It is well worth the steep climb up to this scenic and aptly-named neighbourhood. As you rise, you'll have eye-catching views of the bay and the city down the ruler-straight streets in San Francisco's grid pattern. Pacific Heights rises to 370 feet above sea level and its two small hilltop parks provide sweeping vistas over both the eclectic architecture of downtown and out to the brooding former prison island of Alcatraz, squatting in the water opposite the Golden Gate Bridge. Well-kept and ornate one hundred-year-old buildings painted in pastel colours give Pacific Heights itself an air of prosperous gentility. Upmarket Fillmore Street, the neighbourhood's focal point, is lined with quirky boutiques, cafes and restaurants. 8/10
