District 2: Central West

Inner Sunset rests just south of Golden Gate Park, where residents enjoy morning jogs and tourists visit the Japanese Tea Gardens. With its proximity to both San Francisco State and UC San Francisco, there is a large student population in this neighborhood. Locals enjoy the closeness to both Upper Haight and Ocean Beach, as well as shopping and dining in the Irving commercial corridor which is home to one of San Francisco’s hottest restaurants, Nopalito. Located between the Inner and Outer Sunset districts lies the Central Sunset, bound by 19th Avenue and Sunset Boulevard. Although mostly residential, there is a commercial strip along Irving Street between 19th and 27th Avenues comprised of small specialty shops, banks, bakeries, fast food, grocery stores and restaurants. Other shops, restaurants and martial arts gyms also speckle the neighborhood. The N-Judah makes commuting to and from Downtown easy, and Golden Gate Park is just a short walk from almost anywhere in the neighborhood. If you’re ever in the neighborhood on a Tuesday night, be sure not to miss The Taco Shop at Underdog’s Taco Tuesday—on any other day, try one of Marnee Thai’s Sunset locations.

The sleepy Sunset’s outermost, northwestern district, Outer Sunset, has a small beach town feel. This quiet and safe neighborhood is great for those who want to live in San Francisco without the “big city” feeling. Outer Sunset comes with perks like bordering Ocean Beach and Golden Gate Park, as well as plentiful parking and a general sense of safety. Residents of this neighborhood know why San Francisco is nicknamed “Fog City,” as it is located on the western edge of the fogbelt. When the persistent fog clears up though, it becomes clear how the Sunset District got its name. The Outer Sunset has seen somewhat of a renaissance in the past years, with hip restaurants, coffee shops, stores and parklets, like Outerlands, Trouble Coffee Company and Other Avenues, popping up along Judah, bringing in new life and energy to the neighborhood.