Since the mid-1990s, SoMa has been at the epicenter of software startups, dot-coms and digital marketing in San Francisco. Despite two recessions and a boost in real estate prices, the neighborhood shows little sign of giving up its title as the Nerf-gun wielding, razor-scooter riding, tech capitol of the city. But not every tech company feels at home amidst SoMa’s at times hectic pace and homogenous techie culture, and some are seeking greener pastures in a few less traditional neighborhoods.
Hayes Valley is one of those neighborhoods.
On a tree-lined stretch of Laguna Street, near the corner of Linden, is an unassuming below-grade office space housing a different kind of startup. From street level it doesn’t look like much, but head down the steep stairwell, past the glass French-door entrance, and you’ve entered Particle, a small, 10 person, digital product development company founded by a few Silicon Valley and SoMa refugees.
“We did initially set up Particle offices in SoMa in late 2008,” says the head of PR for Particle. “(But) SoMa is really just another kind of monoculture, and monocultures are not inspiring places at a fundamental level.”
SoMa’s unparalleled tech industry, an asset to some, was seen as a stifling hindrance to the creative culture sought by the founders of Particle. So, when in 2010 they were looking for new offices, the group jumped at the chance to move to Hayes Valley.
“Hayes Valley in particular is a fascinating and inspiring place to be,” says Particle. “It’s been able to retain a sense of convergence of several city cultures, rather than giving over to any particular one.”
The Particle office, adorned as it is with a pool table, vintage phone booth (which is the company phone, we’re told), retro light fixtures and whimsical art, is definitely a throwback to the startups of the dot-com boom of the 90s. And, like their predecessors, the folk at Particle subscribe to the “play hard and work hard” doctrine synonymous with dot-coms of a decade ago.
“Our office is sort of a basement connected to what we call ‘the catacombs’, which is a very long tunnel under the sidewalk that stretches the length of the entire block. Nothing but ‘mother earth’ around us and so it is no trouble having parties and live music events.”
The company hosts regular happy hour parties and has even had live music events with bands such as, The Dodos and StarFu*ker. “In general, we like to blur the lines between work and festivity, friends and clients, and so the environment has to be very social.”
Hayes Valley will surely never become the next SoMa, though Particle isn't the only tech company to have relocated there. Tim Barber, a founder of Odopod, a digital marketing agency with 50 employees, relocated the agency to Hayes Valley for similar reasons.
“When we started looking to expand, to get more space, we came over here to Hayes Valley, and it was so peaceful and relaxing we just didn’t realize what we were missing (in SoMa),” says Mr. Barber.
He added, “(Hayes Valley) is like a great cocktail of things that make it appealing. It’s a nice little shopping district…it has really great restaurants…and it’s super central.”
So what’s next for Particle? Well, in keeping with their office space mission to create a “working sanctuary”, they have events planned around several film screenings and an underground local theater event for the coming year.
Hold on to your razor scooters, Hayes Valley, the tech industry is knocking on your door.
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