Beloved SF Punk Venue, Bar To Close

The property will be turned into housing, ending the bar's decades-long run.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 3:47pm by Ben Kaplan

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Thee Parkside, a beloved dive bar and punk venue in San Francisco, has announced it will be closing later this year as the property is set to be turned into condos. The business said the neighborhood will be "pretty boring" with both Thee Parkside and nearby venue Bottom of the Hill gone, lamenting the loss of "third spaces" in the city.

Why it matters

The closure of Thee Parkside represents the ongoing gentrification and homogenization of San Francisco, as longtime independent businesses and cultural hubs are displaced by new housing development. This reflects a broader trend of the city losing its unique character and sense of community.

The details

Thee Parkside will stop hosting live music at the end of March 2026 and operate just as a bar for a few months before closing. The business said the property is being turned into "a buncha condos." In a social media post, Thee Parkside expressed sadness over the loss of the venue and other "third spaces" in the city, which they say are being replaced by "bland and expensive corporations" or left vacant.

  • Thee Parkside will stop hosting live music at the end of March 2026.
  • Thee Parkside will close a few months after March 2026.

The players

Thee Parkside

A beloved dive bar and punk venue in San Francisco that is set to close later this year as the property is turned into condos.

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What they’re saying

“This neighborhood will be pretty boring with both us and Bottom Of The Hill gone, but I feel like we're just one more small business dying in this city. The third spaces that once thrived will be replaced with bland and expensive corporations or will sit vacant.”

— Thee Parkside (Social media post)

“Share pics with us. Get merch while you can. Come support the bar and staff. We can sit at the bar and talk about how this city is becoming so homogenized and soul-less. We can reminisce and pet dogs and eat tater tots and we can plan for the revolution.”

— Thee Parkside (Social media post)

What’s next

Thee Parkside will continue to look for artists or bands who want to play one last show before the closure. The business also has a yearbook on their website where people can write their memories and sign it.

The takeaway

The closure of Thee Parkside, a beloved San Francisco institution, is a poignant example of the city's ongoing struggle to preserve its unique cultural identity and community spaces in the face of rapid gentrification and development. This loss reflects a broader trend that is eroding the character of neighborhoods across the city.