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Historically, the southern part of this street, known as “Polk Gulch,” was San Francisco’s first openly gay district, before the rise of the Castro in the 1970s (see Castro District). Since then it has grown shabbier, although it still attracts plenty of younger gays to its clubs, bars, and shops. At the other end, just down from Russian Hill, Polk Street is one of the city’s shopping and dining lures, with a host of fine choices to tempt the eyes and palates of a discerning clientele.

Originally part of the “Great Sand Waste” to the west, this neighborhood is now one of the most élite. The zone centers on Sacramento Street as its discreet shopping area. It’s worth a stroll, primarily for the architecture. Of interest are the Swedenborgian Church at 2107 Lyon Street, the Roos House at 3500 Jackson Street, and Temple Emanu-El at 2 Lake Street.

Perched above the city, in Corona Heights Park, this small, welcoming complex is primarily a petting zoo, with farm animals, raccoons, reptiles, and birds. But it also offers hands-on experience with woodworking, pottery, painting, theater, photography, model railroads, storytelling, gardening, and more. The aim is to teach children respect for nature and the environment, as well as for their own innate gifts.

Another of San Francisco’s precipitous heights, one side of which is so steep you’ll find no street at all, only steps. The most famous feature of this hill is the charming Lombard Street switchback – “The World’s Crookedest Street,” – which attests to the hill’s notoriously unmanageable inclines. As with Nob Hill, with the cable car’s advent, Russian Hill was claimed by the wealthy, and it maintains a lofty position in San Francisco society to this day. It supposedly took its name from the burial place of Russian fur traders, who were among the first Europeans to ply their trade at this port in the early 1800s.

Neo-Gothic in conception, with an Italianesque façade, this church is also called the Italian Cathedral and the Fisherman’s Church, since many Italians who originally lived in the neighborhood made their living by fishing.

San Francisco’s home for its extensive modern art collection is as impressive outside as it is adaptable and awe-inspiring inside. Don’t miss the top floors, featuring the latest digital installations, if you want to know what the cutting edge art world is honing itself on these days.

San Francisco Zoo is at the far southwest corner of the city, between the Pacific Ocean and Lake Merced. The complex is home to more than 1,000 species of birds, mammals, and insects, among which 20 are considered to be endangered – most notably the snow leopard, Bengal tiger, and jaguar. Gorilla World, Koala Crossing, and Children’s Zoo are particular hits, as are the feeding times for the big cats (2pm at the Lion House Tue–Sun), penguins (3pm Mon–Wed and 2:30pm Thu at Penguin Island), and the Asian elephants (1:30pm daily).