Ostensibly named after seven Cyrillic-inscribed gravestones were found on the top of the top of the hill in Gold Rush days (indicating that Russian traders were buried there), this neighborhood is now one of San Francisco most active and desirable. Hyde street is filled is charming restaurants and small businesses, where on Polk Street you'll find antique shops, trendy restaurants, night spots and the unique boutique or two. Russian Hill is also known for its mini French Quarter around Polk and Green. French antiques and gift stores, cafes and a bistro all make up this popular section.

The views are as attractive as those found on Nob Hill, but the neighborhood feels less commercial, more residential. The Powell-Hyde St. cable car crosses the hill in the south-to-north direction and the 41 Union bus provides transportation over it from east to west. For tourists and residents alike, exploring pedestrian-only lanes, such as Macondray, and the walkways and stairs that connect steep blocks of the hill, frustrating the automobile driver, can be very enjoyable.

The ëcrookedest blockí of Lombard Street is located between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets at the top of the hill and Ghirardelli Square is located at the northern foot of the hill bounded by Larkin, Beach, Hyde and North Point Streets.