The Dogpatch, Its History & Its People | SFM Ambassador Scott Benbow’s City Guide

Another month, another city guide by SFM Ambassador and San Francisco local Scott Benbow! This time, let’s explore the Dogpatch neighborhood, which got its name after the packs of stray dogs who used to roam its streets in the 60’s.

Written by Scott Benbow
Edited by Pavlína Marek

You’ll enter the Dogpatch neighborhood between miles 23 and 24 of the Marathon (miles 10 and 11 of the City Half Marathon) and, like many, you might be pleased that all of the hills are behind you. Like the first few miles of the race, the final miles are run on flat former marshlands that may give your legs a welcome respite from the hills you’ve already run.

From Filthy to Fabulous

Dogpatch has transformed over the past 25 years. Once a gritty outpost of shipyards and warehouses on San Francisco’s southeastern waterfront, the neighborhood has become one of the city’s most vibrant, sought-after districts.

In the early 2000s, early signs of change emerged as artists moved to relatively affordable studio spaces. Former factories were repurposed into live/work lofts and entrepreneurs opened galleries, cafes, and design studios. When Muni extended its T-Third Street light rail line through Dogpatch in 2007, the vastly improved accessibility sparked new waves of development.

By the 2010s, Dogpatch’s transformation accelerated as tech professionals and young families sought alternatives to more expensive neighborhoods to the north and west. The waterfront, once dominated by industrial activity, opened up to parks and public spaces, including Crane Cove Park, which you’ll see on your right between mile 24 and 25 (11 and 12 of the City Half).

Crane Cove Park

Opened in 2020, Crane Cove Park exemplifies the evolution of Dogpatch from industrial stronghold to recreational destination. Located on a former shipbuilding site, the park retains striking artifacts of its maritime past, including a towering crane that gives the park its name.

Dogpatch is a great destination whether you plan to travel before or after the Marathon. Using Crane Cove Park as a starting point, you’ll enjoy some of the best weather in the city.

Make your way to the restaurants on 22nd Street where it confusingly intersects with 3rd Street. For art lovers, Minnesota Street Project cements Dopatch’s reputation as a creative and cultural destination.

Dogpatch is emblematic of 21st Century San Francisco, simultaneously innovative and rooted in history. The neighborhood’s dramatic reinvention, where ship building has given way to art spaces and coffee roasters, is a vivid case study in urban transformation.

About Scott Benbow

Scott Benbow is a San Francisco Marathon Ambassador, attorney, nonprofit specialist, and passionate SFM runner. He lives in San Francisco and runs the hills of our incredibly beautiful city with us every year.