Surrounded on three sides by water, the land mass of San Francisco is scrunched up into the four dozen steep hills that give the city its beautiful setting, and serve as borders between its various sections. San Francisco can be broken down to about 15 districts:
The Richmond district borders the northern edge of the Golden Gate Park, from Arguello Boulevard to the ocean and from Fulton Street to the Presidio. The Richmond District is where 10,000 White Russians settled after the revolution in 1917. Today a solid middle class with a diverse ethnic population live there including many Irish immigrants. Inexpensive shops and restaurants can be found especially along Geary Boulevard and California Street. Clement Street reflects the influence of the growing Asian population and is sometimes referred to as the "New Chinatown." In the Sea Cliff area, winding landscaped streets border the mansions perched just above sea level along the coast.
Pacific Heights, north of California Street and west of the Presidio, is the high society of San Francisco, as is evident from the wide, mansion-lined streets. This is one of the most expensive housing areas in the city. Elegant mansions with stunning views of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge, foreign consulates and unique shops and restaurants on Union Street are among its amenities. West of Pacific Heights is the entrance to the Presidio, a huge 1,400-acre green area which is currently in the process of turning from an army base into a national park. The Marina District is located at the edge of the bay; a district often referred to as the neighbourhood of yuppie singles. Despite the fact that it was the worst hit area in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, it remains a very popular area to live in and rents are very high.
This area encompasses Chinatown and North Beach and is a well maintained residential neighborhood of steep slopes and small parks. Wonderful views, steep streets, grand hotels, tall apartment buildings, great architecture and the frequent clanging of cable cars characterize this area. Lombard Street, "the crookedest street in the world" runs down Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth. The area is named after a group of Russian sailors thought to be buried here.
This area includes the high-rises of the Financial District, the shops in Union Square and Civic Center. The Financial District, which roughly covers the area along Market Street from Second Street to the Embarcadero, and north to Jackson Street, has been the commercial center of San Francisco for over a century, since the establishment of the first bank there in the 1950's. It is home to many national and multi national corporations and has often been regarded as a melting pot for many newcomers to the U.S.A. Union Square is home to many of the city. s hotels, bars and restaurants as well as being the heart of the city. s shopping district. The Civic Center, situated a little way southwest of the downtown area, is an impressive layout of Federal and municipal Beaux Arts buildings focusing on the grand dome of City Hall.
The Western Addition is the area roughly bordered by California, Fell, Divisadero and Buchanan Streets.
Haight Ashbury Two miles west of downtown San Francisco lies the Haight Ashbury neighborhood. It spans no more than eight blocks in length, centered around the junction of Haight and Ashbury streets. Since it emerged in the Sixties as the mecca of the counter-cultural scene, it has gone upmarket. However it remains one of San Francisco. s most culturally mixed neighborhoods, with radical bookstores, laid-back cafes, record stores and second-hand clothes shops recalling its days of international celebrity.
This area includes Twin Peaks, Noe Valley, Eureka Valley, Glen Park and the Castro. The Twin Peaks are the two hills that overlook the Castro and Cole Valley and offer a 360-degree view of the city. Noe Valley is an area roughly bordered by 20th, Dolores, 30th and Douglass streets and was once populated by many Irish families. It is a popular residential among young families as it is quiet and is renowned as the sunniest part of San Francisco. The Castro area stretches from Market Street as far south as Noe Valley. It is home to a rainbow of shops along its main streets. The Castro is a gathering place for many of the City' s gay and lesbian population.
The Mission district is San Francisco' s oldest neighborhood, stretching from the southern end of SoMa down to Army Street (recently renamed Cesar Chevez Blvd.) in the south. The weather is drier and warmer here than anywhere else as it avoids the fogs which blanket most of the peninsula during the summer. A working class neighborhood, it is home to many of city. s Hispanic population. It boasts a flourishing arts scene which includes theater groups, cultural centres and a thriving Latin literary network.
This area known as SoMa up until 1989 was a neglected area. In the last few years it has been transformed in to a trendy and artistic area. The old factory spaces have been converted into galleries, fashionable restaurants and nightclubs. SoMa divides into three areas; the increasingly developed area around the Transbay Terminal; the nightclub plexus around 11th and Folsom; and the as yet undeveloped dockland areas of Mission Rock and China Basin.
Once the site of a large ship-building industry and a bustling Naval shipyard, Bayshore is made up of family neighborhoods interrupted here and there by warehouses, manufacturing plants and auto wrecking yards.
This is a neighborhood of modest income levels as well as a diversity of ethnic backgrounds. Young professionals attracted by spectacular views and affordable real estate, have restored many of the old Queen Anne cottages and Victorian bungalows.
This working class neighborhood has mostly single family studios and wood homes, some apartments and many in-law units. A short bus ride from downtown, this area includes McLarren Park, one of the largest parks in San Francisco.
Detached single family houses, middle to upper income levels. San Francisco City College and San Francisco State Uni are situated in this area.
The sunset is divided into two by the City Planning Commission, but those who live there regard it as one. The Sunset is largely a single-family residential area of houses built in the 1920s and 30s. There is a huge Irish population living in this area. The United Irish Cultural Center is in the Sunset district. Many of the Irish families bring their children to the Mother Toddler Group there set up by the IIPC. It also boasts excellent schools, neighborhood shopping districts and a great family environment. The San Francisco Zoo, Lake Merced and Stern Grove are located here.
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