Country Hearth Inn

The hip Marina is a picturesque “village” with exquisite Victorian homes, expanses of waterfront and killer views of the Golden Gate. It was devastated by the Great Quake and then rebuilt for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, a remainder of which is the iconic Palace of Fine Arts. And after the 1989 earthquake leveled the area a second time, it got a shiny new face (and sturdier construction).

These days, the home of the Presidio and the Exploratorium is also home to yuppie types, who shop in its trendy boutiques and brunch in its sunny cafés. A buzzing nightlife and a Safeway supermarket famous for its pickup scene also make this the place where singles come to see and be seen. But amid posh spa treatments and yoga pants (the standard uniform around these parts), the ‘hood also attracts assorted free spirits, who stroll through artsy Fort Mason’s museums and nonprofits, or picnic and fly kites at Crissy Field.