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Thu / Feb 25
Originally built on sand dredged from the Bay, the Marina experienced major damage during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
Despite the destruction, the area was quickly rebuilt – with developers promising higher standards – and is widely characterized today as home to a party-happy young crowd of successful professionals and fashionable scenesters mixed with old-money types.
Some San Francisco residents decry what they see as a vapid singles scene in the Marina, highlighted by the fact that locals only half-jokingly refer to the local Safeway grocery as “The Dateway.”
Boutiques and high-end shops along the main commercial corridor of Union Street burst with the latest trends, while the classy bars that dot Chestnut and Fillmore streets cater to well-to-do couples during the day and explode with preppy post-grad revelry at night.
Especially notable is the intersection at Fillmore and Greenwhich Streets, where three corner bars make up the (in)famous Triangle, a popular haunt for many city denizens who will no doubt be running large companies or government agencies once their mid-20s hangovers wear off.
Apart from nightlife and shopping draws, the neighborhood also caters to science fanatics of all ages at the celebrated Exploritorium museum, housed in the equally venerated turn-of-the-century Palace of Fine Arts complex.
The nearby Fort Mason military complex, meanwhile, is now the site of theatrical shows, cultural events, and several non-profit agencies.
To round out a day in the Marina, everyone from bikers and joggers to kite flyers and picnickers takes to Crissy Field, a 28-acre meadow and beachfront that outdoor enthusiasts from all over the city come to enjoy.
20s / Bottle Service / Cocktails
Party Earth Review Opened in 1965 by Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane, MatrixFillmore (formerly The Matrix) once featured some of the biggest bands of the flower-power generation, including The Grateful ... more
3138 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
30s / 40s / Arcade Games / Blouses
Party Earth Review Situated on trendy Union Street, Bus Stop is a neighborhood sports bar popular with relaxed Giants-loving regulars on game days and more boisterous twenty-something social butterflies ... more
1901 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
20s / 30s / 40s / All Ages / Beer / DJ / TVs
Party Earth Review An upscale restaurant for sports lovers, The Republic offers its affluent Marina clientele a place to both comfortably enjoy a game and indulge in some vivacious nightlife. Young ... more
3213 Scott Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
Birthday Parties / Blazers / DJ
Party Earth Review Catering daily to the discerning Marina party crowd, CIRCA is a chic and trendy lounge that’s equal parts restaurant, dance club, and budget-friendly mimosa lover’s paradise. Reminiscent ... more
2001 Chestnut Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
20s / 30s / Bottle Service / Brunch
Party Earth Review One of three catty-corner bars that make up The Triangle – the undeniable heart of the preppy Marina singles scene – Eastside West Restaurant & Bar is a quiet and stylish seafood joint ... more
3154 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
20s / 30s / 40s / Blouses / Brunch / TVs
Party Earth Review One of the oldest bars in San Francisco, Balboa Cafe has been serving good food and great cocktails to power brokers and preppy Marina scenesters since 1913. Located on the corner of ... more
3199 Fillmore Street
San Francisco CA 94123