Marina / Pacific Heights
The Marina's boutiques and restaurants attract a hip, younger crowd, while the views and stately homes of Pacific Heights take your breath away.
Along the city's northern shore lies the Marina District, an area that's continually evolved throughout its history — from ocean dunes to exposition grounds to fishing haven to quaint residential area — and has been shaped by each of its former selves.
Neighborhood Highlights:
Things to Do in Marina / Pacific Heights
Enjoy a sunny afternoon stroll down Union Street past many boutiques, spas and restaurants housed in beautifully restored Victorian buildings. Marina Green, ringed by bobbing boats and serenaded by foghorns, is picturesque.
An Instagram favorite is the Palace of Fine Arts. Its arresting Greco-Roman-style rotunda and majestic colonnades never fail to impress visitors and many wedding photographers favor the site.
Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, a converted military base, is home to arts organizations and Off the Grid, a regular food truck gathering.
Excellent dining, from fast casual to three-course indulgences, can be found along Chestnut Street. Reserve a table at the Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn for a superb prix fixe menu that changes with the seasons.
For some of the city’s best views, climb the steps on Fillmore or Lyon streets to Pacific Heights, which rests atop a ridge to the south of the Marina. This tony neighborhood features exquisite homes, including the one that doubled as the Hillard residence in Mrs. Doubtfire. Fine boutiques and bars with sidewalk seating can be found along Fillmore Street, which gradually slopes down through the neighborhood before taking you to Japantown and other destinations.
Trip Inspiration
From great bites to fun festivals and events, here are some ideas to inspire your visit to San Francisco's Marina / Pacific Heights neighborhood.
All Trip Ideas
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San Francisco Neighborhoods
Union Square
When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping in Union Square. Indeed, in a town with abundant citywide shopping, Union Square is the most renowned source of retail therapy.
Fisherman's Wharf
If there's one part of town that visitors — both first-timers and many-timers — equate with San Francisco, it's Fisherman's Wharf.
SoMa / Yerba Buena
In the 1970s, industry moved out and artists moved in. Now, SoMa has so much to experience, including the country's most beautiful ballpark.
North Beach
Old Italy, the New Deal, memories of Kerouac and the Beats and echoes of the waterfront Bohemianism meet of-the-moment eateries in North Beach.
Nob Hill
Those little cable cars that climb halfway to the stars in Tony Bennett’s “I Left My Heart in San Francisco’’ are climbing Nob Hill, the historic and iconic neighborhood of San Francisco.
Embarcadero / Financial District
From captains of the high seas to captains of industry, the Embarcadero has often been where people first began their San Francisco journey.
Civic Center / Hayes Valley
This central city district encompasses everything from stately concert halls and museums to animated restaurants and wide-open public plazas just west of Downtown.
Marina / Pacific Heights
The Marina's boutiques and restaurants attract a hip, younger crowd, while the views and stately homes of Pacific Heights take your breath away.
Japantown
San Francisco’s Japantown is the oldest in the U.S. From its famous Peace Pagoda to a variety of great eats, learn about this vibrant historic neighborhood.
Fillmore
A neighborhood full of music history, fine dining, and upscale shopping, The Fillmore packs more into a few city blocks than you can believe.
Mid-Market
A combination of enterprise zones, high tech, arts groups, retail, and restaurants, Mid-Market is witnessing a boom.
Chinatown
With its pagoda-style architecture, ornate lamp posts, exotic menus and other distinctive elements, a stop here can feel more like a trip abroad than a neighborhood stroll.
Bayview
Bayview is the sunniest neighborhood in San Francisco, home to 35,000 residents, nesting ospreys and some of the most urban, diverse sights and bites in the city.
Mission District / Dogpatch
The Mission District is one of San Francisco’s most of-the-moment neighborhoods, packed with trend-setting boutiques, restaurants, and more.
Castro / Noe Valley
Regardless of your sexual orientation, no trip to San Francisco is complete without a visit to the world-famous Castro District, one of the country's first gay Neighborhoods.
Haight-Ashbury
Start your Summer of Love experience on the corner of Haight and Ashbury streets, where 1960s flower power blossomed.
Golden Gate Park / Sunset
Within Golden Gate Park, you'll find lakes, gardens, museums, golf courses and a herd of bison. The Sunset offers a zoo, views of the Pacific Ocean and tasty eats.
Richmond / Presidio
The southern anchor of the Golden Gate Bridge, the verdant, scenic Presidio, artfully reclaimed Crissy Field, and the Civil War-era Fort Point are just a few of the attractions in the northwest corner of town.
Treasure Island
This gem of an island offers a bustling urban winery scene, popular flea markets and photo ops of San Francisco's downtown skyline.