Looking for a hotel or rental, do you want to avoid the dangerous neighborhoods and red light districts of San Francisco?
Indeed nowadays, to choose where to stay in San Francisco, it is better to find out beforehand to find out if there are dangerous neighborhoods and to identify the best places to stay. That's why I'm sharing below a short guide to San Francisco's neighborhoods with a map that allows you to easily locate them.
Is San Francisco a dangerous city in 2024?
According to the latest statistics, we can say that in 2024 San Francisco is not a safe city. In fact, the probability of being the victim of a violent crime in San Francisco is 1 in 178. This violent crime rate is therefore 40% higher than the national average.
To form your own opinion, I invite you to consult the crime figures on the official website of the San Francisco Police which published a official report.
Although the city is more dangerous than many others, San Francisco remains less crime-ridden than Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia ou Oakland.
This is confirmed by the last Numbeo ranking where San Francisco is ranked the 16th most crime-ridden city in North America.
If we compare on a global level, San Francisco remains less dangerous than certain cities in South America (Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, Lima, Mexico City) but much more criminal than cities like Dubai, Prague, Lisbon, Vienna, Calgary or Quebec city.
Is San Francisco safe to visit?
By avoiding the dangerous neighborhoods presented below, tourists can visit tourist sites without risk (see a tourist's comment at the bottom of the page).
Indeed, violent crimes do not target tourists. There are usually settling of scores in connection with illegal trafficking and gang wars.
However, as in all tourist cities, foreigners are often victims of petty crimes (pickpockets, purse snatching, theft of cell phones, jewelry, scams, etc.).
San Francisco's Most Dangerous Neighborhoods
According to the latest official statistics, the neighborhoods with the highest crime rates in San Francisco are:
- Mission District
- bay view
- Chinatown
- The castro
- South of market
- Downtown
Find out below why these San Francisco neighborhoods should be avoided and where they are located:
Mission District – Most dangerous neighborhood in San Francisco
This district of San Francisco is known to be one of the most dangerous in the city. See his Google Map location
Bayview – Neighborhood to avoid
The Bayview neighborhood, which has a history of violence and gang activity, is another place to exercise caution. With a very high crime rate compared to other neighborhoods in San Francisco, Bayview is an area in the southeast of the city that is best avoided, especially at night. See his location
Chinatown: Neighborhoods to avoid at night
Even if this area is nice during the day to enjoy its good little Asian restaurants, according to the figures, Chinatown is also one of the least safe neighborhoods in San Francisco.
The Castro: Gay neighborhoods of San Francisco
I was surprised to see that in some rankings, The Castro (the gay district) is one of the least safe neighborhoods in San Francisco. In fact, maybe it’s the proximity to the Mission district that affects this area? See his Google Map location
South of Market dangerous only in part
This huge neighborhood records a violent crime rate 48% higher than the national average but only in certain places. See his Google Map location
Neighborhoods to Avoid in San Francisco for Flights: Downtown
According to statistics, downtown San Francisco, despite all its attractions and monuments, is not completely safe. Indeed, Downtown is the neighborhood with the highest rate of crime overall. It should be noted, however, that (as is often the case in very touristy places) there are more property crimes than violent crimes.
This is the case of the Civic Center (downtown San Francisco) which houses several government buildings and the city's main courthouse. Although it is a center of civic activity, it is also known for its large homeless population and can sometimes seem unsafe.
San Francisco Red Light Districts
Without taking into account the crime rate, here are the red-light districts of San Francisco to avoid because of their reputation and their attendance:
- North Beach between Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf
- Broadway/Columbus Avenue
- Tenderloin
Best neighborhoods to stay in San Francisco
Without ranking them in order of preference, here are the places considered to be the best neighborhoods in San Francisco:
- Financial District
- Union Square
- Russian hill
- Nob Hill
- Fisherman's Wharf
- North Beach
- The embarcadero
- La Marina
It's hard to say which is the best place to stay in San Francisco. Indeed, all the beautiful neighborhoods listed above have their interest, their identity and characteristics that will be appreciated by some and perhaps not by others. It all depends on your tastes and the type of stay you are planning in San Francisco.
However, I will tell you the 2 neighborhoods most popular with tourists:
Best neighborhood to visit San Francisco: Fisherman's Wharf
Fisherman's Wharf is the most touristy district of San Francisco. See location Fisherman's Wharf
This neighborhood has it all: Entertainment, restaurants, shops and its view of San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate and Alcatraz Island!
Another neighborhood to stay in San Francisco: Nob Hill
This rich and chic neighborhood overlooks the entire city of San Francisco. This is where the city's bourgeoisie and aristocracy reside. It is a safe, friendly neighborhood with charm and central enough for visiting the city. There are good restaurants and nice shops there. See location Nob Hill
It is here that a majority of the most beautiful luxury hotels in San Francisco are concentrated:
And, if you are hesitant about staying in San Francisco, you can move away a little and look for accommodation in San Jose in the heart of Silicon Valley!
This post is sourced from economic press articles, local newspapers, statistics and rankings published on the web in 2024. I produced it by summarizing information and data on the level of crime in San Francisco and its neighborhoods.
Hi
mein Mann und ich waren für volle 13 Tage in SF, (jetzt im September 2023). Ich kann SF nicht wirklich als eine erneute Reise in Betracht ziehen. This war is of the last time in America, but it sleeps for 2 days in California. Wir waren sehr shockiert. Wir haben die Stadt zu Fuß erkundet.
Fisherman´s Wharf is full, den Hon-Top Bus sollte man gar nicht erst erst in Betracht ziehen. Die Lautstärke (95 dB) in SF in exorbitant high, of the Dreck and Gestank, sowie auch die hohe Zahl der Obdachlosen, wo viele von denen auch noch verwirrt sind und mit sich selber reden, ganze Zeltstraßen, alles sehr verkommen und nur auf die Meile für die Touristen abgestellt. Nein, das ist ein Armutszeugnis für SF, Einmal ja, aber nicht noch einmal. Als mein Mann und ich auf unseren Bus gewartet haben, hat neben uns ein Obdachloser sein großes Geschäft erledigt, mitten auf der Straße, und es hat keinen Interessiert. Die ganze Market Street ist all von Obdachlosen, selbst die Polizei hat ihre Mühe, aber ab 18 Uhr abends rotten die sich richtig zusammen. Jeder Laden dort hat mindsestens 3 Wachleute, voll bestückt mit Waffen, damit nicht geklaut wird, echt unheimlich. On Market Street there is a Tag Ranger, in full Montur, and you can be found by a Tourist, so it was there in Egypt, but not in SF. Hier treffen Welten aufeinander und die Schere zwischen Arm und Reich ist extrem, an jeder Ecke zu sehen, sehr bedauerlich für SF. War es für viele vielleicht vor 20 Jahren noch eine Vorzeigestadt, ist SF ein sinkender Stern und wenn die Führung in SF nicht bald was einfällt, dann bleiben auch die Touristen weg.
Kommen wir zu den positiven Aspekten. Please note that when the Hotel begins, you will be able to do so. Wir haben jeden Tag die Öffis genutzt, was sehr gut geklappt hat. Wir hatten unsere tägliche Route mit dem Bus 292 vom Sam Trans, Tageskarte 10 Dollar, für 2 Personen. You can now use the Citypass. Vorab gekauft (€153,00 for 2 Personen), denn die Preise vor Ort sind wesentlich höher. Damit kann man alles verbinden, wie Bootstour, Zoo, Aquarium und Exploratorium. Alcatraz, the Karten had also been eaten ($90,00, for 2 Persons), was already gut war and also of its time. So it will be possible to do all of these things in Ruhe and then they will be spontaneous. Muir Woods mit den Öffis geht auch zu erreichen, including schönen Wanderung, mit atemberaubender Aussicht über den Bäumen und tollem Wetter. Some people and angels were on Market Street, they were all there and they were there. Am Union Quarre gibt es einen absolute tollen Diner (Loris) nur zu empfehlen, absolute Klasse. If you have one of the tickets of the automatic ticket, you will have to pay for them and you will be able to do so, if you have a good ticket, you will be able to have a good effect on the Muni nur einmal benötigt. Ocean Beach is located on the Straßenbahn (Linie N) railway line, which is directly on Market Street to Ocean Beach. The Cable Car (8 Dollar, Pro Person) is only available for 4 to 6 hours. Der Golden Gate Park is already covered. China Town war ok. Wenn man aber SF wirklich kennenlernen möchte, sollte man versuchen alles zu erlaufen, nur so kann man sehr schöne Sachen sehen, wie die Mauerbilder im Mission Distrikt, aber bitte nur am Tage. Die Art Street ist nur zu empfehlen, aber auch hier Vorsicht, denn Tenderloin ist auch am Tage gefährlich. SF doesn't need to be in the spotlight when it comes to tourism, but we don't have to worry about tourism.
Fazit für uns, man muss es gesehen haben, nur dann kann man sich ein Bild machen, aber es bestätigt alle Angaben zur Sicherheit. Schade für SF, denn so zieht man keine Touristen mehr an. Kathrin
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