North Beach was the heart of Italian San Francisco from the late nineteenth century, and its cafés, bakeries and delis still show it. In the 1950s it became home to the Beat writers, and their bookshop and bars are still open. It is one of the most pleasant neighborhoods in the city to walk, eat and sit.
The Beat landmarks
- City Lights, the bookshop and publisher founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, published Allen Ginsberg's Howl and fought the obscenity trial that followed. Its upstairs poetry room is still open to readers.
- Vesuvio, the bar across the alley, was a regular haunt of Jack Kerouac and friends.
- The Beat Museum, on Broadway, collects letters, books and memorabilia from the period.
Italian North Beach
Columbus Avenue and Grant Avenue are lined with old espresso bars, some open since the 1950s, and bakeries selling focaccia by the slab, best eaten warm in the morning. Delis sell sandwiches built for picnics. Many restaurants still serve the red-sauce dishes of the old Italian-American kitchen.
Washington Square
The neighborhood's green heart, faced by the white twin spires of Saints Peter and Paul Church. In the early morning, groups practice tai chi on the lawn: a reminder that Chinatown is just next door.
Practical notes
North Beach is busy in the evening, when its bars and restaurants fill. From Washington Square, walk up Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower, or west up Russian Hill to Lombard Street. Broadway, at its southern edge, has a strip of nightclubs that gets rowdy late at night.
A short history
North Beach takes its name from a real beach that once lay along its northern edge before landfill pushed the shore out. From the 1880s it became the city's Italian quarter, home to fishermen, bakers, laborers and later restaurant owners, with Italian newspapers, banks and social clubs. Joe DiMaggio grew up here, the son of a fisherman.
In the 1950s, cheap rents and late-night cafés drew writers and artists: Allen Ginsberg first read Howl publicly in 1955, Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady passed through, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti's City Lights became the movement's bookstore and publisher. The 1957 obscenity trial over Howl, which City Lights won, became a landmark for free speech. In the 1960s the neighborhood also became famous for its nightclubs, comedy clubs and jazz.
A walking route
- Start at City Lights on Columbus Avenue and browse the poetry room upstairs.
- Cross Jack Kerouac Alley, decorated with lines of poetry, to Vesuvio.
- Walk up Grant Avenue, the oldest street in the city, with small bars, vintage shops and cafés.
- Have an espresso at one of the old cafés where poets once wrote.
- Buy focaccia at a bakery near Washington Square, still made the old way and sold until it runs out.
- Sit in Washington Square facing Saints Peter and Paul Church.
- Climb Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower.
Eating and drinking
North Beach is one of the city's best neighborhoods for an evening out. Traditional Italian-American restaurants serve family-style plates of pasta, veal and cioppino; newer places serve modern Italian food; pizzerias range from classic New York-style slices to Neapolitan pies. The bars are characterful, from old Beat haunts to tiny neighborhood dives.
Practical tips
- The neighborhood is busiest in the evening and on weekends.
- Broadway's strip clubs and late-night bars at its southern edge can be rowdy; the rest of North Beach is relaxed.
- It sits between Chinatown, Telegraph Hill and the waterfront, so it fits naturally into a walking day.
Frequently asked questions
Is North Beach the same as Little Italy?
Yes, North Beach is San Francisco's Little Italy, though it is now home to many communities.
What is the best time to visit?
Morning for coffee and focaccia, evening for dinner and the bars.
Can I walk from North Beach to Fisherman's Wharf?
Yes, in about fifteen minutes, mostly downhill along Columbus Avenue.