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If you want to be a tourist for a day in San Francisco, you’ll never run out of things to do. The city has all you could want, from cozy coffee shops to shopping and sightseeing tours. You can check out the Golden Gate Bridge, take a ferry to Alcatraz Island, or go on a cable car across the city.
Your options are endless.
But let’s say you don’t just want to tour the city. You’re thinking about moving to San Francisco and want to know what neighborhood to set your sights on. Well, as Michelle Tanner would say, you got it, dude!
Today, we’re going to share the best neighborhoods in San Francisco so that you can spend less time on Google and more time packing your bags.
The best neighborhoods in San Francisco
Whether you’re moving your family to San Francisco or coming over to start your first tech job in Silicon Valley, there are tons of neighborhoods to consider (at least 37–if you ask San Francisco Planning).
So, what are the best neighborhoods in San Francisco?
Ultimately, it comes down to the type of vibe you’re looking for. For instance, do you want a downtown apartment and fast-paced or something with good schools and low crime ratings so that you’ll feel safe having your kiddos play outside?
Below, we’ll share some of the top neighborhoods in the Golden City to help you make your choice.
Best neighborhoods in San Francisco for families
While there are many good neighborhoods for people with kids, the following neighborhoods keep coming up at the top of every list: Bernal Heights, Noe Valley, Glen Park, Presidio Heights, Inner Sunset, North Beach, and Laurel Heights.
Below is a closer look at a few of our favorites:
Bernal Heights
If you’re looking for the best all-around place to live in San Francisco, Bernal Heights (AKA Bernal) is an easy choice. It’s just to the south of the Mission District (another top-rated neighborhood for residents and tourists alike).
Surrounding Bernal Heights are Cesar Chavez Street, San Jose Avenue, I-280, and US 101, so if you need to access one of these streets or freeways to get to work, you’ll find Bernal Heights extra convenient.
When Bernal Heights comes to mind, the first thing we think of is the Bernal Heights Hill, which gives a breathtaking view of the Golden City.
Research shows that the median home value is $1,114,568 in Bernal Heights, with the median rent sitting at $2,103. The majority of people who live here own their home. You’ll find that living in Bernal Heights is like living in an urban-suburban community. There are about 21,633 people, and it makes the list as a top neighborhood to call home not just in San Francisco but in sunny California.
Families and young professionals can both benefit from living here. You’ll find great restaurants, coffee shops, parks, and so much more. If you want to enjoy a little live music, head on over to El Rio. In the mood for a little shopping? Swing by the Alemany Flea Market. The list of activities in Bernal Heights is plentiful.
Noe Valley
Few places in San Francisco will make you feel at home quite like Noe Valley. Located in central San Francisco and accessible via 21st Street, 30th Street, Guerrero Street, San Jose Avenue, Grand View Avenue, and Diamond Heights Boulevard, you can get all over the city in no time at all if you live in Noe Valley.
Noe Valley is one of the safest neighborhoods in San Francisco. People tend to move here for that, as well as work, close proximity to kids’ schools, and the beautiful styles of homes. (Hint: Whether you like Victorian homes or even a modern townhouse, you’re going to love it in Noe Valley!)
Here, you’ll find parks such as Mission Dolores and Douglass Playground. Noe Valley comes up as #27 on the list of “best places to raise a family in San Francisco” and gets an A+ rating due to its schools, general family-friendliness, nightlife, and more.
There are approximately 19,803 people in this neighborhood. The median home value is $1,576,820, and the median rent is $2,440.
Glen Park
When it comes to family-friendliness, it’s clear why Glen Park makes it to the top of so many lists. This neighborhood is found to the southeast of the San Miguel Range in San Francisco.
It’s considered safe and quiet–and even charming, if you talk to people who live there. One resident says, “The houses represent the classic San Franciscan colorful style sprawled out across the hills. By the Glen Park Bart station, there is an urgent care, a health foods market, and a delicious Italian restaurant, and a classic French restaurant. It is very easy to commute to the city for work or play via the Bart or the Muni.”
Glen Park gets an A in many areas, including being suitable for families, nightlife, and cultural diversity. The total population is 6,681, and the majority of people there are proud to be homeowners.
How much does a home cost there? The median home value is $1,370,151, and if you rent, you’re looking at a median rent of $1,897.
Best neighborhoods in San Francisco for young professionals and singles
One of our favorite things about San Francisco is how many places there are for young professionals and single people to rent. We also provide commercial moving services in San Francisco if you are moving to a new office too!
Some of the best neighborhoods to rent in San Francisco for these demographics include the Mission District, the Downtown, the Marina, South of Market, Presidio Heights, Potrero Hill, and Pacific Heights.
We’ll explore two of the best of the best neighborhoods in the San Francisco Bay area below.
Mission District
Head on over to southeast San Francisco, and you’ll find yourself in the Mission District. Around it, you’ll find Noe Valley, Eureka Valley, and various other neighborhoods in San Francisco. There are four sub-districts in the Mission District, which include Potrero Hill, Dolores Street, Valencia corridor, and the 24th Street corridor.
Potrero Hill is popular for tech companies and has many hip places to eat and socialize after hours. If you venture to Dolores Street, you’ll see many of the beautiful Victorian-style homes that you traditionally think of when San Francisco comes to mind.
The Valencia corridor and 24th Street corridor are some of the most fun places to go in the Mission District. There are tons of art galleries, coffee shops, ice cream shops, and more.
With all of the different amenities in the Mission District, it’s safe to say that there’s truly something for everyone there. That makes it one of the leading neighborhoods in San Francisco for young professionals, singles, and more.
The overall quality of living in the Mission District gets an A, and the nightlife gets an A+. There are 47,205 people in the Mission District, which has a “dense urban feel,” according to Niche. Most people rent in this neighborhood, with the median rent costing $1,813. (The median home value is $1,063,016, in case you’re curious.)
Downtown
Downtown is one of the best parts of San Francisco. The Financial District, Union Square, the Tenderloin, Chinatown, and South of Market all fall into this area.
So, why is Downtown one of the best neighborhoods in San Francisco for millennials, young professionals, and singles? First, it’s in central San Francisco, so it’s easy to get around–and there are endless places to go.
If you work Downtown, even better. You won’t have to think twice about traffic or a commute. Instead, you can just grab your coffee from one of the many local coffee shops in the area, head to your work, and get a jumpstart on climbing the corporate ladder.
And the weekends? Well, you don’t even have to leave the downtown area if you don’t want to do so. You can quickly fill your schedule and meet new people at one of the many concerts, museums, foodie spots, and so forth located right in Downtown.
A great thing about Downtown San Francisco is how easy it is to get around. Downtown-Union Square, for instance, is rated “the 4th most walkable neighborhood in San Francisco.” Its walk score is an impressive 99, and the transit scores a 100! That means whether you want to walk, ride a bike, or take public transportation, there are plenty of options for you to get where you need to go.
The rent or cost of mortgage depends on which part of the Downtown you rent in. In Union Square, for instance, 95% of people rent, and the median rent is $1,106. (The median home value is $1,147,246, according to recent research.)
About 72% of people in the Financial District are renters, and the median rent is a little higher than Union Square ($2,370), with a median home value of $1,639,722.
Get help moving to San Francisco
Whether you’re looking at a local or long-distance move to San Francisco, Bellhop has you taken care of. We can help you coordinate your move to the best neighborhoods in San Francisco. We also help coordinate moves for nearby cities like San Jose should you be interested!
There’s no need to push off your move any longer. We can even provide last minute moving services if you need to get to San Francisco this week!
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