Coit Tower
©Grayline
San Francisco |
Once, 125,000
Italian-Americans inhabited the one-square-mile neighborhood known
as North Beach. They infused it with a ambience reminiscent of the
villages they came from, populating it with cafés, small butcher
and cheese shops, and a civilized pace. As other parts of the city
became more expensive and fashionable, new ethnic groups flocked
to North Beach: working class Irish, Peruvian, Mexican, French,
Portuguese, and Chinese.
In the 1950's and 60's, poets, artists, hippies and others found
a home in North Beach's open, laid-back atmosphere. Rents were inexpensive,
so artists congregated, and the area was the epicenter of the Beat
generation on the West coast.
Today,
though some Italian vestiges still remain (cafés, restaurants and
a handful of Italian-owned shops), the area's boundaries are increasingly
blurred as more of Chinatown consumes North Beach. Nightlife here
includes jazz, restaurants for all tastes, and lots of bars and
clubs. If you value your sanity, you won't attempt parking.
Three major bus
lines (#15, #30, and #45) and two Cable Car lines will deliver you
to North Beach. If you're staying in Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach
is a short walk away. Even the walk from Union Square is a comfortable,
though longer one.
Lomard Street
©RJ
Best |
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