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The Richmond District

Tucked away in the northwest corner of the City, the Richmond District is a large, culturally diverse and mostly residential neighborhood located directly north of Golden Gate Park. Both the Richmond District and its neighbor The Sunset District (which flanks Golden Gate Park from the south side) are often known as "The Avenues" because all but three of the 49 streets that run north/south in these two neighborhoods are numbered avenues (what would be 1st Avenue is actually Arguello Boulevard; what would be 13th Avenue is actually Funston Avenue; and what would be 49th Avenue is actually La Playa Street). Because the area is so expansive, some have divided the Richmond into three sections: the "Inner Richmond," the "Central Richmond," and the "Outer Richmond." Here's a look at The Inner Richmond.

Inner Richmond

The Inner Richmond runs east/west from Arguello Boulevard to Park Presidio Boulevard, and north/south from California Street to Fulton Street. Once heavily populated by Irish-American and Jewish-American families (in fact, many Catholic churches and Jewish synagogues still abound in the area), the face of the Inner Richmond started to change in the mid 1960s, when many Asian families began to settle in the area following the restructuring of US immigration law. In the decades since, the transformation became so complete that the area is sometimes known as "Little Chinatown" because of the many Asian shops and restaurants along Clement Street and Geary Boulevard (the main hubs of the Inner Richmond). Clement Street is also where you'll find the Green Apple, the venerable independent bookstore located on 6th Avenue. A few blocks due south is Golden Gate Park, which one can access through several entrances along Fulton Street. Golden Gate Park not only houses the DeYoung Museum, the Japanese Tea Garden and the California Academy of Sciences, but is also a popular destination for roller skating, bicycle riding or just plain strolling, especially on weekends and holidays. Architecturally speaking, the Inner Richmond is a mix of traditional typical San Francisco architecture; two-, three-, and four-unit flats (known by some as "Richmond specials"); and larger, more modern houses. Park Presidio Boulevard provides access to the Golden Gate Bridge, while the Geary and Clement Street bus lines run the length of the city.