Downtown and Chinatown
Downtown is San Francisco's historic center, bounded by Market Street and Van Ness Avenue, which form a triangle with the bay. This area encompasses a wide variety of neighborhoods, from the chicest (Union Square) to the poorest (Tenderloin), including the Civic Center, the Financial District and the business district with its skyscrapers. Adjacent is the famous Chinatown. A typical example of the city's diversity in a nutshell.
Union Square. This large square takes its name from the rallies held in support of the Union Army, the Northern army that defeated the Confederate South during the years of the Civil War.
Today, it's the heart of Downtown: here you'll find the biggest department stores (Macy's, Nieman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale's), luxury boutiques (on Maiden Lane, east of the square), most hotels and major transport links (BART, MUNI and cable car).
Concerts, dance classes and exhibitions are regularly held in the square, where it's a great place to stop for a quick lunch on sunny days. We advise you to stop here only at lunchtime, for a quick break after a shopping spree, as the restaurants around here are not the best.
Finally, close to Union Square is San Francisco's French Quarter. Here you'll find the French Consulate, Notre-Dame des Victoires church with Sunday service in French and a large number of restaurants run by compatriots, especially around Belden Place (historic French Quarter).
Civic Center. Civic Center is the official district that houses the city's administrative centers, including City Hall. A Baroque masterpiece of granite and marble, City Hall is modeled on the Capitol in Washington. Surrounding it are the world-renowned opera house, the San Francisco Public Library and the Asian Art Museum. This imposing ensemble forms the tip of the Downtown triangle, where the city's two main thoroughfares, Market Street and Van Ness Avenue, meet.
Tenderloin. North-east of Civi Center is the Tenderloin district. This is a notoriously risky area, especially at night. You'll see an impressive number of homeless, especially in front of the Glide Memorial Church (on Ellis Street). With its drug problems and extreme poverty, it's a bit of a mirror image of American life, just a stone's throw from the luxury boutiques of Union Square. At the turn of the century, the Tenderloin was renowned for its brothels, gambling dens and drinking establishments. It was also here that the first gay bars saw the light of day before the beginnings of the Castro. Today, it's a lively nightlife district, with some excellent restaurants and bars. Unfortunately, poverty and insecurity remain constant. San Francisco's municipal government, aware of the unease between the impeccable Civic Center and the bleak Tenderloin, launched a rehabilitation project in 2013 to restore the image of its administrative center.
Theater District. The border between Union Square and the Tenderloin is home to the Theater District, a neighborhood where the arts take center stage. The most emblematic venues are the American Conservatory Theater and the Curran Theater, but other smaller stages are sometimes hidden away in pretty buildings (Playhouse in the Kensington Park Hotel)...
Nob Hill. A majestic and solemn district, Nob Hill borders the Tenderloin in its lower part, Union Square and Chinatown to the southwest, Russian Hill to the north and Pacifi Heights to the east. It is home to Grace Cathedral, begun in 1928 and completed in 1964. In neo-Gothic style, it rises against the blue sky of the hill, not far from the imposing white marble Masonic Temple.
At the time of the conquest of the West, and thanks to the cable car, four railroad magnates set up their palaces at the top of Nob Hill. Their names were Leland Stanford, Collis Huntington, Mark Hopkins and Charles Crocker, and they gave their letters of nobility to a neighborhood that has remained the stronghold of high society ever since. Indeed, thanks to the new accessibility of the area, the wealthy saw an opportunity to stand out (even more) from the masses, by literally rising above the Bay. Sumptuous villas were built, and for a time, San Francisco was considered the "Paris of the West" for its elegance and architectural refinement. Three of the men behind this phenomenon gave their names to three of the city's greatest luxury hotels: the Scarlet Huntington Hotel, the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins and the Stanford Court Hotel. The Fairmont Hotel and the Ritz Carlton complete the picture of San Franciscan luxury.
Financial District. Admittedly, it's not as impressive as Wall Street, but make no mistake: San Francisco's business district is the West Coast's leading financial center. There's plenty of activity during the week and during the day, but after 5 p.m., the streets empty out as bankers head home to more pleasant neighborhoods.
Don't miss: the Transamerica Pyramid (325 m), which, with its unique profile, has become one of the city's landmarks, right up there with the Golden Gate Bridge.
Chinatown. Just two blocks north of Union Square, you enter Chinatown through a red gate, surmounted by two golden dragons: this is the Dragon Gate at the intersection of Grant Avenue and Bush Street. Chinatown is a rectangle bounded by Bush Street to the south, Powell Street to the west, Kearny Street to the east and Broadway to the north. San Franciscans say their Chinatown is both the first and the largest in the Americas - New Yorkers say the same. One thing's for sure: it's certainly the most beautiful. Despite the touristy feel of Grant Avenue, the main thoroughfare, Chinatown retains a charm reminiscent of another era and an imperial China. Lanterns, temples and pagoda buildings are everywhere. Leave Grant Avenue and lose yourself in the labyrinth of markets on Stockton Street. This is where it all happens!
North Beach, Telegraph Hill and the Piers
The northeastern tip of the San Francisco peninsula is divided here into three neighborhoods, whose outer limits are Columbus Avenue to the west and Market Street to the south, while the north and east are bordered by the bay. Many of San Francisco's major attractions are concentrated in this area.
The Piers. The Piers are part of San Francisco's heritage. These "piers" have contributed to the maritime and industrial development of the entire bay. With the exception of the controversial Pier 39 (Fisherman's Wharf), which looks like an amusement park, this coastal area has undergone some fine redevelopment. It all begins at the junction of Market Street and Embarcadero Avenue, with the Ferry Building and its large covered market (Market Place), with its definite architectural cachet. Its Farmers Market and restaurants make it a gastronomic destination of choice. Further north, Piers 15 and 17 express the renaissance of the entire district, hosting the new Exploratorium since April 2013. Its many indoor and outdoor galleries blend perfectly with the original architecture.
A little further on lies the micro-district of Fisherman's Wharf. Its Pier 39 is a must for watching the sea lions or sailing to one of the bay's islands (departures at Piers 39, 41 and 43 ½). Fisherman's Wharf and the Piers area come to a close with Hyde Street Pier and its historic ships, the Maritime National Historic Park and San Francisco's most gourmet square: Ghirardelli Square!
North Beach. Nestled between Broadway to the south, Mason Street to the west, Montgomery Street to the east and Francisco Street to the north, the Italian neighborhood of North Beach is one of San Francisco's top destinations. Columbus Avenue is the district's main tourist thoroughfare: here you'll find all kinds of restaurants and pizzerias that play the Italian card with varying degrees of success. Don't be tempted by the "Ciao", but head for the little streets around Grant Avenue and Green Street. Here you'll find some really good restaurants, as well as beautiful design and decorating boutiques. Around Washington Square, enjoy a coffee on a terrace, then lie in the sun under the benevolent eye of the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cathedral, where Joe di Maggio and Marilyn Monroe posed for their wedding photos - they were refused the ceremony because Marilyn was divorced. North Beach is also a place of pilgrimage for Beat Generation fans. Kerouac, Ginsberg and Ferlinghetti gave birth to this protest movement on these streets, notably at Citylights Bookstore, Ferlinghetti's own bookshop.
Telegraph Hill. Located to the northeast of North Beach, this hill is so steep that houses seem to cling perilously to its face. The neighborhood was once home to artists and writers. Today, it boasts a tower with a bold profile: the Coit Tower, named after Lillie Hitchcock Coit, a wealthy heiress who bequeathed her fortune to the city. The 65 m-high tower was built in her name in 1933 and declared a historic monument in 1983. The view over the bay and San Francisco is absolutely magnificent. Once at the top of the hill, you'll need to make your way back down to North Beach. To do this, take the Filbert Steps, long staircases that lead back down to the foot of the hill through sumptuous hanging gardens. You may be surprised by the cries of wild parrots that have taken up residence in this urban jungle.
Pacific Heights, Cow Hollow and the Northwest
The neighborhoods to the northwest of San Francisco are quite affluent and residential, with shopping streets dotting the area. Russian Hill, north of Nob Hill, is bounded by Marina & Cow Hollow to the west and North Beach to the east. It's a real rollercoaster: walkers, get ready to climb some steep streets! Andrew Hallidie invented the cable car in 1873 to climb these two hills, as horses couldn't reach the top. Sure, they'll wear you out, but the views are so stunning that it's well worth the effort! Get ready to take in the bay, the Golden Gate Bridge and the city as a whole.
Russian Hill. Russian Hill takes its name from a Russian cemetery discovered at the top of the hill. The cemetery was destroyed, but its name remained. Today, it's a pleasant neighborhood, less pompous than its southern neighbor. For a romantic dinner, head for Hyde Street, with its twinkling lights and fine restaurants. Russian Hill will also appeal to shoppers, with the boutiques of Polk Street, literary types who will enjoy strolling down Armistead Maupin's Barbary Lane, better known as Macondray Lane, and contemplative types with the perched parks of Ina Coolbrith and George Sterling, and the San Francisco Art Institute with its frescoes by Diego Rivera. And don't forget Lombard Street, the most winding street in the world, planted with hydrangeas. Russian Hill isn't San Francisco's liveliest neighborhood, but you'll enjoy its hushed ambience on a sunny afternoon.
Pacific Heights. North of Bush Street to Green Street and between Van Ness Avenue and Divisadero Street lies Pacific Heights. The wealthy families of Nob Hill found this noble hill a little cramped, so they decided to migrate to the heights on the Pacific, where space was less limited. At the turn of the century, they built gigantic, magnificent villas, competing in style. Pacific Heights was born. Spared from the Great Fire, this neighborhood has preserved some of San Francisco's finest Victorian homes, including the Haas-Lilienthal House on Franklin Street (between Jackson and Washington Streets) and the majestic Spreckels Mansion on Washington Street and Lafayette Park. Today, San Francisco's stars and celebrities have their own homes in this quiet neighborhood. On Fillmore Street, Pac Heights' main shopping street, you'll find cafés and boutiques. Ideal for an afternoon stroll and shopping session. Don't miss a trip to the northern tip of the hill for one of the most sumptuous views of the bay.
Japantown. Less famous than Chinatown, but just as important, San Francisco has its own Japanese district, Japantown (also known as Little Osaka), south of Pacific Heights. San Francisco's Japanese community is the oldest in the United States and the largest in number. It settled from west to east between Fillmore and Laguna Street, and from north to south between Bush Street and Geary Boulevard.
The first Japanese arrived in the city in the early 1860s, but it wasn't until 1906, after the terrible earthquake that devastated San Francisco and forced them to leave their destroyed homes, that they regrouped in this part of the city. They built places of prayer and opened restaurants and stores typical of their homeland. Japantown, or rather Nihonmachi, was born! Unfortunately, the Second World War opened a sad chapter in the history of the Japanese-American community. The American army sided with the Allies in the battle against Hitler and Japan. Japan was declared enemy number one after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, which triggered America's entry into the war. Japanese Americans were to pay an unjust price. Executive Order 9066 issued by President Roosevelt in February 1942 ordered the rounding-up of all residents of Japanese descent and their internment in isolation camps. This was a terrible blow to the entire community, and the American government had to work long and hard to rehabilitate its humiliated and unjustly detained citizens after the end of the conflict. Little by little, Japanese-Americans resettled in Japantown, and it was the opening of the Japan Center in 1968 that marked this return. Today, it's a quiet district with an old-fashioned charm, where you can find Japanese books, food and handicrafts among the many sushi and traditional restaurants. The highlight of Nihonmachi is the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in April, one of the biggest Japanese events in California. For two weekends, all kinds of festivities take place in the streets of Japantown, the most spectacular being the parade of floats in the grand finale. While you're in Japantown, you'll want to check out Saint Mary's of the Assumption Cathedral. Built in 1971, it's a concrete masterpiece and an architectural feat. Not to be missed.
Marina & Cow Hollow. At the foot of Pacific Heights hill, the Marina & Cow Hollow district juts out into the bay. It's a strip of land between the marina proper, Pacific Heights to the south, the Presidio to the west and Russian Hill to the east. It's an affluent neighborhood, popular with San Francisco's well-connected young executives in their thirties, otherwise known as yuppies(young urban professionals) in local parlance. It's a man-made area, created for the Panama Pacific Exposition of 1915 to celebrate San Francisco's renewal after the great earthquake of 1906. An American-style polder, it's also an area of particularly high seismic hazard. Union Street is home to most of the district's stores. It's a pleasant street for shopping. Around it, a host of bars and a few restaurants complete the picture of this lively but more residential district as you approach the marina and bay, north of Lombard Street. The nightlife here is very bar-rich, but some San Franciscans don't appreciate the slightly "showy" feel of the establishments and the locals who frequent them. It's up to you, just know that if someone calls you a "Marina person", it's rarely a compliment.
Presidio National Park. This immense green space, a former military field accessible from the marina, leads to the famous Golden Gate Bridge. It boasts beautiful, unspoiled forests. Built from 1933 to 1937 between two rocky shores, the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in the world, sometimes completely hidden byfog. On weekends, when the weather is fine, San Franciscans gather on Crissy Fields to organize picnics or bike rides at the foot of the red bridge.
SoMa, Mission, Castro and the South
This area includes the sprawling Mission and SoMa neighborhoods south of Market Street, as well as the Castro district.
SoMa (South of Market). Located south of Market Street, this neighborhood experienced a veritable renaissance thanks to the Internet bubble, which attracted many young computer engineers working in nearby Silicon Valley. They preferred to settle in San Francisco to avoid the interchanges and the San Jose plain. There was just one condition: easy access to the southern freeway. SoMa was the obvious choice. A former hangar and warehouse district, it was in the midst of a major rehabilitation program in the 1990s and early 2000s. Major modern museums such as the SFMOMA (reopened in 2016 after a major renovation), the Yerba Buena Center and the Contemporary Jewish Museum were established here. Gigantic convention centers such as the Moscone Center have sprung up. It's a trendy district, with big nightclubs, trendy restaurants and high-tech workshops. Young people who are making their fortune on the Internet are buying sober, zen-like lofts. Everywhere, it's the empire of design. But soon the computer euphoria comes to an end. Start-ups closed or went bankrupt, and the ever-rising prices in SoMa became a deterrent for many. The California dream is no longer to have a black-and-white duplex in the neighborhood. Some stay, sometimes by choice. Today, SoMa is still that gigantic urban sprawl south of Market Street and east of Mission, but it's no longer very trendy. You come for the museums between Mission and Howard Street, but you rarely go deep inside, unless you're taking in a baseball game at AT&T Park.
Castro. This is San Francisco's gay district. Located around Castro Street, its main thoroughfare, the district stretches between 14th and 24th Streets to the north and south, and between Douglass and Church Streets to the west and east.
Originally, it was the Scandinavian neighborhood known as Eureka Valley. Then, at the turn of the century, a community of Irish Catholics settled around the parish of Holy Redeemer Church (corner of 18th and Diamond Streets). The Irish stayed until the 1950s and 1960s, when, newly enriched by the post-war economic boom, they decided to leave downtown for the suburbs. The neighborhood declined, as did Haight before it. It was the height of the Summer of Love, sexual freedom was at its peak, and both soft and hard drugs were taking their toll. That's when Harvey Milk, a young homosexual hippie, decides to leave the madness of Haight in search of a quieter, less expensive neighborhood. Like the hippies before him who left the beatniks of North Beach, Harvey Milk, his partner and another gay couple find the Castro, with its small Victorian houses and sunny microclimate. Rents were cheap, and by word of mouth, a whole community of gay men bought up the Castro's neglected houses. Today, most of the houses fly the rainbow flag, the stores are predominantly gay-oriented, and it's one of the most popular neighborhoods for partying after dark.
Mission District. The Mission San Francisco d'Asis was founded in June 1776, in what is now San Francisco's Latino district, and gave its name to the city. The mission of Spanish Franciscans enslaved the Ohlone Indians on the territory and built ranches and farms. Time passed, the Indians were decimated and the Mission preserved: today it's the oldest building in San Francisco.
Until recently, the Mission District was a fairly poor neighborhood, predominantly Hispanic and prone to crime and urban violence. Things have changed considerably in Mission, however, and it's now a very popular area for hip young people, artists and hipsters.
It's also considered the headquarters of lesbians, and increasingly that of gays fed up with the demonstrative nature of Castro. It's a favorite place for young San Franciscans to dine or have a drink. Many artists have taken up residence here. Mission is a very spread-out neighborhood: the further south and east you go, the more you'll find the Latino aspect that has somewhat disappeared from the streets around 16th to 22nd Street. It's a bit far from the center, but it's one of San Francisco's not-to-be-missed villages. Come on Saturdays and take time to do nothing in Dolores Park before shopping for young designers, browsing the thrift stores, which are veritable vintage treasures, browsing the independent bookstores and enjoying a delicious burrito. We won't leave until late at night, after dinner in one of the area's wonderful restaurants and a night of drinking in all the trendy bars.
Dog Patch and Potrero Hill. Located east of Mission and south of SoMa, opposite Alameda Island, these two neighborhoods are booming. Trendy bars are springing up like mushrooms, and there are already whispers that this area will be the next Mission. For the moment, there are still many disused industrial sheds, but it's true that some bars are worth a detour. Articulated by a main street, Third Street, the Dog Patch district offers gourmet addresses and many surprises for art lovers. A more local and friendly atmosphere.
Mission Bay. Following on from Dog Patch and Potrero Hill is the port district of Mission Bay. Increasingly modern, this area, which used to be mainly devoted to fishing, boat building and repair, is now home to a growing number of buildings and businesses. Not to mention the famous AT&T Park, where the San Francisco Giants baseball team play their games, and from which you can admire the view over the bay. What's more, the University of California's medical research campus (UCSF Mission Bay) also lends a special character and a certain renown to this waterfront neighborhood.
Haight and Golden Gate Park
Hayes Valley. A tiny neighborhood to the west of the Civic Center, Hayes Valley was a late bloomer after the 1989 earthquake. A young population aged 25 to 35 lives here, among the two-storey Victorian houses. A top shopping destination, with many local designers and second-hand stores.
Haight-Ashbury. The center of the American counterculture, Haight-Ashbury is widely known as the birthplace of Summer of Love and the hippie movement in the 1960s. As the Beatniks took over North Beach, the neighborhood became too cramped for newcomers looking for an alternative lifestyle. They were young, they were broke, so they looked for an inexpensive neighborhood to settle in. The Haight district, with its Victorian houses, had been abandoned by San Franciscans, and rents were cheap: the hippies made their nest there. Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll became the watchwords of a generation tired of the conservative rigor of their elders. The years have passed, and yesterday's hippies have become today's middle-class retirees, but Haight-Ashbury is still a gentle, nonchalant place. The colorful facades, decorated with flowers or original designs, are in harmony with the atmosphere of the neighborhood.
Lower Haight. Today, a distinction is made between Haight-Ashbury (from Golden Gate Park to Buena Vista Park), where people are still very peace and love, and Lower Haight (from Buena Vista Park east to the Hayes Valley neighborhood), where the mood is more urban rock. It's called Lower Haight because it lies at the foot of the hill topped by Buena Vista Park. Take the time to enjoy this neighborhood by strolling through its parks, stores and restaurants, you won't be disappointed.
Alamo Square. Just north of Lower Haight and west of Hayes Valley, the tiny Alamo Square district is home to a little jewel of Victorian architecture, the famous Seven Painted Ladies, which line up at the foot of the square's lawn against a skyline backdrop. One of the city's postcards.
Golden Gate Park. Golden Gate Park is one of the largest urban parks in the U.S., covering an expansive rectangle of over 4 km2, ahead of New York's Central Park, to which it is often compared. Perpendicular to the ocean, it is surrounded by two large residential districts, Richmond to the north and Sunset to the south, frequently referred to as The Avenues, as the streets here are numbered from 2nd Avenue to 48th Avenue. As these are very large, residential districts, you'll rarely get the chance to stroll through them. However, some of the sites, restaurants and stores are well worth a visit.
Richmond. Directly north of Golden Gate Park lies the Richmond district. Originally, this area was just a stretch of sand and dunes. Building began in the late 19th century, and intensified after the great earthquake of 1906. The area grew, and more and more houses continued to be built in an effort to urbanize the area during the first half of the 20th century.
Before the Second World War, the neighborhood was home to a high concentration of Jewish families. Later, a community of Russian Orthodox settled around the neighborhood's large Orthodox church. Clement Street became the main shopping street. A large part of San Francisco's Chinese community also settled here.
Sunset. South of Golden Gate Park is the Sunset District, one of San Francisco's largest. There's not much to see in this residential neighborhood, apart from the Irving Street shopping street at the junction with 19th Street.
