Hayes Valley has seen a major building boom since the removal of the former Central Freeway and creation of Octavia Boulevard, and opinions have been mixed about some new additions to the neighborhood's architecture. But in an article this week, Chronicle urban design critic John King calls the aesthetic developments "success beyond reproach."

"A half-mile stretch of land once covered by a freeway today serves as an emerging showcase, a test lab of imaginative urban architecture and ground-level innovation," he writes. Head over to the Chron for King's rundown of new buildings in the area, as well as a video tour of the neighborhood's fresh architecture.