The Best Areas to Stay in San Francisco for a First Time Visitor

SOMA is probably the cheapest area to stay in central San Francisco.

SOMA is an acronym for South of Market (Street), and covers a large area of the city’s urban grid south of its main street.

It is a lively nightlife and dining area, with plenty of things to do both day and night.

It may not be not the prettiest neighborhood from an esthetic point of view, but it certainly compensates with its central location, close to the metro and trams and some of the cheapest hotel rates in town.

The surroundings of Union Square are undoubtedly a fairly interesting area in which to choose a place to stay in San Francisco.

This is the most popular commercial district of the city, but also an area of great cultural and historical symbolism in which many solemn acts and celebrations are held.

Union Square is a public square bounded by Geary, Powell, Post and Stockton Streets. Its name extends to the entire commercial, hotel and theater district that surrounds it.

This shopping quarter contains a wealth of shops of all kinds, boutiques, gift shops, art galleries and beauty salons. Union Square has some of the largest department stores in United States and stores of the most select brands.

The hotels in this coveted area are among the most exclusive in the city.

Tenderloin is one of the most central areas of San Francisco.

Located north of Market Street and next to the Downtown area. It is one of the commercial districts of the city, with an abundance of shops, as well as restaurants, bars and trendy nightclubs.

In this area it is possible to find many cheap hotels (by city standards), which makes it one of the best areas to stay in San Francisco from a budget point of view, although it is not the most attractive quarter in town.

Somewhat further from the city center, but equally interesting, the North Beach neighborhood is avery interesting area to stay in San Francisco.

This neighborhood is touristy but pleasant, especially in summer (in winter it empties and loses most of its nightlife).

Fisherman’s Wharf offers plenty of fun leisure opportunities and activities: museums, parks, attractions. The famous open mall Pier 39, is a prime tourist attraction and offers activities of all kinds as well as shopping.

It is the ideal place to try seafood and the famous San Franciscan clams and crab. At Fisherman’s Wharf there are many restaurants and food stalls. And sea lions dozing on the dock!

The neighborhood is very well connected to the city center and is undoubtedly one of the top areas of San Francisco.

If your trip to San Francisco is on business, you can do much worse than staying in the Financial District.

The Financial District is essentially that, a quarter dedicated to business, with spectacular skyscrapers, luxurious offices, banks, insurance companies, big law firms and the headquarters of many large and important companies from San Francisco and the world over.

It is also a political center: in the Financial District there are several diplomatic missions from various countries.

But it’s not all business and money in the Financial District. The neighborhood also has nice parks and squares and good places to walk and eat. And it is perfectly connected to the rest of the city.

San Francisco is a city famous for its rebellious spirit and open attitude. The Castro neighborhood has played a leading role in the conquest of social rights and sexual freedom in California, the United States and the world.

It is a historic neighborhood in the struggle for the rights of the LGBT community, which have made it their favorite place to live and visit. Because of this background, most of Castro’s tourism options are related to the LGBT community and the history of gay rights activism.

It is a major destination for the LGBT community and its allies throughout the world, who in the Castro find an open and friendly atmosphere: cafes, clothing and fashion stores, theaters, shows … And all exceptionally colorful, cared for and with love for detail and esthetics.

Read more about the Castro.

If the Castro is the cradle of LGBT activism, Haight-Ashbury is famous for its role in the origin of the hippie counterculture. This was the hub of this movement in the 60s and 70s and, despite its inevitable transformation into a touristy destination, it still retains the spirit of the Summer of Love, its attitude and its principles. Before that, in the 50’s, it was the main area for the beatnik movement and where Beat Generation writers (Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouak and William Burroughs, among others) wrote and exposed their work.

Haight-Ashbury offers a slice of history in which you can stay. Here you will live counterculture, pacifist and feminist movements, art and music.