San Francisco has 10 unique SFAR districts - which are further broken into sub-districts or neighborhoods. Please see the complete map below and follow individual districts for details on some of the San Francisco neighborhoods and their stories.

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The north side of Golden Gate Park this area was settled before the Sunset. While foggier the streets are wider and curvy. Houses are bigger than the Sunset and average 3-4 bedrooms and 1.5+ bathrooms with garage parking. Some are stately and large Edwardian/Arts and Crafts single-family homes with wood floors and some Spanish details like roof tile or stucco exteriors. You’ll find bigger fixers and some redone houses that blend modern and traditional. There are various guises of rental buildings, 4-unit condos or flats. Most homes will have garages; beware scraping the bottom your car with steeper driveway entries.

The People: Buyers will compete with families who have kids looking to locate in a location near to private and public schools; developers, multigenerational families, renters and income-property buyers.

Included areas: Inner Richmond, Central Richmond, Outer Richmond

Right at the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula near the Golden Gate Bridge, this exclusive neighborhood overlooks the cliffs of Baker Beach. Area views can be stunning and feature the Bridge, Marin Headlands and the ocean. The sunsets are amazing in the fall here. As you can guess, this neighborhood is all about postcard views. Many homes have been turned into postcard houses but you will be able to snare a fixer once in a while but be prepared to pay top dollar whether it’s a fixer or finished. Streets are curvy and quiet. You’ll find bigger, grander homes on larger parcels so you’ll have detached homes too.

The People: Home to celebrities, old money, new money, financiers, and people with ‘homes around the world,’ the views and prestige draws people in. Public transit is not the primary concern when folks park their spare BMW or Tesla on the street.

People who live here love it here. While this neighborhood is further removed from the central core of the City it still has a tight-knit feel. The streets feel broader and wider with a large numbers of 2-unit buildings that are either condos or income properties; large apartment buildings, most with garages on the street level. As you get closer to the Presidio and to Land’s End you’ll find some large, if not stunning houses. Most structures here are stucco and older and you’ll find the occasional TIC units. Traffic can be very tight getting to and going fro as the main thoroughfare to Marin County — Park Presidio — is jam-packed as early as 3:00 p.m. on weekdays.

The People: A diverse mix of younger to mid-level professionals and long-time residents, and retirees who are more ‘worldly.’

Focused around the CPMC Hospital/medical center on California this neighborhood wedges itself between USF, the Richmond and the Presidio. You’ll have big, angular single-family homes with Spanish-Mediterranean details that may be detached with some having been upgraded; you’ll also get some townhomes and some large condominiums mixed in with older-inventory rental buildings.

The People: A diverse mix of professionals, physicians, students, families and long-time residents.

Homes here are stacked up against each other and have become more popular (and expensive) as folks who are priced out of other parts of the City come here. The area has become nicer as climate change has increased the number of warm and sunny days here. Known for good schools, Ocean Beach and the N-Judah and L-Taraval MUNI lines, the area can be foggy and can be monotonous especially on treeless streets. Odd-numbered houses on numbered avenues have a chance for an ocean view and homes on numbered avenues up the 1900 block are worth more as they’re located closer to the MUNI lines and Golden Gate Park. The typical configuration is 2-3 bedrooms up with 1 bathroom, garage and additional space behind with homes in the Parkside part of the Outer Sunset being smaller and more budget friendly. Watch for pest reports (it’s more damp here), Federal Pacific electrical service boxes, old gravity heaters and single-pane windows, average living area: 1000-1500 sqft.

The People: Long-time residents/original owners, the surfer/hippie crowd, the younger family moving on up who may or may not have kids, the owners who want to do their houses up themselves, those interested in better schools, folks seeking condo alternatives.

Included areas: Outer Sunset, Inner Parkside, Parkside, Outer Parkside

These homes range from 17th Avenue to Sunset Boulevard approximately. The houses here are the standard 2-bed, 1-bath variety but there are upgraded blocks with bigger footprints. Larger homes usually have 3+ bedrooms and 1+ bathrooms with more ornamentation and Med-French chateau embellishments (see parts of 25th, 33rd and 35th Avenues for example) or are of the Edwardian Arts + Crafts style. The bigger houses will have 1500-2000+ sqft. There are some surprising views of the Golden Gate from some homes and there are many that sit on a deeper and longer parcel depending on the block. There’s a fair chance these homes have been remodeled at one point (usually nicely too) and when it’s foggy there will be about 30 minutes less fog a day than there would be at the beach.

The People: (Fewer) original owners, mid-career professionals with kids, the professionals who work on the Peninsula, the multigenerational family, folks with the in-law renter who use the rent to off-set taxes or otherwise, renters of tall types.

The Inner Sunset 1 (Closer to Lincoln and 19th Avenue). This is where you’ll see rows of Victorian/Edwardian houses across the street from some mid-century monstrosity that’s filled with renters who are young professionals with roommates, UCSF students (UCSF being one of the best medical and nursing schools); physicians and scientists doing fellowship or research work). There’s always people walking around and parking can be tough. There’s a big Asian influence in the area as well. Activity and local businesses are focused around 19th Avenue, 9th Avenue and Irving and Judah Streets. Major thoroughfares are Lincoln, 7th Avenue, 9th Avenue, Irving and Judah.

The Inner Sunset 2 (Closer to UCSF and 5th Avenue). If you’re not looking at an income building or condo, you’re looking at big Arts & Craft houses along 3rd through 6th Avenues, cute houses or condos on Hugo Street, which all have seen big price gains in the past few years. There is a clutch of big houses up on 8th and 9th Avenues and into Golden Gate Heights and the Windsor Heights area that feel like a bit of Tahoe in SF. These homes can be big with character and period details, woodwork and a rich, big feel. While there have been ones that have been redone, they’re not the over-the-top/builder-boring whitewash of all the character that makes these houses so distinct.

The streets here are perched above the rest of the Sunset and Parkside and nestled next to Forest Knolls and don’t have too much to look at. Most of the houses look typical of the area with some notable exceptions. On a cloudy day these curvy crowded streets with few trees make the area look a little barren. But go inside to many of thse homes and look out the windows and you’ll see why this area draws many folks — stunning views of the ocean and the entire neighborhood for many and views towards the Golden Gate and the north. The sunsets are stunning and the views are sweeping. This will place a premium on homes with big, big windows and (heated) outdoor spaces and decks.

Described by many as the ‘new’ Noe Valley, no one neighborhood drag is more dominated by the MUNI light rail than West Portal (the 9th and Irving one comes close). West Portal itself is a mix of 1950’s-vibe local and national businesses and angled parking spaces. You’ll encounter restaurants, services and one-off stores like a gold store next to a title company next to the Koren BBQ across the street from the Mexican place that has not an ounce of dust anywhere. It’s one of the rare neighborhoods where you’ll see families of kids and parents out and about ala Norman Rockefeller — i.e., Americana but updated for the 21st Century. The houses here are on windy, curvy streets that bound up to the Inner Parkside, which looks a lot like the Sunset. There’s a mix of big houses of varying styles (stucco-clad tudor/Spanish colonial anyone?). You’ll have clutches of cute, redone houses next to each other, a number of long-time (and neglected) houses ripe for a renovation and detached homes sitting on very large parcels. The vibe is a mix of long-time folks, others like students who are en route to SF State on the M-MUNI line as well as an occasional, very-lost-looking tourist. Proximity to Portola, 280 and MUNI make it popular as to do good schools. Single-family houses will range from the low $1Ms all the way up towards $2M and beyond.

You live here for space, your kids (more space & good schools) and practicality. This gets you over the feelings of isolation, fog and existential anxiety. Otherwise the houses are zero lot line, late art deco into mid-century style with some renovated, others not. And while the homes that have been redone can be very nice (a larger-than-normal footprint helps) with spectacular views, the homes that haven’t may well suffer from the area's dampness, moisture-related structural issues and potentially questionable building materials (like asbestos) due to the vintage of the area. One other potential consideration to be aware of is that some of the homes are on stilts and are located on curvy streets that are otherwise steep bluffs, so you are well-advised to investigate a structure’s foundation and soil conditions as some parcels do have land subsidence risks that are typically excluded from most homeowner insurance policies.

These neighborhoods snake in the areas between Gate Heights, Portola and Glen Canyon on the backside of Twin Peaks as bounded by steeper valleys. It’s here were you’ll see a great deal of variation. Yes, you’ll have the traditional sunset-style 2-bed, 1-bath home-over-garage, but you’ll also see big, sweeping houses straight off the side of a landscape lighting box. Depending on where you’re at you can get sweeping views, nice sun-basked yards (on a sunny day) with a variation in lot sizes and shapes (because of the hilly and curvy topography). Architecturally, you’ll see a mix of grand, grand Spanish-stucco style houses, Mid-Century style houses and everything in between. There’s a fair chance you’ll encounter some fixers in the area too.

Included areas: Forest Hill, Forest Hill Extension, Forest Knolls, Mount Davidson Manor

If this neighborhood had better weather, this would rival Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights in value and luxury. As it is, the ‘gated’ neighborhood is the closest you’ll get to Pasadena or San Marino in San Francisco — it even has key-access parks and a large fountain or two and the area contains single-family homes only. The homes are large, grander and detached and named after California cities with a “Saint,” “San,” or “Santa.” Homes will have detached garages, driveways and manicured lawns and canopy trees that all exude a non-San Francisco feel (the neighborhood should be nice because each owner has to pay a decent amount in annual neighborhood dues). You’ll encounter many, many styles of houses here — anything that looks expensive or was ever perceived as such in the 1940s and 1950s. So this is why you’ll see Tudor-style houses mixed in with what people thought represented wealth over different eras. Some homes have been renovated while many others are awaiting modern updates after being owned by the same family for decades. So this is why you’ll see Tudor-style houses mixed in with what people thought represented wealth over different eras. Some homes have been renovated in that Peninsula/Orange County terezzo-heavy manner while many others are awaiting modern updates after being owned by the same family for decades so expect to see porta-potties and contractors among the benzes and that leaf blower crew.

If you think you’re in a mid-century redwood village when you’re in this neighborhood, then you’re not too far off the mark. Dreamt up in the 1950s and 1960s by the folks who brought us those great Eichler homes, the entire area was the first big project the San Francisco Planning and Urban Renewal Association directed. The thought here was to use modern building techniques to fit much-needed housing into the hilly topography instead of simply bulldozing the area as they did in other parts of California. Thus, Diamond Heights represents a very deliberate planned neighborhood with subtle and angular architecture among the trees with far fewer architectural embellishments or adornments. From the large condo developments (usually studios or 1-bedrooms) on Red Rock Way, to the smattering of big single-family homes overlooking Glen Canyon or Noe Valley. Most places will have parking, which can be seen by the prominence of garages in the area. You may notice that many homes and condos will have ceiling joists as a pronounced interior design element with carpet under your feet. You’ll also likely find big-pane glass wall windows with sweeping views with sliding glass patio doors to access a patio of some kind. Along with those features you’ll see low-slung stone fireplaces, electric stoves, carpet and faux wood panels. The neighborhood is both central and removed at the same time. It’s relatively central location is counteracted by its higher elevation and lack of light trail. No other businesses apart from those in a Safeway-anchored strip mall exist here which may explain the emphasis placed on driving and parking or the prevalence of buses.

This heavily-residential neighborhood branches off of Portola and runs down along curvy lanes of densely packed homes with front-facing garages. The homes will have wood floors, various architectural details with single-pane windows and older systems. A lot of these homes are stucco-clad, 2-bed, 1-bath homes in the marina-, Spanish- and art-deco style with more and more being remodeled with a tell-tale darker, sleeker facade.

Immediately outside of St. Francis Wood and the Westwood Park sits a neighborhood with a mix of marina-, craft- and art-deco style homes that were built anywhere from the 1920s and 1940s with the errant Victorian here and there. The area is undergoing a similar demographic turnover that Glen Park and Bernal Heights are going through. You’ll see some blocks that are further along than others in having homes updated. The most common configuration here is the 2-3 bedroom with 1-2 baths, garage with about 1200-1400 sqft. And as other areas rose in value many folks took another look at the relatively ‘cute’ and sleepy neighborhood and liked what they saw. The area seems like an extension of Glen Park as it too is on the southern slope of Twin Peaks going down to I-280. The neighborhood’s schools are good which also draws families as does the Sunnyside playground. Access to 280, 101 and to the Glen Park BART station, along with more room are also draws for would-be buyers. One thing that differentiates houses is whether or not freeway noise can be heard.

Quieter than Sunnyside the homes here tend to be larger and more ornamented if not more charming. There seems to be a more obvious pride of ownership here than in many other neighborhoods but that may be due to the fact that many homes sit on larger parcels and are detached from each other. Homes here tend to have 3-4 bedrooms with 2-3 bathrooms and the possibility of more than 1 parking space routinely. But the area is more removed which necessitates a greater need for a car.

Included areas: Westwood Highlands, Westwood Park

Previously an afterthought between Noe Valley, Bernal Heights and Sunnyisde and I-280, the area has come into its own as a viable alternative to Noe Valley and Bernal Heights. This area has windy streets that go around the rim of Glen Canyon (so there are some hills with narrower streets) to the “village.” The area’s draw stems from its proximity to I-280 and the appropriately named Glen Park BART. Glen Park village is essentially the intersection of Diamond and Bosworth, which has about 10-15 stores. Expect to find homeowners who bought at unbelievably low prices to the professional class with young families who have turned these eclectic homes into pragmatic, nicely redone homes with an occasional luxury home here and there. The area blends into Sunnyside and into Westwood Park as well as Mission Terrace.

Perched above Cole Valley to the west of the Castro is a clutch of larger, charming homes that are a mix of Victorian and Craftsman style with a little Art Deco thrown in. Single family homes are cute and some have been enlarged. Instead of full-flat condos you’ll find multi-unit buildings. The area can feel a little removed as it’s up a hill. is quiet. Last to get the fog for areas west of Twin Peaks.

Also an Irish neighborhood in the past, the area’s rolling hills and large 1800+ sqft Queen Anne Victorians has become home to an increasing number of large trophy homes that have been both restored and enlarged into the Noe Valley Box — luxurious 2500-4000 sqft houses pushing the $3M-$5M+ mark depending on view, amenities and proximity to 24th Street, the area’s cute main drag. Particularly focused around 24th and Noe Streets and radiating up and out, you’ll find walls of glass, modern luxurious kitchens and moving roofs in these homes — just spot the updated sans serif house numbers to see which ones have had the enlargement. But you’ll also find charming, large full-floor flats (some with upgrades). You’ll also encounter multi-unit income properties, bidding wars for the fixers on the market and everything in between. As time goes one, expect to find fewer fixers and more perfect-looking streets in the area (each is very different though) as inhabited by tech execs who could take the shuttle to work but drive their luxury hybrid cars in so as to miss the commute and the fixers that remain will have folks who’ve lived in the area for 30+ years.

This small tree-lined, cute and curvy corridor along the N-Judah MUNI line is comprised of lots of 2- or 3-unit buildings, single-family houses and some very large homes (3000+ sqft) that have been divided up into apartments, condos, TIC units or preserved as enormous houses that, if restored, can be quite expensive. Focused on Carl and Cole Streets the area is wedged between the Haight and UCSF’s main Parnassus campus so you’ll get a younger vibe and more renters as the area has a good number of apartment buildings. Area architecture ranges from Victorian, Edwardian, California craft with some smatters of mid-century brutalism thrown in for good measure. The area is the last enclave of central San Francisco before you hit the Sunset district. There’s a fair chance you’ll get parking (tandem) but the lack of parking may be especially pernicious because one unit may have parking while the other doesn’t. There’s less new construction. You’ll have 45 minutes less fog than the Inner Sunset. If you want character and charm, this area is for you.

Centered on Buena Vista Park’s large oval shape, this area is made up of 2-3 unit buildings, a very large complex called Park Hill, and, towards Buena Vista West you will see very large detached large houses, some have been split up, while others not, some with stupendous views and others with spectacular renovations.

The lower parts of Corona Heights will feature multi-unit buildings but the further you go up towards Corona Heights Park the more likely you’ll encounter more houses than condos. The houses are smaller than those in Buena Vista but will have more variety. They sit on curvy, steep and narrow roads with trees. Condos tend to be mid-century if they exist. Views are likely. Be prepared for stairs and narrow floors.

Entered around Duboce Park with its large dog park. This was a formerly a rough area in the 1970s that is now a much-coveted one. Charming period Victorian flats (2 or 3 to a building), mix of those elements and craft details. There are three quiet streets: Pierce, Potomac and Carmelita that have the lure of single-family homes on cul-de-sacs. There are some large and spectacular specimens on Waller and Scott Streets too. People can hop on the N MUNI line here, get onto 101 easily or bike to mid-Market too. There are lots of bikes wiggling along the wiggle and there are trees, multiunit buildings and hidden driveways.

Traditionally an Irish neighborhood, the gays moved here in large numbers starting in the 1970s & 1980s turning the leafy neighborhood into the gayborhood. Many of the quiet wood-floored Victorians have been turned into ones worthy of catalogs; throw in some nightlife and a constant stream of new transplants all lend to create one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in the City. Architecturally, there’s a good amount of variation: from carved-up Victorians that were turned into full-floor condos with some being upgraded while others still have that split-bathroom, double-parlor, oak-floor vintage feel. Chances are that you may get parking but it may be a small and tight space, have a steep driveway or is actually a leased spot elsewhere. An increasing number of houses have been restored, preserved and stunningly remodeled if not enlarged. You will find a fixer every now and when there’s one around people will fall over themselves to get it. There are also a large number of rental units that have had long-term tenants which can implicate a lot of drama if folks want to displace them. The epicenter of the neighborhood is 18th Street and Castro and/or Market and Castro Street with countless rainbow flags, bars, restaurants and the Castro Theater. It’s always a show here.

Included areas: Castro, Eureka Valley / Dolores Heights

This is hipster central that’s focused on the newly redone Dolores Park and palm-tree-lined Dolores Street. Sunny and warm you’ll find many a coffee shop, bike shop and hot restaurants. Prices are high. You’ll get a mix of big full-floor condos, TICs that may convert and a few single-family homes will likely cost a hefty sum even for fixers. Some new larger developments were built near Market Street that sold just a couple of years ago that are now seeing first resales for very hefty returns. The other main drags are bike-centric Valencia Street between 15th and 20th Streets, 18th St from Church to Dolores, and you’ll see lines of people waiting to get their Tartine baked goods or Bi-Rite ice cream or at Delfina and many more taco places as the area’s Hispanic heritage shines through despite gentrification pushes. You’ll see lots of tech shuttles, fixed-gear bikes, BMWs, and Vespas and charming Victorians in the middle of the Spanish Mediterranean buildings.

Up until a decade ago Hayes Valley was under the central freeway, dark and dingy. But after urban renewal efforts the area has become vibrant and growing. There’s a mix of new condo buildings (8 Octavia, 400 Grove, 300 Ivy, the Hayes) mixed in with Victorian flats, the occasional single family house along the small alleys that dot the area. Many big structures will have garage and parking in the rear along those alleys. The boundaries are porous between Civic Center and Alamo Square and the large swaths of Western Addition housing projects.

Two major thoroughfares, Oak and Fell Streets, define the area. This area is filled with wood-floored, single-pane window Edwardian buildings with many that have been split up into condos with decently tall ceilings, plaster walls, and split bathrooms. The ones that have been restored may be TICs for a while but renovations of big houses can be stunning, expensive and more traditional: think Restoration Hardware. Parking tends to be tandem or squeezed into low-clearance garages unless steel beams were added.

Areas include: Alamo Square, NOPA - North of Panhandle, Western Addition

A lot of times when you think of big, detached and stately Pacific Heights mansions you’re really thinking of Presidio Heights homes. Tucked next to the woodsy Presidio, butting up against the Marina with vistas of the Golden Gate Bridge, Tiburon, Marin and the Marin Headlands, this is the Restoration-Hardware-meets-Architectural Digest cover homes. These are the detached homes that are either imposing (on top of a hill) or framed just so. These homes have been redone and done up (the Designer Showcase showdown homes are here a lot of times along with AIA tour homes). So why is this the epicenter of big, well-done mansions? It’s got to do with demographics. The truth of the matter is that many of the homes in Pacific Heights have only just turned over to new internet money. That’s why you’ll run into more porta potties and scaffolding trucks over there than you will in Presidio Heights where you’re likely to run into an embassy or dead-end street.

This is the land of the ‘blue-shirt army’ the just-out-of-college or MBA-in-hand-just now crowd that lives here and take the 1 California Express bus that brings these legions of financial/services sector workers to the Financial District on weekdays. You’ll find spacious houses, art-deco era condos, and a score of rental buildings with garages on the bottom floor in this maritime neighborhood that has 2 main shopping drags (Chestnut and Union) and Lombard as your big thoroughfare. Living here is about the outdoors and night life to an extent. Views, if you get them, are of Alcatraz, the Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate Bridge. You’ll get fog earlier and the area is avoided a lot of times because it’s built on fill from the World’s Fair. Many of the properties here will be investment income properties with 2-5 unit buildings filled 1 and 2 bedroom rental units. The units will have single-pane windows, dated bathrooms (circa 1930 or 1980), a double parlor layout with hardwood floors, Spanish-style stucco buildings with some embellishments with garages underneath

The upgraded versions of these former rental units make up the condominium inventory here. Usually the condos have thicker (and darker) hardwood floors, nicer cabinets with a Bertazzoni (maybe even Viking) gas range, stone countertops, recessed lighting, a higher bedroom-to-bathroom ratios, marble-laden bathrooms with plush finishes, plantation shutters and carpeted bedrooms. You’re bound to find a coved ceiling or two too. in These condos tend to start in the $1.2M+ range going all the way up to $3M-$4M+ depending on views, room count, finish level and/or amenities.

Included Areas: Marina, Cow Hollow

Pacific Heights is the granddaddy (or grand-mommy?) of San Francisco neighborhoods. People think of decades and years here instead of months and days. There are plenty of homes that can trace their ownership lineage to the time when X family came to the City from the East Coast where X made their fortune in something. That pattern has repeated itself of late as the area has become home to many a tech-derived fortune. Houses are large and opulent and vaguely East Coast-meets-London. The scale of properties here is what sets them apart from many other parts of the City. You’ll see many a porta-potty here as renovations take a long time as there’s more house and more to do as the homes that haven’t been touched in years can be cavernous, drafty and creaky. Lots of changes (some elective, some required) are needed in a Pacific Heights fixer but the resulting product can be over-the-top and is likely to be refined, restrained and tasteful — or so we hope. More tawdry renovations at these price points tend to take place on the Peninsula as most developers, architects and homeowners like to show off the views you’re likely to get here. And yes, you’re paying for location, prestige and views.

Telegraph Hill is iconic, postcard San Francisco focused around Coit Tower. Among cable cars, tourists, windy and narrow streets, you’ll get a mix of quintessential bay-window buildings filled with luxury condominiums and TIC’s, along with stately homes of famous people. The neighborhood which the moviemakers like to focus on has lots of stunning renovations mixed in with dilapidated buildings on the major streets and little alleys and cul-de-sacs. There is also a fair share of multi-unit rental buildings with just-minted MBA finance types, to buildings that house long-term local residents. Within blocks is the vibrant North Beach with famous restaurants and cafes.

Russian Hill is also iconic San Francisco. The homes here are a little more spread out and there are some of the City’s early high-rise buildings located in the neighborhood (several of the City’s 13 co-op buildings are in Russian Hill). The streets can be steep, narrow and windy — the crooked part of Lombard Street is located in Russian Hill. While condominiums and co-ops are the norm here so are opulent single-family houses. Like the other hills you’re getting panoramic views, prestige and location (if you need to be close to the FiDi of course).

The Tenderloin/Van Ness:

Like the meat cuts of the same name, this neighborhood is indeed tougher and rougher. Euphemistically known as Lower Pacific Heights or Lower Nob Hill (sometimes the Tendernob) the area is permanently gritty and shadier. Why? Big building shadows, soot from area traffic because there’s a high frequency of heavily traveled one-way streets going east-to-west and north-to-south here (e.g., Larkin, Geary, Van Ness, Ellis, Eddy, Taylor, Bush, Post, Sutter). The area has long been associated with the seedier elements of society. Any mention of the area must also note the large homeless population too. It’s tough. That said, there is real estate here too. There are newer build condominium buildings here (see Civic Center) along with old-school buildings like the Belgravia scattered throughout the area that surprise as well as puzzle in this most urban of areas. 

Civic Center:

Very modern model urban forest. Being anchored by Van Ness Ave. the soundtrack here is of car horns, revving engines and reverse beeps. Most homes here will be a condo or stock co-operative (co-op) with views of, well, other tall condo buildings. Many condos will have a decidedly pre-war feel but yet many others are of newer construction with varying degrees of views. Most will have at least a secure entry lobby with some having security guards. Parking, if you can find it, will be underground. The area itself is full of cars, artists (the symphony, opera and ballet are here), lawyers (state and federal courts are located here along with SF’s city government), tourists and homeless people. You may get swept away by the odd wind vortex that’s created by Van Ness near Grove Street. If being close to mass transit, the arts and a certain grittiness is your cup of tea, then this urban jungle of neighborhoods will be just right. Sutter’s new Cathedral Hill hospital along with a few other adventurous car dealerships are leading a Van Ness corridor revival. Notable buildings in the area: One Daniel Burnham Court (senior-focused units and circa 1980s feel condos), the Artani (2008 vintage modern LEED-certified condos),the Marquis (industrial timber and brick lofts circa 2002), Opera Plaza (1970s brutalist architecture condos gone a wry) and Blanc SF (circa 2014 new-build condos designed, in part, by Stanley Saitowitz) and new build ones like the Rockwell coming online soon.

Union Square:
This is the most New York-like living you can have in the City that’s located in an area where you can hear honking and hail a cab. If you can find housing as the area is known for its tourists, shopping, holiday ice rink and proximity to the Tenderloin. Spaces for sale can be hidden gems, but you’re far more likely to find commercial properties here. There are a few named condominium buildings here (e.g., the Odeon, the Royal) that have units with views (usually of other buildings or a busy street) and parking is at a premium.

Areas include: Van Ness / Civic Center, Tenderloin, Downtown, FiDi - Financial District / Barbary Coast

Being named as Redfin’s Number 1 neighborhood in the country recently, this eclectic neighborhood is bisected by Bernal Hill — the favorite stomping grounds of our four-legged friends who bark from time to time — into the North Slope and South Slope. And the South Slope has a natural division at Cortland Street, the main commercial street for area. To the west in that area is Holly Park and to the east you’ll closer to 101/280. Prices have surged of late and it’s common to see single-family houses with 3-bedrooms and updated bathrooms with parking close above $2M (March 2016). Because of the variety we’ve really broken if down the areas: 

Manchester Hill/Coso flats (otherwise west of Folsom). More rental buildings than rest of area, close to Mission and Cesar Chavez. Some nice properties but there are rentals and rundown ones too. Mixed inventory on a series of one-way streets that are narrow steep; many homes have no parking. 

Virginia, Fair and Prospect Close to Mission but quiet and tree-lined; curvy streets. Quiet and cute. Some houses have been remodeled while others have not. Mix of prices. 

Cortland Corridor Cute neighborhood feel. More homes to have been remodeled recently but many haven’t so there’s a bigger mix, more dense. Some real stunners, gems and diamonds in the rough. North side more valued than south side because of views

Peralta/Mullen Very quiet, steep hills/narrow streets. Mix of old random bungalows and remodeled, chic homes. Some views — partial to full. Biggest price mix with some great homes and fixers. Potentially amazing views or Midcentury wryness/quietness almost desolate for the areas near eastern tip of Bernal Hill; steppe-like. In between two hills and removed from amenities with eastern/southern views. 

Holladay Quiet area, more removed and eastern views but 101 is right below elevation; freeway noise. All houses were picked up and moved here in the 40s/50s/60s when freeway was built. Lower prices.

Banks Houses — just south east of Folsom that looks to the east, views yes but desolate feel. Houses are choppier and denser for older stock. New flippers increasing in number and value. 

Cortland Corridor — cute neighborhood feel. More homes to have been remodeled recently but many haven’t so there’s a bigger mix, more dense. Some real stunners, gems and diamonds in the rough. North side more valued than south side because of views

Nevada/Ogden — South of Cortland, a bit run-down, fewer and smaller homes but some have been remodeled but the ones that have been can be amazing; south of Ogden, close to 280 (with the perpetual soundtrack from those cars), there are literally some cars on blocks south of Ogden in front of hodge-podge, DIY renovations that are questionable. In other words, lots of potential. 

Richland/Crescent — Near to Holly Park, was a previously a rough neighborhood but the area is starting the process of gentrification with values starting to rise and houses growing nicer. Hard to tell between quality renovations and so-so ones until you go inside. 

Holly Park (Mixed) Cuteness — cute houses, many haven’t been remodeled yet. Quiet. Holly Park. Fixers will be in demand. Higher prices for done homes, but quality will depend on which part of circle you’re at. Housing project toward western part; fire station at Southwest corner. 

Mission/St. Mary’s Park — Close to Mission Street and Crescent. Lots of freeway noise from 280 nearer to Justin Street that can feel isolated because it’s not quite Bernal but not quite the Outer Mission. Areas closer to Alemany are more rundown as the road gets closer to the freeway; as such there is lighter demand and lower prices.

Dogpatch was home to the City Attorney and to the Hell’s Angels for the longest time as the area languished after the area’s Pier 70 shuttered. The area has revitalized over the past 10 years with loft condominiums leading the way, the addition of the T-Line on 3rd Street and now with the promise of Pier 70’s ballot-measure approved revitalization project. While you can take CalTrain down the Peninsula you’ll likely drive on 280. And the area’s soundtrack is the sound of rubber meeting 280’s pavement. You’ll find loft condominiums from the 2000 and later vintage. You’ll see wood floors, brick & timber, modern build condos with more rooms and space with minimal amenities but with parking. The Hell’s Angels and City Attorney still live here.

Mission Bay is the former dredged bay/dumping ground has been reclaimed by UCSF with its massive research buildings, Women’s & Children’s’ hospital and broad avenues. the area is flat and has great views of SF’s skyline. Many of the buildings here are high-end rentals with two notable exceptions built by the mogul Bosa family called the Radiance and the Madrone. These feature large condos with higher-end but generic finishes.

China Basin/Mission Creek is really just made up of one street — Berry Street — but the area is home to lots and lots of people as the area has been filled up by large bulky condo buildings bounded by 280, Mission Creek (which still stinks at low tide) and CalTrain and AT&T Park. The condos are modern, large, and somewhat generic. Why are they appealing? It’s a little bit of Tampa or suburbia in San Francisco as most units will have at least 2- to 3-bedsrooms with 2- to 3-baths and there will be more consistency in the inventory as they were built off of the same mold. The most energy efficient building is the Arterra which manages to have a 24-hour front desk staff, gym, parking and common area rooms while having low HOA dues is because of the LEED elements the building incorporated when it was being built in the 2008-2009 era. The latest development, the Arden, expands on leitmotifs from its sister buildings in Mission Bay (the Radiance and Madrone) by having light, double-pane windows, recessed lighting, drywall and professional management. Most the buildings will likely have parking (at least the 2-bedtroom units will) and most having a door attendant downstairs with key-fob entry. You’re likely to see a lot of investors here as the City’s comprehensive Rent Ordinance doesn’t apply here meaning no rent or eviction control.

Areas Include: Dogpatch / Central Waterfront, Mission Bay

Potrero Hill (flats) This area runs along 16th Street to about 18th Street along the area’s main drags — 18th, 17th and 16th Streets. In the flats you’ll see a mix of trades-related warehouses interspersed with historic loft conversion buildings, newer stock condominium buildings (1001 17th, the Onyx) and a very large condo development building at 17th Street and Kansas (The Potrero) that are complete with its very own Whole Foods and the large series of buildings along Carolina Street. 

Potrero Hill (North Slope) As you go up the slope you’ll encounter a mix older Edwardian two-unit buildings, marina-style houses, Victorians with fewer that have been renovated but the ones that have can be breathtaking or have breathtaking views. There is a good crop of circa 2007 vintage remodels in the area for some reason too with colored-glass pendants. This area focuses around 18th Street with its little shops, restaurants and venerable Goat Hill Pizza. The area is sought after for these single-family homes and split-up Victorians as many will have character and views of the City’s skyline.

South of Market (aka Soma) was the original home to the urban lofts in San Francisco. Starting in the 1990s the areas warehouses and vacant lots were filled in by, well, loft condominiums on the area’s small alley side streets. Over time they’ve grown more elaborate and more luxurious with some stunning examples of brick and timber renovations like those in the Oriental Warehouse at Delancy and Brannan Streets to modern concrete/harsher designs (855 Folsom). But starting in the late 2000s with the Palms at 4th and Bryant the area has now moved solidly into the mid- to high-rise luxury developments that are named or are known by their addresses: 829 Folsom, 200 Delancy, 175 Bluxome, the Portside, Bridgeview, etc.

South Beach is the land of high-rise condos, some luxurious, others ultra luxurious with amenities and high HOAs. Also home to mid-rise buildings that house baseball stairs, corporate rentals in a streetscape filled with construction cranes, baseball traffic and commuters. Even though there are views of the Bay Bridge and the East Bay it still feels like the most generic part of the City.

Areas Include: South of Market (Soma), Yerba Buena, South Beach

(port-uh-luh, not portoll-a) These homes are clustered around a senior home near the reservoirs that is known as University Mound. This is apt as the houses on streets named after colleges (e.g., Harvard and Cambridge) are potentially cute and charming and quiet. You’ll find folks who have lived here all their lives, multiple generations of residents in the archetypal Sunset-style homes that abut McLaren Park which itself has just been renovated. The area is quiet and sleepy but just like other overlooked parts of the City is now getting attention from folks who’ve been priced out of other neighborhoods.

You will find surprisingly large homes that have been remodeled on quiet streets with manicured lawns here with the Spanish-Mediterranean theme. There is opportunity here though as more fixers are coming to market but everyone else seems to have discovered the area too. There are lots of little enclaves or clusters of very cute houses (say, 3 or 4 of them) that are well-taken care of and manicured. The homes have character although remodeled ones can vary in quality, finish level and taste. Younger families and same-sex couples have moved here (like they have to Glen Park, Sunnyside and Bernal) because of the opportunity to get more value in a neighborhood that has access to 101, 280 and BART.

Areas include: Mission Terrace, Outer Mission

The homes here look a lot like the homes everywhere else in the City — a lot of marina-style 2- to 3-bed homes with garages mixed in with the occasional Victorian house. The thing different is that you’re likely to see more window bars and front metal gates. You’ll see streets named after world cities and countries (Persia is one of the true tree-lined boulevards in the City) and you’ll see more people parking their cars on the sidewalk, more houses in need of repair and encounter single-family homes that have been carved up into unwarranted rental units. That said, you’re seeing more and more redone homes in the area with finishes and prices that are surprising as developers/flippers are banking on the area being gentrified much like the Mission, Bernal and Sunnyside.

Areas include: Excelsior, Silver Terrace, Bayview

Visitacion Valley (colloquially known as Viz Valley), is a neighborhood located in the southeastern quadrant of San Francisco, which takes its name from Rancho Cañada de Guadalupe la Visitación y Rodeo Viejo, a large tract of land that also included the Bayshore district of Daly City, the city of Brisbane, and San Bruno Mountain. The area is a largely family-oriented working-class neighborhood. It is easily accessible with MUNI T light rail line, numerous bus lines, and Caltrain. Recently approved Schlage Lock development project is a tremendous input into the future growth of the local community that offers one of the best values today and tremendous upside in the future.