San Francisco, known for its many hills, has distinct price differences based on its terrain. Among them, Pacific Heights is considered the most iconic affluent neighborhood in the city. This hillside area offers views of both the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay, lined with large Victorian and Edwardian mansions, where the median home price exceeds $4 million.

Sea Cliff is also noteworthy. Located right in front of the Golden Gate Strait, this small residential area features many homes with private beaches and cliff views, with median prices often exceeding $5 million. It is well-known as a preferred area for Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and finance professionals.

Presidio Heights, adjacent to Presidio Park, boasts abundant greenery and maintains an elegant atmosphere with several embassies and consulates. The median price here is around $4 million.

The long-standing status of these three areas as affluent neighborhoods is largely due to their geographical scarcity. San Francisco itself is small in area with little room for new development, resulting in a price gap that is nearly three times the citywide median price of around $1.3 million.

Since the establishment of historic families during the 19th-century Gold Rush in Pacific Heights, the area's real estate prices have continued to rise due to the influx of finance and, more recently, tech industry wealth in the 20th century.

Korean asset-holding households tend to choose relatively accessible hillside areas like St. Francis Wood or Diamond Heights, or the Peninsula across the Bay as their primary residences. However, there are often cases where they keep an eye on Pacific Heights condos for investment purposes, according to local real estate agents.

Given that the representative affluent neighborhoods of San Francisco have very high entry barriers, it is more realistic to approach them from a long-term asset portfolio perspective rather than as primary residences. It is advisable to broadly compare adjacent areas that fit your budget.