Downtown / Financial District
From captains of the high seas to captains of industry, downtown has often been where people first began their San Francisco journey.
San Francisco's Financial District was once just your typical corporate center—albeit one with a gorgeous, wide promenade that led to stunning waterfront views. Now, however, the neighborhood is reshaping itself in ways that few ever imagined.
San Francisco's downtown might be where the most exciting change in the city is happening, evident in its regular block parties that draw thousands of attendees and global talent, its burgeoning new and local businesses, and a buzz of activity from the emerging industries already changing the world.
If you want to see San Francisco's innovative spirit in action, you need to spend time downtown!
Neighborhood Highlights
The Exploratorium on Pier 15 is one of the city’s favorite destinations for families. The beautifully renovated Ferry Building Marketplace is a foodie’s paradise, stocked with wine bars, cafes, innovative restaurants, fine food shops and a farmers’ market. True to its name, you also can catch ferries to the North and East Bay.
Area hotels include the Hyatt Regency, The Jay, The Harbor Court Hotel, The Palace Hotel, Club Quarters Embarcadero, and Hilton San Francisco Financial District.
Eat Your Way Through San Francisco’s Ferry Building
This is your guide to the delicious restaurants and speciality food retailers in San Francisco's Ferry Building.
Like a San Francisco Chef
Meet Chef Laurence Jossel from NOPA
Learn why Chef Laurence came to San Francisco all those years ago, why he still loves the city and what he loves about the Ferry Building Farmer's Market.
Trip Inspiration
From great bites to museums and attractions, here are some ideas to inspire your visit to San Francisco's Downtown / Financial District.
All Trip Ideas
Nothing pairs better with a delicious meal than a view of San Francisco's waterfront. Choose from these amazing restaurants that offer both!
A transit hub, historic landmark, and foodie mecca, San Francisco's Ferry Building should be on every visitor's list.
Our motto: there are a farmers' markets happening somewhere in the city. With fresh produce year-round and with farms nearby, it's farm-to-table every day.
Walk along San Francisco's waterfront for an eye-popping light art excursion.
Throughout the Financial District and along the Embarcadero, you'll find some of San Francisco's most awarded and in-demand restaurants.
This is your guide to the delicious restaurants and speciality food retailers in San Francisco's Ferry Building.
Looking for a dining experience that embodies classic San Francisco? Look no further than the Tadich Grill, the oldest restaurant in the city.
Whether you are making a trip to the Ferry Building or on another adventure elsewhere, the transportation routes from this location are...
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San Francisco Neighborhoods
Union Square
When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping in Union Square. Indeed, in a town with abundant citywide shopping, Union Square is the most renowned source of retail therapy.
Fisherman's Wharf
If there's one part of town that visitors — both first-timers and many-timers — equate with San Francisco, it's Fisherman's Wharf.
SoMa / Yerba Buena
In the 1970s, industry moved out and artists moved in. Now, SoMa has so much to experience, including the country's most beautiful ballpark.
North Beach
Old Italy, the New Deal, memories of Kerouac and the Beats and echoes of the waterfront Bohemianism meet of-the-moment eateries in North Beach.
Nob Hill
Those little cable cars that climb halfway to the stars in Tony Bennett’s “I Left My Heart in San Francisco’’ are climbing Nob Hill, the historic and iconic neighborhood of San Francisco.
Downtown / Financial District
From captains of the high seas to captains of industry, downtown has often been where people first began their San Francisco journey.
Civic Center
Museums and concert venues fill this stately neighborhood, full of striking architectural styles and wide pedestrian plazas.
Marina
Home to bars, boutiques, and bayside views, the Marina is where San Francisco's young people come to shop, dine, and mingle.
Japantown
San Francisco’s Japantown is the oldest in the U.S. From its famous Peace Pagoda to a variety of great eats, learn about this vibrant historic neighborhood.
Fillmore
A neighborhood full of music history, fine dining, and upscale shopping, The Fillmore packs more into a few city blocks than you can believe.
Mid-Market
A combination of enterprise zones, high tech, arts groups, retail, and restaurants, Mid-Market is witnessing a boom.
Chinatown
With its pagoda-style architecture, ornate lamp posts, exotic menus and other distinctive elements, a stop here can feel more like a trip abroad than a neighborhood stroll.
Bayview
Bayview is the sunniest neighborhood in San Francisco, home to 35,000 residents, nesting ospreys and some of the most urban, diverse sights and bites in the city.
Mission District
The Mission District is one of San Francisco’s most of-the-moment neighborhoods, packed with trend-setting boutiques, restaurants, and more.
Castro
Regardless of your sexual orientation, no trip to San Francisco is complete without a visit to the world-famous Castro District, one of the country's first gay Neighborhoods.
Haight-Ashbury
Start your Summer of Love experience on the corner of Haight and Ashbury streets, where 1960s flower power blossomed.
Sunset District
San Francisco's Sunset District is where the hustling innovators go for a slice of traditional California surfer style.
Richmond
The Richmond used to be San Francisco's best-kept secret—but the word is out! It may move at a slower pace, but the Richmond is not to be missed.
Treasure Island
This gem of an island offers a bustling urban winery scene, terrific music festivals, and photo ops of San Francisco's downtown skyline.