Curbed Cup 1st Round: (7) North Beach vs. (10) Portola

North Beach is replete with charm and history, and while neighborhood residents are well-known for nimbyism when it comes to new development, changes are taking root in these scenic square blocks of San Francisco. Classic hangouts like Vesuvio Cafe and the reinvigorated Tosca now rub shoulders with hot new eateries like Park Tavern and Tacolicious. This year, the neighborhood also bid farewell to the dilapidated Pagoda Theatre and will soon be welcoming a brand new library and an expanded Joe DiMaggio playground. With streetscape improvements in the works and even more new restaurants on the way, North Beach's reputation as one of SF's finest neighborhoods shows no sign of wavering.

Described by one of its residents as "a largely unheard of neighborhood," Portola was the most nominated neighborhood by Curbed readers. Emails poured in, and another neighbor dubbed it as "The Best Neighborhood You've Never Heard Of." In addition to the big reopening of the Palega Playground, the neighborhood's also home Burrows Pilot Park and the yearly Portola Garden Tour. Portola's also one of the only places in San Francisco where you can still get a decent home for less than a trillion dollars.

- Dylan Pilaar contributed to this post