I once heard that San Francisco is one of the three most geographically blessed metropolis in the world – and while I ’ve never researched the verity of that program line ( and am , you roll in the hay , unsure how to assert a claim like that ) , I really do believe it wholeheartedly . For a small city , SF packs a helluva passably poke : stray hills dotted with cunning and colourful household , unexpected ocean views , and artsy alley all make the urban center a tour guide ’s bona fide plastered dream . Hop in a gondola , design your Muni itinerary , and do n’t block your camera when visiting the city ’s prettiest street .

Lincoln Blvd heading south

The PresidioOK , you’re able to look north too . But if you ’re tired of the stunning Golden Gate Bridge position ( which reallyshouldbe impossible ) , take winding Lincoln Blvd south along the Presidio ’s edge for stunning view of the Pacific , Baker Beach , and China Beach . The road is often two lane and wooded with coastal cypress ; trail heads bristle , as do paths to beach admittance . If you take Lincoln northerly toward the Golden Gate Bridge , the road also snake through the quaint Presidio .

Folsom St – particularly at 24th St

The MissionAlthough Folsom St might not seem like much when you ’re cruising through on the 12 bus , this residential blockage is worth a closer look . marvelous , full trees – including some lovely weeping willows – line the street , backed by endearing , wooden Victorian homes . The whole stretchability of Folsom from fourteenth Street through the Mission and up to the base of Bernal Heights Park is groovy , too : featuring flock of mural , small family - have stage business , up - and - add up restaurants , and the increasingly rare sight of recollective - time Mission residents .

Balmy Alley at 24th St

The MissionAmong other things , the Mission is know for its gorgeous street art . duck’s egg into any alley , and chances are you ’ll find at least one wall painting … or at least some earnestly telling tags . Balmy Alley is home to a dozen or so colourful mural with political themes , many of which depict struggles in South and Central America . Some of my favourite are spell on gentrification , wealth / covetousness , and the chronicle of the neighborhood .

The Painted Ladies at Alamo Square

Steiner St between Fulton and HayesNo inclination of pretty streets is complete without the metropolis ’s famous Painted Ladies – the row of six priggish homes on the eastern side of Alamo Square . You ’ve check ‘ em in postcard , you ’ve seen ‘ em onFull House , so do yourself a favour and see them in genuine life – the picturesque aspect of business district from the hilly parking lot is not to be miss . The other stunning homes smother the park are well worth a stroll , too .

Lyon St

Pacific HeightsHere ’s one for your out - of - town guests . manoeuvre west along Broadway from Divisadero toward the Presidio , gape at the amazing homes on both sides , and break at the dead end on Lyon St. The Lyon Street Steps , which run down to the Marina , offer some of the most outstanding view in the city , and are also a smashing physical exertion ( the Son on the street is that there ’s almost 300 steps from top to bottom – and no , we did n’t consider ) .

Macondray Lane

Russian HillIf nearby Lombard St is too touristy for you , head to Leavenworth St and Union St and look for a grim - winder ingress to Macondray Lane . The wooded footer lane is just two blockage between Leavenworth St and Taylor St , with a set of step down to Taylor St. In add-on to cute cottages and gardens , there are great scene from the magnetic north to Alcatraz and the Bay .

Napier Lane off the Filbert St steps

Telegraph Hill Historic DistrictMovie buffs might pick out the name from the 1950s noir filmDark transit , starring Humphrey Bogart . After bunk San Quentin , Bogie mount the Filbert St step , wrapped in shaping OR bandage , and is taunted by a group of men below . What the film does n’t show you is the awesome maze of tiny nerve tract , artistic production - deco apartments , garden , and cabin - like homes on the hillside . It ’s a hike , but head up the stairs and pause midway to take a short walk down the wooden , planked sidewalk Napier Lane . Most of the home are Victorians from the mid-1800s , and are tuck aside behind gardens ; you’re able to also take in views from a good fortune of the Bay from this hillside retreat .

Twin Peaks Blvd

Diamond HeightsAlthough not the tallest spot in the city , Twin Peaks is the geographic midpoint of San Francisco , and is a must - visit for the purview alone . Twin Peaks Blvd wind around the two 925 ft hill for a ride that can be a bit scarey at night , but is utterly worth it for the Pacific , Golden Gate , Downtown and Bay views put up on this figure - eight bit of road .

John F Kennedy Dr

Golden Gate ParkPick a stretchiness , any stretch , of this common crosspiece and fence that it ’s the good – you ’d be hard entreat to find oneself someone who doubts you . JFK Dr winds all the way through the park from the Haight - Ashbury past the indoor garden of Flowers , de Young Museum , and Stow Lake , before hit Ocean Beach and the Great Highway . On more desolate roads , you could wonder at the fog slowly cringe through cypress and eucalyptus tree diagram , or keep your oculus peeled for bison in the bison field . The route is closed to traffic on the weekend , making this an fantabulous office for a wheel ride or stroll .

16th Ave, looking east

Inner Sunset / Golden Gate HeightsThe sixteenth Ave tile Steps are tucked off off Moraga St , at the pedestal of the gorgeous and outrageous Grand View Park . This colorful community of interests project is made of 163 separate venire created by different artists and volunteers . Go , take picture , and hoof it up the step to Grand View for a groovy windswept city vista .

Grant Ave between California and Jackson

ChinatownSan Francisco is home to the biggest Chinatown in the country . Once a sore touch in San Francisco ’s ( antiblack , xenophobic ) history , the domain is now celebrated for its unique computer architecture , workshop , restaurants , and bustle about Asian residential district . Grant Ave is admittedly touristy , but gloriously so . colourful , pagoda - trend building ( which are n’t anachronistically Formosan , but design to attract tourist decades ago ) and old neon sign line the street , which is overhung with Chinese lantern yr - circular .

O’Shaughnessy Blvd

Glen Park / Diamond HeightsJust a few block from the Glen Park BART post , you ’ll find the to a great extent wooded canyonland of Glen Park . As you take O’Shaughnessy northwest around Glen Canyon Park ( a lesser - known metropolis park you should totally chaffer ) , you ’ll feel like you ’re somewhere up northward , in the mountains , where trees overhang twine roads , and the urban center is far , far away .

Sargent St at Arch

InglesideThe home in this hilltop neighborhood do n’t compare with those in Pac Heights ’ Billionaires Row , but you could reason that the views are skilful . Looking east , you have unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean , while the view south to Ingleside is hilly and scatter with charming , multi - colored houses .

Castro St

CastroDon’t get hit by Muni at the fussy intersection of Castro St and Market St , where you could see Downtown , the alkali of Twin Peaks and the bustling Castro vicinity , marked by an enormous rainbow flag . Go at night and enjoy the colorful edifice lit in neon that run up and over the base of the Alfred Hawthorne . The Castro Theatre marquee , build in the late 1930s , towers above the neighborhood , is particularly gorgeous , and is almost always lit .

The Embarcadero

From Pier 35 south to AT&T ParkOK , this one is a gimme , but you ca n’t deny the beauty of San Francisco ’s bayside road . The Embarcadero has a something for everyone : the Ferry Building for shopping , the Hi Dive for beers , fancy restaurant for the moneyed , and the Exploratorium for the scientists . Take a stroll during the daylight and savor public art and citizenry watch over , or go out to Pier 14 at night to catch the Bay Bridge illumination .

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san francisco beautiful streets Lincoln Boulevard

Lincoln Boulevard|Flickr/Sandip Bhattacharya

lincoln boulevard

Lincoln Boulevard|Flickr/Sandip Bhattacharya

Bernal Heights Park

Bernal Heights Park|Flickr/Daniel Ramirez

Balmy Alley

Balmy Alley|Flickr/Sean Hoyer

painted ladies alamo square

The Painted Ladies at Alamo Square|Flickr/John Paster

lyon street

Lyon Street Steps|Flickr/dsleeter_2000

Macondray Lane

Macondray Lane|Flickr/Jeremy Rover

Napier Lane

Napier Lane|Flickr/Nina

twin peaks

Twin Peaks Boulevard|Flickr/Travis Wise

deyoung museum

DeYoung Museum on John F Kennedy Drive|Flickr/Harsh Light

16th avenue

16th Avenue|Flickr/rocor

Grant Avenue between California and Jackson

Grant Avenue between California and Jackson|Wikimedia/Supercarwaar

O’Shaughnessy Boulevard

O’Shaughnessy Boulevard|Flickr/James Gaither

the castro

Castro Street|Flickr/Thomas Hawk

embarcadero

The Embarcadero|telesniuk/Shuttertock