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Jackson Street is a residential neighborhood with very nice houses. There is not too much of a hill except for a block or two so there are many people going on jogs. The 3 Jackson is a great bus that runs on this street. It is almost always clean and quiet though it can get crowded during rush hours. There also can be slow traffic during rush hours since there are a few private schools on this street, including San Francisco University High School. Therefore there are many parents dropping off their kids for school. However, this is a great neighborhood for families with kids since there are many great private schools for a variety of ages nearby. Plus, there is Alta Plaza Park for younger kids to play or to play with the dog.

Stockton Street between Market and Sutter Street is another main street near Union Square (Powell Street being the other). However, this street holds more designer stores like Nemus Marcus, Gucci, etc. There is also the Apple Store which is always busy. It is sometimes fun just to go into the store because the interior design is pretty cool. The bus lines that run on Stockton include the 30 Stockton, 45 Union, and 9/9x. However, I will warn that these buses can be quite crowded since they go through Chinatown where many people get on. I just walk along Stockton instead of taking the bus. I also sometimes prefer walking on Stockton instead of Powell because it does not have as many shoppers and tourists.

Powell Street is one of the main streets near Union Square where there are many tourists, business people, and shoppers. There are many stores for teenage shoppers that are not too expensive such as H&M, Forever 21, and Urban Outfitters. There is also Sephora where women can stock up on their makeup and DSW Shoes which is a huge shoe store. This street also has many places to get food such as Blondie’s Pizza. There are a few cable car lines that run on Powell which are very cool to see and ride (though it’s $5 a ride). Powell also leads to the San Francisco Westfield Mall which is huge and a bit overwhelming. I can easily spend an entire day at that mall.

Sacramento Street between Divisadero St. and Presidio Ave. is mostly a quiet neighborhood. There is the public library which is small but is a nice, quiet place to work. There is also a few boutiques and cafes, my favorite café being Café Luna which is a little pass Presidio Ave. There is also a small, nice theatre called the Vogue which shows one or two new movies for a reasonable price. There is also SF University High School which has a building so there will be occasionally a flock of students walking to and from class. Nearby bus lines include the 43 Masonic, 1 California, 2 Clement, 3 Jackson, and 4 Sutter so it is a very convenient spot for buses.

Washington Street between Divisadero St. and Presidio Ave. is a very quiet residential neighborhood. The homes are very nice and the streets are clean. There are many good schools nearby, including SF University High School. Except for the traffic in the morning and afternoon when the students are being picked up, there is not much traffic. There is also Alta Plaza Park which is very nice with a playground, tennis courts, and a huge grass area. Many people like to bring their dogs there as well. I will say that it does not have any direct bus lines but the 3 Jackson, which is a very nice though infrequent bus, runs nearby as does the 1 California and 43 Masonic a couple of blocks away.

California Street around Laurel Village is a great spot. Since there are a few schools nearby, the students will flock here during their lunch breaks. There are some good places to eat. I recommend Café LoCubano which has sweet coffee and some delicious pastries. Rigolos is also a good place for lunch. Of course, there are also your standard Noah’s Bagels, Starbucks, and Jamba Juice. It is a very safe neighborhood and easily accessible on public transportation. The 1 California line comes very often but is also very crowded, especially during rush hours. Luckily, you can also take the 2 Clement and 4 Sutter lines.

Grant Street between Sutter St. and Broadway St. is one of the main streets of San Francisco’s famous Chinatown. There are many small shops selling a variety of things for a very cheap price. It is a great place to spend an afternoon with friends or family, though there is a slight hill. There are some delicious bakeries but only if you like Chinese baked goods. Other than the bakeries, I would not say that the food is the best quality but there are a few restaurants that are nicer. I also will warn against the crowdedness that can sometime occur.

Irving Street does not have much happening for me. I tried walking around there with my friend but we couldn’t find anything to do after about three hours. We ate a lot. There are excellent Japanese restaurants which are hard to get into and are expensive but so delicious. One of my favorites is called Ten. There are also some cute mom and pop stationary stores and other cute stores. The N Judah line runs right down this street and will quickly take you right to downtown San Francisco. Another plus of this neighborhood is that it is near UCSF medical center which is an excellent hospital.

San Francisco’s hippie Haight Street remains as one of the most attractive places in the city, especially for teenagers. With its collection of unique stores, you can find many one-of-a-kind items if you want to stand out from the crowd. There are many second-hand stores which sell modern clothes and ones that sell old-fashion clothes. There is also a fair number of shoe stores and jewelry stores. My favorite place for jewelry is the Tibetan store which has Tibetan jewelry. There is also Amoeba’s Music Store which sells used CDs of fairly modern music. It also has oldies and world music. This is definitely one of my favorite places to hang out.

Van Ness Avenue is one of the major streets in San Francisco. There are so many cars at all times. There are a few homeless people begging but there are usually so many people on this street that it is pretty safe in the daytime. There are variety of stores but no real nice place to eat. Of course, they do have Mel’s Dinner and Max’s which are a little bit better than fast food but is not the best. Of course, there is the AMC 1000 which is a great movie theatre. However, it is a little expensive and they only have student discounts on a certain day of the week. You, of course, also run into City Hall which is a nice building but has homeless people hanging around.

One of the handiest stores on Polk Street is Lombardi’s Sports which is the one of the most convenient, though not necessarily the cheapest sports store. As you walk down toward the Tenderloin, Polk Street gets dirtier. There are some decent restaurants and bars. It has a fair share of questionable people and the buildings do not look that sanitary but there is no real danger during the day. I would say not to go past Post Street, especially at night. Plus, if the 19 Polk bus line is one of my least favorite because it is usually dirty, loud, and crowded. However, if you walk toward the Marina instead, Polk Street is actually a pretty nice neighborhood with some cute places to eat.

Hayes Valley, particularly Hayes Street, has improved a lot. There are now many good restaurants and, my favorite, a chocolate store on the corner of Hayes and Gough called Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolates. It has very unique chocolates that are delicious but a bit expensive. I recommend just a visit to see the crazy flavors and I highly recommend the five spice hot chocolate. Hayes Street also now has many cute boutiques with unique clothes. My favorite is called Ethans which is on Hayes near Octavia. They have unique clothes for a reasonable price. Overall, the vibe of this neighborhood is fresh and unique with all the different food places, clothing stores, and galleries. I spent a good day there just walking around with my friends.

Octavia Street between Sutter Street and Jackson Street is a mix of homes, churches, and a high school with a park smack in the middle. La Fayette Park is nice park for a jog or walk with a small playground but I would not go in it at night. There is the Buddhist Church as well as Stuart Hall High School for boys. It is not very noisy overall though. It is on quite a hill though, but what can you expect in San Francisco. This would be a great place for families to live, especially those who want to send their children to private schools since there are many private schools within a 20 minute drive.

Fillmore Street between Sutter Street and Jackson Street is a very busy street, especially on the weekends. There are so many different clothing stores, food places, even a small theatre. I would get to Fillmore and find a place for lunch, or brunch. Then I would find a place for desert, my favorite desert place is Tango Gelato which has many different flavors. It also has free Wi-fi so I sometimes do my work there. There are many other places where people can do that too. After, to walk off that gelato, I would shop around and look at the different clothing stores. If I get bored, I could always see what movie is playing at the Clay theatre. Finally, I would find another place for dinner. Fillmore is a great place to hang out with friends or to do work since there are many cafes. But be warned, it is a little bit of a hill. All the better to walk off that gelato though.

Buchanan Street between Sutter Street and Jackson Street is a mostly residential neighborhood. There are many nice houses and is fairly quiet. However, it is on quite a hill. It has a delicious Thai restaurant called Jitlada which has the best peanut sauce for the chicken satee. It also leads right to Japantown which has many different Asian foods that are worth a try. On the corner of Buchanan and Sutter Street, there is a café which has the best homemade moche in the city. There is also a restaurant called Doobu Tofu which is a very good Korean restaurant. Therefore, if you can manage the walk up the hill, Buchanan is a very convenient place to get great Asian foods.

Post Street between Fillmore and Van Ness Avenue does not have many houses, mostly businesses. It does cut directly through Japantown which has many different, delicious Asian foods and cute stores. Japantown is a great place to spend a day. I usually go to a café in Japantown to get a latte and do work. There is also the Kabuki theatre which was recently redone to be very nice and environmentally-friendly. However, this means that it is now a little more expensive. I would not go much pass the Kabuki since it borders the Western Addition (a not-very clean neighborhood). It still is safe but some of the homeless people wander around late at night.

Post Street between Fillmore and Van Ness Avenue does not have many houses, mostly businesses. It does cut directly through Japantown which has many different, delicious Asian foods and cute stores. Japantown is a great place to spend a day. I usually go to a café in Japantown to get a latte and do work. There is also the Kabuki theatre which was recently redone to be very nice and environmentally-friendly. However, this means that it is now a little more expensive. I would not go much pass the Kabuki since it borders the Western Addition (a not-very clean neighborhood). It still is safe but some of the homeless people wander around late at night.

Bush Street between Fillmore Street and Van Ness Avenue is a nice, calm residential neighborhood with very nice houses. It does get a little busy during rush hour though. It is only a short walk from Japantown where there is great Asian food and Fillmore Street where there are cute boutiques and restaurants. It is also close to many bus lines and downtown is also only a twenty minute walk or ten minute drive. There is also La Fayette Park about two blocks away which is nice to take the kids during the day. The restaurant Quince is also on the corner which is an expensive but delicious place to do for a romantic dinner after the kids are asleep. This street is also my favorite place to trick-of-treat on Halloween when I was little so it’s a great place for families. However, it is a little hilly.

Sutter Street between Fillmore Street and Van Ness Avenue is a very calm, mostly residential neighborhood with many senior homes. There is very little traffic except for Van Ness Ave., Gough Street (which leads to the highway) and Fillmore Street. Overall it is pretty quite for those who do not like loud noises in the morning. It is also located a twenty minute walk form downtown, far enough to escape the traffic and rush but close enough for a nice walk. The 2 Clement, 3 Jackson, and 4 Sutter bus lines all run on this street, providing easy transportation from downtown San Francisco to the other end of the city. It is also very safe, although at night there are occasional drunks walking by since it is at the border of Pacific Heights (a very well-off neighborhood) and the Western Addition (a not-very clean neighborhood).