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Best neighborhoods in San Francisco

15 places from 14 San Francisco travel vlogs, most-mentioned first. The play button jumps to that moment in the video.

15 places

  1. Chinatown

    Neighborhood · Chinatown

    Established in 1848, this is the oldest Chinatown in North America, full of shops and restaurants to explore on foot.

    5:13· Yellow Productionsin 8 vlogs

  2. Fisherman's Wharf

    Neighborhood · Fisherman's Wharf

    A busy, touristy waterfront area with seafood restaurants, bakeries, souvenir shops and attractions.

    5:25· Wolters Worldin 7 vlogs

  3. Union Square

    Neighborhood · Union Square

    The central plaza and shopping heart of downtown San Francisco, surrounded by department stores, luxury boutiques and historic hotels.

    7:22· Peter Santenelloin 5 vlogs

  4. Tenderloin

    Neighborhood · Tenderloin

    A dense, historically gritty downtown neighborhood known for street homelessness and drug use, located just blocks from wealthy Nob Hill.

    19:13· Peter Santenelloin 5 vlogs

  5. North Beach

    Neighborhood · North Beach

    San Francisco's Little Italy, packed with pizza, pasta, gelato, espresso and lively evening cocktail bars.

    26:12· Dots on a Mapin 5 vlogs

  6. Mission District

    Neighborhood · Mission District

    A historically Hispanic neighborhood with a young, hipster crowd, known for its strong art presence, murals and live music scene.

    8:25· Wolters Worldin 4 vlogs

  7. Haight-Ashbury

    Neighborhood · Haight-Ashbury

    Birthplace of 1960s counterculture and the Summer of Love, full of vintage stores, record shops, cafes and tie-dye.

    4:38· Aly Smallsin 4 vlogs

  8. The Castro

    Neighborhood · Castro

    Colourful neighbourhood with rainbow-painted sidewalks, numerous bars and the lavish Castro Theatre.

    6:24· Island Hopper TVin 3 vlogs

  9. Sunset District

    Neighborhood · Sunset

    A large, foggy residential district near the ocean with a strong local identity.

    41:01· Peter Santenelloin 2 vlogs

Mentioned once

6 more picks, each from a single vlog, so not ranked.

  1. Pacific Heights

    Neighborhood · Pacific Heights

    One of San Francisco's wealthiest neighborhoods, with grand, manicured mansions on hills sloping down to the bay and clean, quiet streets.

    2:18· Peter Santenello1 vlog

  2. Noe Valley

    Neighborhood · Noe Valley

    A charming, somewhat wealthier residential neighborhood just a few blocks from the Mission.

    31:51· Peter Santenello1 vlog

  3. West Portal

    Neighborhood · West Portal

    A small-town-feeling neighborhood beyond Twin Peaks with a long-standing Irish community and a local shopping street rarely visited by tourists.

    32:57· Peter Santenello1 vlog

  4. St. Francis Wood

    Neighborhood · St. Francis Wood

    An affluent, leafy enclave of mansions near West Portal, bathed in soft Pacific light and only a couple of miles from the ocean.

    45:56· Peter Santenello1 vlog

  5. Richmond District

    Neighborhood · Richmond District

    A western San Francisco neighbourhood known for some of the city's best Chinese food.

    5:15· Yellow Productions1 vlog

  6. Marina District

    Neighborhood · Marina District

    An upscale northern waterfront neighbourhood with its own distinct local vibe.

    3:16· Haley Takes On the World1 vlog