A bunch of apartments and shops are not a neighborhood. A supermarket and a gym are not a neighborhood. A neighborhood is a feeling. It’s familiar faces passing on the sidewalk. It’s “the usual” at your favorite spot. It’s more than a place to live. It’s a home.

Hayes Valley is a neighborhood. And it’s unlike any other you’ve ever known. Here, artists, writers and regular folk elbow up to the bar with symphony and opera fans, fresh from the nearby concert halls. Here, brunch nooks and burger joints trade patrons with world-class restaurants and exotic Cuban, Belgian and Brazilian spots. And here, you can window shop for handsewn clothing, metalwork and African masks—all in the same block.

Most of all, Hayes Valley is a one-of-a-kind neighborhood you can make your own. Because the best way to fit in, is to not fit in at all.