San Francisco/North Beach
North Beach is one of the oldest districts in San Francisco. Nestled between Chinatown to the south and Fisherman's Wharf to the north, North Beach forms the City's Little Italy district. Old-style Italian cafes and restaurants line the steep streets.
North Beach was also the West Coast's capital for the Beatnik movement in the 1950s. Today, Broadway is a seedy street lined with adult bookstores and strip clubs; strangely, like everything in San Francisco, they retain a certain charm.
See
- City Lights Bookstore, 261 Columbus Ave (at Broadway), (415) 362-8193. Every day 10AM-Midnight. Co-founded by Beat poet Lawrence Ferlenghetti, City Lights was one of the centers of the Beat community in the 1950s. Today you can go there and check out a large selection of books of every type. http://www.citylights.com/
- Coit Tower, 1 Telegraph Hill Blvd (limited parking; or take #39 Muni bus from Washington Square), (415) 362-0808 (tour contact: Masha Zakheim <mzakheim@earthlink.net>). Every day, 10AM-5PM. Visible from all parts of San Francisco and the Bay Area, Coit Tower stands atop Telegraph Hill, and gives an excellent view of the rest of the Bay. The tower was built by the federal Works Projects Administration in 1933 with money bequeathed by eccentric San Franciscan Lillie Coit. Coit had a fascination with firefighters, and local legend has it that the shape of the tower is supposed to simulate the end of a firehose -- although the architects denied this claim. The first and second floor house beautiful examples of New Deal-era idealist murals, and the top floor (reached by elevator) has featured paintings or other art. $3 (elevator to top floor; the rest is free). http://www.coittower.org/
- Washington Square
Eat
- Enrico's, 504 Broadway (at Kearny) (street parking is tough, but they provide valet parking), (415) 982-6223, reservations recommended. Enrico's is one of the classic hangouts in the neighborhood, having been around since 1958. They feature live jazz nightly, and provide a nice (though small) if you're just in the mood for a drink. Be aware that it gets very crowded on the weekends. http://www.enricossidewalkcafe.com/
- L'Osteria del Forno, 519 Columbus, (415) 982-1124, no reservations. A charming, crowded locally known date restaurant, L'Osteria has a line out the door after 5pm, so arrive early. The small semi-surly staff cooks up wonderful, affordably-priced dishes in the kitchen's one oven, so things can take a little while.
- The House, 1230 Grant (at Columbus), (415) 986-8612, reservations recommended. The home of Asian fusion cuisine. The dining space is tiny, but the possible ensuing wait is worth it. Don't miss the scallop-topped caesar salad or the often-imitated seared Ahi tuna.
- Caffe Puccini, 411 Columbus, (415) 989-7033. Puccini serves a mean cappucino, but they also offer a delicious homemade lasagna. The walls are adorned with opera posters, and the sounds of Verdi and spoken italian are in the air.
Drink
- Fuse, 493 Broadway (at Kearny). Catering to a musical taste that leans towards electronica, Fuse regularly features DJs that spin a variety of house and downtempo. This being San Francisco, the crowd tends to show up on the late side, but when they turn out they arrive in force. Fuse isn't that big so, if you arrive after everyone, be prepared to wait in line. The dance floor is minimal, establishing a space that's more for drinking and enjoying the music than getting funky. However, the quality of music is fun, and the bar staff is very friendly. http://www.fusesf.com/
- North Star, 1560 Powell (at Green). The North Star is a standard bar that you will find almost everywhere in the U.S. It has pool tables, a bar, and as the evening goes on becomes standing room only. This is a good bar for hanging out with friends and making new ones.
