I agree with most of your statement but only partially agree with your view on Mission Bay. As a Mission Bay resident, I think it feels sleepy and a bit sterile, it does NOT feel dangerous at all. I've been in neighborhoods that feel sketchy in SF, but Mission Bay is not one of them. Its actually the only dense, urban area of SF I can think of that's both clean and quiet.
Its still too early to tell if Mission Bay is a success or not. Most of the housing here is either still in the development pipeline[0,1,2] or just finished within the last 1-2 years. Mission Rock [1] is probably the most ambitious and likely to draw crowds. Also, the 4th street retail area is just starting to sprout up with shops. It just takes time for neighborhoods to develop.
Its still too early to tell if Mission Bay is a success or not. Most of the housing here is either still in the development pipeline[0,1,2] or just finished within the last 1-2 years. Mission Rock [1] is probably the most ambitious and likely to draw crowds. Also, the 4th street retail area is just starting to sprout up with shops. It just takes time for neighborhoods to develop.
0: http://www.onemissionbay.com/
1: http://www.missionrock.com/
2: http://www.dbarchitect.com/project_detail/161/FIVE88%20Workf...