[2] Characterized by family homes on spacious lots (by San Francisco standards), St. Francis Wood has no visible businesses and has a correspondingly low profile compared to similar wealthy neighborhoods such as the Marina District and Pacific Heights.

St. Francis Wood was established in 1912 as a neighborhood for upper-middle class residents with convenient streetcar access to jobs downtown.

[5] Like other residence parks, the neighborhood used racial covenants to block Black and Asian people from moving in.

State Senator Scott Wiener expressed concern that St. Francis Wood's historic designation creates a model for other wealthy neighborhoods to evade the intent of state housing law to build more homes in all neighborhoods.

[5] The St. Francis Homes Association said that the historic designation was about the architectural history and said that they were an inclusive community open to the public.