Gold In Peace, Iron In War
Rebuilding itself again and again after devastating fires and earthquakes, it’s no wonder this golden city’s motto is “Gold in Peace, Iron in War.” Chockfull of history and cable cars, fine dining, spectacular views, a bustling financial district…it’s difficult to describe it when space is limited. While we intend to cover the Bay Area in more depth in the future, here’s a little primer on San Francisco neighborhoods. San Francisco Realtors divide their city into 10 districts:

Central West residents have easy access to Gold Gate and Golden Gate Heights parks and Ocean Beach. One popular neighborhood is Golden Gate Heights with its panoramic ocean views.

The Southwest District is home to the San Francisco Zoo, Pine Lake and Harding parks, Stern Grove, Harding Park Municipal Golf Course, and Lake Merced. One popular neighborhood is Ingleside, which enjoys more sunshine than the rest of the city.

The Twin Peaks West District includes Mt. Davidson and Glen Canyon Park. Among many popular neighborhoods is Sherwood Forest, on the southwesterly slope of Mt. Davidson. It is characterized by large ranch-style homes and groves of eucalyptus, cypress, and pine trees.

Central residents enjoy Buena Vista and Mission Dolores parks. Its most famous neighborhood is Haight Ashbury, internationally known for its 1960s flair.

Central North includes Alamo and Jefferson squares. It’s most famous for its picture-perfect row of Victorians on Alamo Square.

The Northeast District includes downtown San Francisco and the Financial District. Its Russian Hill neighborhood is home to world-famous perilously twisted—and fun!—Lombard Street.

Central East includes Franklin Square, Holly and McKinley parks and Yerba Buena Gardens. A favorite neighborhood is quiet Bernal Heights with its pastel-covered houses.

Southeast includes Balboa and McLaren parks as well as Candlestick Point State Recreation Area. Among other neighborhoods is Bayview/Hunters Point, a working-class area.

While the median price for a single-family home in San Francisco is $1,832,800, you can, of course, pay more. In fact, a spectacular Pacific Heights mansion was sold early in 2005 for the highest price ever paid for a publicly listed resident in San Francisco history, according to Steven Mavromihalis and Gilbert Fleitas, the listing agents with Pacific Union GMAC Real Estate. Although the sale price cannot be disclosed because of the contract, the agents will confirm that the list price was $29,950,000. For the past 20 years, 2920 Broadway had been the home of Reuben and Ingrid Hills of the Hills Bros. coffee family.