How to have fun around North Beach
SF Weed Week comes to North Beach on April 19 for a ‘secret’ afterparty at Professor Seagull’s Smartshop. While you’re at it, indulge in the attractions of Grant Ave and the surrounding North Beach neighborhood.
The enduring legacy of Old Italy, the Beat Generation, and the Barbary Coast Trail blend nicely with the new and hip in this tight-knit neighborhood with the objectively best cannolis and beat poetry. No better way to spend the day than perusing the infamous City Lights Bookstore (est. 1953) and hanging in the town square while the smells of pasta and pizza waft in the air. You’ll dig the swaths of groovy bars and restaurants old and new in one of the oldest and coolest parts of the city.
Eats:
Tony’s Pizza—Award-winning, authentic pies from the pizza capital of the world, Napoli. Pasta, vino, and cocktails too, in the heart of North Beach.
Golden Boy Pizza—Iconic SF pizzeria by the slice or pan. Lost? Look for the line of folks waiting under their neon sign to get in. Worth it.
Liguria Bakery—Best focaccia you’ll ever have, bar none. Since 1911, this bakery has remained a neighborhood gem. Onion, raisin, pizza, rosemary, garlic, mushroom – get there buzzed and bright and early (7am early!) or you won’t get any.
Caffe Trieste—The first expresso coffee house on the west coast back in 1956, and still one of the best in 2024. Rumor has it Francis Ford Coppola wrote The Godfather within these walls.
Sights:
The Fish Tank Gallery—Beloved North Beach artist Jeremy Fish now has a home base for his art—the zany, the bawdy, the slick. Visit the North Beach Pipeline dispensary next door for some ingestible artistic assistance before stepping into the world of Fish.
Chinatown—North beach sits a fortune cookie’s throw from SF Chinatown, the largest and oldest Chinatown outside of Asia.
Shopping:
North Beach Pipeline—Re-up on pre-rolls, vape pens, edibles and more with our Platinum sponsor, Pipeline.
SFOG—San Francisco is a city of style, and this clothing store has everything you need to turn a fresh fit.
Lola Card Stop—Come here to pick out a greeting card to mail home. You friends might wish you’d mailed them something else, but you’re a law abiding, green loving citizen.
Getting to and from North Beach:
MUNI:
North Beach is served via San Francisco’s MUNI and BART systems. The 8, 30 and 45 bus lines will get you into North Beach from downtown and the upper west parts of the city. You can also walk from the Powell and Montgomery BART stops on Market Street.
Car/Taxi/Rideshare:
Parking is fucking horrendous in North Beach, so give yourself plenty of time, and maybe take some CBD for the aggravation. We recommend you ask your driver drop you off at the bottom of Columbus Avenue, otherwise traffic gets thorny.