North Beach (Little Italy)

 

Some of the best sidewalk dining, partying and people watching in the city can be found in North Beach, also known as Little Italy. If you can’t find a good slice of pizza here, just give up. 

​

North Beach - adjacent to Chinatown and the Financial District, a short walk from Fisherman’s Wharf - was once an actual beach. In the late 19th century, humans decided to fill in part of the bay, moving the shoreline to Fisherman’s Wharf.

​

Saints Peter and Paul Church, and the adjacent Washington Square Park, are must-sees in North Beach. The most picturesque neighborhood park in the city, Washington Square has shade, benches and bathrooms, and it's freshly renovated.

​

North Beach is where baseball great Joe DiMaggio grew up. He later lived there with his more famous wife, Marilyn Monroe. They were married at Saints Peter and Paul Church in the Wedding of the Century, more or less.

 

North Beach was the epicenter of the Beat Generation in the 1950s and 60s. Their vision of pseudo intellectualism included drug use and hitchhiking everywhere - “beautiful in an ugly graceful new way.”

​

The Beat movement gave us literary stars Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsburg. Their poet cohort Lawrence Ferlinghetti founded the City Lights Bookstore, which is now a historic landmark at the corner of Columbus and Broadway. It’s a great place to buy a copy of “On The Road.” Don’t forget your black turtleneck, beret and dark glasses.

 

Beatnik fans will want to check out Kerouac Alley beside the bookstore, and maybe venture into the funky and historic Vesuvio Cafe for a bloody mary. Go ahead, sit where Kerouac sat.

 

North Beach has hopping nightlife. Three blocks of Broadway east of Columbus have plenty of offerings with blues clubs, jazz clubs, strip clubs and regular nightclubs - plus a lot of restaurants. 

 

Grant Avenue, between Columbus and Union Street, is a good bet for nighttime fun. Green Street, Stockton Street and Vallejo Street all have much to offer as they draw near to Columbus Avenue.

 

If you’re in town in June around Father’s Day, the North Beach Festival is a good time along Grant Avenue and Columbus Avenue. It’s the oldest street fair in the country and one of the biggest of the year in San Francisco, a city that loves its street fairs.

 

Beware: The American Planning Association ranks North Beach among the 10 best neighborhoods in the country. They probably never tried to find parking. Your best bet might be to stop at one of the garages on Kearney Street and walk a few blocks. 

 

Hot tip: Truffles that can change your life (or at least your mood) at XOX Truffles at 54 Columbus Ave., near Washington Square. Go for the box of 20 instead of individually wrapped candy; you’ll save money and won’t regret the extra carbs. The Food Network named XOX among the top 10 artisan chocolatiers in the nation, and they did not make a mistake.

 

Good eats: It’s hard to beat Caffe Trieste, a coffee shop that has been a neighborhood fixture at 601 Vallejo Street for more than 50 years. They also have bakery items and alcohol and frequently host live music.

 

Oddly: You will find a strip of strip clubs on Broadway near Columbus. The Condor Club sits at that intersection and is famous, sort of, as the first topless bar in America. It remains that today, sources say.

 

Nearby: A stroll up Grant Avenue through Chinatown provides plenty of sights, smells and tastes of Chinese culture. Mosey a block over to Stockton Street to get a feel for real Chinatown, away from the tourist crowd. Also, three blocks down Columbus Avenue from the City Lights Bookstore is the iconic TransAmerica Pyramid building.

 

Photo op: A shot of Saints Peter and Paul Church and Washington Square is bound to please everyone when you get back home.