Imagery: USGS The National Map. Map services and data available from U.S. Geological Survey, National Geospatial Program. Terrain: United States 3DEP (formerly NED) and global GMTED2010 and SRTM terrain data courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey. Labels: US Census Bureau TIGER/Line, USGS GNIS.
North Beach sits between Telegraph Hill and Russian Hill, just north of Chinatown and the Financial District, with Coit Tower crowning the hill above. Open full map →
About North Beach & Telegraph Hill
Washington Square is at the center of the neighborhood, and the streets are lined with cafes, bakeries, delis, and bars. City Lights Bookstore, founded in 1953, is on Columbus Avenue.
Telegraph Hill rises right above it. Coit Tower sits at the top in Pioneer Park, and the Filbert and Greenwich Steps climb the eastern face through gardens where the wild parrots gather. The homes up here range from cottages along the stairways to condos and flats.
Telegraph Hill is steep, some homes are reachable mainly by stairway, and street parking is limited.
The 8, 30, 39-Coit, 41, and 45 buses serve the area, the 39 climbs to Coit Tower, and the Powell-Mason cable car runs along the western edge toward downtown and the wharf.
On foot
The flats and the stairways
Cafes, shops, and Washington Square are in the flats, and stairways climb Telegraph Hill.
By car
Parking
Street parking here is tight.
North Beach & Telegraph Hill disclosure report items
Steep slopes and foundations
Telegraph Hill is steep and rocky.
Old buildings, mixed uses
Many homes here are older Victorians, Edwardians, and mixed-use buildings with flats over storefronts.
Tenancy and rent control
Multi-unit buildings here are often subject to San Francisco rent control and tenant protections.
Nightlife and commercial adjacency
Parts of the flats sit close to bars, restaurants, and busy commercial streets. Noise and activity vary by address.
We are working on direct access to more MLS data for San Francisco.
Places in North Beach & Telegraph Hill
Park
Washington Square
A lawn ringed by cafes.
Landmark
Coit Tower
The 1933 tower atop Telegraph Hill in Pioneer Park, with murals inside and a bay view from the top.
Landmark
Filbert Steps
The garden stairways climbing the east face of Telegraph Hill.
Bookstore
City Lights
The independent bookstore on Columbus, founded in 1953.
Cafe
Caffe Trieste
The espresso cafe at Vallejo and Grant.
Deli
Molinari Delicatessen
A deli on Columbus with imported goods, charcuterie, and sandwiches.
The market in North Beach & Telegraph Hill
North Beach and Telegraph Hill mix older Victorian and Edwardian flats, mixed-use buildings, view condos, and a handful of hillside cottages reached by stairway.
San Francisco does not assign public schools strictly by address. SFUSD runs a citywide enrollment system. The SFUSD application, timelines and lottery details are linked below.
The system
SFUSD is a choice system
Placement runs through a citywide lottery with tiebreakers, not a strict neighborhood boundary. An address does not guarantee placement.
Enroll
SFUSD enrollment
The official application, timelines, and how the lottery works.
What kind of homes are in North Beach and Telegraph Hill?
A mix of older Victorian and Edwardian flats, mixed-use buildings with flats over shops, view condos, and a few hillside cottages on Telegraph Hill reached mainly by stairway.
How steep is Telegraph Hill?
Steep. The east face climbs through the Filbert and Greenwich Steps, and some homes are reachable mostly on foot by stairway.
How is parking?
Street parking is limited. Some buildings include a space and many do not.
How do schools work?
San Francisco uses a citywide SFUSD enrollment lottery rather than strict address assignment. The official enrollment details are on the SFUSD site.
We do business in accordance with the Federal Fair Housing Act and California fair housing laws, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, primary language, religion, disability, sex and gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, familial status, source of income, military or veteran status, age, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law, including perceived membership in, or association with a member of, any of these classes.
