Jackson Square, San Francisco: The Complete Neighborhood Guide

Jackson Square is a very small neighborhood on the northeast side of San Francisco, just north of the Financial District. It's roughly bounded by Broadway to the north, Sansome Street to the east, Washington Street to the south, and Columbus Avenue to the west.

Because of its location near the eastern waterfront, it's fairly shielded from the cold and fog fronts that roll in from the Pacific. It can get a little windy since the surrounding high-rises create wind tunnels, but the weather is mild on average, which makes sense given how much is within walking distance, from the waterfront to parks to restaurants and shops.

Jackson Square has one of the most interesting histories of any San Francisco neighborhood. The city's original shoreline came close to the edge of the neighborhood, and what's now between the neighborhood and the Bay is largely landfill, with old ships buried beneath the surface in places.

That former waterfront position made Jackson Square the natural spot for merchants and businesses to set up outposts, and a wave of industry and entertainment took root here. It was actually home to San Francisco's original red light district, alongside whiskey stores, wine shops, banks, and government offices, a genuine hub of commerce for the city. It remains a hub for commerce today, just in a different form.

Several buildings in the area survived the 1906 earthquake, rare commercial structures with real character, and the neighborhood has been designated a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. There's no other neighborhood in San Francisco that looks quite like it, or lives quite like it.

Jackson Square has one of the best mixes of high-end boutiques and clothing shops anywhere in the city. At a time when retail has struggled across downtown San Francisco, retail here has actually grown, with new stores opening because the area has become so sought-after.

●      Paul Smith, Ralph Lauren, and Thom Browne: have all recently opened stores in the neighborhood, alongside a number of similar boutiques that give the area more of a SoHo feel than anywhere else in San Francisco.

The architecture is part of what makes it special. The Paul Smith store, for example, sits in an Italianate building from the 1860s with 12-foot ceilings and original columns, the kind of space that simply isn't built anymore, and most of the neighborhood's stores share that same unique character.

The food scene is even stronger than the shopping. Jackson Square is home to Quince, a 3-star Michelin restaurant, and Cotogna, an excellent Italian spot from the same team right next door. Verjus, a French wine bar, recently reopened in the area, and Kusakabe, a Michelin-starred omakase restaurant, is also here.

●      Cafe Sebastian: one of the newest concepts, at the base of the Transamerica Pyramid.

●      Postscript: a great coffee shop for light bites on the go.

●      Villa Taverna: a private Italian dining club.

●      Roka Akor: for Asian food, and Bix, an old-school American bar and restaurant.

●      Old Ship Saloon and Barbarossa Lounge: neighborhood staple bars.

There's also easy access to members-only clubs like the Battery, just beyond Jackson Square's border, and Bank at Amador on the other side of Transamerica. A few blocks away sits Kokkari, a standout Mediterranean restaurant. And because the neighborhood is so central, all of North Beach's Italian food staples, the Ferry Building, downtown dining, Union Square shopping, and Chinatown are all within about a 10-minute walk.

Jackson Square is dense, so parks here tend to be small pockets rather than expansive green space, but there's still plenty for pets or lounging outside.

●      Redwood Park: at the base of the Transamerica Pyramid, recently reopened after a major renovation, with a bar area, shuffleboard, and water features.

●      Walton Square: between Jackson Square and the Embarcadero, a simple but welcome patch of green space.

The Embarcadero and Maritime Plaza are close by, and Portsmouth Square in Chinatown sits at the opposite edge of the area. If you want a genuinely large park, you'll need to leave the neighborhood, which is one of its few downsides.

Jackson Square is relatively flat and tiny, so everything is close no matter where you live in the neighborhood, and it's easy to get around on foot or by bike. Parking is more of a challenge given how many businesses and large office buildings surround the area; it's mostly metered parking, so it's not a place to count on long-term street parking.

Beyond what's already here, what makes Jackson Square especially interesting right now is what's coming. It's becoming a hub for large-scale commercial development on the north side of San Francisco.

The Transamerica Pyramid, which anchors the southern edge of the neighborhood, was purchased in 2020, with hundreds of millions spent renovating it into new amenity spaces and top-tier office space with sweeping views, including a rotating art exhibition at its base. Related California, the California arm of one of the country's largest real estate developers, is planning a new five-star hotel and luxury office building next door to Transamerica.

That kind of office investment might seem counterintuitive with San Francisco's citywide office vacancy rate still around 35% and remote work still common. But vacancy rates are falling, and newer, amenitized office space has been commanding premium rents with vacancy well below the citywide average, since companies bringing employees back want to do it in spaces worth coming back to. Transamerica is a clear example: the new tenants it's attracted have brought added foot traffic that's helped sustain the neighborhood's dining and shopping scene.

●      Bain Capital: consolidated its teams from around the city into a century-old building on Pacific Avenue in Jackson Square.

●      Jony Ive: the designer behind the iPhone, has acquired several buildings in Jackson Square over the past several years, spending well into eight figures, and a company he co-founded is headquartered across two of those buildings. He recently purchased the Little Fox Theater building as well.

A lot of serious capital is betting on this part of the city, and the neighborhood is already strong enough that it's becoming even better with that investment.

Jackson Square is dominated by condos; there are essentially no single-family homes in the neighborhood. The market here, like most areas close to downtown, took a real hit during the pandemic, as demand for downtown condo living cooled and business closures dampened the neighborhood's appeal.

●      288 Pacific: the area's main new construction building, designed by Handel Architects, with tall ceilings, great scale, and excellent light. It came online near the peak of the condo market in 2018, and values there took a real hit during the pandemic. One unit that sold for nearly $2.5 million in 2018 recently traded for $1.85 million; another that previously sold for nearly $2.2 million has sat on the market under $2 million for months without selling.

As return-to-office continues and more businesses set up shop in the area, demand and values could stabilize or recover. In the meantime, there are real opportunities for buyers who believe in the neighborhood's long-term trajectory.

What is Jackson Square known for?

Its Gold Rush-era history as part of San Francisco's original waterfront, its status as a national historic district, and today, its concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants, high-end boutiques, and major new commercial investment.

Is Jackson Square a good place to buy a condo in San Francisco?

Prices pulled back meaningfully during the pandemic and haven't fully recovered, which has created real value for buyers who believe in the neighborhood's long-term trajectory as office demand and foot traffic continue to return.

Are there single-family homes in Jackson Square?

No. The neighborhood is dominated by condos; there aren't meaningful numbers of single-family homes in the area.

Is Jackson Square walkable?

Yes. It's small and flat, everything in the neighborhood is close together, and North Beach, the Ferry Building, Union Square, and Chinatown are all within about a 10-minute walk.

What new development is happening in Jackson Square?

The Transamerica Pyramid has undergone a major renovation with new office and amenity space, and Related California is planning a new five-star hotel and luxury office building next door. Investors including Bain Capital and Jony Ive have also acquired significant property in the neighborhood.

I spent plenty of nights at Old Ship Saloon after work when I was practicing law downtown, so I've watched this neighborhood up close for years. It's rare to find a part of San Francisco with this much history, this much investment coming in, and still room for value. If you're thinking about buying in Jackson Square, or anywhere else in the city, reach out. I've lived in San Francisco for over a decade and helped numerous people relocate here from all over the country. Happy to be a resource for you.