Neighborhood Guide: North Beach
Poetry reading in the alley between City Lights and Vesuvio; brave souls sitting on the ground.
Electric vibes.
North Beach is pure San Francisco energy in perfect contrast to the chill vibes of very-SF Russian Hill and Nob Hill. There’s nothing to dislike about North Beach unless you’re looking for pure peace and quiet. Here, tourists collide with the arts, and the whole neighborhood has a “been here forever” feel. North Beach is a melting pot – young and old, local and visitor, upscale and grunge, clubby to acoustic.
It’s home to streetside live music and bands gracing the stage of the gruff Saloon (it really has been there forever). The narrow streets have vintage stores and art galleries mixed in with long-time coffee and pastry shops. Head there to find a locally-made piece of jewelry or a 1982 The Clash tee for more than it’s worth.
Home of the Beat movement, you have poetry readings in the alley between famous City Lights Books and Vesuvio Cafe and crammed in the tiny upstairs of the Golden Sardine wine bar. You have long-timers and 20-somethings doing a shot and a beer in the classic dive bars like Columbus Cafe and the craft cocktails of Comstock Saloon with jazz in the background. Almost everywhere you go will have slightly questionable bathrooms.
There used to be a guy on the corner who tap-danced to hip hop while wearing a construction outfit. Sometimes I’d jump off the bus on the way home just to hang out and give him a dollar.
The food swings largely Italian (this is SF Little Italy) with layers of awesome seafood, and some of the places you suspect are tourist traps are totally worth the wait. Tony’s really is amazing pizza (and they make like 100 different kinds), though I love Il Casaro for their affordable and delicious woodfired pizzas. Jamming into Sotto Mare for cioppino should be on your list. Grab a glass of wine at Belle Cora while you wait – the buzzers have far enough range for that.
If you have low tolerance for crowds or are in a hurry to walk down the sidewalk, stay away. The sidewalks are full – street musicians, café tables, parking meters, window shoppers, a random guy yelling sans pants, old man in a Rascal scooter with a boombox, hangry people waiting for their tables. Show up with energy or North Beach will wear you out. But the blending of all the things is awesome.