BAYVIEW Home to the oldest opera house in San Francisco, this area also boasts a vibrant artists’ colony at the old Hunters Point shipyard and scenic nature trails. CHINATOWN This storied neighborhood is North America’s first and oldest Chinatown, featuring colorful pagoda roofs, dragon lampposts, acclaimed dining and unique gift shops. MARINA/ PACIFIC HEIGHTS From the posh plateau of Pacific Heights to the bayside Marina Green, these neighborhoods offer views, scenery and a restored “palace” from 1915. CASTRO/ NOE VALLEY Find outdoor cafés, unique history and lively bars in the Castro, known as the “LGBTQ capital of the world.” Neighboring Noe Valley is a charming, Victorian neighborhood. CIVIC CENTER/ HAYES VALLEY MISSION DISTRICT This cultural hub includes stately City Hall, the War Memorial Opera House and the Asian Art Museum, alongside more modern additions like the SFJAZZ Center and New Conservatory Theatre Center. San Francisco’s oldest neighborhood has hip restaurants, music venues, boutiques, an impressive events calendar and the city’s largest concentration of murals. NOB HILL CENTRAL MARKET A bustling combination of tech businesses, arts groups, retail and restaurants, Central Market is also home to a concentration of performance venues like SHN’s Orpheum and Golden Gate theaters. EMBARCADERO/ FINANCIAL DISTRICT This historic seaport boasts views of soaring skyscrapers; the Ferry Building, a public space housing a food hall and farmers market; and the Exploratorium, a hands-on learning laboratory. Known not only as a geographic high point but an economic one, too, with a history of wealthy residents, Nob Hill is now home to luxury hotels, beautiful gardens and impressive homes. NORTH BEACH FILLMORE Rich in Italian heritage, North Beach has Italian restaurants, quaint cafés, cabarets, jazz clubs, galleries, boutiques and gelato parlors. One of the primary incubators for the city’s music scene, Fillmore continues to be a place for legendary live performances. RICHMOND/PRESIDIO FISHERMAN’S WHARF The southern anchor of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio offers pristine nature, cultural attractions, and terrific dining. In the Richmond, visit the historic Cliff House for unbeatable views. One of the city’s most popular attractions. Here you can “escape” to Alcatraz or set sail on the San Francisco Bay with chartered boat tours. Don’t miss the attractions at PIER 39, including Boudin, the city’s sourdough purveyor for 150 years. SOMA/YERBA BUENA This neighborhood has one of the densest concentrations of art, as well as nightclubs and AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. HAIGHT-ASHBURY SUNSET/ GOLDEN GATE PARK The Summer of Love is immortalized in Haight-Ashbury’s vintage clothing, book and record stores. Nearby Alamo Square’s tight row of Victorian homes is one of the most photographed locations in San Francisco. JAPANTOWN Within Golden Gate Park, you’ll find some of the city’s most famous attractions, including the California Academy of Sciences and the de Young Museum. True to its name, the Sunset neighborhood is a great place to watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. The oldest of only three Japantowns left in the U.S, this neighborhood is packed with culinary delights, including ramen bars, shabu shabu, izikayas and Benkyodo, which has supplied the city with handmade rice confections since 1906. TREASURE ISLAND Views of downtown San Francisco, several urban wineries, and weekend flea markets are the draw to this mid-point for the luminous Bay Bridge. UNION SQUARE Union Square is the center of San Francisco’s shopping scene, with art galleries, small boutiques, designer shops and name-brand stores. You’re in the heart of the Theater District, too, with A.C.T.’s Geary Theater and the Curran, among others. Neighborhoods . 33
San Francisco Visitors Planning Guide 2019: Page 33
