       |
Around Portsmouth Square
San Francisco, CA 94108
View Map | Website
Crammed into this seventeen-block area of town is one of the largest Chinese communities outside Asia, and after Fisherman’s Wharf, it’s the second most popular tourist destination in the city. A good place to start a tour of Chinatown is Portsmouth Square, the backyard for many of the community’s 80,000 residents. Here, locals congregate to relax, chat with neighbors, do a little Tai Chi, and maybe, just maybe, engage in some good-natured wagering of one sort or another. Not that we're condoning that kind of thing. Moving away from the square, we get into the heart of Chinatown, which is equal parts kitschy and authentic. Whether you want to buy silk or seafood, baubles or bok choy, there’s sure to be a merchant in Chinatown who will be more than happy to take your money. But even if you aren’t in a shopping mood, walking through the crowded streets of this lively neighborhood is a great addition to any trip to San Francisco.
City Lights Bookstore
261 Columbus Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94133
Phone: 415-362-8193
View Map | Website
There’s no other spot in San Francisco that embodies the history of the Beat Generation better than City Lights Books, in the heart of “little old wooden North Beach,” as writer Lawrence Ferlinghetti called it. It was founded in 1953, the first all-paperback bookstore in the U.S. In 1956, City Lights published Allen Ginsberg's seminal poem "Howl" and became the lightning rod for a new generation of untamed poets. Even today, as every city's bookstores look increasingly like every other city's bookstores, City Lights remains very much independent.
Embarcadero Center & Ferry Building
The Embarcadero at Market St.
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: 415-693-0996
View Map | Website
San Francisco’s Embarcadero runs along one side of the peninsula. The modern Embarcadero Center here is a five block complex right across the street from one of San Francisco’s oldest landmarks, the Ferry Building. Until bridges across the bay were constructed, this turn-of-the-century structure was the city’s main point of entry. These days, it houses unique stores and eateries, and guided tours are available three times a week. Just down the Embarcadero from the Ferry Building, we get a nice view of the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge. Actually, this double-decker link to the communities of the East Bay consists of two separate spans, both connected to Yerba Buena Island in the middle of the bay. And while the Bay Bridge will forever be in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, it is quite a feat of engineering in its own right.
900 N. Point Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: 415-775-5500
View Map | Website
This constantly mispronounced shopping facility is best known for its previous life as the factory of the world-famous Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, which was started in downtown San Francisco in the mid-19th century. In the 1960s, the Ghirardelli company was sold and relocated to cheaper real estate. However, the factory grounds were converted into one of the city’s loveliest retail locations, with over two dozen specialty shops and restaurants. And yes, they do have chocolate.
Pier 39
Beach Street & The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94133
Phone: 415-705-5500
View Map | Website
Every year, this multi-faceted complex pulls in millions of visitors, drawn by its mix of shopping, entertainment and nostalgia. Though the human traffic here is considerable, the most celebrated visitors to Pier 39 are the hundreds of Sea Lions that crowd the docks right off the pier. The Pier itself has been in operation since the late 1970s and has grown to feature over a hundred shops and restaurants. In addition, strolling street performers and a carousel add to the carnival atmosphere for which Pier 39 is famous.
The Cannery at Del Monte Square
2801 Leavenworth Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
Phone: 415-771-3112
View Map | Website
In the 1960s, the folks at the Del Monte Cannery decided to transform this turn-of-the-century peach canning facility into a mall in its own right. The Cannery at Del Monte Square, as the place is now known, houses another eclectic collection of shops, galleries, and restaurants, and hosts a regular Farmers Market in the spring and summer months. Highlights here include Jack's Cannery Bar, featuring fresh seafood and 110 beers on tap.
Union Square
Around Post & Stockton
San Francisco, CA 94108
View Map | Website
The focal point of this epicenter of commerce is the tall statue commemorating Commodore George Dewey’s naval victory in the Philippines during the Spanish American War. Surrounding the square are some of San Francisco’s most popular retail destinations, ranging from huge national department store chains to high-end specialty shops and exclusive designer boutiques. Whatever you’re looking for, there are plenty of opportunities to break out the plastic here in Union Square.