The early settlers named San Francisco’s Richmond District after Richmond, Australia, as they were both made up of rolling sand dunes. But after the 1906 earthquake people needed new places to live, so the Richmond blossomed into a bustling neighborhood of its own.

Over the years, the area has been settled by a variety of immigrants. Richmond District real estate consisted mainly of Edwardian and modern-style flats and apartments. The stores established by these groups are primarily located along Clement, Geary and Balboa Streets, focused in the Inner Richmond between Arguello and Park Presidio.

Nowhere is this breadth of culture more apparent than in the neighborhood restaurants. There’s Italian at Giorgio’s, French at Chapeau!, Korean at Brothers BBQ, Middle Eastern at Troya, Thai at Be My Guest Thai Bistro, Burmese at Burma Superstar, and too many Chinese restaurants to count. There are classic Irish bars like The Bitter End and Irelands 32. And you’ll find a few American entries as well, including The Richmond, Q and the mainstay Toy Boat Dessert Cafe.

While many of the stores here are fresh and inexpensive Chinese markets, there are a few boutiques, too. Stop into Park Life, Fleurt, April in Paris, and the can’t miss Green Apple Books.

The Inner Richmond is surrounded by wonderful attractions. Just south of the neighborhood you’ll find Golden Gate Park, the new de Young Museum, Japanese Tea Garden and the classic Music Concourse Bandshell. To the north you’ll find beautiful homes along Lake Street. Many of their back yards face towards the Presidio’s Mountain Lake Park. To the west you’ll find the Outer Richmond and its many spectacles, including the Legion of Honor, the Cliff House the Sutro Baths, and the stunning mansions of Sea Cliff.

From an eclectic history to food and attractions found nowhere else, the Richmond is a wonderful place to call home.