The quaint San Francisco packs a ton of flavor into its 49 square miles. The beauty of the City by the Bay is in its myriad neighborhoods, all of them boasting their own distinct quirks and vibes. Walk a few blocks and you can end up in what feels like a totally different country. (That’s right, get your burritos in the Mission, your pizza in North Beach, and your dim sum in Chinatown.) But there are some specific areas that guarantee the most picturesque views and mom-and-pop sweetness. Here are the most beautiful, charming neighborhoods in San Francisco — or at least just 10 of ’em.
- North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Flickr/Brandon Doran The place to get mouthwatering focaccia and incredible Bay views.
- Hayes Valley
Flickr/Roshan Vyas Get yourself some French macarons and explore the high-end boutiques.
- Russian Hill
Flickr/Shawn Clover Climb some mighty hills (or just take the cable car). Then head to Hyde and Polk Streets for the best food and shopping.
- Alamo Square/NoPa
Flickr/Martin Eckert Divisadero Street’s got expensive toast, boutique markets, and one of the best indie music venues in the city. Good luck trying to live in a Painted Lady, though.
- Noe Valley/Dolores Heights
Flickr/Martha Heinemann Bixby In case you were wondering where are all the kids were, Noe is affectionately called “Stroller Valley” for a reason. Also, watch out for Mark Zuckerberg on your walk down to Dolores Park.
- Pacific Heights
Flickr/skip.kuebel Where the wealthy never leave their house, which is great because it’s nice and sleepy here. For a little more action, head to Fillmore Street and maybe even catch some jazz.
- Corona Heights/The Castro
Flickr/Chris D 2006 Find your way to the end of the rainbow(s), and weave your way through adorable houses, excellent eats, and the top of Corona Heights Park.
- Bernal Heights
Flickr/Todd Lappin The hill brings the best 360 views of the city, while Cortland Avenue feels like a small country town. Truly the best of both worlds.
- South Park
Flickr/Allan Ferguson The techies haven’t totally taken the charm out of this little slice of green in the otherwise gray, industrialized SoMa.
- West Portal
Flickr/Daniel Hoherd The oft-forgotten ‘hood tucked on the southern edges of the city will take you back to more innocent times.
Is that enough ridiculous beauty and charm for you? No? What other spot deserves to be on this list of the 10 most beautiful neighborhoods in San Francisco? Let us know.
Flickr/Brandon Doran
The place to get mouthwatering focaccia and incredible Bay views.
Flickr/Roshan Vyas
Get yourself some French macarons and explore the high-end boutiques.
Flickr/Shawn Clover
Climb some mighty hills (or just take the cable car). Then head to Hyde and Polk Streets for the best food and shopping.
Flickr/Martin Eckert
Divisadero Street’s got expensive toast, boutique markets, and one of the best indie music venues in the city. Good luck trying to live in a Painted Lady, though.
Flickr/Martha Heinemann Bixby
In case you were wondering where are all the kids were, Noe is affectionately called “Stroller Valley” for a reason. Also, watch out for Mark Zuckerberg on your walk down to Dolores Park.
Flickr/skip.kuebel
Where the wealthy never leave their house, which is great because it’s nice and sleepy here. For a little more action, head to Fillmore Street and maybe even catch some jazz.
Flickr/Chris D 2006
Find your way to the end of the rainbow(s), and weave your way through adorable houses, excellent eats, and the top of Corona Heights Park.
Flickr/Todd Lappin
The hill brings the best 360 views of the city, while Cortland Avenue feels like a small country town. Truly the best of both worlds.
Flickr/Allan Ferguson
The techies haven’t totally taken the charm out of this little slice of green in the otherwise gray, industrialized SoMa.
Flickr/Daniel Hoherd
The oft-forgotten ‘hood tucked on the southern edges of the city will take you back to more innocent times.
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