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Union Square | Chinatown | SoMa | Hayes Valley | North Beach | Embarcadero | The Haight | The Mission | Pacific Heights | Japantown
With its grand department stores and funky secondhand boutiques, San Francisco summons a full range of shopping experiences. From the anarchist bookstore to the mouthwatering specialty-food purveyors at the gleaming Ferry Building, the local shopping opportunities reflect the city’s various personalities. Visitors with limited time often focus their energies on the high-density Union Square area, where several major department stores tower over big-name boutiques. But if you’re keen to find unique local shops, consider moving beyond the square’s radius.
Each neighborhood has its own distinctive finds, whether it’s 1960s housewares, cheeky stationery, or vintage Levi’s. If shopping in San Francisco has a downside, it’s that real bargains can be few and far between. Sure, neighborhoods such as the Lower Haight and the Mission have thrift shops and other inexpensive stores, but you won’t find many discount outlets in the city, where rents are sky-high and space is at a premium.
Union Square
Serious shoppers head straight to Union Square, San Francisco’s main shopping area and the site of most of its department stores, including Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and all seven exquisitely appointed floors of Barneys New York. Nearby are such platinum-card international boutiques as Cartier, Emporio Armani, Gucci, Hermès, and Louis Vuitton.
The Westfield San Francisco Shopping Centre, anchored by Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom, is a mammoth mall; it’s notable for its gorgeous atriums and its top-notch dining options (no typical food courts here—instead, you’ll find branches of a few top local restaurants).
Art Galleries
Fodor’s Choice | Fraenkel Gallery.
This renowned gallery represents museum-caliber photographers or their estates, including Nicholas Nixon, Nan Goldin, Richard Misrach, and Garry Winogrand. Recent shows have included work by Robert Adams, Idris Khan, and Hiroshi Sugimoto. Most shows feature one or two artists, but the annual “Several Exceptionally Good Recently Acquired Pictures” showcases the range of works the gallery exhibits. | 49 Geary St., 4th fl., between Kearny St. and Grant Ave., Union Sq. | 415/981–2661 | fraenkelgallery.com | Closed Sun. and Mon.
Fodor’s Choice | John Berggruen Gallery.
Twentieth-century American and European paintings are displayed throughout three airy floors. Some recent exhibitions have included the works of Robert Kelly and Isca Greenfield-Sanders. Look for thematic shows here too; past exhibits have had titles such as Summer Highlights and Four Decades. | 228 Grant Ave., at Post St., Union Sq. | 415/781–4629 | www.berggruen.com | Closed Sun.
Clothing: Men and Women
Fodor’s Choice | Margaret O’Leary.
If you can only buy one piece of clothing in San Francisco, make it a hand-loomed, cashmere sweater by this Irish-born local legend. The perfect antidote to the city’s wind and fog, the sweaters are so beloved by San Franciscans that some of them never wear anything else. Pick up an airplane wrap for your trip home, or a media cozy to keep your iPod toasty. Another store is in Pacific Heights, at 2400 Fillmore Street. | 1 Claude La., at Sutter St., just west of Kearny St., Union Sq. | 415/391–1010 | www.margaretoleary.com.
Scotch & Soda.
With clean tailored lines and deep solid colors, there is something elegant yet cutting-edge for every age here. Based on Amsterdam couture, and carrying European labels, this hive of a shop is cool but friendly; it also has an old but new feel to it. The Bodycon Peplum dress is a classic, as is the men’s stretch wool blazer. This is a good place to visit if you’re looking for a new pair of denims, or a cool shirt for a night out. | 59 Grant Ave., between Geary and O’Farrell Sts., Union Sq. | 415/644–8334 | www.scotch-soda.com.
Department Stores
Fodor’s Choice | Gump’s.
It’s a San Francisco institution, dating to the 19th century, and it’s a strikingly luxurious one. The airy store exudes a museumlike vibe, with its large decorative vases, sumptuous housewares, and Tahitian-pearl display. It’s a great place to pick up gifts, such as the Golden Gate Bridge note cards or silver-plated butter spreaders in a signature Gump’s box. | 135 Post St., near Kearny St., Union Sq. | 415/982–1616 | www.gumps.com.
Nordstrom.
Somehow Nordstrom manages to be all things to all people, and this location, with spiral escalators circling a four-story atrium, is no exception. Whether you’re an elegant lady of a certain age shopping for a new mink coat or a teen on the hunt for a Roxy hoodie, the salespeople are known for being happy to help. Nordstrom carries the best selections in town of designers such as Tory Burch, but its own brands have loyal followings, too. TIP The café upstairs is a superb choice for a shopping break. | Westfield Shopping Centre,865 Market St., at 5th St., Union Sq. | 415/243–8500 | shop.nordstrom.com.
Furniture, Housewares, and Gifts
Fodor’s Choice | Diptyque.
The original Diptyque boutique in Paris has attracted a long line of celebrities. You can find the full array of scented candles and fragrances in this chic shop that would be at home on the boulevard St-Germain. Trademark black-and-white labels adorn the popular L’eau toilet water, scented with geranium and sandalwood. Candles come in traditional and esoteric scents, including lavender, basil, leather, and fig tree. Also available are Mariage Frères teas. | 171 Maiden La., near Stockton St., Union Sq. | 415/402–0600 | www.diptyqueparis.com.
Chinatown
The intersection of Grant Avenue and Bush Street marks the gateway to Chinatown. The area’s 24 blocks of shops, restaurants, and markets are a nonstop tide of activity. Dominating the exotic cityscape are the sights and smells of food: crates of bok choy, tanks of live crabs, cages of live partridges, and hanging whole chickens. Racks of Chinese silks, colorful pottery, baskets, and carved figurines are displayed chockablock on the sidewalks, alongside fragrant herb shops where your bill might be tallied on an abacus. And if you need to knock off souvenir shopping for the kids and coworkers in your life, the dense and multiple selections of toys, T-shirts, mugs, magnets, decorative boxes, and countless other trinkets make it a quick, easy, and inexpensive proposition.
Toys and Gadgets
Chinatown Kite Shop.
The kites sold here range from basic diamond shapes to box- and animal-shaped configurations. TIP Colorful dragon kites make great souvenirs. | 717 Grant Ave., near Sacramento St., Chinatown | 415/989–5182 | www.chinatownkite.com.
SoMa
Books
Fodor’s Choice | Chronicle Books.
This local beacon of publishing produces inventively designed fiction, cookbooks, art books, and other titles, as well as diaries, planners, and address books—all of which you can purchase at three airy and attractive spaces. The other stores are at 680 2nd Street, near AT&T Park, and 1846 Union Street, in Cow Hollow. | Metreon Westfield Shopping Center,165 4th St., near Howard St., SoMa | 415/369–6271 | www.chroniclebooks.com.
Food and Drink
K&L Wine Merchants.
More than any other wine store, this one has an ardent cult following around town. The friendly staffers promise not to sell what they don’t taste themselves, and weekly events—on Thursday from 5 pm to 6:30 pm and Saturday from noon to 3 pm—open the tastings to customers. The best-seller list for varietals and regions for both the under- and over-$30 categories appeals to the wine lover in everyone. | 638 4th St., between Brannan and Townsend Sts., SoMa | 415/896–1734 | www.klwines.com.
Hayes Valley
A community park called Patricia’s Green breaks up a crowd of cool shops just west of the Civic Center. Here you can find everything from hip housewares to art galleries to handcrafted jewelry. The density of unique stores—as well as the absence of chains anywhere in sight—makes it a favorite destination for many San Francisco shoppers.
Food and Drink
Arlequin Wine Merchant.
If you like the wine list at Absinthe Brasserie, you can walk next door and pick up a few bottles from its highly regarded sister establishment. This small, unintimidating shop carries hard-to-find wines from small producers. Why wait to taste? Crack open a bottle on the patio out back. | 384 Hayes St., at Gough St., Hayes Valley | 415/863–1104 | www.arlequinwinemerchant.com.
Miette Confiserie.
There is truly nothing sweeter than a cellophane bag tied with blue-and-white twine and filled with malt balls or chocolate sardines from this European-style apothecary. Grab a gingerbread cupcake or a tantalizing macaron or some shortbread. The pastel-color cake stands make even window-shopping a treat. | 449 Octavia Blvd., between Hayes and Fell Sts., Hayes Valley | 415/626–6221 | www.miette.com.
North Beach
Although it’s sometimes compared to New York City’s Greenwich Village, North Beach is only a fraction of the size, clustered tightly around Washington Square and Columbus Avenue. Most of its businesses are small eateries, cafés, and shops selling clothing, antiques, and vintage wares. Once the center of the Beat movement, North Beach still has a bohemian spirit that’s especially apparent at the rambling City Lights Bookstore, where Beat poetry lives on.
Books
Fodor’s Choice | City Lights Bookstore.
The city’s most famous bookstore is where the Beat movement of the 1950s was born. Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac hung out in the basement, and now regulars and tourists while hours away in this well-worn space. The upstairs room holds impressive poetry and Beat literature collections. Poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the owner, remains involved in the workings of this three-story shop. City Lights Publishers, which issued the poet Allen Ginsberg’s Howl in 1956, publishes a dozen new titles each year. | 261 Columbus Ave., at Broadway St., North Beach | 415/362–8193 | www.citylights.com.
Food and Drink
Fodor’s Choice | Molinari Delicatessen.
This store has been making its own salami, sausages, and cold cuts since 1896. Other homemade specialties include meat and cheese ravioli, tomato sauces, and fresh pastas. TIP Do like the locals: grab a made-to-order sandwich for lunch and eat it at one of the sidewalk tables or over at Washington Square Park. | 373 Columbus Ave., at Vallejo St., North Beach | 415/421–2337.
Embarcadero
Farmers’ Markets
Fodor’s Choice | Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market.
The partylike Saturday edition of the city’s most upscale and expensive farmers’ market places baked goods, gourmet cheeses, smoked fish, and fancy pots of jam alongside organic basil, specialty mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes, handcrafted jams, and juicy-ripe locally grown fruit. On Saturday about 100 vendors pack along three sides of the building, and sandwiches and other prepared foods are for sale in addition to fruit, vegetable, and other samples free for the nibbling. Smaller markets take place on Tuesday and Thursday. (The Thursday one doesn’t operate from about late December through March.) | Ferry Plaza, at Market St., Embarcadero | 415/291–3276 | www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com | Tues. and Thurs. 10–2, Sat. 8–2.
Fisherman’s Wharf
A constant throng of sightseers crowds Fisherman’s Wharf, and with good reason: Pier 39, the Anchorage, Ghirardelli Square, and the Cannery are all here, each with shops and restaurants, as well as outdoor entertainment—musicians, mimes, and magicians. Best of all are the Wharf’s view of the bay and its proximity to cable car lines, which can shuttle shoppers directly to Union Square. Many of the tourist-oriented shops border on tacky, peddling the requisite Golden Gate tees, taffy, and baskets of shells, but tucked into the mix are a few fine galleries, clothing shops, and groceries that even locals will deign to visit.
The Marina District
With the city’s highest density of (mostly) non-chain stores, the Marina is an outstanding shopping nexus. But it’s nobody’s secret—those with plenty of cash and style to burn flood the boutiques to snap up luxe accessories and housewares. Union Street and Chestnut Street in particular cater to the shopping whims of the grown-up sorority sisters and frat boys who live in the surrounding pastel Victorians.
The Haight
Haight Street is a perennial attraction for visitors, if only to see the sign at Haight and Ashbury streets—the geographic center of the Flower Power movement during the 1960s, so it can be a bummer to find this famous intersection is now the turf for Gap and Ben & Jerry’s. Don’t be discouraged; it’s still possible to find high-quality vintage clothing, funky shoes, folk art from around the world, and used records and CDs galore in this always-busy neighborhood.
Music
Fodor’s Choice | Amoeba Music.
With more than 2.5 million new and used CDs, DVDs, and records at bargain prices, this warehouselike offshoot of the Berkeley original carries titles you can’t find on Amazon. No niche is ignored—from electronica and hip-hop to jazz and classical—and the stock changes daily. TIP Weekly in-store performances attract large crowds. | 1855 Haight St., between Stanyan and Shrader Sts., Haight | 415/831–1200 | www.amoeba.com.
The Castro and Noe Valley
The Castro, often called the gay capital of the world, is also a major shopping destination for all travelers. It’s filled with men’s clothing boutiques and home-accessories stores geared to the neighborhood’s fairly wealthy demographic. Of course, there are plenty of places hawking kitsch, too, and if you’re looking for something to shock your Aunt Martha back home, you’ve come to the right place. Just south of the Castro on 24th Street, largely residential Noe Valley is an enclave of fancy-food stores, bookshops, women’s clothing boutiques, and specialty gift stores.
The Mission
The aesthetic of the resident Pabst Blue Ribbon–downing hipsters and starving-artist types contributes to the affordability and individuality of shopping here. These night owls keep the city’s best thrift stores, vintage-furniture shops, alternative bookstores, and, increasingly, small clothing boutiques afloat. As the Mission gentrifies, though, bargain hunters find themselves trekking the long blocks in search of truly local flavor. Thankfully, many of the city’s best bakeries and cafés are sprinkled throughout the area.
Art Galleries
Southern Exposure.
An artist-run, nonprofit gallery, this is an established venue for cutting-edge art. In addition to exhibitions, lectures, performances, and film, video screenings take place. | 3030 20th St., at Alabama St., Mission | 415/863–2141 | soex.org | Closed Sun. and Mon.
Furniture, Housewares, and Gifts
Fodor’s Choice | Paxton Gate.
Elevating gardening to an art, this serene shop offers beautiful earthenware pots, amaryllis and narcissus bulbs, decorative garden items, and coffee-table books such as An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles. The collection of taxidermy and preserved bugs provides more unusual gift ideas. A couple of storefronts away is too-cute Paxton Gate Curiosities for Kids, jam-packed with retro toys, books, and other stellar finds. | 824 Valencia St., between 19th and 20th Sts., Mission | 415/824–1872 | www.paxtongate.com.
Pacific Heights
The rest of the city likes to deprecate its wealthiest neighborhood, but no one has any qualms about weaving through the mansions to come to Fillmore and Sacramento streets to shop. With grocery and hardware stores sitting alongside local clothing ateliers and international designer outposts, these streets manage to mix small-town America with big-city glitz. After you’ve splurged on a cashmere sweater or a handblown glass vase, snag an outdoor seat at Peet’s; it’s the perfect way to pass an afternoon watching the parade of Old Money, dogs, and strollers.
Beauty
Benefit Cosmetics.
You can find this locally based line of cosmetics and skin-care products at Macy’s and Sephora, but it’s much more fun to come to one of the eponymous boutiques. No-pressure salespeople dab you with whimsical makeup such as Ooh La Lift concealer and Tinted Love, a stain for lips and cheeks. | 2117 Fillmore St., between California and Sacramento Sts., Pacific Heights | 415/567–0242 | www.benefitcosmetics.com.
Japantown
Unlike the ethnic enclaves of Chinatown, North Beach, and the Mission, the 5-acre Japan Center (Bordered by Laguna, Fillmore, and Post Sts. and Geary Blvd. | No phone) is under one roof. The three-block complex includes a reasonably priced public garage and three shop-filled buildings. Especially worthwhile are the Kintetsu and Kinokuniya buildings, where shops sell things like bonsai trees, music CDs, jewelry, antique kimonos, tansu (Japanese chests), electronics, and colorful glazed dinnerware and teapots.
Books
Kinokuniya Bookstore.
The selection of English-language books about Japanese culture—everything from medieval history to origami instructions—is one of the finest in the country. Kinokuniya is the city’s biggest seller of Japanese-language books. Dozens of glossy Asian fashion magazines attract the young and trendy; the manga and anime books and magazines are wildly popular, too. | Kinokuniya Bldg.,1581 Webster St., at Geary Blvd., Japantown | 415/567–7625 | www.kinokuniya.com/us.