San Francisco luxury real estate is part neighborhood, part architecture, and part state of mind. Living in a world class city such as San Francisco is already a luxury. Our livable city offers easy access to the outdoors, clean air, beaches, mountains, walkability, and a hard to beat local, organic food scene. In fact, a recent study says San Francisco has the best quality of life of any American city! People from all over the world come to enjoy our parks, our museums, and our vibrant and eclectic neighborhoods. We pride ourselves on everything from our temperate climate to a vibe that welcomes everyone.
For the luxury home buyer, San Francisco offers everything from soaring feats of contemporary architecture to traditional homes in grand Victorian and Edwardian styles.
Here’s the best part: San Francisco luxury real estate isn’t restricted to a single neighborhood or part of town. Unlike some cities, which keep their more aristocratic enclaves apart from the city as a whole, San Francisco has always been a melting pot of people and styles, and you can find luxury homes almost anywhere you look. With so much to choose from, we at Danielle Lazier + Associates are sure to find the perfect piece of San Francisco luxury real estate for you.
Read on for an introduction to some of our favorite San Francisco neighborhoods!
As top real estate agents specializing in San Francisco luxury real estate, Danielle Lazier + Associates, in collaboration with COMPASS Real Estate San Francisco, we have identified some of the best neighborhoods for luxury homes. Of course luxury real estate can be found in all parts of the city, but below are a few of our favorite neighborhoods for living the luxe life:
Nestled in the hills of San Francisco, Noe Valley is an older neighborhood, rebuilt like much of the city in the years after the 1906 earthquake. However, the neighborhood still features many classic examples of Victorian and especially Edwardian architecture.
Noe Valley has the highest concentration of San Francisco’s iconic row houses of any neighborhood, and it has ready access to almost any part of the city and Silicon Valley, making for (relatively) comfortable commutes. With a median sale price of around $3.3 million, Noe Valley is home to many urban professionals with a love for the historic-meets-contemporary San Francisco aesthetic.
Bernal Heights, built on a hill of solid bedrock, is perhaps the most recently in-demand residential neighborhood in the city. Often described as feeling more like a village than a city neighborhood, Bernal Heights is something of a retreat from the bustle of city life. It’s the first choice for many homebuyers ready to settle down and start a family, but in recent years it’s also become popular in the luxury real estate market, especially on the northside where you’ll find breathtaking views, contemporary architecture, and a temperate climate. The area around Holly Park and the Cortland Corridor are quickly catching up with more multi-million dollar sales happening each year.
Luxury real estate in the Mission District tends to be a little more contemporary than some of the other neighborhoods on our list. The Mission District is also notable for its urban flair and its vibrant arts scene. A cultural center for San Francisco, the Mission, with its many art installations, murals, musical performances, and festivals, also boasts the warmest weather in the city! Sporting everything from upscale restaurants, bars, and venues to movie theaters, artspaces, and studios, the Mission is perfect for the luxury homebuyer who wants to keep their street cred.
The Mission Dolores was established by Spanish officials in 1776, and the beautiful Mission San Francisco de Asís, is San Francisco’s oldest building. Today’s Mission Dolores neighborhood combines traditional luxury with a vibrant social scene. Adjacent to the Guerrero/Valencia corridor, Mission Dolores is home to a number of trendy spots including world-renowned bakery, Tartine, and gourmet grocery, Bi-Rite and enjoys easy access to cafes, salons and shopping. And with less of the San Francisco fog, thanks to the sheltering hills to the west, Dolores Park is an urban getaway beloved by all. The area also boasts a robust arts scene with museums and theaters.
If Bernal is a village, Glen Park is a hamlet and a much smaller, quieter neighborhood than the others on our list. Glen Park’s luxury real estate comes in many varied shapes and sizes. Look closely, and you’ll discover striking homes nestled into the wooded hillside. It’s Marin in the City! Nature-lovers will appreciate Glen Canyon Park, which features one of the City’s only open creek and is great for everything from organized sports to rock climbing and animal-spotting. Not originally part of the intensive development phase that built much of the rest of the city, Glen Park has been built in many different styles, from traditional to uniquely modern, so you’re sure to find the home that’s right for you.
To the North of the city, nearer the North Bay, Pacific Heights is the quintessential luxury neighborhood with often breath-taking views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island to the North. A primarily residential district, built mostly in an impressive Victorian style, Pacific Heights’ Fillmore and Sacramento Streets also offer neighborhood amenities, upscale boutiques, and restaurants. Famed for its Billionaire’s Row, (formerly Millionaire’s!), Pacific Heights is the premier San Francisco address for timeless luxury real estate.
This neighborhood sits on the hill above its more-famous sister, the Haight, which has the distinction of being the generally-accepted birthplace of the “hippie” counterculture in North America in the 1960s. It’s also famed for its theatres and comedy clubs, including The Other Café which was pivotal in the 1980s comedy scene.
It’s been a luxury real estate center since its development around the turn of the 20th century, and it’s one of the few neighborhoods that was spared the devastation of the 1906 quake. If you’re looking to own a piece of history, Ashbury Heights is the place for you.
A smaller neighborhood in the heart of central San Francisco adjacent to Ashbury Heights, Cole Valley grew to prominence during the 1990s. As a luxury real estate center, Cole Valley is generally home to younger working professionals looking for tranquility, walkability and access to both downtown SF and Silicon Valley. With Golden Gate Park just to the north, and a classy business strip along Cole Street which boasts both neighborhood and destination restaurants and cafés, comfortable and convenient Cole Valley is another San Francisco village-style neighborhood.
Duboce Triangle is one of our favorite San Francisco neighborhoods. Guarded by several hills, it gets less fog than much of the rest of the city, and in the 1960s, the infrastructure was expanded considerably, making for wider sidewalks and sparing it from unsightly utility wires criss-crossing the streets. Dotted by small parks and lush greenscaping, the original Victorian architecture feels right at home. Duboce Triangle residents love the proximity they have to, well, just about everything!
The market has never been better for San Francisco luxury real estate. We at Danielle Lazier + Associates, in collaboration with COMPASS Real Estate San Francisco, would love to discuss your goals and show you the options in today’s market. Please learn more about our top San Francisco real estate team here. We look forward to hearing from you!
