Civic Center - San Francisco, CA Area Guide

City Hall and the Exposition Auditorium were completed in 1915 for the Panama-Pacific Exposition. During World War II, Army barracks and Victory gardens appeared in the main plaza and, since the 1950s, this area has invited political protests. During the 1970s, politician Harvey Milk gave his most famous speeches in front of City Hall. After Milk’s assassination in 1978, mourners held a massive candlelight vigil in the plaza. The San Francisco Giants have also held their victory rallies in this central plaza following their World Series wins.

There are numerous museums and galleries in Civic Center, including the Asian Art Museum, Linden Hayes Gallery, Gendell Gallery and Maritime Museum.You can also find plenty of theatrical experiences here, from Theatre Flamenco, the San Francisco Opera and the Orpheum Theatre. The area’s largest annual festival is the San Francisco Pride Festival, held each June.

Since Civic Center caters to a large number of business clients and workers seeking breakfast, lunch and dinner, you can find nearly any kind of food here. Italian, American, and Korean are just some of the choices. Most of the restaurants are clustered around Market Street, or near the intersection of Larkin & Turk. Elmira Rosticceria provides diners with breakfast, lunch and brunch options from faro salad to butternut squash pesto and a pistachio pesto chicken salad sandwich. Locals know to check out some of their signature side dishes, including the addictive roasted Brussels sprouts. Jin Mi Korean Cuisine serves up many reasons to try Korean. Bibimap is a popular dish among regulars, and the soy sauce chicken wings are a must-have. The very reasonable prices make this a great option for someone on a tight budget. If you're in the mood for soul food done California style, try Soul Groove, a place that deeply understands the communion of chicken and waffles. Order their pulled pork sandwich on a waffle, or Atlanta scramble with eggs, pimento cheese and hash browns. Whether it's day or night, this is the place for some serious goodness. As you might imagine from an area catering to the business crowd, there's not a huge amount of nightlife in Civic Center. What's there can be found along Market Street to the south and Van Ness Avenue to the west. The Hot Spot is a lovable dive bar with some serious ambiance and a pool table, while PopScene provides live music and dancing with an ‘80s vibe. Be advised that PopScene is 18+, so you may be around a younger crowd. The Beer Hall has tons of beer on tap, and friendly bartenders happy to answer any questions you may have.

San Francisco provides parking headaches nearly everywhere you go, and the Civic Center neighborhood is no exception. The parking you will find is bound to be expensive, unless you luck out at one of the metered spaces on the street.

Walking and public transportation are two of the preferred ways to get around the neighborhood. BART trains run along Market Street, and there are numerous Muni buses and trains in the area.

Hailing a cab is also easy, as is arranging an Uber pickup. Freeways are accessible by taking Van Ness south, where it turns into the 101 Freeway, or taking Market Street heading east, where it turns into the 80 and will take you over the Bay Bridge to the East Bay.

Though the Civic Center neighborhood is usually very congested during the weekday hours, there are bike lanes throughout most of this area, and is considered safe for cyclists.

A few parks can be found in Civic Center, from the Organic Garden to Civic Center Plaza Park and Growing Home Community Garden.

All are free and kid and dog friendly as long as you keep an eye on them and don’t let them dig anything up (the dogs, not the kids). Though you can sometimes find exercisers out and about in these spaces, the Organic Garden and community garden are designed to grow produce to donate to local food banks, or feed local families.

The area’s annual Pride Parade must be seen at least once. Lavish costumes, dancing and music make this an event friendly to people of all stripes, as long as you’re having fun

Civic Center is one of San Francisco’s less expensive neighborhoods because it still has many homeless people living in the main plaza outside City Hall, and in the neighboring Tenderloin. For this reason, the cost of living is lower than the city average, with food and entertainment costs trending downward as well. The only exceptions are the major theaters and opera house, which don’t adjust their fees.

A 1-bedroom apartment rents for about $3,400 per month.

A beer in a pub will run you about $6, and gas is typically about 15% more expensive here than in other parts of the country.

Most of Civic Center’s shopping is located around the neighborhood’s edges, near Gough and Van Ness. Though chain stores, malls and luxury boutiques can be found further east toward Union Square, this area doesn’t cater to high-end shopping.

Instead, smaller shops like Books Inc. and Acrimony offer books, gifts, clothing and accessories at affordable prices. Be sure to check out Acrimony for the latest clothing styles suiting both men and women. The staff is extremely knowledegable and willing to offer guidance to customers.

Two grocery stores serve this area, Hyde Grocery on Turk Street, and Opera Plaza Deli and Taqueria. Both offer some produce and traditional grocery items, as well as prepared food such as sandwiches, soup and tacos.

Heart of the City Farmers Market happens in United Nations Plaza on Sundays and Wednesdays, with fresh fruits and vegetables, vendors and music on offer.