Potrero Hill, San Francisco, CA

Includes: Dogpatch

Comprised largely of a mix of single-family dwellings and industrial zones, Potrero Hill boasts one of the most unhurried vibes in town, which, although great for reading a book or taking a thigh-busting walk, limits the nighttime options.

However, for those in the mood to hoof it the neighborhood’s signature hills offer some of the best southern views of the iconic San Francisco skyline, the streets are usually clean, and the southern locale is usually the first part of the city where the day’s fog clears away, if it ever does.

Beer lovers head straight to the famous Anchor Steam Brewery, where tours of the magical hops-making process are often booked a month in advance, while cozy delis, pizza joints, and casual Italian diners dominate the main 18th Street drag.

Sports bars and unpretentious pubs fill with blue-collar locals as night falls, though the immensely popular live music dive Bottom of The Hill attracts young fans from all over the Bay Area.

What little gentrification that has crept into Potrero Hill is most evident down by the waterfront, where condos continue to pop up in former industrial zones and shorts- and sandal-clad young professionals while away the weekend at a handful of relaxed bars.

For anyone enamored with driving on winding stretches of road, it’s worth noting that a small section of Vermont Street, just south of 20th, is in fact the crookedest street in the city, despite the acclaim given to Russian Hill’s tourist-ridden Lombard Street.

Potrero Hill may not be awash in glitz and glamour…but then again, that’s exactly why its residents love it.