San Francisco shopping is a real experience into the culture and diversity of the city from large stores to quirky boutiques. Best buys in the city are seafood, wine from the Napa Valley, ethnic clothing, books and records.
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Most of the larger department stores are centred on Union Square and include American favourites such as Macys (170 O’Farrell Street, 415954627) and Bloomingdales (845 Market Street, 4158565402).
The blocks bordered by Powell, Geary and Post Streets all offer individual stores and luxurious items such as designer linen and souvenirs with some inexpensive boutiques.
San Francisco has several shopping malls each with their own character. The Embarcadero Center has over 125 shops in an area the size of eight blocks whilst the Ghirardelli Center is a converted chocolate factory full of shops and restaurants overlooking the bay of San Francisco.
The city has a famous institution in the City Lights Bookstore (261 Columbus Avenue, 4153628193) where the sixties social revolution was once discussed. A Clean Well Lighted Place for Books is another popular store and San Francisco’s largest independent bookshop (601 Van Ness Avenue, 4154416670).
For food stores there are several well known San Francisco establishments. Ghirardellis (Ghirardelli Square, 4157814629) is a famous chocolate shop and at Boudin visitors can watch the sourdough breads being made in traditional style (4 Embarcadero Center, 4153623330). |
For wine tasting, try the Napa Valley Winery Exchange (415 Taylor Street, 4157712887) where the locally produced vintages can be purchased.
California is renowned for its fresh fruit and vegetable production and this is reflected in the Farmers Markets. Heart of the City is held on Wednesdays and Sundays at the United Nations Plaza, and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is on Saturdays and held at Market Street at Embarcadero. Chinatown is the place to go for a wide selection of products from the Far East and exotic food and spices.
Fisherman’s Wharf is very popular with visitors and areas such as Pier 39 and Anchorage Square are bursting with shops and restaurants to explore. From designer handcrafted jewelry to Alcatraz themed gifts to magic tricks there is something for everyone from kitsch to elegance.
In the Cannery are a large number of small shops in a converted warehouse, and look out for the Venetian merry go round on Pier 39. San Francisco’s museum stores offer many interesting souvenirs and there are even shops dedicated to smiling and humor (Smile- A Gallery with Tongue in Chic, 500 Sutter St, 4153623437).
Music shops are well represented in a city known for its heritage in rhythm. These include the John Berggruen Gallery housing the city’s largest collection of music by new and emerging artists as well as established musicians (228 Grant Avenue, 4157814629). For obscure music try Recycled records (1377 Haight Street, 4156264075).
San Francisco has a brilliant mix of fresh local produce with designer chic, the convenience of the mall and the quirky one off boutique and distinct neighborhood character. Go shopping in San Francisco and you will not come away empty handed.
Westfield San Francisco Centre
The opulent Westfield San Francisco Centre mall and its surrounding downtown San Francisco shopping environs reflect the San Francisco shopping experience. It is home to a five-story Nordstrom's, a two-level Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria's Secret, Bebe, and high-end retailers like Kenneth Cole and Club Monaco. Market and Powell, San Francisco CA
Union Square Shopping
San Francisco's Mecca for shoppers, surrounded by Macy's, Saks, Neiman Marcus and Levi's stores. Superstores like Virgin Megastore, Gump's and Britex Fabrics, boutiques for Coach, Bulgari, Cartier, Thomas Pink, Louis Vuitton, MaxMara, Emporio Armani, Diesel, Prada, Celine, Escada, Gucci, Guess, Hermes, Agnes B., Betsey Johnson and Wilkes Bashford all are part of this shopping extravaganza. Post and Stockton, San Francisco CA
Chestnut Street Shopping
Chestnut street is an amalgam of highbrow shops and beauty outlets next to brand name retailers. Shoe boutiques like Rabat featuring trendy but functional footwear could be neighbours to specialty shops like Blue Bird, a gift shop selling porcelain dolls and oversized potato heads. Gap Body or the small, unique Chadwick's of London for cotton and lace lingerie, make it earthy. Williams-Sonoma has the best in cookware, utensils, etc. For beauty care, look no further than Bare Essentials or the Body Shop. Chestnut and Scott, San Francisco CA
Chinatown Shopping
Dragon Gates let you into a bustling world of shopping in San Francisco's Chinatown, hidden away between North Beach and Union Square. At every corner, vivid silks grace the jam-packed window fronts, where vendors sell nearly everything, mainly imported, including carved Buddhas and vice-regal mahogany furniture. Bush St. and Grand Ave., San Francisco CA
Fillmore Street Shopping
Rachel Ashwell's Shabbychic furniture and bedroom design store is next to Betsy Johnson's runway shop on this bit of Fillmore where a wealthy Victorian neighborhood jives with a throbbing San Francisco shopping centre. This is the place for select perfumeries, furniture designers like Zinc Details and specialty beauty outlets like Aveda. Fillmore and California, San Francisco CA
Haight Street Shopping
The stretch of shops, referred to by locals as the Upper Haight, was the epicentre of the '60s foray into the domain psychedelia. Despite the many stores like Ben & Jerry's and The Gap, it still retains its hippie funky clothing shops. Jaxx is a true urban outfitter, while just across the street at X-Generation, copies of the originals are much cheaper. Haight and Ashbury, San Francisco CA
Some other shopping areas are:
Hayes Valley Shopping
Hayes and Gough, San Francisco CA
North Beach Shopping
Grant and Columbus, San Francisco CA
Mission Street Shopping
Valencia St. and 16th St., San Francisco CA
Polk Street Shopping
Polk St. and Broadway, San Francisco CA
Sacramento Street Shopping
Sacramento and Presidio, San Francisco CA
Designer Brand Outlet
2669 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110; (415) 626-7880
Geary Mall
5200 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121
Ghirardelli Square
900 North Point Street, San Francisco, CA. 415-775-5500
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