if me + family could only live up north. i just love it every time we go to san francisco....such a different atmosphere compared to southern california.

The first picture is a dead give away that the pictures are not period correct. The Muni sign is not of the era you are trying to reflect by the style of the photo.

I wasn't trying to reflect any era; i live in the Presidio currently - as in 2010. Thanks for the critique.

I do recall cannons there, but no canons. That said, thanks so much for your picks and for the memories. I can smell the air now...

The Presidio is indeed a beautiful corner of a beautiful city -- it's not really a neighborhood per-se as there are no services, shops, etc. in the Presidio proper (many of the places mentioned are technically in the "Marina", "Cow Hollow", etc.), but for a former military installation, it is quite bucolic and folks who are able to score a place to live there are lucky indeed -- some of the officer's homes are amazing (the barracks -- not so much).

It will be interesting to see what the next decade brings to the area. In the past decade, the only thing SF could agree upon was to let Lucas move in (and turned down a world-class art museum, university campus, etc.). It would be nice to see it transform into a proper neighborhood and make use of the amazing space (without somehow spoiling it).

However, the true beauty of the place doesn't translate well through the hipstamatic-ness of the iPhone pictures, imho. My hope is that future neighborhood tours will feature better images of the locations.

The Presidio's pet cemetery is a wonderment.

You forgot to mention all of the renovated trails and watersheds. There are also numerous installations by local artists throughout the Presidio (Presidio Exhibits) that should be, IMO on the top of the list for visitors and locals! There's also the newly renovated Rob Hill Campground (did you know you can go camping in the city?!) Not to mention several great restaurants, a bowling alley, The Walt Disney Family Museum, Planet Granite, Sports Basement, The (brand new) House of Air, swimming pools, and organic gardens throughout. I disagree with 'sfposter' that the Presidio is not a neighborhood because it doesn't have any services. What about the bank and the post office and the YMCA?
I'm sure I'm forgetting a few others, but Emmy's list was sadly short and sounds as if she can't get her heart out of the Marina district.

just moved up to northern california to study design at UC Davis! so excited to be up here and cant wait to take as many trips to San Francisco as possible! this guide really helps me out :)

Hi folks! Thanks, first off for actually reading my little take on the Presidio. Burnttoast- thank you for adding all of these wonderful treasures that are inside the park. I answered the questions that were asked, and none of these places (gift shop, groceries etc.) are inside the gates so I referred to the closest resources I use (within walking distance of the Lombard gate).

I'm actually not a fan of the Marina; I grew up in Noe Valley/Mission/Bernal Heights and am still adjusting to the North side of the city. Rob Hill is, by the way - AWESOME. I took a group of middle school kids there a few years back (before the fabulous update) and city camping was phenomenal.

All in all, I'm thankful that housing is actually open to the public inside the park (at a discount for Presidio employees!). This neighborhood has given two SF natives the chance to remain within the city borders and raise a family.

Looking forward to reading more reviews on my awesome hometown!

Is Hana Ichi still around somewhere else? It hasn't been at that Chestnut Street location in months--just an empty store front.