The Castro – Castro and 18th Street

The mecca of gay life is San Francisco's Castro District.  The affluent north side of Market Street is home to a predominantly gay and lesbian community, excellent bakeries, boutiques, cafés and restaurants.  The Castro Theatre, the district’s historic art deco movie palace, screens old and independent films from around the world.

Chinatown – Grant and California

San Francisco's Chinatown is the largest outside of Asia.  Its southern entrance is marked by a dragon-topped gate at the corner of Grant Avenue and Bush Street.  Chinatown’s bustling streets are filled with Chinese restaurants, shops, temples and street vendors, and are the perfect place for exotic gifts and fireworks.

The Fillmore – Marina Green to Duboce Street

San Francisco's Fillmore Street stretches from Marina Green at the tip of the peninsula to Duboce Street just above Market Street.  Filled with family-owned and retail chain stores, jazz clubs and a variety of ethnic restaurants, the district’s most historic venue is the legendary Fillmore Auditorium.  Everyone from the Grateful Dead, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding has performed there.  

Fisherman's Wharf – Embarcadero Center and
Taylor/Pier 39

Fisherman's Wharf is the most visited neighborhood in San Francisco.  Filled with shops, silly museums and family fun, Fisherman’s is still a functioning wharf, its vendors annually selling countless tons of fish and shellfish.  The wharf also contains many attractions including Pier 39, Aquarium of the Bay, Hyde Street Pier and Ghirardelli Square.

Haight-Ashbury

The world-famous Haight-Ashbury was the center of the '60s psychedelic culture.  Despite gentrification and the proliferation of corporate retail stores, The Haight still retains its hippie counterculture credentials and is dotted with Victorian houses, unique bookstores, piercing salons and funky clothing shops.

North Beach – Broadway and Columbus

Set in a traditional Italian neighborhood, North Beach is filled with coffee shops, Italian restaurants and numerous bars.  Although known for its nightlife, the neighborhood still holds onto its beatnik legacy of the ‘50s with the bohemian City Lights Bookstore at the corner of Columbus Avenue and Jack Kerouac Alley.

Pacific Heights – Fillmore and Sacramento

Pacific Heights is one of the city’s more exclusive neighborhoods.  Packed with mansions, foreign embassies and gorgeous parks, the area also offers breathtaking views of the marina and bay.  On the fashionably chic Fillmore Street you’ll find a limitless array of exclusive shops and boutiques like Kiehl's, Betsey Johnson and Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic.

Union Square – Post and Stockton

Union Square is the name of San Francisco’s luxury shopping district and of the park at its center.  A lone Corinthian column is surrounded by newly installed palm trees with exclusive stores including Macy's, Saks, Neiman Marcus, Bvlgari, Cartier, Thomas Pink, Prada, Celine, Gucci, Guess, Hermès and numerous others.