Top Ten Best Neighborhoods to Visit in San Francisco

You are planning a trip to San Francisco and you want to make sure that you see as much of the city as you possibly can. The best way to do that is to focus on finding the major attractions and tourist spots within each of the city’s top neighborhoods. That’s because San Francisco is a very neighborhood-oriented city and each neighborhood truly has a life and flavor of its own. By seeing a few top features of each neighborhood, you’ll get a really broad experience of San Francisco.

Here are the top ten neighborhoods that you’ll want to check out when you visit San Francisco:

1. North Beach

North Beach is a terrific historic neighborhood in San Francisco that is still thriving with life today. Also known as Little Italy, this is where you can find great Italian restaurants and terrific coffee shops serving tiramisu and strong espresso. The Italian immigrant history of this area isn’t the only history that there is here though. This was also a major area of scandal and wonder during the Barbary Coast days, the remnants of which you can see in the strip clubs on Broadway Street today. This was also the home of the Beat Poets in the 1950’s; visit the Beat Museum, Vesuvio, City Lights Bookstore and Caffe Trieste if that history interests you. Other things to see while exploring North Beach are Lombard Street, the stores on Grant St. and take the short hike up to Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill where you just might see San Francisco’s famous wild parrots.

2. Chinatown

Chinatown in San Francisco is a large bustling neighborhood where you can truly experience another culture right within an American city. Take Stockton Street if you want to be amidst the locals who are shopping for their food at little markets. Take Grant Street if you are interested in doing some tourist shopping for trinkets and knick knacks. Be sure to stop in any of the tea stores that offer free tea tastings and a little bit of information on the history of tea. Also check out Ross Alley where there is a fortune cooking making factory that is worth seeking.

3. Financial District / Union Square

Anyone who wants to do shopping during their stay in San Francisco will find that the best place to get started is in the department stores and many brand-name designer shops that are located in and around Union Square in the Financial District. Shopping isn’t all that there is to do here, though. Get a drink at an old bar like the Gold Dust Lounge, get dolled up for a night on the town at a spot like Ruby Skye, visit the many art galleries that call this area home or check out a small stage production at a theatre like Stagewerx. And if theatre is your thing, stop at the booth at Union Square to see what’s playing half off during your stay.

4. The Castro

This is one of the most well-known neighborhoods of San Francisco because of its association with the history of gay rights development in the city. It’s still a great place to go to gay bars, gay bookstores and places that are generally just gay-friendly (although most of the city has spots like these scattered about). Particular things that you might want to make it a point to enjoy in The Castro are an old film at the great historic Castro Theatre, the terrific view from nearby Dolores Park and the Sunday brunch at Lime which is an event in and of itself.

5. The Mission

The Mission neighborhood is a lively place where there is always something to see or do. The two main streets worth exploring are Mission St. and Valencia St. between 16th St and 24th St. On these blocks you’ll find lots of great restaurants, various bars, tons of bookstores, terrific little taquerias and a bunch of artsy shops. Specific places that are worth a stop are Paxton Gate oddities shop and the pirate store which are right next door to each other on Valencia Street, City Art gallery up the block from there and the Clarion Alley murals off of Mission.

6. The Haight

This is another famous neighborhood with a long history that makes people want to check it out on a trip to the city. The hippie era is gone now and what you’ll find here is primarily thrift stores and head shops that harken back to those days in a modern consumer fashion. Many of the stores are cute, though, and there are some fun bars and restaurants here as well. Be sure to check out a movie at the great Red Vic Movie Theatre. Stop in to Coffee for the People and play some board games. Browse through tons of CDs and records at Amoeba. Wander west and explore Golden Gate Park or wander east and find yourself in the stores of the Lower Haight.

7. Japantown

Japantown is a neighborhood that often gets overlooked by visitors. For the most part, this is a residential neighborhood that people assume doesn’t have a lot to see. However, it’s an interesting place, different from the rest of the city and worth checking out for what it has to offer. The underground shopping center near the Peace Pagoda is a good place to start for seeing some stuff for sale that you don’t normally get to see. Other things to do here are sing karaoke at one of the bars, get some good sushi and relax at the Kabuki Hot Springs.

8. SoMa

The SoMa is one of those neighborhoods that is currently in transition which causes some people to scream “gentrification” and others to get excited about the possibilities for growth here. Whether you like it or not, it’s an area where a lot is going on and there are some cool things to see here. Start with SFMoMA and the Yerba Buena Gardens but then expand out and visit The Flower Mart, the smaller galleries and the many bars and restaurants around here. Head a bit west on Mission and you’ll eventually hit the Center for Sex and Culture which provides some great education and entertainment of an ilk you may not find in other cities.

9. Hayes Valley

This is one of the most interesting new-ish neighborhoods in San Francisco. It’s a place where there are lots of art galleries and clothing boutiques. People interested in independent fashion designers in the city will find a lot to see here. There’s a small park that allows you some lounging time to take in the city amidst some sculptural art. There are lots of great restaurants and bars. It’s the kind of neighborhood in San Francisco that a tourist will love while being surrounded mostly by locals.

10. Fisherman’s Wharf

A lot of tourists opt to skip the big tourist trap of Fisherman’s Wharf but it’s really something that you should see at least once. Get a sourdough bread bowl filled with clam chowder. Watch the street performers and caricature artists at their work. Go to Musee Mecanique where you can play historic old video arcade games. Walk east along the Bay to Hyde Street Pier, Ghirardelli Square and Aquatic Park. Take in the view of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. Walk west to Pier 39 and see the sea lions enjoying the water. This, touristy though it is, is part of what San Francisco is all about!