Diamond Heights - San Francisco, CA

Diamond Heights was developed in 1951 across two hills near Noe Valley and Glen Park. It was the last major area of San Francisco to be developed.

The San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association used their redevelopment powers to work with the topography, curving the streets around the natural hills. Planners then created housing for a variety of incomes along with schools, churches, parks and a commercial center. Since the 1950s and 1960s, when Diamond Heights was developed, the modernist architectural style has been preserved, as further development has been kept out.

Though the area has no museums, Live Art by Robert D. Harris provides a fascinating performance space and art gallery. He even DJs and does live art shows, in a unique and entertaining style. There are no annual events or festivals in the Diamond Heights area.

As a residential neighborhood, Diamond Heights has a limited scene for local eats, but residents say that the mostly Asian options are good bets.

Conveniently located in the Diamond Heights Shopping Center, Choice Yakiniku features a full and eclectic menu serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. From traditional Western muffins, pancakes and cheeseburgers with fries to soft shell crab, tempura and katsu, everyone in your party can find something here. Locals love the great service from the kind and attentive staff that runs the restaurant.

Over at All Season Restaurant, the kitchen serves up Cantonese fare including seafood dishes. It can get busy on the weekends when locals crowd in for the tasty dim sum, so leave extra time if you're headed to a movie or other post-dinner plans.

For more variety, check out nearby Noe Valley or Glen Park, where you can find Italian cuisine, burger joints, tapas and gastro pubs.

When the sun goes down, locals enjoy a quiet night in Diamond Heights, which has little nightlife, or they head over to the many bars on Mission Street for more action. For cold brews closer to home, residents visit the Miraloma Club, a dive bar with a pool table in neighboring Miraloma Park, or to Friends Bar, a popular spot in Westwood Highlands.

Though Diamond Heights has no music venues of its own, jazz aficionados can head to Bird & Beckett Books and Records in neighboring Glenridge. Here, musicians play live sets every Friday, tucked between the store's bookshelves. Locals can also attend performances at Musical Theatre Works, a place devoted to developing the artistic and musical talents of kids interested in the theater. The Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts also offers performances of musical theater pieces.

San Francisco is a famously tough city to park in. All things considered, Diamond Heights is a little easier than most of the city’s other neighborhoods, mostly because it’s outside the center of the city and more suburban in nature. If you choose to drive, the price of parking can be quite high.

Locals still prefer to take public transportation whenever possible. BART trains run through nearby Noe Valley, and Muni buses and trains have several routes in the area. It’s also very easy to hail a cab here or use your smartphone to arrange an Uber pickup.

Though Diamond Heights isn’t immediately accessible to major freeways, driving southward will connect you with the 280, which can connect you with points north and south.

Diamond Height is also a pretty walkable neighborhood, with some bike lanes. It’s considered safe for biking, though the steep hills may present problems for some.

Diamond Park loves its green spaces, with several parks, community gardens and playgrounds to choose from. Glen Canyon Park offers hiking trails, boulder climbing and areas to allow dogs to run around off leash.

Crags Court Community Garden lets visitors grow their own fruits and vegetables, as well as flowers and flowering plants, while The Little Red Hen Community Garden is a Zen-like space of peace and calm in the middle of the city.

Finally, Christopher Playground provides area kids with plenty to do and features easy parking, which is considered a big bonus by locals. Also offered are a tennis court, baseball diamond and off-leash doggie area, as well as a big green field for running around and playing games.

The parks and other green spaces are considered one of the area's biggest perks, and they often drive the price of real estate up, depending on the houses' proximity to the parks. There are no annual festivals or events in this area.

A typical one-bedroom apartment costs about $3,200 per month. Since the cost of housing is higher in this area, the cost of food and entertainment also tends to be higher as a result. The cost of living in Diamond Heights is slightly higher than the city’s average. It costs about $2.25 to get to the city center from Diamond Heights, and a beer in an average pub will run you about $6. Gas prices are about 15 percent higher in this area than the national average and about 5 percent more than the state average.

The Diamond Heights area is mostly governed by chain stores, with the Diamond Heights Shopping Center providing most of the products the neighborhood residents need. There, visitors find a post office, dry cleaner, bakery, tutoring company and bank, as well as a law office and other basic needs. For upscale boutiques, area residents can easily cycle or drive to nearby areas to find the fashions they crave.

In Nob Hill, Polk A Dot Consignments has cool fashions at affordable prices for both men and women. IN-HOUSE Boutique in Noe Valley prides itself on being an artisan boutique full of locally designed fashions, accessories and gifts. Formerly called LOFT1513, this establishment is considered by many to be the best in the San Fran area.

There is a single grocery store in Diamond Heights, to meet the area's needs, but there are no farmers markets in the area. However, Glen Park, to the south, hosts the Glen Park Village Farmers Market.