The Haight, the Castro, and Noe Valley

These distinct neighborhoods wear their personalities large and proud, and all are perfect for just strolling around. As if you were watching a slide show of San Francisco's history, you can move from the Haight's residue of 1960s counterculture to the Castro's connection to 1970s and '80s gay life to 1990s gentrification in Noe Valley. Although historic events thrust the Haight and the Castro onto the international stage, both are anything but stagnant—they're still dynamic areas well worth exploring.