Finding a Different Pace of Life at Yerba Buena Island

Published July 9, 2026

After more than two decades in the East Bay, Rebecca Nguyen and Edward Chin were facing their empty-nest years and thinking deeply about the next phase of life. Their children were nearly grown, their routines had shifted, and the sprawling suburban home that had served them well for years no longer reflected how they wanted to live. What they wanted wasn’t necessarily less. They wanted something different.

For Rebecca, whose career at UCSF Health has kept her connected to San Francisco for three decades, the city was always an important part of her life.

“I always considered San Francisco my city,” she says.

But with this new chapter, the challenge was finding a place that offered proximity to everything they loved about the city while offering a greater sense of calm and connection to their surroundings. Enter the Residences at Yerba Buena Island.

Close to the City, Connected to Something Else

For many residents, one of the defining characteristics of Yerba Buena Island San Francisco is its duality. Downtown San Francisco is only minutes away, yet life on the island feels distinctly separate from the pace and density of the city.

“What really drew us in were the views and the openness of the landscape,” Rebecca explains. “It feels like a retreat without feeling disconnected.”

That balance has become central to their daily lives. Several days a week, Rebecca boards the Yerba Buena Island Ferry and heads into the city. Her commute includes a walk along the Embarcadero before arriving at work, offering a transition that feels markedly different from a traditional drive.

“It gives me a chance to unplug and reset before the day starts,” she says.

In the evening, the return journey offers a similar moment to pause. The energy of the city slowly gives way to the quiet rhythm of island life. That contrast, she says, is what makes both experiences more meaningful.

Living Alongside Nature

Surrounded by parks, trails, and open space, Yerba Buena Island offers a setting that organically encourages residents to spend more time outdoors. For Rebecca and Ed, the landscape has become part of their everyday routine.

The trails, waterfront views, and natural surroundings provide opportunities to move, explore, and unwind without needing to plan for it. Wellness becomes less about scheduling it and more about allowing the environment to naturally shape each day.

When working remotely, Rebecca often begins her morning with a fitness class before enjoying coffee in the lobby. Evenings might include a walk, time spent taking in the views, or a visit to nearby Treasure Island. The pace feels intentional rather than hurried, an increasingly fleeting feeling in the Bay Area.

This is one of the defining characteristics of life on the island, where access to nature is quotidian: woven into everyday routines with miles of hiking and walking trails, open green spaces, and thoughtfully designed gathering places.

The Unexpected Value of Community

While the landscape initially captured their attention, the community has become one of the aspects Rebecca and Ed value most.

Neighbors connect with ease, whether during walks, in shared spaces, or through special resident gatherings. Over time, casual interactions often evolve into meaningful friendships. What stands out most, however, are the small moments: knowing a neighbor can help when you’re away from home, sharing an impromptu glass of wine after running into someone in the lobby, or simply having the quiet confidence that people genuinely look out for one another.

“It isn’t about one big event,” Rebecca explains. “It’s the consistency of people showing up for each other in small ways.”

In a region where many communities can feel transient, a sense of belonging becomes all the more meaningful. The result is a neighborhood that feels connected without feeling crowded, and social without feeling forced.

A Lifestyle Designed Around Balance

Making the move required Rebecca and Ed to rethink what home meant. They traded a four-bedroom suburban house they had lived in for twenty years for a two-bedroom condominium overlooking the Bay. It was a significant decision, but one that reflected a larger shift in priorities.

Instead of maintaining more space, they chose to prioritize experiences, connection, convenience, and quality of life. Today, they describe life on Yerba Buena Island as a rare equilibrium between socializing and the privacy of a retreat. The city is close enough to enjoy on demand, yet home feels grounded in something entirely different: open spaces, natural beauty, meaningful connections, and a pace of life that makes it easy to appreciate it all.

As they moved out of their home to settle onto the island, Rebecca and Ed came across their wedding photos from twenty-four years earlier. Photo after photo, taken from around the Ferry Building in downtown San Francisco, included what they hadn’t realized before—that the location of their new home was back in the distance, as if already there for them.

For many residents, the decision to move to Yerba Buena Island began with a single visit. A walk along the trails, a ferry ride across the Bay, or an afternoon spent taking in the views often reveals what words can only partially capture: a distinctly different way to experience San Francisco.

Discover Yerba Buena Island and explore the community firsthand.