The mixed-use district is home to an array of artistic and cultural places, performance venues, public spaces, diverse housing, and a palpable civic presence.
During the early 20th Century, Central Market took center stage as a theater district. The neighborhood continues to present world-class productions and performances at the Warfield Theater, Golden Gate Theater, and Orpheum Theater, while providing a creative environment for performing and visual artists.
From the 1930s to 1970s, Central Market was the bustling center of commerce and public life in San Francisco. With restaurants and theatres – including the popular Paramount and Fox theaters – the Central Market area was the entertainment center of the Bay Area. Market Street was nicknamed The Great White Way in honor of the neon signs lining the corridor. Remnants of the neighborhood’s colorful past can still be found along Market Street.
Following twenty-five years of economic decline, the CMCBD was established to improve the mixed-use district and to create a neighborhood that is a clean, safe and inviting place to be. The area’s construction zones and planned development projects also point to a neighborhood renaissance.
Central Market is a short distance to Civic Center, celebrated museums, and the Union Square shopping district.