Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights

This Upper Market district, which includes Duboce Triangle, Mission Dolores and Eureka Valley/Dolores Heights, offers a rich variety of attractive homes, many of them Victorian that are very well maintained. This hilly area offers a variety of dramatic city views. The many amenities on and around Market and Castro Streets make this one of the City's more self-contained neighborhoods. Buses and light rail make commuting downtown and elsewhere within the City easy. It's a vibrant, walkable neighborhood and a great place to people watch. Upper Market houses a progressive population with trendy Castro Street being its hub. The Duboce Triangle is a transition zone, being strategically located between the Lower Haight and the Castro. This former enclave underwent a personality change in the 1970s, when business and home-owners began renovating the area's Victorians, a trend that quickly spread to other parts of the city.

Rainbow pride flags flutter from the streetlamps and windows of the Castro District, the heart of San Francisco's gay and lesbian community. In addition to the ubiquitous same sex couples, many with children, you'll also find many of the same folks who populate the rest of the city. Castro Street, named after Mexican landowner Jose Castro, began as part of Eureka Valley, a working class community of dairy farms, bakeries, bars, and churches.
During World War II, many military personnel were dishonorably discharged in the Bay Area for their sexual orientation. They sought refuge in San Francisco, known for its tolerance and diversity since the Gold Rush days. Beginning in the 60s and 70s, well-educated, middle-class white gay men were drawn to the Victorian architecture of the Castro and 18th Street area of Eureka Valley. A district and a social movement were born, and the Castro hasn't been the same since.