One of my first assignments as a Chronicle reporter in 2001 was the Triangle Sandwich Shop in Mission Bay.
The owner had died suddenly, and hundreds of bereft regulars showed up near the isolated cafe, surrounded by a sea of asphalt and criss-crossing train tracks, to honor both a beloved San Franciscan and a changing way of life in the neighborhood. Locals seemed to mourn the latter almost as much as the former. Word was already out that this big empty space would become the next new neighborhood in San Francisco.
When I’ve visited Mission Bay in recent years, I can’t for the life of me tell where that throwback sandwich shop (most expensive thing on the menu: a $5.55 hamburger steak) was located. But to my great surprise, the hometown vibes of the long-since-closed cafe remain in Mission Bay. Given a blank slate, city planners and developers built a neighborhood that retains its sense of community and history, while adding a wish-list of modern quality-of-life amenities: transit options, pedestrian-friendly getaways and so many new parks…