Civic Center / Hayes Valley
San Francisco' s widest street, Van Ness Avenue, runs down the middle of Civic Center, a Beaux Arts architectural wonder. A short distance from Civic Center lies Hayes Valley boasting galleries, antique shops, restaurants and book nooks. A stretch of Larkin Street starting just beyond the Asian Art Museum's front door at Larkin and McAllister up to O'Farrell has been designated Little Saigon. Some 250 Vietnamese-owned businesses are concentrated in this and the nearby Tenderloin areas. The Polk Street district parallels Van Ness Avenue and extends all the way to Fisherman's Wharf, where it terminates in front of the historic Maritime Museum. Catering to a diverse population, Polk Street is one of the oldest shopping districts in San Francisco.
