Explore DBI permits, SFPD incident data, and CRNC, CVR and CCB zoning in Chinatown, San Francisco's dense historic district near downtown.
Search this neighborhoodChinatown occupies the blocks between California Street and Broadway, running from the Financial District's edge near Kearny and Montgomery Streets west to Powell Street, with SF Planning's analysis neighborhood also taking in a wedge of blocks west of Columbus Avenue that are often counted as part of North Beach. Grant Avenue and Stockton Street are its main commercial streets, and the district is one of the oldest Chinatowns in North America. About 12,100 people live here.
Housing is dominated by older multi-story walk-ups, residential hotels, and family association buildings with ground-floor shops. Zoning is specific to the area: the Chinatown Residential Neighborhood Commercial (CRNC), Chinatown Visitor Retail (CVR), and Chinatown Community Business (CCB) districts cover the core, with RM-2 and RM-4 residential districts on the western blocks, C-2 and C-3-O parcels toward the Financial District, and part of the North Beach NCD along Columbus Avenue. Notable places include Portsmouth Square, Waverly Place, Ross Alley, Old St. Mary's Cathedral, and Chinese Hospital.
CivicScout tracks SFPD incident reports, injury traffic crashes, and open DBI notices of violation across Chinatown for any searched address.
View safety data →DBI permit activity in Chinatown centers on upkeep of older mixed-use buildings: seismic and fire-safety upgrades, residential hotel repairs, and storefront and interior alterations.
View permits →Major construction and high-impact permits — see what’s changing across the neighborhood.
View new construction →Chinatown-specific districts (CRNC, CVR, and CCB) dominate, alongside RM-2 and RM-4 residential zoning and C-2 and C-3-O parcels near the Financial District.
View zoning →The zoned public schools assigned by attendance boundary.
View schools →Location reports for Chinatown addresses surface DBI permit history, open 311 cases, DBI notices of violation, and the applicable SF Planning Code zoning district.
Search an address →Search an address in Chinatown to see building permits, safety data, zoning details, and AI-powered neighborhood reports.
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