws on three nearby corridors for daily life. Geary Boulevard a few blocks north (the 38-Geary corridor) provides the densest mix of Cantonese-Russian-Burmese-American dining and groceries from the Inner Richmond commercial spine. The Masonic-Geary intersection holds a smaller cluster of cafes and quick-service food. The 24th Street and Sacramento Street corridors are within a 10-minute drive for the broader Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights dining options.

Within the neighborhood itself, the USF campus dictates much of the daily foot traffic and supports a few cafes and counter-service spots near the Fulton-Parker intersection that cycle with the academic year. The Odd Fellows Columbarium at 1 Loraine Court is a quiet local landmark with limited public access, and the broader Lone Mountain hilltop blocks keep their quiet residential rhythm with most retail a short walk away in any direction.

Lone Mountain Pros:

• Central location with strong Muni access on multiple lines: 5-Fulton, 38-Geary, 43-Masonic, and 31-Balboa within walking distance
• Quieter residential character than adjacent NoPa or Haight-Ashbury while still walkable to both
• Proximity to Golden Gate Park along the southern Fulton Street edge
• Prices run below comparable neighborhoods in Presidio Heights and Pacific Heights for similar square footage
• The neighborhood’s unusual history, cemetery origins, the Columbarium, USF’s Gothic-Spanish campus, gives it a depth of character that most SF neighborhoods lack

Lone Mountain Cons:

• USF’s student population means some residential blocks have higher rental turnover and student-apartment character, particularly immediately adjacent to campus
• No BART acces. Closest rapid transit connections require bus transfers
• The former cemetery land history occasionally produces unexpected discoveries during construction and renovation, a practical consideration for buyers doing gut renovations
• Commercial amenities within the immediate neighborhood boundary are limited. Geary and the Inner Richmond corridors are the real draw for groceries and dining
• Thin inventory in the true detached SFH categor. When they appear, competition is intense

What’s the Lone Mountain market doing in?

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Lone Mountain’s market is competitive, with homes selling in two weeks or less and most properties receiving multiple offers. The neighborhood consistently attracts buyers priced out of Presidio Heights who want the same central west-side location with more accessible entry points.

I have been selling across the west side of The City for over two decades and know this pocket well. If you are looking at Lone Mountain as a stepping-stone or as a destination, the key is understanding the block-by-block variation between the residential streets and the campus-adjacent parcels. Reach out at luba(at)lubasf(dotted)com and let’s talk through what fits your timeline.

Lone Mountain frequently asked questions

What is Lone Mountain like to live in?

Lone Mountain sits between the Inner Richmond and the Haight-Ashbury, bordered by Geary to the north, Masonic to the east, Fulton to the south, and Arguello to the west. The University of San Francisco occupies the hill’s summit and defines much of the neighborhood’s character: it keeps the area mixed between long-term residential homeowners, faculty, and student renters, which moderates prices compared to adjacent Presidio Heights while maintaining walkable access to Geary and the park corridors.

Who is Lone Mountain right for?

The buyer profile here is typically someone who values central location without wanting to pay Pacific Heights or Presidio Heights premiums. The neighborhood is quieter than the Upper Haight or NoPa corridors nearby but more urban than the Richmond’s numbered avenues. Move-up buyers from Cole Valley or the Inner Sunset who want proximity to both the park and the Geary transit spine often land here.

How do you get around Lone Mountain without a car?

Lone Mountain has a Walk Score of 92, Transit Score of 71, and Bike Score of 79. Lone Mountain is well-served by Muni. The 31-Balboa runs east-west along Balboa and connects to the Civic Center and downtown.

What kind of homes are in Lone Mountain?

Detached single-family homes are scattered through the residential blocks, primarily on the streets west of Masonic and north of Fulton. Most were built in the 1920s through 1940s following the removal of the cemeteries and subdivision of the former burial grounds, giving the neighborhood a consistent Edwardian and early-Moderne character. These homes tend to be modest by SF standards, typically 1,500 to 2,200 square feet on 25-foot lots, with garages and small rear yards.

What’s one thing people don’t know about Lone Mountain?

The hill was known from early San Francisco history for its prominence above the western sand dunes. In 1854, the city’s first large planned cemetery complex opened at its base, using the area’s remote location outside city limits to create what became four adjacent burial grounds: Laurel Hill, Calvary, Masonic, and Odd Fellows.