Western Addition
In the center of San Francisco, you’ll find the Western Addition, a diverse and dynamic urban neighborhood with a rich history that continues to evolve today. The wide variety of architectural styles and mixed-use buildings reflects the area’s socio-economic diversity, as well as its multicultural past. At various times, this neighborhood has been a home base for the many of the City’s minority communities. Redevelopment in the 1960’s and 1970’s relocated many long term residents of the Western Addition and saw the destruction of many of the area’s beautiful Victorian structures. Today, residents continue to see rapid and more positive changes on two of the neighborhood’s busiest thoroughfares. Fillmore Street maintains its reputation as a jazz lover’s paradise, with Yoshi’s Supperclub at the heart of the action. And the famous Fillmore Auditorium continues to attract big-name acts from around the world. A few blocks west, the stretch of Divisadero that runs near neighboring Alamo Square is fast becoming a draw for all of San Francisco, with a kaleidoscopic selection of restaurants, bars, shops and galleries. Stroll over to neighboring NOPA to check out the latest hot spots there as well. Several times a year, the Divisadero Merchants Association hosts a popular art walk. Getting to and from the Western Addition is particularly easy for public transit commuters, with several bus lines serving the neighborhood. Frequently warm and sunny, it’s a pleasure to stroll through the area as well, whether headed to Kimbell or Jackson Square Playground, one of two Farmer’s Markets in the area, or just over Geary Street to visit nearby Japantown and Lower Pacific Heights.