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Find Your Perfect House for Rent in San Francisco, CA

The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the 14th-most populous in the United States, with a 2012 estimated population of more than 825,000 people. Located on the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, with the Pacific Ocean to the west, the San Francisco Bay to the east and the Golden Gate Bridge to the north, San Francisco is also the second most densely populated major city in the U.S. Homes for rent abound in this vibrant city.

For more than a decade running, readers of Bon Appétit magazine have named San Francisco their top city for dining out. The city's beauty, accessibility and multitude of superb, neighborhood-based restaurants make San Francisco a one-of-kind destination for food lovers. With cool fog, hot restaurants, neighborhoods to explore, cultures to experience and always more to discover. you'll find whatever you're looking for in San Francisco.

San Francisco Neighborhoods

San Francisco's diversity is perhaps most evident in its neighborhoods. One-of-a-kind architecture lends San Francisco an unforgettable beauty. Stunning views, eclectic neighborhoods, great restaurants and a diverse culture combine to make San Francisco one of the country's top places to live. There are neighborhoods like the Marina District, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Pacific Heights, Noe Valley and more.

The historic center of San Francisco is the northeast quadrant of the city, bordered by Market Street to the south. The Mission District is predominantly working-class, but is also gentrifying. The city's Japantown district, the nearby Western Addition and the picturesque townhomes known as the Painted Ladies all contribute to the city's diversity.

The Richmond, the vast region north of Golden Gate Park that extends to the Pacific Ocean, today has a portion called "New Chinatown," but also attracts immigrants from other parts of Asia and Russia. South of Golden Gate Park lies the Sunset.

San Francisco is characterized by a high standard of living. The great wealth and opportunity generated by the Internet boom drew many highly educated workers and residents to San Francisco for high-income jobs. The downtown has seen a renaissance driven by the redevelopment of the Embarcadero, including the neighborhoods South Beach and Mission Bay. Property values and household income have escalated to among the highest in the nation, allowing the city to support a large restaurant and entertainment infrastructure.

San Francisco Culture

Even for locals, San Francisco takes years to explore. Bursting with popular tourist attractions and eclectic neighborhoods, San Francisco is definitely a wonder to behold.

One of the top attractions in San Francisco is the infamous Alcatraz Island. Fisherman's Wharf bustles with the sounds of barking seals and brims with Dungeness crab restaurants. North Beach's Italian flavor sidles up next to the exotic Chinatown, while Union Square and the Haight Ashbury district entice with world-class and diverse shopping.

Just beyond San Francisco, the Napa and Sonoma wine regions beckon with rolling vineyards and award-winning wineries. Although the centralized commerce and shopping districts downtown are well-known, including the Financial District and the area around Union Square, San Francisco is also characterized by a rich street environment. The city features many mixed-use neighborhoods and central commercial corridors to which residents and visitors alike can walk. They feature a mix of businesses and restaurants catering to the daily needs of the community and drawing in visitors.

San Francisco's War Memorial and Performing Arts Center features some of the longest operating performing arts companies in the United States. The Herbst Theatre stages an eclectic mix of music performances. The Fillmore is a music venue located in the Western Addition. The Museum of Modern Art contains 20th century and contemporary pieces. The Palace of the Legion of Honor contains primarily European works. The De Young Museum and the Asian Art Museum have significant anthropological and non-European holdings. The Palace of Fine Arts houses the Exploratorium, a popular science museum dedicated to teaching through hands-on interaction. The California Academy of Sciences is a natural history museum and hosts the Morrison Planetarium and Steinhart Aquarium. The San Francisco Zoo cares for a total of about 250 animal species, many of which have been deemed endangered or threatened.

San Francisco Economy

Tourism is the backbone of the San Francisco economy. Its frequent portrayal in music, film and popular culture has made the city and its landmarks recognizable worldwide. San Francisco attracts the third highest number of foreign tourists of any city in the United States and claims Pier 39 near Fisherman's Wharf to be the third-most popular tourist attraction in the nation.

With a large hotel and restaurant infrastructure and a world-class facility in the Moscone Center, San Francisco also is a top-ten North American destination for conventions and conferences. Montgomery Street in the Financial District is known as the "Wall Street of the West," home to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and the Wells Fargo corporate headquarters. Bank of America was founded in San Francisco and built one of the first modern skyscrapers in the city: Bank of America Center.

Many large financial institutions, multinational banks and venture capital firms are based in or have set up regional headquarters in the city. With over 30 international financial institutions, six Fortune 500 companies and a large support infrastructure of professional services, including law, public relations, architecture, and graphic design also populating the downtown, San Francisco is one of 10 Beta World Cities. San Francisco's economy has increasingly become tied to that of Silicon Valley to the south, sharing a need for highly educated workers with specialized skills.

San Francisco Education

Some of the educational opportunities include San Francisco State University, the City College of San Francisco, the University of San Francisco, the University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco Art Institute, the Academy of Art University, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the California Culinary Academy. Public schools are run by the San Francisco Unified School District, and just under 30 percent of the city's school-age population attends one of San Francisco's more than 100 private or parochial schools.

San Francisco Property Managers and Landlords

Looking for a property manager or property management company in San Francisco, CA? View our San Francisco property management directory .