Please, do tell! I am interested to hear what everyone has to say about their neighborhoods in SF, since I plan on moving there in the next few months.

I live in Laurel Heights, directly behind Laurel Village. It's a bit like living in the suburbs - bland, but convienent.

We moved here in March, after getting Ellis Act-ed out of our apartment on Fillmore St. I'm still adjusting.

The Pluses: larger apartements, often with backyards and garages. safe. Trader Joe's. Cafe Lo Cubano. Books Inc. Clement Street. parks. kid & pet friendly.

The Negatives: no style or soul. THE FOG. double-wide strollers parked everywhere.

I love Pacific Heights for it's central location, proximity to my office, and the beautiful neighborhood and parks. And, of course, the neighborhood is a wealthy one, so I feel pretty safe here (I see it's regularly patrolled). I am a 'lowly renter', so I'm not one of the wealthy, but for the size of my apartment, views, balcony and fireplace, I feel like it's a pretty fair rent. I also live in a wonderful 'community building' - we call it Buchanan Manor and all hang out for BBQ's, meetings at pubs and help each other out pet-setting etc. There is often available apartments, so if one should come available I'll post it somewhere here. I love a lot of other SOMA neighborhoods for their funkiness & charm - the Mission, Potrero Hill, Noe Valley & Ashbury Heights are all really great. The city is small only 7 x 7, as they say, so you can pretty much get anywhere you need to pretty quickly. What I don't like about my neighborhood are people in big SUV's and Mercedes talking on their cell phones and almost hitting me and Coop on our walks. Happens a LOT! And then they give me an annoyed look. Bit of snobbery up here on the hill!

Ummmm - the Chron's neighborhood map is on crack, like the dwellers of Turk street. I live *north* of Fleur de Lys & Le Colonial, and they say I live in the 'loin?! What gives? Why does the Chron lump in my fun area with the craziness and dinginess of the loin?! Have they not heard of "Lower Nob Hill", aka the "Tendernob"?

More about my fun neighborhood later... needless to say, I really enjoy it. Easy, safe walking 24 hours/day to the splendor of Nob Hill, both cable car lines, Union Square, theatre district, Market Street, BART, Chinatown, Financial District.

I checked "other" being in the TenderNob or "Trendyloin".

Pros: Convenience to everything like shopping, movies, theater, restaurants, transit and bars. It's also walking distance to Chinatown, Northbeach (I walk to work here), J-town, Union Square, Yerba Buena, Hayes Valley, and Ferry Building. I've been told it feels like Manhatten here more than any other place in SF (if that's a plus for you). It's also quite sunny most of the time.

Cons: there are many--no parking, crime, noise, litter, homeless everywhere, no green spaces ...

I rented in the area upon arriving in SF 8 years ago, and bought a condo here just 3 years ago. I still enjoy it, but I have to admit, the urban decay really gets to me after awhile. Growing up in Vancouver Canada, I can't understand why it's always so dirty in the streets of SF.

I'm moving to Hayes Valley in about a week. I think I would group Lower Haight/Hayes together... Upper and Lower Haight are pretty different. I will say that I'm excited to live in HV...

I understand it's not possible to put all the choices in the survey, though :)

I lived in Upper Market/Castro/Upper Noe/Lower Diamond Heights (I never knew what to call it), which was a nice, quiet, safe neighborhood for the most part. I did get my car stolen recently (out of my garage!), but I think that was a rare occurence (I think I was targeted for my choppable car). But as in a lot of SF 'hoods, THOSE HILLS! I know I'm whining, but it killed me to walk up those hills.

Cara,

I think Bush or Sutter is the official border between Tenderloin and Nob Hill. I agree though, the atmosphere of Lower Nob Hill and central TL is totally different.

My girlfriend and I live in the Castro, Mecca for gay men of many stripes. It's a fun neighborhood with unbeatable public transit options (as much as you can call MUNI 'unbeatable'...), lots of people out and about and quite safe. We moved here primarily because we found a great apartment that was heads-and-shoulders above anything we were looking at in the Mission/Dolores area.

A big downside to the area for us is the food scene which is almost entirely mediocre. Also, there aren't many shops that fit outside a homogenized version of gay culture, but we knew that coming in.

etslee - the Chron map (there is a link to a detailed neighborhood map within each neighborhood description) and from everyone else I've heard, the Nob Hill border is at Pine. Their Tenderloin map extends from south of Pine, east of Taylor, all the way down to Market. I hardly think that someone living on the SW corner of Pine & Taylor would consider themselves in the Tenderloin! LOL

btw, I checked "Nob Hill / Russian Hill / North Beach", even though I live in the same neighborhood as etslee, who checked "other". I also know another AT-regular who lives in our Lower Nob Hill / Tendernob area. Can we get a recount for da hood? :)

duh - meant to say *west* of Taylor. My post-lunch brain melts in my SSF cube.

Not to pick nits, but there really should be a check box for Downtown/Tenderloin - its one of the oldest hoods in the city and the one with the densest concentration of mid-rise apartments and office buildings in the city. That stretch of Market from Civic Center down to Powell (and a bit beyond) stretches back to Gold Rush days, back when most the City was just scrub brush and sand dunes.

In some ways, the Tenderloin (and that includes the "Tendernob" - y'all live in the Loin, regardless of what the realtors say) resembles NYC more so than anywhere else in SF. Isn't this Apartment Therapy as opposed to Victorian Therapy? /snark

As for me, I live in Chinatown right at the Stockton Tunnel. 10 feet over, I'm in Snob Hill. 10 feet back, Chinatown. I call it the China Snob Shuffle.

Pros: Easy access to late night eating - Chinese, sushi, Vietnamese, etc. Only a few blocks from Union Square shopping. Lots of public transit options. Near to major tourist attractions like Grace Cathedral for when out town guests visit. And I can hear the cable cars "clang clang" at night.

Cons: Only a few blocks from Union Square. Surrounded by tourist locations. Only crappy convenience store nearby - too far to walk to any major grocery store and too many hills between home and Whole Foods or Cala Foods to bike, so I'm stuck with the bus. Lots of noise and soot from the Stockton Tunnel. And I can hear the cable cars "clang clang" at night.

Fully-paid-up member of the cult of Bernal, here.

Dave - not too many hills, just that one absolute KILLER Nob Hill between you and both Cala & Whole Foods... *lol*. It's a killer to walk up Sacramento in that section, much less bike. Have you tried the lovely new-ish Trader Joe's at Bay & Mason yet?

But I really like the Downtown/Tenderloin sentiment - down with Victorian Therapy, up with Apartment Therapy!

Cow Hollow. I don't have a car and it's easy to get around from here by walking, bus, or cab. Of course, it's noisy on the weekends.

I live in the Castro. The quality of my apartment is what brought me to this neighborhood, but I also wanted a central location, easy MUNI access and to be walking distance to other neighborhoods like the Mission, Noe or Lower Haight. The weather has turned out to be an unexpected perk for me because I'm very rarely fogged in. Unlike when I lived in the Inner Sunset, I'm not running the heater in the summer months! The Castro isn't without drawbacks, though. I, too, wish there were better restaurants and grocery stores, and as MUNI seems to get progressively worse, I also wouldn't mind being a closer to BART.

I live in Russian Hill and I think it's one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in San Francisco. I used to live near GG Park and the only thing that I miss about living over there is the park itself.

Pros: Central location, close to Marina green for jogging/walking, I walk to work in about 20 minutes, 5 star dining a block away in both directions, cheap eats a short walk away, movie theatres are walkable as is the Union Square shopping, I like the Frenchy vibe on our stretch of Polk Street, we have a cheese shop, I feel very safe, the hills - they are good for me. I also like that the neighborhood inspired Tales of the City.

Cons: Parking is the big one, frat boy overflow from the Marina, not enough cheap eats close for my taste, I could never afford to buy here.

Cara - not to turn this into AIM, but yes, its that one BIG hill. I used to live in Lower Haight and it was a breeze to bike to Safeway.

Is that the Trader Joe's in North Beach? I haven't figured out an easy bike route over there yet.

I live on the Russian Hill/Nob Hill line right by the Hyde Street corridor (Washington and Leavenworth). I love this neighborhood. It's a very mixed area (racially, family v singles, etc), but fairly youthful and it has a real neighborhood feel, with touches like a local market (Le Beau) and great restaurants and cafes (Nook), and lots of great Chinese food. But it's so centrally located that you can get anywhere downtown very easily. If I were moving again I might live farther down toward the TenderNob, but I think this neighborhood is great - very safe. A lot of the apartments tend to be pet friendly and you get a lot of space for your money generally (compared to NYC, where I moved here from).....

Forgot to mention one of the coolest things about Russian/Nob Hill - we're on the cable car line! It's very quintessentially San Fran, and if you get a bus pass you can use it on the cable car without having to pay their exorbitant fees...Beware that sometimes the cars are so packed with tourists that they won't let you on...

I live at Ocean Beach. I love, love the view of Seal Rocks and the Cliff House. I feel a real nostalgic turn living where Playland used to be as I went there as a child. I like being close to the high wind and waves during storms. I like seeing the wide variety of people walking by, like the lady I keep seeing running her 2 goats on leashes, elderly couples walking, sufer boys,beach regulars, fishermen, Zaza, Sasha and Leah the pugs. I like seeing all of the bonfires at night at the beach. What I don't enjoy is the garbage that blows in all of the time, more so on garbage day. People who leave their beer bottles on my car. The loud buses rounding the corner. The super ugly Burger King and the loud middle of the night deliveries going in there. Drunks loudly wandering below our windows in the middle of the night. And no cafes or coffee houses except up further up on Balboa. And I can't forget the ocasional gunfire. Oh and the food at Beach Chalet is really horrible but what a view!

Dave - If I were you, going there I would take Grant *all* the way to Francisco to Mason. Coming back, Powell might be a good way to go - it's a far more gradual hill, and less hellacious than the hubub of Stockton.

Or we could just create the weekly AT carpool to TJ's - I already take me & a neighbor in a Flexcar every week, usually on Friday late afternoon. I have room for two or three more in a regular sedan.

Like Audrey, I live on the border between Russian and Nob Hill, which I like, because I like to think I get all the positives from the 2 neighborhoods, and forget about what I don't like about each. I moved from Western Addition (Lower Pac Heights, we lied) to this nabe, mainly due to the fabulous apartment I found. It's my first place to myself so I wanted a safe neighborhood foremost--and, you know, hardwood floors and beautiful architecture. I hate plain box apartments--and I found that there is a huge number of these old, regal, beautiful apartment buildings in this neighborhood, so that really made my decision. I feel incredibly safe, and the corner I'm on (Taylor and Broadway) is so quiet at night, which I needed after the constant nightly gunshots and ambulances in LPH. This neighborhood is ridiculously movie-San Francisco. There are gorgeous Victorians, cute restaurants filled with locals (Nob Hill Cafe Like Audrey, I live on the border between Russian and Nob Hill, which I like, because I like to think I get all the positives from the 2 neighborhoods, and forget about what I don't like about each. I moved from Western Addition (Lower Pac Heights, we lied) to this nabe, mainly due to the fabulous apartment I found. It's my first place to myself so I wanted a safe neighborhood foremost--and, you know, hardwood floors and beautiful architecture. I hate plain box apartments--and I found that there is a huge number of these old, regal, beautiful apartment buildings in this neighborhood, so that really made my decision. I feel incredibly safe, and the corner I'm on (Taylor and Broadway) is so quiet at night, which I needed after the constant nightly gunshots and ambulances in LPH. This neighborhood is ridiculously movie-San Francisco. There are gorgeous Victorians, cute restaurants filled with locals (Nob Hill Cafe <3), and it's pretty clean. I also barely ride the grimy bus anymore since Polk St/Trendyloin, SOMA, and downtown are all within walking distance, which makes going out a plus. It also makes coming home a plus since there's no bars right near where I live, so I sleep very well. The only negatives are the hills and how much interaction I have with the tourist community since I take the BART at Powell to and from work and have to fight the crush of tourists on both walks. Other than that, this is one of those neighborhoods where the exciting stuff is close but not too close to where you rest your head.

(Sorry for my first post, something weird happened. Can we fix that in editing?)

Like Audrey, I live on the border between Russian and Nob Hill, which I like, because I like to think I get all the positives from the 2 neighborhoods, and forget about what I don't like about each. I moved from Western Addition (Lower Pac Heights, we lied) to this nabe, mainly due to the fabulous apartment I found. It's my first place to myself so I wanted a safe neighborhood foremost--and, you know, hardwood floors and beautiful architecture. I hate plain box apartments--and I found that there is a huge number of these old, regal, beautiful apartment buildings in this neighborhood, so that really made my decision. I feel incredibly safe, and the corner I'm on (Taylor and Broadway) is so quiet at night, which I needed after the constant nightly gunshots and ambulances in LPH. This neighborhood is ridiculously movie-San Francisco. There are gorgeous Victorians, cute restaurants filled with locals (Nob Hill Cafe <3), and it's pretty clean. I also barely ride the grimy bus anymore since Polk St/Trendyloin, SOMA, and downtown are all within walking distance, which makes going out a plus. It also makes coming home a plus since there's no bars right near where I live, so I sleep very well. The only negatives are the hills and how much interaction I have with the tourist community since I take the BART at Powell to and from work and have to fight the crush of tourists on both walks. Other than that, this is one of those neighborhoods where the exciting stuff is close but not too close to where you rest your head.

Looks like Shannon went to Fisherman's Wharf and ordered a Double-Double from In N' Out Burger. Interesting idear about a TJ carpool.

All these posts about our various nabes does have me appreciating a "pro" about my new hood that I didn't mention - sometimes I forget what a "movie set" city we live in. I'm pretty spoiled being able to walk a few blocks up (or rather UP) California and have the cable cars going by in the fog, Grace Cathedral on my left, Pacific Union Club on the right, the Fairmont behind me while sitting in Huntington Park.

Course, having watched every episode of Tales of the City when I moved here, I sit there wondering if there is some creepy cannibal cult secretly meeting in the rafters of the Cathedral.

I live in Potrero Hill. My favorite neighborhood after living in several other areas of the City. I love Potrero because of the easy parking, sunny weather and local neighborhood businesses. There is everything I need without ever having to leave...an small market with organic produce and Acme bread, great wine shop, good tasteful florist, smart video store (4Star Video), yummy pizza joint with all you can eat on Mondays (!), my favorite art/gift store ARCH drafting supply, a 'real' hardware/supply store, and a new organic patisserie opening up any day now. We are also expecting the new Muni Metro (subway/lightrail) to open up this next Spring on 3rd Street.

After a very exhaustive apartment hunt, I'm moving to Castro in a week or so.

Although apt hunting in SF is a tough feat (especially with pets) it's nowhere near the epic tooth-and-nail battle it was in NYC... so I suppose I'm a little war-hardened.

Don't know about the pros and cons of the Castro as I haven't moved yet. But I would have been happy anywhere in "sunbelt" SF (mission/dolores/potrero/bernal/noe). Proximity to transport, a walkable neighborhood community, easy parking, and better weather were positive factors for sun-loving car-owning NYC-transplant me. (I LOVED Bernal) It's no longer as important for me to be in the thick of the urban action or be in movie-set-SF, so those were kinda non-factors.

Right now I'm in the Haight, facing a major intersection. Never again will I live on a major street, with old windows, above a bus stop that houses an every-shifting group of homeless folk. The cacophony starts at 7am with honking and the yelling doesn't end until deep in the night. Lesson learned.

Oh, and my tips for apt hunting with pets?
- Offer to pay an additional pet deposit
- If the ad doesn't state "no pets", always ask. And include the spiel on the pet deposit. In my hunt I found four such apartments that turned out to be pet friendly, including the one I'm moving to.
- If you're sending an email, attach a photo of yourself and the pet. Personalizing sometimes makes it harder to say "no".

I just moved to Cole Valley and really like the area. The basic necessities - food, hardware, stamps, coffee, alcohol, and dog food and toys -- can be obtained at the stores at the junction of Cole & Carl. There is a Real Foods in the neighborhood, too. The N line Judah is close by. All in all, it is very convenient city living. There seems to be a laid-back, very real atmosphere and the people are nice. Also, it is really dog friendly here!!

Whoa! Who came up with these categories? Inner Sunset is SO different from Outer Sunset and ditto for Inner/Outer Richmond. And lumping together Haight/Cole Valley/Castro/Mission is way overbroad. (I'm more likely to lump Castro w/ Noe Valley than with any of those other neighborhoods).

I'm about to move from the Outer Richmond to the Inner Sunset.

Outer Richmond pros - ALOT of space for your money, easy parking (so visitors can easily park), near the beach, the Presidio, Lincoln Park, Sutro Park, Seal Rock Inn (nice unfancy brunch, nice view), not too far from lots of restaurants on Clement, good commute on the MUNI express buses if you work downtown. If you're going to live in the Outer Richmond, live north of Geary - hillier, nicer. Cons - no night life, it's so far your friends won't visit you even if it IS easy to park, lots of crappy, soulless apartments built in the 1970s and 80s(although there can be nice, interesting apartments built in the 1940s out there), foggy, cold, if you need to take BART to the e. bay, it's pretty inconvenient here.

Inner sunset pros - not a total expert here, but lots of restaurants and a better nightlife than the outer richmond. Near the UCSF teaching hospital (if you want/need to meet a nice young doctor), feels safe, some really wonderful, interesting, older buildings. Cons - expensive, hard to park, can be loud if you live on one of the busier streets.

Tenderloin, albeit not for much longer, and the other residents have pretty much summed up the pros and cons. It's a heck of a deal on space, rent, and access to cheap Indian/Vietnamese food, but you have to be easy-going about stepping over/past/around the mendicants.

I will *really* miss our apartment!

Jenny's tips about apartment hunting with pets are good ones. I would only add that I had a really difficult time when first moving back from Sausalito to the City and someone told me to make a 'dog resume' for Coop and offer to let landlords meet him. Worked with the first person I tried it with. (Coop is a sweet boy, though). Most people deep down really are a sucker for animals, so I think it may help to aproach it from an emotional level sometimes!

Victoria--I for one would be delighted if you would post when there is an apartment available in your bldg.!

I live in Pac Heights, too, and I love the neighborhood, but I really miss the character/personality of an older apt.--my current abode was built in 1987 and is a typical boring white-box. I was so impressed by the size and character of your home in your house tour, and I just assumed that you must live somewhere further out in order to have all of that. It's great to know that something like your place exists in my neighborhood--so please do post if there is ever a unit for rent!

I agree with most of what Margaret said about Outer Richmond. My roommate and I moved here from New York and when we saw this gorgeous & huge flat only 1 block from the park we were amazed it was in our budget. Now that we've lived here a year we are torn between being closer to the city or staying out in the fog.

My favorite things about being out here:
-it's really quiet. you can sleep with the windows open and not be awakened by traffic/public noise.
-ocean beach/gg park/presidio. we walk down to the beach all the time stopping at the coffee shop and antique/thrift stores on Balboa. so much green space just a few blocks away in almost every direction.
-Babloa theater- great movies at a bargain price
-great views- the view from the top of our hill gives you the ocean, the city and the golden gate bridge all at once. so san francisco.
-restaurants on Clement and Geary are some of the best

Cons:
-distance- the express buses are great but i still have to transfer for my job in russian hill which adds another 20-25 minutes. a train would make a world of difference.
-not enough nightlife and interesting shops. there could definitely be more non-asian restaurants on Balboa - mix it up a little.

I love this neighborhood!

I've lived in 2 places in Glen Park over the last 4 years and really love it. I was looking for places in Noe and the Mission but this little in-law on a country dirt road satisfied all my requirements!

Pros:
- Neighborhoody, village-like
- BART station, Muni station (on San Jose Ave for the J line)
- Quiet!
- Tons of street parking
- Close to freeway
- Cheaper rents than in the Mission or Noe Valley, but very close to both
- Glen Park canyon nearby - hiking, dog walking, nature is right there after a hard day at work
- My fave taqueria: La Corneta

Cons:
- Sometimes fog does not burn off :( and it can be windy
- No grocery store (but one is allegedly coming on Diamond St in the fall)
- Perhaps not a lot of rentals - lots of single family homes around here

Inner Sunset is my home for the past 8 years. Born and raised here in the City, I've basically lived in almost every neighborhood : )

The Inner Sunset has been good to me, my husband our little Pug. Quiet and neighborly. I used to love the hustle and bustle (still do on occasion), but as I get older (not that old) I'm loving the peace and quiet. Plus, I'm close to my elderly parents who live a few blocks away.

I just moved to Treasure Island. I am surprised at how much I am liking it. As a design student the most important thing to me was cost, but I feel like I am really getting a lot for my money. The apartments are old but the one I am in has some interesting character inside. There are also the most amazing views of the city that you would ever want to see.

Pretty odd to group three such distinct neighborhoods as the Castro, the Haight and the Mission into one. I guess, geographically, they're all near each other. But in terms of lifestyle, vibe, etc., they're all three pretty unique and different from each other.

Myself? I live in the mission and see it as a city within a city.

ANYBODY here in the East Bay? Anybody here ever GO to the East Bay? Seriously.

As a Berkeley resident it's funny to read all this neighborhood angst. I love the city, I'm just sayin'!

Nic is a freelance journalist currently on assignment to the Big Mango. He lives, and always will live, in the Tenderloin. That is, at least until he decides to up and move to London.

where's Potrero Hill? i know it's not supposed to be comprehensive, but we could, at least, match most of the craigslist hood categories.

So I just moved from Manhattan to San Francisco and just found a loft in the Inner Mission (I chose other - that is some odd grouping of neighborhoods). I had a good experience with Urban Bay lofts.

I would recommend to anyone looking for a place to keep a bottle of your favorite liquor around at all times :-). Especially with pets (I have two cats).

Thoughts about the recent search:
1. Make a list of 3-7 things that your new place MUST have (beyond bedrooms) - think parking, flooring, window, kitchen layout, and don't comprimise those no matter what
2. Make a list of 3-7 things that you would comprimise for (I'd give up an extra bathroom if I had a washer dryer).
3. Bring photos of your pets to viewings - i had 3 pix of my cats with me - helped potential landlords see that my cats meant a lot to me and that they were a part of my family and I was responsible and took good care of them.
4. Never get forced by an agent during an open house to get involved in a "bidding war" where they want you to overbid on the apartment - total scam and it's never worth it.
5. Craigslist is helpful but limited. People, whether intentionally or not, make their listings very misleading - a lease is really a sublease, secure parking means that the street is "safe", a bedroom is really an office is really a 3 x 2 nook.
6. www.propertyshark.com is VERY helpful - even if it's just to be nosy about what the owner's paid for the place.
7. I also always googled the address of apartments I was interested in if possible before viewing - helps when you can know before hand there's a motorcycle repair shop next door, or that there's a lawsuit, etc.

I currently live in Pacific Heights in a pretty bland building that doesn't allow pets (but has at least one dog and one cat living in other apartments in the building regardless). For pet-friendliness, I'd recommend my old neighborhood--Upper Haight/Ashbury Heights/Cole Valley, although the actual location is critical. As one person noted, busy intersections and gatherings of homeless people don't make for a peaceful spot. I lived on Waller Street near Masonic for five years, and it was a fantastic spot for my rather active retriever, not to mention that my building was terrific. Anywhere around there, you're close to Buena Vista Park, the Panhandle, and Golden Gate Park, so there are dog walking, running & socializing opportunities galore.

Finding a dog-friendly apartment was really tough, although it was '99, so finding ANY apartment was tough. As a couple of people have mentioned, the dog resume and personal interaction made a huge difference. It makes it tougher for landlords to dismiss you as a generic destructive dog owner. I can never figure out who those destructive pet owners are, but apparently they're out there.

We're moving (reluctantly and with a heavy heart) to the peninsula soon, to shorten my commute and get more space before baby #2 arrives. Anyone with suggestions on finding architecturally interesting and pet-friendly housing down there, please pass them on!

Middle/Outer Sunset has been my home since I moved out to California 9 years ago. It took me almost 3 years to get used to the seasonal fog, but now I love it. It adds a bit of mystique to my walk home or while I'm out running on Ocean Beach.

I love the view of the ocean from my block, I love the view of the ocean from the park next to me, I love the view of the ocean everytime I drive back to my place. Granted Ocean Beach is not the most beautiful or cleanest beach out there in the world, but it's our beach and I love the fact that I'm so close to it. I love that I'm next to Golden Gate Park, next to the Inner Sunset, near the ocean, near so much greenery, near several MUNI lines and near so many restaurants. Parking is so much easier out here. Peace and quiet is so much more abundant out here. And did I mention I love the view of the ocean from here?

hi all. i've been an avid ny apartment therapy reader since aprrox 2004. this thread has been so timely and exciting for me since in a few weeks i'm putting my philadelphia house on the market and making the move to an apartment in the bay area with my 10lb terrier mix pepper. i'm lucky to have lots of flexiblity regarding timing, neighborhood and size of apartment. my first love is pacific heights but from all your descriptions i know there are endless possibilities. i'm a youthful 50 yr old and looking for a quiet safe and beautiful place in a neighborhood with a mix of all ages; lifestyles; backgrounds etc. singles and families with young children. shops and restaurants would be great but not as important as just the right vibe. i feel like i have a community of friends already in all the sf apartment therapy readers. if anyone knows of a place coming available anytime after say mid november i'd so love to hear about them. thanks everyone. i'll probably post this again on a future open thread. obi

I recently moved to Glen Park from the Mission. We're saving to buy and our rent is $500/month less, but I'm not really digging Glen Park. Compared to the Mission or the Lower Haight (another former 'hood of mine), it just feels so suburban. There aren't as many people out and about and while there is a little cluster of shops, they don't seem to draw a whole lot of business.

We'll be looking to head back to the Mission when we buy.

I am moving back to the city (Pacific Heights) after 3 horrible years in SJ!! I lived in SF for 15 yrs Marina/Russian Hill/Pacific Heights.

I love Pacific Heights location to stores, Union St and the Marina. The views are great.

It's a safe neighborhood

The cons are: parking! and some snobby people

Miraloma Park!

I checked Western Addition/Hayes Valley/Civic Center, since there is no option for Alamo Square. I've been told by my boyfriend that I actually live on Hayes Valley, altough I'm on top of Hayes hill and not really on the valley. It is a very interesting neighborhood, feels at the crossroads of several other neighborhoods that have their own special vibe and flavor. The Cons: Street noise!! The bay to brakers race goes right in front of my building. Buses (The 21 Hayes) do run at all times...but I've gotten used to the building shaking. Also, the drug activity down by Webster street can be noisy, however I've always felt very safe here. One more thing: There is absolutely NO parking!! Pros: You dont' actually need a car. Restaurants on Hayes Valley are just four blocks down on Hayes Street (Citizen Cake, Suppenkuche) as well as many cute shops and boutiques. Up Hayes by Stainer there's the very dog friendly park that a friend once referred to as "Doggy toilet". This park (Alamo Square) has been featured in many films and TV series. Turists asks me where the "Full House" house is all the time!!! The Fillmore and Japantown are just a ride away on the 22 Fillmore Muni line, also referred to as the 22 Fellini by another friend since there is always drama on that bus. Let's see...and there's the Haight four blocks down on the opposite direction and Market/Church for the Muni Underground. Not bad, very centric also for grocery shopping.

Bernal Heights.
Pros: Sunny, quiet streets, great views, friendly neighborhood vibe, lots of good inexpensive restaurants, convenient stores/services on Mission St., walkable to BART (from my home in NW Bernal-- makes for very quick travel downtown).
Cons: Not particularly central/convenient to some other neighborhoods without a car. Local Safeway is the worst in SF.