San Francisco, in the US state of California, has both major, well-known neighborhoods and districts as well as smaller, specific subsections and developments. While there is considerable fluidity among the sources, one guidebook identifies five major districts, corresponding to the four quadrants plus a south central district. These five broad districts, counterclockwise are: Central/downtown, Richmond, Sunset, Upper Market and beyond (south central) and Bernal Heights/Bayview and beyond (southeast). Within each of these five districts are located major neighborhoods, and again there is considerable fluidity seen in the sources. The San Francisco Planning Department officially identifies 36 neighborhoods. Within these 36 official neighborhoods are a large number of minor districts, some of which are historical, and some of which are overlapping.^{[citation needed]}Some of San Francisco's neighborhoods are also officially designated as "cultural districts".^{[citation needed]}

In addition to official neighborhood designations, broader regional terms such as the West Side are widely used by local media, residents, and city agencies. The term typically refers to areas west of Twin Peaks, including the Richmond and Sunset districts and surrounding neighborhoods. This region is generally more residential and less densely developed than the eastern side of the city, which contains most of San Francisco’s commercial core and older urban infrastructure.

Alamo Square is a subset of the Western Addition neighborhood. Its boundaries are not well-defined, but are generally considered to be Webster Street on the east, Golden Gate Avenue on the north, Divisadero Street on the west, and Oak Street on the south. It is characterized by Victorian architecture that was left largely untouched by the urban renewal projects in other parts of the Western Addition. On a clear day, the Transamerica Pyramid building and the tops of the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge can be seen from the park's center. San Francisco's City Hall can be seen directly down Fulton Street. A row of Victorian houses facing the park on Steiner Street, known as the painted ladies, are often shown in the foreground of panoramic pictures of the city's downtown area.^{[citation needed]}

Ashbury Heights is a neighborhood on the hill to the south of the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. It is at the base of Tank Hill and neighboring Cole Valley.^{[citation needed]}

Balboa Terrace is a small residential neighborhood in southwestern San Francisco bounded by Junipero Serra Boulevard, Monterey Boulevard, Aptos Avenue and Ocean Avenue along the southern edge of the exclusive St. Francis Wood development.^{[citation needed]}

The Bayview stretches along Third Street south of Evans Avenue, west of the Hunters Point neighborhood. The neighborhood library was recently renamed the Linda Brooks-Burton Branch Library after a new and larger building was constructed at the same location on Third Street and Revere. Within a block or two of the library are three urban gardens and public art projects, developed entirely by residents, known as the Quesada Gardens Initiative (the Quesada Garden, Bridgeview Garden, and Latona Garden). The Bayview is known for its friendly and diverse residents, warm weather and inviting vistas, community gardens, independent businesses, artists' community, and rich history as an African American and working-class neighborhood. During the 1950s it was largely an Italian, Maltese and French Basque neighborhood, centered on St. Paul of the Shipwreck Church and the Maltese American Social Club, both on Oakdale Avenue. The Bayview district was known as "Butcher Town" because of the slaughterhouse on Third Street. The area is served by the T-Third light rail line, and is home to the Bayview Opera House and City College Evans and Southeast Campus. The area is undergoing rapid development as the City tries to meet the demands of population growth and corporate investors have revalued the relatively large amount of buildable land. Hunters Point Shipyard and Candlestick Park areas are primary centers of development in the neighborhood. Despite its diversity, residents have a long history of coming together to create change and protect neighborhood assets. The Bayview Footprints Network maintains the neighborhood's longest-running blog, and the San Francisco Bay View is the local newspaper. Hunters Point Shipyard, a former Superfund site, and a polluting power plant have been focal points for environmental activists. The neighborhood was highly organized during the Civil rights movement, led by social justice advocates such as Julia Commer, Osceola Washington, Ruth Williams, Rosie Williams, Elouise Westbrook, Essie Webb, Espanola Jackson, Shirley Jones, and Alex Pitcher. Sam Jordan, boxing champion and tavern owner, was the first African American to run for Mayor of San Francisco.

A small neighborhood near the Financial District, being the historical location of the French Quarter in San Francisco.^{[citation needed]}

Bernal Heights is a neighborhood perched on a hill in between the Mission district, Bayview, and the Portola district. The neighborhood is known for its community feeling and progressive vibe. The majority of the neighborhood is white, but there are significant Southern Italian, Latino and African American populations in the area as well. The main shopping area in Bernal Heights is Cortland Avenue, with a variety of storefronts that include a health food store, a community center, a yoga studio, bars, bakeries, and restaurants. Many of the quaint, hilly streets in the neighborhood are so narrow that two cars cannot pass in opposite directions without one car pulling over to the side of the road.^{[citation needed]}