Neighborhoods ยท Hub guide
San Francisco neighborhood guide
A guide to San Francisco’s best-known neighborhoods, from Chinatown and North Beach to the Mission, the Castro, the Haight and the foggy western avenues.
San Francisco neighborhoods at a glance
- Oldest Chinatown in North America Grant Avenue and Stockton Street
- Murals and food The Mission
- Victorian houses Alamo Square, the Haight, Pacific Heights
- Waterfront Fisherman’s Wharf, the Embarcadero, the Marina
- Near the ocean The Richmond and the Sunset
- Easy to visit Most are linked by Muni buses and streetcars
In this guide
San Francisco covers only about 47 square miles of land, yet it has dozens of neighborhoods with very different feels. You can eat dim sum in Chinatown, walk to an espresso in North Beach and be among the murals of the Mission in the same afternoon.
This guide covers the neighborhoods visitors ask about most. For where to sleep, see where to stay in San Francisco. For moving here, see living in San Francisco.
Neighborhoods at a glance
| Neighborhood | Best for | Don’t miss |
|---|---|---|
| Chinatown | Food, history, shopping | Grant Avenue, Dragon Gate |
| North Beach | Cafes, Italian food, Beat history | Washington Square, City Lights |
| Fisherman’s Wharf | Families, sea lions, the bay | Pier 39, Hyde Street Pier |
| The Mission | Murals, burritos, nightlife | Balmy Alley, Dolores Park |
| The Castro | LGBTQ+ history and nightlife | Castro Theatre, Harvey Milk Plaza |
| Haight-Ashbury | 1960s history, vintage shops | Haight Street, Buena Vista Park |
| Hayes Valley | Shops and restaurants | Patricia’s Green |
| Japantown | Japanese food and shops | Japan Center, Peace Pagoda |
| The Marina | The bay, bars, Crissy Field | Palace of Fine Arts |
| Richmond and Sunset | Ocean Beach, Golden Gate Park | Lands End, the avenues |
Chinatown
San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest in North America. Enter through the Dragon Gate on Grant Avenue, where lanterns hang over shops, then walk one block to Stockton Street, where locals buy produce, seafood and roast meats. Side alleys have temples, bakeries and a fortune cookie factory.
North Beach
Just north of Chinatown, North Beach was the city’s Little Italy and the home of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. Today it has old cafes, Italian restaurants, City Lights Bookstore and Washington Square, below Saints Peter and Paul Church. Climb the steps from here up to Coit Tower.
The Mission
The Mission is one of the oldest parts of the city, named for Mission Dolores, founded in 1776. It is the home of the Mission burrito and has hundreds of murals, with the best known in Balmy Alley and Clarion Alley. Dolores Park, at its western edge, fills on sunny weekends.
The Castro
The Castro became one of the first openly gay neighborhoods in the United States. Harvey Milk ran his camera shop here before he was elected to the Board of Supervisors. Rainbow crosswalks, the Castro Theatre and the GLBT Historical Society Museum are all on or near Castro Street.
Haight-Ashbury
Haight-Ashbury was the center of the 1967 Summer of Love. Haight Street still has vintage clothing stores, record shops and murals, and it leads straight into Golden Gate Park. Nearby Alamo Square has the Painted Ladies.
Japantown
Japantown is one of only a few remaining Japantowns in the United States. Japan Center has ramen shops, bookstores and stores selling Japanese goods, and the Peace Pagoda stands in the plaza outside. The Cherry Blossom Festival is held here every April.
The Marina and the Presidio
The Marina sits along the bay with views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Walk along the Marina Green to Crissy Field, then into the Presidio, a former Army post that is now a national park site with trails, museums and picnic spots.
The Richmond and the Sunset
The western neighborhoods, often called the avenues, sit between Golden Gate Park and the ocean. They are mostly residential, with great Asian restaurants on Clement Street and Irving Street. They are also the foggiest part of the city. Head here for Ocean Beach, Lands End and the Sutro Baths ruins.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous neighborhood in San Francisco?
Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, Haight-Ashbury and the Mission are the best known.
Which neighborhoods are best to walk around?
North Beach, Chinatown, the Mission and Hayes Valley are compact and easy to explore on foot.
How many neighborhoods does San Francisco have?
City planners use about 40 official neighborhood areas, and locals name many more smaller ones.
Which neighborhoods are foggiest?
The Richmond and the Sunset, near the ocean, get the most fog, especially in summer.
More guides
- Where to stay in San Francisco
- Living in San Francisco
- Painted Ladies and Alamo Square
- Coit Tower guide
- Hidden gems in San Francisco
- Getting around San Francisco
Photo credits
Featured image: Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0; Chinatown: Tobias Kleinlercher / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0; The Mission: DestinationFearFan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0; Haight-Ashbury: Tobias Kleinlercher / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.