San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous city in California, with 808,437 residents, and the 17th most populous city in the United States as of 2022.
Cow Hollow is an affluent section of town that’s popular with young professionals. Union Street, the main drag, is crawling with chic fashion boutiques, pilates studios, juice shops and beauty salons. Restaurants range from French fine dining to Italian bistros to brunch cafes, and there are also sports bars and wine lounges. The area’s historic past is on display at the landmark McElroy Octagon House built in 1861.
The scenic Marina District, on the city’s northern shore, is known for its upbeat bars and restaurants. Fort Mason, a former military base, is a multifaceted arts complex and event space. A connected grassy park, called Marina Green, has a running and bike path and expansive views of Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and yachts on the water. The Palace of Fine Arts, dating back to 1915, is a neoclassical landmark.
Presidio Heights is a serene, tree-lined area featuring many styles of high-end single-family homes, including the Tudor-inspired 1909 Roos House. The vast Presidio park borders the neighborhood, offering residents access to the Julius Kahn Playground, plus hiking and golf. Sacramento and California streets offer a mix of elegant eateries, old-school markets and stylish outposts for fashion and home goods.
Surrounded on 3 sides by parkland and the ocean, the quiet (and often foggy) Richmond District borders Golden Gate Park to the south, the Presidio park to the north, and surfers' hangout Ocean Beach to the west. Culturally diverse, its main influence can be found along Clement Street, or San Francisco's 2nd Chinatown as it's locally known. Hiking the Lands End Trail gives the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Inner Richmond, positioned between the Presidio and Golden Gate Park, is an under-the-radar, mainly residential neighborhood with a multicultural makeup. Clement Street’s concentration of dim sum joints has earned it the nickname New Chinatown, but casual Burmese, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants also line the blocks, along with independent shops. The area is sprinkled with a number of Russian eateries and Irish pubs. The Outer Richmond is a low-key district with Russian and Chinese roots, and pockets of casual neighborhood eateries. The foggy area is bounded by the Pacific, sprawling Golden Gate Park, the scenic Presidio and Lincoln Park, which features the acclaimed Legion of Honor art museum. There’s surfing at blustery Ocean Beach, overlooked by the landmark Cliff House restaurant, and the ruins of the historic Sutro Baths.
The peaceful Outer Sunset neighborhood rests along the city’s foggy western shore, just south of expansive Golden Gate Park. A flat street grid is occupied by unassuming single-family homes and commercial stretches featuring brunch hot spots, Asian restaurants, beer bars and indie boutiques. Often cold and gusty, Ocean Beach is a major destination for surfing as well as walking and biking among sand dunes.
Inner Sunset, located just south of Golden Gate Park’s museums and gardens, attracts families and UCSF students to its quaint, often fog-shrouded residential blocks. Asian and Mexican restaurants, cozy cafes and dark watering holes cluster near the corner of Irving Street and Ninth Avenue. Urban hikers can climb the colorful 16th Avenue Tiled Steps to see citywide panoramas at hilltop Grand View Park.
This tranquil residential area is home to the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps, 163 colorful, mosaic-tiled stairs leading up to scenic views of the city and Pacific Ocean. Venture further skywards to Grandview Park for a panoramic eyeful of San Francisco Bay and beyond. The 7-acre Golden Gate Heights Park provides a kids' playground and a tennis court, as well as more green vistas.
Forest Hill is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California. Forest Hill is one of eight master-planned residence parks in San Francisco. Forest Hill is located near the middle of the City of San Francisco, southeast of the Inner Sunset and northeast of West Portal.
Anza Vista is a neighborhood in the Western Addition district of San Francisco, California. It is named after Juan Bautista de Anza, the first Spanish explorer to reach San Francisco.
Telegraph Hill is a hill and surrounding neighborhood in San Francisco, California. It is one of San Francisco's 44 hills, and one of its original "Seven Hills".
Fisherman’s Wharf, on the northern waterfront, is one of the city's busiest tourist areas. Souvenir shops and stalls selling crab and clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls appear at every turn, as do postcard views of the bay, Golden Gate and Alcatraz. There’s also a colony of sea lions to see and historic ships to tour. At Ghirardelli Square, boutiques and eateries reside in the famed former chocolate factory.
This is one of the oldest and most established Chinatowns in the U.S. Beyond iconic Dragon’s Gate, a bustling maze of streets and alleys brims with dim sum joints and other traditional eateries. Also found are herbalists, bakeries, souvenir shops, and dark cocktail lounges and karaoke bars. There are ornate temples, including the landmark Tien How, as well as the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum.
Once home to the mansions of the Big Four railroad barons, Nob Hill retains a sense of wealth and privilege. Some of the city’s swankiest hotels are here, as are the ornate, Gothic-style Grace Cathedral and charming Huntington Park. Steep streets are dotted with restaurants and nightspots like the Top of the Mark lounge, with its 360-degree views. The Cable Car Museum exhibits antique cars alongside live machinery.
Japantown, also known as Nihonmachi, is a compact historic enclave in the Western Addition. Large indoor/outdoor complexes house an assortment of sushi, ramen and shabu-shabu restaurants, plus specialty grocery stores, kitschy gift shops, karaoke bars and Asian-style day spas. A courtyard plaza with a striking, 5-tiered Peace Pagoda regularly hosts community events such as the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.
The famously gritty Tenderloin has underground art spaces, classic concert venues such as the Great American Music Hall and historic theaters staging Broadway and indie shows. Its funky, colorful streets feature a mix of upscale, trendy and casual restaurants. Nightlife ranges from dark dives slinging beer and shots to speakeasy-style bars mixing craft cocktails. Little Saigon is known for its Vietnamese eateries.
Cole Valley is a small, family-friendly community in the geographical center of the city. Tree-shaded streets are lined with well-kept Victorian homes, and a variety of mom-and-pop shops and relaxed restaurants, including a 1930s-inspired soda fountain. The neighborhood offers hiking at the compact Tank Hill Park, with its panoramic views, or through the dense eucalyptus forest of the Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve.
Eureka Valley is a neighborhood in San Francisco, primarily a quiet residential neighborhood but boasting one of the most visited sub-neighborhoods in the city, The Castro. The neighborhood is popular with families and the LGBT community.
The Castro District, in Eureka Valley, is synonymous with gay culture. Revelers often spill onto the sidewalks at numerous bars, like Twin Peaks Tavern, whose floor-to-ceiling windows were revolutionary when it opened in 1972. The lavish Castro Theatre and the GLBT Historic Museum are also found here, as are homey restaurants and adult shops. On Market Street, 19th-century F-line streetcars head to Fisherman’s Wharf.
Named for the 1776-built Mission Dolores, the Mission District is an exuberant, evolving neighborhood with Latino roots and a hipster vibe. Old-school taquerias and eclectic live-music clubs mix with chef-driven eateries and craft cocktail lounges. There are also tattoo parlors, gourmet ice cream shops and Dolores Park, a popular weekend hangout with skyline views. Vibrant murals line streets such as Clarion Alley. Part of the lively Mission District, Mission Dolores is home to Misión San Francisco de Asís, an ornate, Spanish-style church from the late 1700s. Notable Californians are buried in the church’s cemetery, set in gardens planted with native trees and shrubs. Locals bring picnics from nearby bakeries to Mission Dolores Park, a popular green space with a large playground and sweeping skyline views.
Family-friendly Potrero Hill is an often-sunny, hilly area with bay and skyline views and a mix of condos and classic Victorians, plus parks with sports facilities. 18th Street has quaint eateries and shops. Nearby are gritty music spots and the historic Anchor Brewing Company, which offers tours. On the neighborhood's eastern edge, industrial-cool Dogpatch, with hip bars and eateries, runs along the waterfront.
Mission Bay is a 303-acre neighborhood on the east side of San Francisco, California. It is bordered by China Basin to the north, Dogpatch to the south, and San Francisco Bay to the east.
Noe Valley is a quaint, in-demand place to live that’s geared toward young families. The neighborhood features tidy rows of Victorian and Edwardian homes, and thanks to surrounding hills, has some of the city’s sunniest weather. Stroller pushers and dog walkers jostle along 24th Street, which is stocked with bakeries, wine and cheese shops and relaxed cafes. A weekly farmers' market is held in the modest town square.
The Parkside is a neighborhood in the western part of San Francisco, California, usually considered to be part of the Sunset District. It is located in the southern part of the Avenues south of Quintara and north of Sloat Boulevard.
West Portal is a small neighborhood in San Francisco, California. West Portal is a primarily residential area of the city. The neighborhood's main corridor, West Portal Avenue, serves as a principal shopping district of southwestern San Francisco.
