Nob Hill provides a clear portal to the past, to a time when a few families ruled the west’s newest and most exciting city. It’s changed plenty over the years, yet it still symbolizes San Francisco as a shining city full of promise, and as a sepia-toned one proud of its glorious past.

Those who live atop Nob Hill enjoy a much quieter lifestyle than those who choose to set up camp near busy Polk Street, where dinner and drinks are just a short stroll away. Further west the neighborhood changes: the high-rises are replaced with mid-rise apartment and condo buildings and the restaurant, shop, bar, and club choices seem to multiply by the thousands. However, it still has its share of neighborhood mom-and-pop establishments, but the growing nightlife scene has made it a must-see for the young and active.