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Living in San Francisco

Cable cars are mostly for tourists, but the City by the Bay is easy to get around via BART, MUNI, and bus. Nob Hill and Pacific Heights have amazing views for a reason — those hills make San Francisco walkers stronger, but it’s still a great city for walking, no matter what your destination.

You can work in Silicon Valley at the tech giants — or at a smaller startup and still live in the city; it’s an easy commute via CalTrain. San Francisco has so much to offer — culture, art, and Golden Gate Park’s mash up of people. It's easy to live the walkable lifestyle in San Francisco.

Nearby San Francisco Apartments on Redfin

89 Walk Score of San Francisco, CA

San Francisco is Very Walkable

Most errands can be accomplished on foot.

Walk Score Map

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Photo of Sutro Baths in San Francisco

Sutro Baths

Photo of Presidio San Francisco in San Francisco

Presidio San Francisco

San Francisco is the most walkable large city in the US with 805,235 residents.

San Francisco has excellent public transportation and is very bikeable.

Find apartments in San Francisco's most walkable neighborhoods: Chinatown, Tenderloin and Polk Gulch.

San Francisco Apartments for Rent

San Francisco Neighborhoods

Rank

#

Name

Walk Score

Transit Score

Bike Score

Population

1 Chinatown 100 100 68 8,646
2 Tenderloin 100 100 91 21,848
3 Polk Gulch 100 85 78 5,096
4 North Beach 99 86 74 10,684
5 Japantown 99 81 83 3,118
6 Castro 99 89 75 2,219
7 Civic Center 99 100 98 3,237
8 Nob Hill 99 96 63 15,778
9 Lower Nob Hill 99 99 73 14,408
10 Mission Dolores 99 96 92 11,935
11 Union Street 99 76 73 5,279
12 Financial District 99 100 83 810
13 Mission District 99 86 97 39,206
14 Hayes Valley 99 94 86 4,663
15 Lower Haight 98 92 84 7,355
16 Duboce Triangle 98 93 89 4,733
17 Cathedral Hill 98 92 84 6,245
18 Russian Hill 98 84 68 14,083
19 Northern Waterfront 98 96 83 2,406
20 Cole Valley 97 70 81 2,366
21 Telegraph Hill 97 86 65 3,080
22 Alamo Square 97 82 81 3,067
23 Haight Ashbury 97 73 82 4,804
24 Lower Pacific Heights 97 74 81 6,145
25 Dolores Heights 97 85 73 9,675
26 Western Addition 97 81 91 15,059
27 South of Market 97 99 94 25,457
28 Pacific Heights 97 80 66 19,973
29 Panhandle 96 74 93 6,506
30 Inner Sunset 96 67 73 12,832
31 Fishermans Wharf 96 79 74 1,425
32 Laurel Heights-Jordan Park 96 70 79 3,778
33 Inner Richmond 95 70 87 24,154
34 Anza Vista 95 74 76 1,993
35 Cow Hollow 94 68 70 3,258
36 Corona Heights 94 84 65 2,011
37 Presidio Terrace 94 66 87 2,386
38 Aquatic Park-Fort Mason 94 78 76 849
39 Marina District 94 67 91 12,435
40 Noe Valley 94 75 75 13,193
41 Buena Vista 93 80 72 5,964
42 Rincon Hill 93 100 68 4,112
43 West Portal 93 73 64 3,756
44 West Portal Park 93 73 64 3,756
45 Eureka Valley 93 79 66 6,782
46 Bernal Heights 92 78 69 15,114
47 Lake Street 92 66 89 3,780
48 Presidio Heights 92 68 76 4,219
49 Lone Mountain 92 71 79 7,046
50 Holly Park 92 79 73 4,222
51 Ashbury Heights 91 72 66 3,072
52 Cayuga 91 89 62 6,761
53 Showplace Square 91 86 97 1,054
54 Potrero Hill 90 71 71 12,669
55 Outer Richmond 89 68 72 28,410
56 Peralta Heights 89 77 74 2,141
57 Fairmount 87 81 71 3,963
58 Silver Terrace 87 72 70 10,210
59 Stonestown 87 68 66 1,949
60 Mission Bay 87 83 93 6,576
61 Outer Mission 87 80 50 7,918
62 Mission Terrace 87 84 71 10,529
63 St. Francis Wood 86 72 64 1,317
64 Excelsior 86 79 55 19,839
65 Bayview 84 68 67 12,897
66 St. Marys Park 84 81 71 3,010
67 Westwood Park 84 77 68 2,103
68 Parnassus Heights 83 66 61 2,955
69 Parkside 83 62 61 18,299
70 Outer Sunset 83 57 77 53,301
71 Glen Park 83 80 66 3,218
72 Ingleside 83 78 54 10,250
73 Ingleside Terraces 82 70 66 1,999
74 Seacliff 81 61 82 1,768
75 Balboa Terrace 80 70 65 990
76 Portola 79 69 58 14,411
77 Merced Manor 79 64 74 2,731
78 Sunnyside 79 79 63 6,805
79 Sutro Heights 77 63 64 3,134
80 Golden Gate Heights 77 67 52 10,995
81 Parkmerced 77 64 65 10,161
82 Bret Harte 77 66 55 5,398
83 Crocker Amazon 76 71 36 13,710
84 Oceanview 76 84 48 9,031
85 Diamond Heights 76 68 59 3,020
86 Visitacion Valley 72 67 49 13,360
87 Sunnydale 69 62 44 4,107
88 Westwood Highlands 69 67 51 640
89 Upper Market 69 64 62 4,283
90 Laguna Honda 68 72 58 3,307
91 Forest Hill 68 72 53 2,069
92 Monterey Heights 66 68 50 1,000
93 Little Hollywood 64 68 54 1,705
94 Miraloma Park 62 66 53 4,558
95 Clarendon Heights 60 69 51 1,914
96 University Mound 56 67 48 4,694
97 Hunters Point 55 59 40 3,731
98 Sherwood Forest 53 66 40 1,663
99 McLaren Park 53 65 37 603
100 Forest Knolls 50 64 43 1,798
101 Midtown Terrace 49 69 43 1,699
102 Lakeshore 43 51 59 3,541
103 Candlestick Point State Recreation Area 41 64 38 1,230
104 Presidio National Park 40 54 63 3,276
105 Treasure Island 40 35 65 2,506

Average Home Features

According to HomeAdvisor Data, these characteristics make up the average home in San Francisco

Average square footage 1900
Homeowners have 2.9 bedrooms
Homeowners have 2.1 bathrooms
Age of home 48 years
Average time living in home 16 years

Check out HomeAdvisor’s San Francisco Home Happiness Survey.

Eating & Drinking

There are about 3,875 restaurants, bars and coffee shops in San Francisco.

People in San Francisco can walk to an average of 10 restaurants, bars and coffee shops in 5 minutes.

Photo of KEIKO à Nob Hill in San Francisco

KEIKO à Nob Hill

Photo of Sutro Baths in San Francisco

Sutro Baths

Restaurant Choices Map

= More Choices

thumbnail for Sutro BathsAwesome view of men fishing on the rocks off of the Sutro Baths. It's an amazing site to see these guys on these rocks because they are completely surrounded by ocean water. #SutroBaths, #SanFrancisco, #fishing, #PacificOcean

Norma and Kyle - BLU DOT Realty Group
on Sutro Baths

77 Transit Score of San Francisco, CA

San Francisco has Excellent Transit

Transit is convenient for most trips. Find San Francisco apartments for rent on Redfin.

Public Transit Routes

San Francisco has excellent public transportation and about 3 cable car, 99 bus, 5 rail, 5 light rail, 8 subway and 9 ferry lines.

Transit Time

The map above shows how far you can travel in 30 minutes from San Francisco on public transit.

Neighborhood Guides

Thinking of renting an apartment or buying in San Francisco? Ask our neighborhood guides a question.

Photo of Billy Goat Hill Park in San Francisco

Billy Goat Hill Park

Photo of Adam Rodgers Park in San Francisco

Adam Rodgers Park

Photo of Bayview Park in San Francisco

Bayview Park

Norma and Kyle - BLU DOT Realty Group

Burbank, Ca is awesome & that's why it’s all about promoting & sharing this great city and state. We live, love and sell California. So reach out & let us know how we can help you learn more about our wonderful & beautiful State of California. There’s no better choice then Cali, & Burbank - The Media Capital of The World. We're here to help you experience all that is Burbank, Ca. and our wonderful state.

Ask Norma about San Francisco

http://www.BLUDOTRealtyGroup.com »

Photo of Sutro Baths in San Francisco

Sutro Baths

Photo of Presidio San Francisco in San Francisco

Presidio San Francisco

Photo of 39 Pier 39 Concourse in San Francisco

39 Pier 39 Concourse

72 Bike Score of San Francisco, CA

San Francisco is Very Bikeable

Biking is convenient for most trips.

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Bike
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What's It Like to Live in San Francisco?

Photo of 39 Pier 39 Concourse in San Francisco

39 Pier 39 Concourse

Photo of Billy Goat Hill Park in San Francisco

Billy Goat Hill Park

Photo of Dianne Feinstein Elementary School in San Francisco

Dianne Feinstein Elementary School

Photo of McCoppin Square in San Francisco

McCoppin Square

Overview

San Francisco is, simply put, a beautiful city. There are hilltop views, that red-orange bridge spanning the Bay, foggy coastline, parks full of big trees and world class museums, vibrant, diverse neighborhoods… if the fates have decided you are to live in San Francisco, you are lucky indeed.

The city is located at the top of a peninsula that’s bordered on one side by the San Francisco Bay and on the other by the Pacific Ocean. The Golden Gate Bridge crosses the water to the north into Marin County, the Bay Bridge goes east to Oakland. All that nearby water is partly to blame for San Francisco’s famous fog and their cold days in August, but when the sun is shining in the city, there’s hardly a better place to be.

Culturally, San Francisco is a terrific mix of communities. There are large Hispanic and Asian communities – the oldest Chinatown in North America is in San Francisco. As you’d expect in a city that’s historically significant in the struggle for gay rights, there’s a big LGBT population as well.

San Francisco is a hub for high tech jobs -- Airbnb is here, Craigslist, Twitter, Yelp, and dozens of other new media giants. Wells Fargo Bank has their headquarters here, as does film and special effects icon Industrial Light and Magic. The well respected environmental group, The Sierra Club has offices in San Francisco, and microloan company Kiva. Startups appear on the San Francisco skyline on a regular basis, attracted by the cities smart residents, proximity to Stanford and Berkeley universities, and because San Francisco is a great place to live. Be aware, though, all this interest in San Francisco has driven up real estate prices – for buyers and renters – and affordable apartments in the city are becoming harder to find.

That said, you’d be hard pressed to find a place in San Francisco that doesn’t have everything you need within walking distance – shopping, restaurants, great cafes and bars, and public transit. You’ll find a walkable life in San Francisco is very easy to achieve.

Photo of Adam Rodgers Park in San Francisco

Adam Rodgers Park

Photo of Bayview Park in San Francisco

Bayview Park

Getting Around

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is the greater Bay Area’s commuter rail system; it runs under much of San Francisco, out to the East Bay, and south to the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). CalTrain is popular with 49er’s fans because there’s a stop near the stadium, but the train runs regular service all the way down the peninsula to Gilroy, with stops in San Jose, Palo Alto, San Bruno (for airport connections) and lots of places in-between. MUNI runs streetcars and bus service – they’ve got some classic trolleys in their fleet that are real head-turners. MUNI is also responsible for the city’s famous cable cars. There’s ferry service to Oakland, Alameda, Vallejo, and a few other stops around the Bay.

It takes a sturdy pair of legs to commute by bicycle in this hilly city, but there are bike routes all around the city. The route map, published by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, includes information about how steep, exactly, that hill is, so you can plan your ride accordingly.

The city participates in Bay Area Bike Share; there are more than two dozen bike share stations mostly in neighborhoods where the hills aren’t quite so challenging.

There are car share services too – ZipCar, Turo, Getaround, all operate in San Francisco. Given that you’ll probably have to pay extra for parking in San Francisco, and that it’s almost always a challenge to find a spot, you may find that joining a car share beats out owing a car.

And San Francisco proper – while very dense – is simply not that big. Committed pedestrians are likely to find that they’re happy to walk everywhere they go.

thumbnail for Presidio San FranciscoThis is the view from the Golden Gate Bridge. The Presidio of San Francisco is a park and former military base on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco. It has 1480 acres and more than 500 historic buildings. This is the view from the Golden Gate Bridge. Nice open spaces, the park is dog friendly, perfect place for a picnic and just getting away from it all. #SanFrancisco, #PresidioPark, #Parks, #MilitaryFort, #Walking, #Jogging, #Nature, #Picnics, #HistoricalBuildings, #Museum

Norma and Kyle - BLU DOT Realty Group
on Presidio San Francisco

Neighborhoods

With so much new development in San Francisco, nearly every neighborhood in the city is a great place to live.

SOMA (South of Market) near the CalTrain station used to be gritty warehouses and a few edgy bars; now many of those warehouses have been converted into loft style apartments and condos. There are lots of studios here, and some larger one and two bedroom units, some of them have done cool up-cycling with the materials, like refinishing the original timber floors or sandblasting the exposed brick. There are now major chain supermarkets in SOMA, too, so residents needn’t go far for the basics.

Nob Hill and Russian Hill have long been two of the city’s swankiest neighborhoods. Here you’ll find classic Victorians that have been divided into apartments without compromising on the architecture details. Some of them are larger units with three and four bedrooms, hardwood floors, leaded glass windows, built in cabinets, but they’ll also have completely modern kitchens with brand new appliances. There is no need to sacrifice on walkability here, you’re never more than a few minutes from a bus stop or market.

Photo of Bayview Park in San Francisco

Bayview Park

Photo of Saint Paul's Catholic Church in San Francisco

Saint Paul's Catholic Church

Photo of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco

Grace Cathedral

Photo of Java Beach Cafe in San Francisco

Java Beach Cafe

The Castro is the nexus for San Francisco’s gay community and it’s also seeing lots of development. There are some attractive old row houses here, three story walkups. Nearby Haight Ashbury has similar housing, classic style walkups with bay windows that face the street, rooms divided with pocket doors, and plenty of great street life right outside your front door. The Mission district used to be considered not such a great place to live, but now there are brand new luxury condos on Delores Street, and you’re never far from a place that serves up the famous Mission burrito.

And that’s just a few of the better known city neighborhoods. Sunset has great ocean facing views, Pacific Heights has more of those gorgeous San Francisco style homes, North Beach is full of delicious Italian restaurants and home to one of the world’s best book stores, City Lights… it’s hard to go wrong when picking a neighborhood in San Francisco.

Find great apartments in San Francisco on Walk Score and join the 57% of San Francisco residents that rent their homes. Bay area living is known for its eclectic vibe and job opportunities abound in this hot technology market. Whether you’re looking for a Nob Hill home, or an apartment in one of San Francisco's hippest neighborhoods.

Walk Score helps you find walkable San Francisco home rentals. Need more square footage, or one of the view apartments over San Francisco Bay? Search for cheap San Francisco studio apartments by commute time. Search for two bedroom apartments to rent near a BART line, or one bedroom apartments near a MUNI stop and find a happy commute to live and work in San Francisco.

thumbnail for 39 Pier 39 ConcourseThe sea lions camped out in PIER 39′s West Marina have been endearingly coined The PIER’s “Sea Lebrities.” The boisterous pinnipeds started arriving in droves in January 1990, shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. #Pier39, #SanFrancisco, #SoManyTimesToSeeInSanFrancisco, #WeLoveSanFrancisco

Norma and Kyle - BLU DOT Realty Group
on 39 Pier 39 Concourse

San Francisco is Talking About...

beer coffee movie bar china town food car drink play walk lunch dinner san fran california video team party breakfast pride eat

San Francisco is all about:

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Photo of Ocean Beach - Sloat Ave in San Francisco

Ocean Beach - Sloat Ave

Photo of Ocean Beach - Sloat Ave in San Francisco

Ocean Beach - Sloat Ave

thumbnail for Billy Goat Hill ParkThe famous (or infamous) Rope Swing of Billy Goat Hill Park. The initial 5 feet from the ground swing can easily turn into a 15-20+ foot drop. Not for faint of heart. But you can get really cool photos with the city background as you swing.

Alex Ballete
on Billy Goat Hill Park

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