North Beach/Columbus Avenue

Now: There is so much colorful history bound up in North Beach, and so much going on, it's hard for even the most cynical resident not to appreciate the crackling mix of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, bakeries, nightclubs, and book shops. The real gems in North Beach are the places that you hardly notice when you're passing by. If they have an attention-getting exterior, and especially if they have a "greeter" or hired musician out front, you can be pretty sure that they're trying so hard to get you inside because they can't compete based on quality or reputation.

Then: Before the augmentation of the coastline, North Beach was actually just that - the beach at the northernmost edge of San Francisco, known then as the Barbary Coast. Italian immigrants came in large numbers during the later 1800s, and began setting up the scene that is reflected in today's version of the neighborhood.

How To Get There: Walking up Grant Street and Chinatown from Union Square is the most common way for visitors to reach North Beach. The 20 and 41 Muni bus lines from Sacramento Street at Davis, just west of Embarcadero Center, also go directly there. Parking around North Beach can be tricky, but it's usually easier if you overshoot and look for a space around the northern end of Columbus, closer the Chestnut. There is also a parking garage on Vallejo Street between Powell and Stockton.

Columbus Avenue in North Beach, looking south toward Transamerica Pyramid
Columbus Tower at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and Kearny Street, completed in 1907 and currently owned by Francis Ford Coppola
Detail of the Columbus Tower in North Beach

Columbus Tower and Transamerica Pyramid
House of Nanking on Kearny Avenue near the intersection of Columbus
Tosca Cafe, on Columbus Avenue near Broadway

Jukebox inside Tosca Cafe
Broadway at night, near Columbus Avenue, North Beach
Hungry I Club, on Broadway between Grant Avenue and Kearny Street

The Beat Museum, on Broadway in North Beach
Vesuvio, next to City Lights Books, on Columbus Avenue in North Beach
Jack Kerouac Alley, off of Columbus Avenue next to Vesuvio

Stairway inside Vesuvio
Vesuvio sign and Kerouac Alley, from inside Vesuvio
Inside the upper level of Vesuvio

Sign in the window of City Lights Books
City Lights Books, on Columbus Avenue near Broadway
Steps of Rome, on Columbus near Vallejo

Enrico's Restaurant, on Broadway Street at Kearny Street
Bocce Cafe, on Green Street at Grant Avenue
E Tutto Qua, at the corner of Columbus and Broadway

Grant Avenue at Filbert Street
Pink Blossom Clothing, on Grant Avenue near Filbert Street
Ruby Dolls Clothing, on Grant Avenue near Vallejo Street

Grant Street near Union Street
The Saloon, on Grant Avenue at Fresno Street
Intersection of Stockton and Green Streets in North Beach

North Beach Restaurant, on Stockton Street at Columbus
North Beach Pizza on Grant Avenue in North Beach
Mamas - breakfast and brunch, on Stockton Street at Filbert Street, at the corner of Washington Square Park

Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe - Italian Focaccia and Sandwiches, Columbus Street at Union Street
Tony's Pizza Napoletana, on Stockton Street at Union
Saints Peter and Paul Church, across from Washington Square Park

Washington Square Park, on Union Street near Columbus in North Beach
Saints Peter and Paul Church, facing Washington Square
Statue of Benjamin Franklin in Washington Square Park

Time Capsule inscription at the base of the statue of Benjamin Franklin in Washington Square Park
Statue dedicated to firefighters, in Washington Square Park
Mural on the west side of Columbus Avenue, across from Washington Square Park

101 Music, on Green Street in North Beach
Italian French Baking Company on Grant Street at Union Street, offering many kinds of biscotti
Cafe Jacqueline on Grant Avenue, specializing in souffles

The Savoy Tivoli, on Grant Street
Green Street in North Beach, looking west toward Columbus Avenue
Sodini's Green Valley Restaurant, Italian Trattoria, on Green Street

Molinari Delicatessen on Columbus at Vallejo Street
Inside Molinari Delicatessen
L'Osteria del Forno, on Columbus

Tommaso's Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria on Kearny Street near Broadway
Michelangelo Caffe in North Beach
Rose Pistola, on Columbus at Stockton

Trattoria Contadina, on Mason Street at Union Street
Mara's Italian Pastry on Columbus at Green Street
Caffe Puccini, on Columbus at Vallejo

Mangarosa Restaurant and Bar, on Stockton Street
Caffe DeLucchi in North Beach
Mona Lisa Ristorante

The Stinking Rose, on Columbus at Vallejo Street
Gelateria Naia, on Columbus near Green Street
Caffe Trieste, on Vallejo Street

XOX Truffles, on Columbus Avenue at Greenwich Street
Bimbo's 365 Club, on Columbus Avenue near Chestnut Street
Kennedy's Irish Pub and Curry House, facing both Columbus Avenue and Taylor Street, at Francisco Street