well.....my boyfriend has had his car broken into twice in six months and I've had mine broken into once in five years (I accidently. there are definitely some sketchy characters around. a couple of months ago I heard gunshots on Fillmore x Page x Oak. It's not the marina, that's for sure. I keep my wits about me and seem to do alright. you might want to try the richmond or the sunset if you want somewhere more low key. the lower haight is kind of intense.

I don't think violent crime is as big a risk as crimes of poverty, in general--your car could get broken into, and you might run some risk of getting mugged, but you're very unlikely to get shot. Fillmore is a pretty busy street--I think the fact that there are always quite a few potential witnesses around makes it a bit safer than those that get less foot-and-vehicle traffic. Although it attracts its fair share of tweaked-out crackheads and aspiring gangsters, it also gets plenty of regular folks from the neighborhood at most hours of the day. The intersection of Haight and Fillmore is close to a housing project (on Haight at Webster), and it attracts plenty of shady people and shady-people-wannabes, but it's also a major commercial intersection, home to a bunch of bars and restaurants. So unless it's really, really late, you're unlikely to be completely alone on the street most of the time. My wife and I regularly walk between the Haight and Japantown on Fillmore at night (not generally at 2AM, but more than once near midnight), and we've never had problems. Keep your wits about you, stick to populated areas at night, take a cab or the bus in the wee hours or if you feel unsafe, and you'll be fine.

As far as the neighborhoods around it, the blocks and neighborhoods just north of Haight are rougher than those just to its south; the Duboce Triangle area, between the Haight and the Castro, is just a few blocks south of where you'll be. That's significantly richer, and a lot less gritty than the Haight itself (it's also, predictably, more expensive). Haight St. also gets richer and lower-crime as you head West, into the Upper Haight (the Haight-Ashbury district, which is around ten blocks west of you). If you were to head North up Fillmore six or seven blocks, you'd pass close to the center of one of the sketchier parts of the Western Addition, which is home to some large housing projects and some fairly high crime rates, before you wound up in pretty fancy, boring Pacific Heights. I probably wouldn't walk north on Webster or Laguna after midnight by myself if I were a woman, but I've done it as a guy, and again, never had problems.

I moved to the Lower Haight from a part of the Mission where shootings were far more common (I remember at least five shootings within a couple of blocks of my house during the time that I was there) and crime rates noticeably higher overall. I'd say that while the neighborhood is certainly an interesting mix of people and types, and the crime is higher than in some other parts of town, it's not one of the worst neighborhoods in the city by a long stretch.

agreed. besides the 'poverty crime' of car break-ins, etc. most of the violent crimes seem to be sketch-on-sketch related. the corner of Haight & Webster is indeed quite sketchy. but i've rounded that corner well after midnight/last call practically every weekend night (and some weekdays) for 6 years and never had a problem. always have to keep at least most of your wits about you, of course. and maybe alternate a normally trod block for a more trafficked or well-lit one. but overall, the sketch folk are usually more interested in messing with each other than the random passer-by. as in any 'big city', walk with purpose and don't overly make eye contact and you're fine.

This is definitely the hood. And you should be aware that there is active drug dealing going on at the corner of Oak and Fillmore, and plenty of projects a few blocks away. Then again, many of people live here for years without incident. Like others have said, property crime is the biggest concern around here; if you park your car on the street overnight make sure there's NOTHING inside, not even a couple of quarters in the change tray as some lowlifes will smash a window just to get at that. It's easy for them and expensive for you. But you'll have to weigh the cost of paying $200+ per month for a garage space (if you can find one) versus the hassle of maybe replacing a window every so often.
Most of the gunfire is gang-related, so staying away from the projects will increase your chances of not getting caught in the crossfire. Which only really erupts every few months.
As for muggings, that's going to depend on who you are, and whether you look like you know what you're doing. Exercise the same caution you would in any Big American City: always be aware of your surroundings and who's on the street with you. If somebody's coming up behind you turn around and check them out. If the hair stands up on the back of your neck, listen to your instincts and get out of there. Pepper spray is legal in California, so perhaps you will want to invest in a cannister and learn how to use it.
One of the best things you can do for your safety is make sure your living space is secure. Doors should have deadbolts and be locked whether you're at home or not. Every window even remotely accessible from outside should have security locks on them- cheap and easily available at the hardware store. There's a lot of property crime in SF because so many people leave their doors unlocked, or leave a window open next to a street-accessible drainpipe or fire escape while they pop down to the corner to get a carton of milk. Then they come home and find somebody in their apartment. I've known three people to have that happen to them. Make your place hard to get into, and they'll find somebody lazier than you to rip off.

Scared yet? Well, don't be. I've told you all that nasty stuff to impress upon you the importance of being aware of your surroundings and the fact that you live in a higher-crime neighborhood than say, the Castro, the Marina, or the Sunset. Notice I said "higher-crime" and not "high-crime." This is a great neighborhood: lots of public transportation, close to almost everything, tons of great places to eat and drink, beautiful architecture, great parks, and the occasional bit of excitement that keeps city livin' interesting.
Yes, you can walk around after midnight. But if you're bopping down the street drunk with your iPod on then don't be surprised if somebody tries to take advantage of your lack of attention.

This isn't the jungle. No lions will pounce on you from out of the bushes. But in spite of the multi-million dollar houses and high-six figure condos, it's still the Fillmo'. And it's a great place to live.

Fillmore & Oak has its ups and downs. the people I know who have been mugged around there have come home around 2am, ass-drunk and stumbling around. they might as well of had a "rob me" sign on their back.

if you look at the SF crime map, in the past 90 days you can see there has been an assortment of crime. gispubweb.sfgov.org/website/...izard.asp

I think having your home burguled is more of a concern, especially when you first move in. you probably already know this, but when you move in, try not to "display" any of your stuff. for example, move electronics, etc., in unmarked boxes or covered somehow. showing the neighborhood thugs know you have a lot of nice stuff when you move in is an invitation to get robbed.

it is unlikely anything will happen, especially at night, but still be aware. this is the best city in the world. you will enjoy every moment here. welcome to SF!

I'm also thinking of moving to this neighborhood soon. People I know who lived there in the past said that violent crime, while infrequent, is consistent, even in broad daylight.
I'd be on Webster and Waller. Can anyone tell me what it's like around here? it's 1 block from the projects but the neighborhood and the houses seemed really nice... would it be OK to drive and walk home from the MUNI at night?
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thanks for all your reassurances. I am signing my lease. Every other place I've seen since started to strangely feel sterile in comparison... I had a feeling that I'd love living in LH but had to pause to consider the stories of trustworthy friends who lived there for many years in the past-- but this was also some time ago, and I've heard crime was worse back then. in any case, I'm very excited about my move! it's nice to know that I'll be in good company.