Views, views, and more views. On a clear day, the Farallon Islands poke out of the Pacific and make for a beautiful sunset. Many locals don’t even know Golden Gate Heights is a place, but you know it when you’re there — above it all, with a view that seems to go on forever.
Named the second-hottest US neighborhood in 2017, Golden Gate Heights is a strictly residential enclave south of the Inner Sunset, west of Forest Hill, and north of West Portal. If you’ve been to Grandview Park, you’ve been to Golden Gate Heights (and probably didn’t even know it!). On a clear day, you’ve got views for days. On a foggy day, you’ll pine for that clear day. Atypical for SF: many of the homes here are fully detached and set back from the street with a front yard and sometimes even a detached garage off an alley behind the house.
On a clear day, you’ll be hard pressed to find an ocean view that is grander than that offered by homes in Golden Gate Heights. But what nature giveth, she taketh away just as easily, for the homes in Golden Gate Heights are often fogged-in and windblown, especially during the summer months.
Homes for sale in Golden Gate Heights effortlessly epitomize what people both love and hate about San Francisco: fog and killer views. On a clear day, homes with the best views will offer a panorama that spans from the Pacific Ocean to the Marin Headlands. This neighborhood is found immediately to the south of the Inner Sunset, and has a reputation for winding streets and hilly terrain.
The neighborhood is definitely a car-centric locale, with several buses providing public transit and the nearest Muni streetcar being the N-Judah stops in the Inner Sunset area. Almost all of the homes in the district have a garage, so at least you won’t have to fight for street parking once you arrive home.
Homes for sale in Golden Gate Heights are almost exclusively single-family homes, ranging from classic 1920s architecture to 1970s Brady Bunch modern. Many of the homes are fully detached, but you will also find a smattering of attached and semi-attached homes in the neighborhood. Golden Gate Heights is exclusively residential, with no commercial district within the neighborhood. Residents usually walk or drive to either West Portal or the Inner Sunset area if they want to do some shopping or dine out.
Parks in the neighborhood are pretty hilly, so if climbing stairs is your favorite outdoor exercise, you’ll feel immediately at home. If you prefer to get your exercise on flat land, though, you’ll do better to look at other San Francisco neighborhoods.
Golden Gate Heights Neighborhood Vibe
A strictly residential area, topped by Grandview Park. Detached single-family homes abound, many with killer views of the Marin Headlands and all the way to the Farallon Islands. The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps are a neighborhood gem.
Popular Golden Gate Heights Home Styles
Single-family homes are the name of the game in Golden Gate Heights, with many built in the Spanish Mediterranean style in the 1940s. Most homes in this area are fully detached with larger lots, front yards, and some with detached garages.
Getting Around in Golden Gate Heights
Public transportation options are decent, with the 6, 66, and 48 buses skirting the area and the N-Judah a couple of blocks north of the neighborhood boundary. The L-Taraval is a few blocks from the southern border of the neighborhood. The Inner Sunset (north of Golden Gate Heights) and West Portal (south) are the closest commercial corridors, and hearty walkers can make the trek on foot. Car commuters will find Laguna Honda Blvd. as the closest major artery.
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Median sales price is calculated based on sold data and doesn’t account for seller concessions. Median price represents the point at which half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less. In smaller neighborhoods like many of those found in San Francisco, this metric is less likely to be influenced by extremely high or low sales prices that don’t represent the typical neighborhood home.
Days on Market indicates how quickly or slowly homes are selling in the neighborhood. The lower the days on market (DOM), the stronger the market is for sellers, all other things being equal.
The number of homes available for sale in active status at the end of a given month. Fewer homes available for sale may indicate a seasonal trend or market dynamics that favor a seller more than a buyer.
In strong or balanced markets, homes in San Francisco typically sell over asking. In a buyer’s market, homes will sell at list price or slightly under. If a home has had price reductions, the calculation is based on the last listed price.
Price per square foot is most useful when the homes are almost identical in size, age, layout and other factors important to buyers. Our experience suggests it is a more valuable metric in larger condo buildings and less valuable for homes in neighborhoods built with a diverse selection of styles, sizes, and ages.
Golden Gate Heights is a neighborhood in the central western part of San Francisco. It is bordered by the Inner Sunset and Inner Parkside to the west, the Inner Sunset to the north, the Inner Sunset and Forest Hill to the east, and Forest Hill and West Portal to the south. On an SFAR (San Francisco Association of Realtors) MLS (add internal link) map, Golden Gate Heights is identified as neighborhood 2a.
Golden Gate Heights is noted for the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps, colloquially known as the Moraga Steps, and the Hidden Garden Steps. These two colorful, mosaic-tiled staircases were created through volunteer-led, community efforts, and lead up to breathtaking views of the city and the Pacific Ocean.
Primarily a residential area, Golden Gate Heights is also home to both the aptly named Grandview Park and the Golden Gate Heights Park, featuring a kids play area and a tennis court, and great views of the Pacific Ocean, Ocean Beach, and the tops of the Golden Gate Bridge towers. The commercial corridor of 19th Avenue/Shoreline Highway offers coffee shops, grocery stores, and the Stonestown Galleria mall.
Even among San Francisco natives, Golden Gates Heights is a bit of a well-kept secret. Golden Gate Heights has the views, alright, but it also provides a safe and tranquil environment for its residents. Centrally located in the city, Golden Gate Heights is a short distance from Golden Gate Park, the Presidio, and Stern Grove.
As an “already built” neighborhood, Golden Gate Heights is not a neighborhood where you should expect to find substantial new construction projects. Smaller developers may renovate/flip existing single family properties, or may take advantage of recent housing laws to add additional units to already existing housing. Transit corridors and major neighborhood streets are the most likely areas for new construction buildings in already built neighborhoods with existing housing stock.
You can scroll up to see our market charts showing current neighborhood prices and other real estate trends for Golden Gate Heights. We update these charts dynamically as new data becomes available. Reach out to us to learn more about prices, trends, and possibilities in Golden Gate Heights.