Looking out over the flat Sunset District today, it’s not hard to imagine the sand dunes that once stretched from Arguello to Ocean Beach. The Outside Lands as they were known, weren’t developed until after the turn of the century.
The first immigrants in the Sunset were Irish and Asian. The neighborhood today is still an ethnic tapestry with modern gentrification meeting the old timers. The resulting retail and restaurant life is a patchwork of the tried-and-true, along with hip new establishments. One of the two oldest bars in the city – the Little Shamrock -- sits across from Golden Gate Park. (The oldest bar is the Saloon in North Beach.)
Sunset residents are diverse and include a large Asian population, long-time locals, young newcomers, and families with kids.
The Sunset is a mixture of architectural styles. You’ll find renovated Victorians and then row-house style stucco homes out by the beach. The schools in the Sunset are considered good, and the area is also known to be relatively safe.
Golden Gate Park and Ocean Beach are two incredible amenities for those who live in the Sunset. The Sunset has a reputation for being foggier than the rest of the city, but you’ll also have park-perfect days with sunshine and blooming buds in the Botanical Gardens.
For specific information on neighborhood safety, the SFPD has an interactive Crime Map where you can search by zip code.
- Population: 55,492
- Median Age: 36.9
- Largest Age Group: 25 to 34 years - 22.7%
- Families: 54.9%
- With Children Under 18: 20.4%
- Non-Family: 45.1%
- Average Family Size: 3.19
Median Housing Price: $ 880,000
SF Chronicle List of Real Estate BrokersRent: $800 - $1200 (Studio) • $1500 - $2500 (2-Bedroom)
Craig's List is the best resource for rentals- Owner-Occupied Units: 45.7% *
- Renter-Occupied Units: 54.3% *
Sources: Trulia, *US Census
- Golden Gate Park: Golden Gate Park is a treasure, providing green and forested sanctuary in the heart of the city. The de Young Museum, the Conservatory of Flowers and the Botanical Gardens are among the attractions in the park.
- Stern Grove: A 19th Avenue & Sloat green space that also hosts popular summer open-air concerts.
- Ocean Beach: An almost four-mile stretch of Pacific beach at the west end of Golden Gate Park.
- BART Station: Transfer to Muni N-Judah from Market Street stations
- MUNI Line: N-Judah
Bus Lines:
- # 6 Parnassus
- #16AX, 16BX Noriega Express
- #43 Masonic
- #44 O’Shaughnessy
- #66 Quintara
- #71 Haight-Noriega
Public Transit Information
Street parking available in some areas
Public Parking Lots:
- 6th & Irving (metered lot)
- 7th & Irving (metered lot)
- 8th & Irving (metered lot)
Car Sharing:
- Zip Car: 7th & Irving / Judah & 12th
- City Carshare: UCSF Milberry Union Parking Garage (on Parnassus)
