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Top 5 Reasons to Go | Quick Bites | Getting There | Making the Most of Your Time | Top Attractions
Updated by Denise M. Leto
San Francisco novelist Herbert Gold calls North Beach “the longest-running, most glorious American bohemian operetta outside Greenwich Village.” Indeed, to anyone who’s spent some time in its eccentric old bars and cafés, North Beach evokes everything from the Barbary Coast days to the no-less-rowdy Beatnik era.
Italian bakeries appear frozen in time, homages to Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg pop up everywhere, and strip joints, the modern equivalent of the Barbary Coast’s “houses of ill repute,” do business on Broadway. With its outdoor café tables, throngs of tourists, and holiday vibe, this is probably the part of town Europeans are thinking of when they say San Francisco is the most European city in America.
The neighborhood truly was a beach at the time of the gold rush—the bay extended into the hollow between Telegraph and Russian hills. Among the first immigrants to Yerba Buena during the early 1840s were young men from the northern provinces of Italy. The Genoese started the fishing industry in the newly renamed boomtown of San Francisco, as well as a much-needed produce business. Later, Sicilians emerged as leaders of the fishing fleets and eventually as proprietors of the seafood restaurants lining Fisherman’s Wharf. Meanwhile, their Genoese cousins established banking and manufacturing empires.
Once almost exclusively Italian-American, today North Beach is a mixture of Italian (many of them elderly), Chinese, and San Francisco yuppie. But walk down narrow Romolo Place (off Broadway east of Columbus) or Genoa Place (off Union west of Kearny) or Medau Place (off Filbert west of Grant) and you can feel the immigrant Italian roots of this neighborhood. Locals know that most of the city’s finest Italian restaurants are elsewhere, but North Beach is the place that puts folks in mind of Italian food, and there are many decent options to choose from. Bakeries sell focaccia fresh from the oven; eaten warm or cold, it’s the perfect portable food. Many other aromas fill the air: coffee beans, deli meats and cheeses, Italian pastries, and—always—pungent garlic.
Top 5 Reasons to Go
Espresso, espresso, espresso: Or cappuccino, Americano, mocha—however you take your caffeine, this is the neighborhood for it. Hanging out in a café constitutes sightseeing here, so find a chair and get to work.
Colorful watering holes: The high concentration of bars with character, like Tosca Café and Vesuvio, makes North Beach the perfect neighborhood for a pub crawl.
Filbert Steps: Walk down this dizzying stairway from Telegraph Hill’s Coit Tower, past lush private gardens and jaw-dropping bay views—and listen for the hill’s famous screeching parrots.
Grant Avenue: Check out vanguard boutiques, rambling antiques shops, and cavernous old-time bars, all chockablock on narrow Grant Avenue. The best stuff is crowded into the four blocks between Columbus Avenue and Filbert Street.
Browsing books at City Lights: Illuminate your mind at this Beat-era landmark. Its great book selection, author events, and keen staff make it just as cool as ever.
Quick Bites
Liguria Bakery.
Many consider the fresh-from-the-oven focaccia here the neighborhood’s best. Arrive before noon. When the focaccia is gone, the place usually closes. | 1700 Stockton St.,
at Filbert St.,
North Beach | 94133 | 415/421–3786.
Molinari Delicatessen.
The friendly paesans behind the counter serve up the most delicious, and quite possibly the biggest, sandwiches in town. Take a number, grab your bread from the bin, and gaze upon the sandwich board. If you want to eat in, say a prayer to the patron saint of table nabbing—there are only three tables, outside. Fortunately, Washington Square Park is close by. | 373 Columbus Ave.,
at Vallejo St.,
North Beach | 94133 | 415/421–2337.
Getting There
The Powell–Mason cable-car line can drop you within a block of Washington Square Park, in the heart of North Beach. The 30–Stockton and 15–3rd Street buses run to the neighborhood from Market Street. Once you’re here, North Beach is a snap to explore on foot. Most of it is relatively flat—but climbing Telegraph Hill to reach Coit Tower is another story entirely.
A North Beach Walk
To hit the highlights of the neighborhood, start off with a browse at Beat landmark City Lights Bookstore. For cool boutique shopping, head north up Grant Avenue. Otherwise, it’s time to get down to the serious business of hanging out. Make a left onto Columbus Avenue when you leave the bookstore and walk the strip until you find a café table or pastry display that calls your name.
Fortified, continue down Columbus to Washington Square, where you can walk or take the 39 bus up Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower’s views. Be sure to take in the gorgeous gardens along the Filbert Steps on the way down. Finally, reward yourself by returning to Columbus Avenue for a drink at one of the atmosphere-steeped watering holes like Tosca, which is run by a woman Sean Penn calls “the last of the great saloon mistresses.”
Making the Most of Your Time
There’s no bad time of day to visit this quarter. The cafés buzz from morning to night, the shops along main drags Columbus Avenue and Broadway tend to stay open until at least 6 or 7 pm, and late-night revelers don’t start checking their watches until about 2 am. Sunday is quieter, since some shops close (though City Lights is open daily, until midnight).
Plan to spend a few hours here. It’s all about lingering, and the only major “sightseeing” spot is Coit Tower. The walk up to the tower is strenuous but rewarding; if you can tough it, make time for it. If you’re driving, keep in mind that parking is difficult, especially at night.
Top Attractions
City Lights Bookstore.
Take a look at the exterior of the store: the replica of a revolutionary mural destroyed in Chiapas, Mexico, by military forces; the poetry in the windows; and the sign that says “Turn your sell [sic] phone off. Be here now.” This place isn’t just doling out best sellers. Designated a city landmark, the hangout of Beat-era writers—Allen Ginsberg and store founder Lawrence Ferlinghetti among them—remains a vital part of San Francisco’s literary scene. Browse the three
levels of sometimes haphazardly arranged poetry, philosophy, politics, fiction, history, and local zines, to the tune of creaking wood floors. TIP
Be sure to check the calendar of literary events.
Back in the day, the basement was a kind of literary living room, where writers like Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac would read and even receive mail. Ferlinghetti cemented City Lights’s place in history by publishing Ginsberg’s Howl and Other Poems in 1956. The small volume was ignored in the mainstream . . . until Ferlinghetti and the bookstore manager were arrested for corruption of youth and obscenity. In the landmark First Amendment trial that followed, the judge exonerated both men, declaring that a work that has “redeeming social significance” can’t be obscene. Howl went on to become a classic.
Kerouac Alley, branching off Columbus Avenue next to City Lights, was rehabbed in 2007. Embedded in the pavement are quotes from Ferlinghetti, Maya Angelou, Confucius, John Steinbeck, and the street’s namesake. | 261 Columbus Ave., North Beach | 94133 | 415/362–8193 | www.citylights.com | Daily 10 am–midnight.
Top 3 Espresso Spots in North Beach
Caffè Trieste.
The Giotta family celebrates the art of a good espresso as well as a good tune at Caffè Trieste. Every Saturday from noon to 2 pm, the family presents a weekly musical. Arrive early to secure seats. The program ranges from Italian pop and folk music to operas, and patrons are encouraged to participate. If you’re one of the few people in creation who hasn’t begun a screenplay, here’s some inspiration: legend has it that Francis Ford Coppola wrote The Godfather screenplay here. | 601 Vallejo St.
, at Grant Ave.,
North Beach | 94133 | 415/392–6739.
Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Store.
Intimate, triangular Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Store serves up great hot focaccia sandwiches and North Beach–worthy espresso at its few tables and beautiful antique oak bar under old-time posters. On sunny days, take your order across the street to Washington Square for a classic San Francisco picnic. | 566 Columbus Ave.
,
North Beach | 94133 | 415/362–0536.
Caffè Roma.
A glance at the menu board—”Espresso: $1.80, Espresso with lemon: $10”—will clue you in that Caffè Roma takes its coffee a lot more seriously than it takes itself. And if you’ve got a problem with that, owner Tony Azzollini will convince you, from his refusal to make your coffee extra hot to his insistence that you drink your espresso the moment it’s brewed. Airy and decidedly undistracting—black and white marble is the predominant theme—Roma is a no-nonsense coffee
drinker’s pit stop for a hot cup as well as coffee drinks, pastries, and wine. Spot the massive red roaster in the window and you’ll know you’re here. And if you insist on the lemon twist, you deserve to pay. | 526 Columbus Ave.
,
North Beach | 94133 | 415/296–7942.
Coit Tower.
Whether or not you agree that it resembles a fire-hose nozzle, this 210-foot tower is among San Francisco’s most distinctive skyline sights. Although the monument wasn’t intended as a tribute to firemen, it’s often considered as such because of the donor’s special attachment to the local fire company. As the story goes, a young gold rush–era girl, Lillie Hitchcock Coit (known as Miss Lil), was a fervent admirer of her local fire company—so much so that she once deserted
a wedding party and chased down the street after her favorite engine, Knickerbocker No. 5, while clad in her bridesmaid finery. She became the Knickerbocker Company’s mascot and always signed her name “Lillie Coit 5.” When Lillie died in 1929 she left the city $125,000 to “expend in an appropriate manner . . . to the beauty of San Francisco.”
You can ride the elevator to the top of the tower—the only thing you have to pay for here—to enjoy the view of the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge; due north is Alcatraz Island. TIP The views from the base of the tower are also expansive—and free. Parking at Coit Tower is limited; in fact, you may have to wait (and wait) for a space. Save yourself some frustration and take the 39 bus, which goes all the way up to the tower’s base, or, if you’re in good shape, hike up.
Inside the tower, 19 Depression-era murals depict California’s economic and political life. The federal government commissioned the paintings from 25 local artists, and ended up funding a controversy. The radical Mexican painter Diego Rivera inspired the murals’ socialist-realist style, with its biting cultural commentary, particularly about the exploitation of workers. At the time the murals were painted, clashes between management and labor along the waterfront and elsewhere in San Francisco were widespread. | Telegraph Hill Blvd. at Greenwich St. or Lombard St., North Beach | 94133 | 415/362–0808 | Free; elevator to top $7 | Mar.–Sept., daily 10–5:30; Oct.–Feb., daily 9–4:30.
Fodor’s Choice |
Telegraph Hill.
Residents here have some of the city’s best views, as well as the most difficult ascents to their aeries. The hill rises from the east end of Lombard Street to a height of 284 feet and is capped by Coit Tower . Imagine lugging your groceries up that! If you brave the slope, though, you can be rewarded with a “secret treasure” SF moment. Filbert Street starts up the hill, then becomes the Filbert Steps when the going gets too steep. You can cut between the Filbert Steps
and another flight, the Greenwich Steps, on up to the hilltop. As you climb, you can pass some of the city’s oldest houses and be surrounded by beautiful, flowering private gardens. In some places the trees grow over the stairs so it feels as if you’re walking through a green tunnel; elsewhere, you’ll have wide-open views of the bay. And the telegraphic name? It comes from the hill’s status as the first Morse code signal station back in 1853. | Bordered
by Lombard, Filbert, Kearny, and Sansome Sts.,
North Beach | 94133.
The Parrots of Telegraph Hill
While on Telegraph Hill, you might be startled by a chorus of piercing squawks and a rushing sound of wings. No, you’re not about to have a Hitchcock bird-attack moment. These small, vivid green parrots with cherry-red heads number in the hundreds; they’re descendants of former pets that escaped or were released by their owners. (The birds dislike cages and they bite if bothered . . . must’ve been some disillusioned owners along the way.)
The parrots like to roost high in the aging cypress trees on the hill, chattering and fluttering, sometimes taking wing en masse. They’re not popular with most residents, but they did find a champion in local bohemian Mark Bittner, a former street musician. Bittner began chronicling their habits, publishing a book and battling the homeowners who wanted to cut down the cypresses. A documentary, The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, made the issue a cause célèbre. In 2007 City Hall, which recognizes a golden goose when it sees one, stepped in and brokered a solution to keep the celebrity birds in town. The city will cover the homeowners’ insurance worries and plant new trees for the next generation of wild parrots.
—Denise M. Leto
Worth Noting
Beat Museum.
This small museum, opened in 2006, is likely to see an uptick in visitors in response to the 2012 movie version of On the Road. Check out exhibits such as the “Beat pad,” a mock-up of one of the cheap, tiny North Beach apartments the writers and artists populated in the 1950s, complete with bongos and bottle-as-candleholder. Memorabilia include the shirt Neal Cassady wore while driving Ken Kesey’s Merry Prankster bus, “Further.” An early
photo of the legendary bus is juxtaposed with a more current picture showing it covered with moss and overgrowth, labeled “Nothing lasts.” Indeed. There are also manuscripts, letters, and early editions by Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. The gift store has a good selection of Beat philosophy, though it’s nothing you won’t find across the street at City Lights. TIP
One weekend a month the museum offers a 90-minute Beat walking tour of North Beach; the $20 price includes museum admission. | 540 Broadway,
North Beach | 94133 | 800/537–6822 | www.thebeatmuseum.org | $5 | Daily 10–7.
Grant Avenue.
Originally called Calle de la Fundación, Grant Avenue is the oldest street in the city, but it’s got plenty of young blood. Here dusty bars such as the Saloon and perennial favorites like the Savoy Tivoli mix with hotshot boutiques, odd curio shops like the antique jumble that is Aria, atmospheric cafés such as the boho haven Caffè Trieste, and authentic Italian delis. While the street runs from Union Square through Chinatown, North Beach, and beyond, the fun stuff in
this neighborhood is crowded into the four blocks between Columbus Avenue and Filbert Street. | North Beach | 94133.
Levi Strauss Headquarters.
The carefully landscaped complex appears so collegiate that it’s affectionately known as LSU—short for Levi Strauss University. Lawns complement the redbrick buildings, and gurgling fountains drown out the sounds of traffic, providing a perfect environment for brown-bag and picnic lunches. The lobby visitor center has displays focusing on the history of the company, including jeans that saw the gold rush, videos about Levi’s marketing and textile restoration, and
decades’ worth of vintage Levi’s shirts on a rotating dry-cleaner’s rack. TIP
Get Levi’s and Dockers straight from the source at the cozy new boutique here, open daily. The Filbert Steps to Coit Tower are across the street. | Levi’s Plaza,
1155 Battery St.,
North Beach | 94111 | Weekdays 9–6, Sat. noon–5. Closed Sun.
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church.
Camera-toting visitors focus their lenses on the Romanesque splendor of what’s often called the Italian Cathedral. Completed in 1924, the church has Disneyesque stone-white towers that are local landmarks. Mass reflects the neighborhood; it’s given in English, Italian, and Chinese. (This is one of the few churches in town where you can hear mass in Italian.) Following their 1954 City Hall wedding, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio had their wedding photos snapped here.
TIP
On the first Sunday of October a mass followed by a parade to Fisherman’s Wharf celebrates the Blessing of the Fleet. Another popular event is the Columbus Day pageant in North Beach, with a parade that ends at the church. | 666 Filbert St.,
at Washington Sq.,
North Beach | 94133 | 415/421–0809 | www.stspeterpaul.san-francisco.ca.us.
Sentinel Building.
A striking triangular shape and a gorgeous green patina make this 1907 building at the end of Columbus Avenue a visual knockout. In the 1970s local filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola bought the building to use for his production company. The ground floor is now Coppola’s stylish wine bar, Café Zoetrope. Stop in for wines from the Coppola vineyards in Napa and Sonoma, simple Italian dishes, and foodie gifts. | 916 Kearny
St.,
at Columbus Ave.,
North Beach | 94133.
Off the Beaten Path: 1360 Montgomery Street. In the 1947 film Dark Passage Humphrey Bogart plays an escaped prisoner from San Quentin convicted of killing his wife. His real-life wife, Lauren Bacall, befriends him and lets him hole up in her apartment, inside this fantastic art-deco building. From the street you can view the etched-glass gazelles and palms counterpointing a silvered fresco of a heroic bridge worker. | Montgomery St. between Union and Filbert Sts., near top of Filbert Steps, North Beach | 94133.
Washington Square.
Once the daytime social heart of Little Italy, this grassy patch has changed character numerous times over the years. The Beats hung out in the 1950s, hippies camped out in the 1960s and early ’70s, and nowadays you’re just as likely to see kids of Southeast Asian descent tossing a Frisbee as Italian men or women chatting about their children and the old country. In the morning elderly Asians perform the motions of tai chi, but by midmorning groups of conservatively
dressed Italian men in their seventies and eighties begin to arrive. Any time of day, the park may attract a number of homeless people, who stretch out to rest on the benches and grass, and young locals sunbathing or running their dogs. Lillie Hitchcock Coit, in yet another show of affection for San Francisco’s firefighters, donated the statue of two firemen with a child they rescued. TIP
The North Beach Festival, the city’s oldest street fair, celebrates the area’s Italian culture here each June. | Bordered by Columbus Ave. and Stockton, Filbert, and Union Sts.,
North Beach | 94133.
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