The Sunset, San Francisco, CA

Separated right in the middle by 19th Street, the Inner and Outer Sunset districts are often referred to separately by locals, though it’s technically one large neighborhood running all the way from Stanyan Boulevard to the sea.

Covered in sand dunes prior to the late 1800s – and covered in fog to this day – the Inner Sunset is mostly residential, and one of the best spots in San Francisco to find popular mom and pop diners, small local markets, and thriving ethnic eateries.

Weekends see the main drag along Irving come alive with families and resident young professionals enjoying a hearty lunch, while the thousand-acre expanse of Golden Gate Park that parallels the entire neighborhood explodes with joggers, bikers, sunbathers, museum goers, and anyone looking to escape the concrete for the day.

Weeknights are equally vibrant, though still centralized along Irving, as casual residents and young revelers from all over town seek out unpretentious vibes and a cheap beer.

The Outer Sunset, meanwhile, is rarely highlighted as a tourist draw in guidebooks, freeing up the plethora of neighborhood bars and vast stretches of sandy beach for blue-collar residents and those willing to make the drive.

Very few corporate chains have been allowed in the Outer, and visitors looking for venues with a dress code will come up short – but for surfers and scuba divers who don’t mind a little cold and barhoppers who don’t mind a little dive, the Outer Sunset is definitely “in.”