The elevated Central Freeway section of U.S. Route 101 was built in the neighborhood during the 1950s . Damaged during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake , it was closed afterward and eventually demolished after campaign by local activists called for the removal . The destruction of the Central Freeway has spurred gentrification which has revitalized the neighborhood , and has made it one of the trendier sections of town with an eclectic mix of boutiques , high-end restaurants , and hip stores on Hayes Street
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
Hayes Valley, San Francisco