This independent North Beach icon, founded by Beat writer-mentor Lawrence Ferlinghetti, goes beyond your average bookstore by shelving beat literature, anthologies, and fiction from Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and much more. Experience San Francisco through the words written by some of the area's most famous, and sometimes hard-to-find, writers. The store has its own publishing house, City Lights, which has enriched the San Francisco community since 1953 by promoting emerging writers with an edge.
Bell's Books is a family-owned bookstore in Palo Alto that's been passed down from generation to generation. Lot of people will tell you that this bookstore is a treasure. If you love reading or you are a book collector, this is definitely a place to go and stay for hours. Do not expect to find People Magazine or the latest New York Times best-seller; this store only sells used books. They offer an important selection of antique books and historic documents.
The Ferry Building Marketplace is a must-see for San Francisco visitors. This multi-million dollar development has an abundance of activities for the entire family. The marvelous building was designed by renowned architect Arthur Page Brown in Beaux Arts Style. Similar to that of the iconic Giralda Bell Tower in Seville, the clock tower of this building is a popular landmark and can be seen from afar. Take a tour of the historic Ferry Building, browse through antique shops, enjoy a view by the bay and a bowl of chowder at Ferry Plaza Seafood or buy organic produce at the Farmer's Market. Enjoy the sights and sounds of what makes the Ferry Building one of the Bay's most popular destinations for entertainment, food, and fun.
No music lover's trip to San Francisco would be complete without a visit to this warehouse-sized music store. The Upper Haight store bustles with hundreds of shoppers flipping through vast selections of CDs, records, tapes, videos and posters. The deals on used and yellow tag (cosmetically damaged, functionally guaranteed) items are the best in the city, as is the selection of obscure and independent-label titles.
A grand expansion at one of North America's largest shopping centers brings it more levels of premium designer boutiques, chain retailers and two major department stores: Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's. The center offers a vast area of upscale dining, entertainment and office space. Its breathtaking architecture dates back to 1896 and with modern additions there is no shortage of natural sunlight to guide you on your way. Let the circular brass escalators wind and unwind you past more than 150 shops and stores. The center is equipped with an information desk and ATMs.
Downtown Palo Alto Farmer’s Market has a charm of its own. With bustling stands of vegetable vendors, meat sellers as well as food stalls and food trucks lined around the Gilman Street this is a place for meeting friends, stocking up groceries and strolling under the bright sun. Founded in 1981, this market is an important part of the city. Over 50 farmers from the neighboring cities bring their produce here for sale and the market has been a source of livelihood for all of them. From flowers, fruits, fresh herbs, dried fruits, nuts or honey you can shop to your hearts content. If you are hungry after a long shopping haul take a break and enjoy homemade crepes, pastries, pancakes and more at the food stalls.
Rafael's boutique suits the sophisticated and well-dressed woman in fine formal, professional, and casual clothing. Shoppers will find a plethora of handsome suits, hand-woven jackets, and velvet brocade shrugs. Customer service is the key at this boutique, so let a friendly wardrobe coordinator help you pick out an outfit for a night in town, or a casual stroll through the streets of San Francisco.
This small neighborhood bookstore specializes in titles in Slavic languages. You will find a selective range of new and used titles in Russian and in English translation. Featuring titles in literature, mystery, politics, reference, history, and more, it also offers a number of vintage art prints. One of the only Slavic bookstores in the city, it is located in the Richmond District, where a lot of the local Russian immigrant community resides. Check website for details.
The silver collection at this gallery includes everything from tiny mustard spoons to an English soup terrine, from ornate candelabras a la Beauty and the Beast, to stylish clean lines of a knife-rest, you will find the handiest little mealtime accessories to outshine any sunny day. The owner's personal favorite is a child's gold plated rattle, with a whistle at one end and a smooth pink stick of cool coral at the other for teething, it reputedly fends off colic at a reasonable price! Whether you want classic silverware or a South American Ybarra lion that pours tea from it's scratchy toothed silver spout, the selection here will truly dazzle you.
888 Brannan is a one-of-a-kind store where you can find almost anything under the sun. Whether it be fashion accessories or clothes, books or kitchen devices or just a knick-knack to adorn your home, you are sure to find it here. It also holds special sales and events for occasions like Thanksgiving and Mother's Day.
Few quality designer stores cater to the business traveler exclusively. Glaser Designs is one such store which specializes in leather bags and briefcases for corporate executives. Besides work bags, it also offers traveler's bags, laptop carriers and so on. A departure from the usual deep warm colors used for business leather items, Glaser Designs successfully experiments with lighter tones for both men and women. They also have a separate product line for corporate gifts like hand-finished wallets and memo jotters.
This is an adorable little boutique located at the Waverley Street inside an old Victorian style house. Everything in the store is eclectic and they have given a designer touch to your conventional house pins, chop sticks, plates, bowls, toasters, clocks, etc. The items on their racks are one-of-a-kind and become a great gift or conversation piece. Be it a baby shower or a house warming party of a friend pick up something at the Five Ten Gifts; the recipient will love the gift and will never want to return or exchange it.