nEIGHBoRHooDS 11 STOP FIND MORE IDEAS TO MAKE THE MOST OF SAN FRANCISCO’S NEIGHBORHOODS: SFTRAVEL.COM/NEIGHBORHOODS BAYVIEW Home of the oldest opera house in San Francisco, this area is also an incubator for the city’s creative scene. The old Hunters Point shipyard houses America’s largest artists’ colony. FISHERMAN’S WHARF one of the city’s most popular attractions. Here you can “escape” to Alcatraz or set sail on San Francisco Bay with chartered boat tours. Don’t miss the attractions at PIER 39 or Boudin, the city’s sourdough purveyor for more than 150 years. NOB HILL Known not only as a geographic high point but an economic one, too, with a history of wealthy residents and now luxury hotels, beautiful gardens and impressive homes. CASTRO/NOE VALLEY Find outdoor cafés, stately Victorian homes, a historic theater and bustling bars in the “LGBTQ capital of the world.” NORTH BEACH Head to Coit Tower atop Telegraph Hill for historic murals and spectacular views. Enjoy Italian-American classics at original Joe’s and others. CENTRAL MARKET This neighborhood features Twitter’s HQ and a concentration of performance venues like the orpheum and Golden Gate theaters. PRESIDIO/RICHMOND The southern anchor of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio offers pristine nature and cultural attractions such as The Walt Disney Family Museum. In the Richmond, try the historic Cliff House for unbeatable views. CHINATOWN This storied neighborhood is north America’s first and oldest Chinatown, with colorful pagoda roofs, dragon lampposts, acclaimed dining and unique gift shops. It also features the must-see China Live gastronomy complex. Conservatory of Flowers SOMA/YERBA BUENA SoMa (South of Market) is museum central. The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the Museum of the African Diaspora, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA) and more can be found here. CIVIC CENTER/HAYES VALLEY This cultural hub includes stately City Hall, the War Memorial opera House and the Asian Art Museum alongside more modern additions, such as the SFJAZZ Center and new Conservatory Theatre Center. GOLDEN GATE PARK/SUNSET The 1,000-acre Golden Gate Park celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2020. It is home to some of the city’s most famous attractions, including the California Academy of Sciences, the Conservatory of Flowers and the de Young Museum. True to its name, the Sunset neighborhood south of the park is a great place to watch the sun set over the Pacific ocean. TREASURE ISLAND nestled in San Francisco Bay beneath the Bay Bridge, Treasure Island offers a burgeoning urban winery scene, popular flea markets and photo ops of the downtown skyline. EMBARCADERO/ FINANCIAL DISTRICT The world’s largest LED display, “The Bay Lights,” sparkles on the Bay Bridge. The Exploratorium offers hundreds of hands-on exhibits and a creative event setting. HAIGHT-ASHBURY 1967’s “Summer of Love” is immortalized in Haight-Ashbury’s vintage clothing, book and record stores, while nearby Alamo Square’s row of Victorian homes is one of the most photographed scenes in San Francisco. UNION SQUARE Shop ’til you drop at Union Square, where big retailers — Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, neiman Marcus and nordstrom, to name a few — offer all kinds of temptations. You’re in the heart of the Theater District, too with A.C.T.’s Geary Theater and the Curran. Delia Huff; San Francisco Travel Association; andreykr, Adobe Stock JAPANTOWN The oldest of only three Japantowns left in the U.S., the 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. MARINA/PACIFIC HEIGHTS Pacific Heights includes some of the city’s most opulent homes and excellent boutique shopping. The Marina is filled with trendy restaurants and features one of the city’s most striking landmarks, the Palace of Fine Arts. The Embarcadero FILLMORE Rich with rock and jazz history, Fillmore continues to be a place for legendary performances. Get fired up at a concert at the famed Fillmore music hall or mellow out with some retail therapy along Fillmore St. MISSION DISTRICT San Francisco’s oldest neighborhood, the center of its Latin American community, and its hippest district. From acclaimed restaurants and trendy boutiques to vibrant murals and the historic Mission Dolores, there’s plenty to enjoy. Union Square sftravel.com
San Francisco Travel Planner's Guide 2020 TPG: Page 11
