San Francisco Neighborhoods and Districts

According to The San Francisco Planning Department, there are officially 37 neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are made up of 5 districts, which are made up of several more minor communities. These neighborhoods are historical and have a unique story to tell. Some of the neighborhoods in San Francisco date back to the 1700s. In the 1900s the San Francisco Board of Supervisor passed legislation to establish the Departments required neighborhood notification, which gave boundaries to separate between each neighborhood. We have listed below all neighborhoods in San Francisco with a brief description and image.

Fisherman’s Wharf

You know you are in this super popular and famous area when you see all the fishing boats, hot crab boilers, endless seafood counters, restaurants and smell mouthwatering fresh bread from the local French bakeries. Imagine the atmosphere of its famous fishing fleet and waterfront markets seasoned with a variety of souvenir shops and historic ships –adventures are guaranteed! F-Line streetcar and a couple of cable car lines are serving this area exclusively along with boat charters to Angel Island and Alcatraz (“The Rock) and many more places in San Francisco Bay. No wonder why Fisherman’s Wharf is on a list for most of the tourist while in SF!

North Beach

North Beach is a fantastic place that is smaller than a square mile but packed with galleries, jazz clubs, cabarets, gelato shops, and family restaurants. North Beach is a place to enjoy an outstanding cappuccino and improve your martial arts skills in Washington Square then get to the pick of Telegraph Hill and delight in mesmerizing views from there. Stop by the ground floors of Coit Tower to see murals back from 1933! North Beach at night turns into SF’s most popular and fun electric playgrounds. Here you can dive into all sorts of live music and dances. Truly a great night experience.

Chinatown

Chinatown in San Francisco is one of the biggest and oldest “Chinatown” in the US and is located on Grant Avenue; one of the oldest streets in San Francisco. Here you will see the first construction in Chinese-style ever built in San Francisco (743 Washington St.) that was functioning as a bank in present days and was a birthing place of the very first newspaper of California in the past. Enter Chinatown at Grant Avenue through the famous “Dragon’s Gate” and feel the energy of 24 blocks of movement and excitement. Walking would be the best way to tour this area filled with food markets, temples, unique shops, and museums. Chinatown is the place to try and buy all sorts of tea, herbal supplements, and munch on delicious dumplings.

Financial District/Embarcadero

An area filled with dusty air, captains of trade and sea, the spirit of Barbary Coast-it`s all about Embarcadero –place where you embark on its deep-water piers. Go to the Ferry Building that is also a station for ferries sailing to Oakland, Alameda, Marin County, and Vallejo and located at the bottom of Market Street offers its visitors a great variety of restaurants and markets. Fascinating and worth of seeing is Jackson Square that is a historic area with ancient buildings back from the 19th century that is underpinned by old ships masts. Go to Pier 15 and explore science, art, and human perception at The Exploratorium –great for all ages. For the panoramic views of the skyline of the San-Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and Financial District head to the Pier 7 and Pier 14. You will see Treasure Island, which is a human-made archipelago across the bay, its famous for the Golden Gate International Exposition that took place on the island in 1939.

Union Square

Welcome to shopaholic paradise! Practically every fashion label, whether world-know or just created and developing got their location here- you will find them all in one place, right in the middle of a downtown hotel and shopping district. Fantastic lively 20 square block area offers more than 200 restaurants, fine dining, cozy cafes, live blues and jazz, theatre, and impressive mind-blowing shopping experience. Stop by the famous Glide Memorial Church and visit the annual Tet Festival to feel the influence of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam culture. The Tenderloin got a breath of new life with the signature palm trees and multicolor fancy flower setups. Union Square makes it a unique destination for everybody who craves amusement and entertainment.

Central Market

Blooming developing area and a place where locals celebrate everything starting from the end of World War Two and till our days. Central Market or Mid-Market as it’s also called sometimes has a significant concentration of tech headquarters like Yammer, Twitter, Spotify, and Square and is also home to various art groups, restaurants and retails. You can get on historic F-line streetcar and go to Hayes Valley, Civic Center, and Tenderloin. Visit The Warfield, 982 Market St to see a Live Nation performance all year long and recently opened the Strand Theater (1127 Market St.). If you are a fan of vintage furniture, there is an excellent place for you just at the Castro end where numerous shopping malls will satisfy any taste and liking.

SoMa/Yerba Buena

Meet the trendiest two square miles of San Francisco- South of Market or simply SoMa. Luxurious restaurants, high-end nightclubs, and art venues all here for you to celebrate life and live big. Place of the most prominent biomedical schools in the US. The University of California-San Francisco, Mission Bay, Memorial to Martin Luther King and Moscone Center along with many other museums, famous Yerba Buena Gardens with tremendous concentration of art and of course well-known Oracle Park- it’s all here, all amazing. South Beach neighborhood with its renovated waterfront amenities steps away.

Castro/ Noe Valley

LGBTQ mecca and the gay capital of the world! Human pride and mesmerizing views, historic Victorian houses from Eureka Valley and trendy stores, outdoor dining, and walking paths. Noe Valley will delight you with the most pleasant weather in the city and marvelous views from Twin Peaks. Massive amount of visitors craving fresh farmers food, modern shopping, and new neighborhoods come here daily to explore something new every time. The most convenient way to access Castro and Upper Market are taking an F-line streetcar. The lower tilts of Diamond Heights with Glen Park and its canyons are conveniently located by the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station.

Hayes Valley/Civic Center

The widest street of San Francisco with fantastic architecture Van Ness Avenue goes precisely in the middle of Civic Center, and just minutes away from here Hayes Valley is located. The last one is famous for art galleries, antique emporiums, book recesses, and the San Francisco Jazz Center. Almost 300 Vietnamese businesses are located here in the area called Little Saigon (Larkin and O’Farrell St). Pleasant experience awaits on Polk St. with incredible diversity and old shopping places that run in parallel to Van Ness Avenue to Maritime Museum in Fisherman’s Wharf.

Height Asbury

Unbelievable contrast of historic Victorian homes and modern downtown buildings together makes it a perfect place for photo shootings and a tourist hot spot. Walk down Delmar, Masonic and Piedmont streets to admire the architectural wonders and drop by Buena Vista Park for spectacular city sceneries. In addition to all of this world’s top medical universities are located here too.

Fillmore

With endless jazz galleries, museums and clubs Fillmore are known as a jazz heart of San Francisco that still remembers voices of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Billie Holiday. For those interested specifically in jazz, there is The Jazz Heritage Center, which is a unique place all dedicated to the history of jazz in San Francisco and Fillmore. Former Yoshi’s Jazz Club at 1330 Fillmore St. offers and many more music genres besides jazz too. Only a couple minutes away from it you will see a place with upscale yet comfort food, high-end drinks, and many more perks during Sunday brunch. See the museum with apples right by the entrance? That’s the Fillmore, here dive into the 60s with all the posters back from those days and of course music. Go down to African American Freedom Trail and learn about some of the oldest and prettiest churches of the city like Bethel Church, St. John Coltrane African Orthodox Church, Third Baptist Church, and First Zion Church. Enjoy shopping and dining at local favorite spots with fresh oysters and Cajun cuisine such as Elite Café or stop for a cup of aromatic coffee at one of the cafes.

Japantown

When you see red banners and cherry blossom with Peace Pagoda you can be sure, you are approaching Japantown. This Japantown in one of 3 Japantowns left in the US and the oldest one too, it starts by Geary Boulevard and Laguna Street and goes up to 49-Mile Scenic Drive. Great combination of Japanese and Japanese American tradition brings up multiple stores with Japanese goodies, authentic restaurants, and bookshops. Here you can find the best of Japanese cuisine-sushi, ramen noodles, matcha green tea, hot pot BBQ and much more. Explore traditional motif in Japan Center surrounded by Sundance Kabuki movie theatre and Hotel Buchanan. If you are a big fan of manga and J-pop anime Hotel Tomo is a perfect place just for you. Besides for traditional art, there is a massage art that is worthy of trying- Shiatsu, top it off with Japanese spa and hot tub, and you’ll feel healthy beaming from inside.

Nob Hill

Unusual and unique place featuring replicas of 16th century Roman Fountain, Notre Dame de Paris and, Huntington Park, Cable Car Barn, numerous art venues and Nob Hill Masonic Center with endless musical shows. Besides all these Nob Hill used to be a place for silver kings and railroad magnates long time ago and is one of the neighborhoods with the best view over San Francisco Bay (the best admired from the cable car). Russian Hill which is known for the most twisted street in the world Lombard Street and graves of Russian fishers working in waters of California at the beginning of the 19th century.

Marina/Pacific Heights

Marina is located at the north side of the city and remembers times when it has been a residential area, fishermen spot, and deep dunes and all these have left an impact on the contemporary look of the neighborhood. After the earthquake demolished this area back in 1906, there still is a reminder about bringing the place back to normal, and it’s a Palace of Fine Art- magnificent big building from 1915 Pacific International Exposition. This place remains very lively with constant wedding and photo-shootings thanks to its dramatic architecture and beautiful views observed from it. You can find vegetarian heaven on Fort Mason Center along with great art spots. Ready to kite? Marina Green is your go-to place, enjoy the fresh breeze and beautiful passage. Chestnut Street features dining that will satisfy the pickiest of food lovers and offer all sorts of food, including comfort and fast food and fine cuisine with Michelin rating. Of course shopping, of course, great views of Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. For foreign consulates, technical and political leaders, there is Pacific Heights. The fancy area on South of Marina that offers splendid and extravagant close boutiques, accessory stores and restaurants. The atmosphere of Old Europe with cozy cafes and old constructions fills the air on Union Street. Cow Hollow with secluded residential areas and places where locals hang out.

Presidio/Richmond

Charming Presido that was also called Crissy Field together with Richmond rich with museums, galleries, restaurants, and parks became one of the city’s biggest attractions, especially on the Northwest side of San Francisco. Presidio is famous for super tall and fragrant eucalyptus trees and Golden Gate National Recreational Area. It is a home for more than 300 different species of birds, walking and hiking trails and perfect picnic spots. Add museums, family housing, and unusual hotels located inside the park, and it all will be Presido. Feeling like a little bit of exercise or want to try a new exciting way to get to Golden Gate Bridge, then go to Lincoln Boulevard.

Outer Richmond is famous for an excellent art museum, water views and relics of Sutro Baths that make it a lovely picnic are nowadays. Inner Richmond is about very budget-friendly food hubs, delicious Thai, Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese kitchen, and small cafes that are so loved by locals.

Sunset

Locals have been calling this area “Avenues,” and it has been a place full of attractions and things to do. The previous part of San Francisco one of the largest parks called “Outside Lands” this neighborhood is now lined with pleasant soft colored buildings and surrounded by amazing San Francisco Botanical Garden, Golden Gate Park, and Conservatory of Flowers. No admission concerts performed on 19th Avenue and Sloat Street during the summertime. By the Park Merced and San Francisco State University, there is a practice field for local Chinese boat (dragon boat) team. Sunset also offers one of the largest zoos in California-San Francisco Zoo.

Bayview

Sitting on the Southside of the I-280 this neighborhood is famous for open studio events held here every year during spring and fall season, wild west shows at the Cow Palace every fall and the very first opera house in San Francisco The Bayview Opera House. This community is very diverse and connected with 70-mile long rail track; easy access to downtown. Bayview features beautiful walking trails and fishing piers.

Treasure Island

Sure enough, this area offers lots of fantastic waterfront views, and that’s one of the most significant values of Treasure Island. Created as a part of Golden Gate International Exposition that attracted millions of visitors and later became a naval installation is now home to wine tasting events and tours, restaurants and multiple great places to satisfy your taste buds. Right here all year long there is an even of some sort being held, whether it’s International Dragon Boat Festival or Treasure Island Music Festival, there is always fun going on. You can get to the island by car or Muni 108 bus line departing from the Transbay Terminal.

Mission District

The oldest area of San Francisco with the most former building in the city Mission Dolores (founded in 1776) located on 16th and Dolores became a place of eternal rest for many city originators.

Bernal Heights, Mission District, and Potrero Hill have mostly sunny than foggy days, which contributes to the number of restaurants with fantastic patios and even better food. The marvelous and exceptional combination of historical buildings decorated with murals, new and hot galleries, and trendy dining.

Modern Top Floor Flat – Cole Valley

Modern Top Floor Flat – Cole Valley

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