Visting San Francisco's Little Italy
Experience City Life in North Beach's City Lights, Cafes, and Parks
Jan 7, 2009
Tourists flock to San Francisco to see Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, to ride the historic cable cars and to savor the world-class restaurants. Seeking out some less well known sights in North Beach gives visitors the chance to relax, rub shoulders with residents and get a glimpse of the real city.
The Poetry Room at City Lights
City Lights is the famous independent bookstore owned and run by San Francisco poet, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and located here in North Beach since 1953. The store specializes in world literature, the arts and progressive politics but also stocks more mainstream writing and a good selection of books about San Francisco and California which appeal to locals as well as to visitors.
The store is spread over three floors and the poetry room is on the second floor. It's a small, sunny space where customers can browse or site and read for a while. The selection features plenty of Beat poetry, including works by Ferlinghetti and Ginsberg.
City Lights: 261 Columbus Ave, San Francisco 94133. Hours: Daily 10am to midnight
Coffee and Pastry at a Real Italian Cafe
The main street through North Beach is Columbus Avenue, famous for the number of Italian cafes and restaurants which line its sidewalks. Many are well known, like Cafe Trieste and Cafe Greco which have served the artistic and bohemian population of the area for 50 years and more. Today, customers are as likely to include local police officers and young mothers as artists and writers but the coffee is as good as ever.
Some one of the smaller places like Stella or Mara's provide a real North Beach experience but can be less crowded than their famous neighbors. Both brew up excellent coffee and offer delicious pastries and Italian specialties. On warmer days, customers can take a table outside and sip espresso while watching the North Beach world go by.
Stella: 446 Columbus, San Francisco 94133
Mara’s Italian Pastries: 503 Columbus, San Francisco 94133
Washington Square Park – Tai Chi and Playful Dogs
Washington Square Park is the green heart of North Beach and plays host to a jazz festival and art shows in the summer. It is also the playground for local dogs whose owners gather to chat by the statue of Benjamin Franklin at the center of the park. In the morning, dogs and their owners are joined in the park by elegant Chinese ladies performing their graceful tai chi exercises, a reminder of San Francisco's rich Chinese heritage and Chinatown a few blocks away.
Washington Square is ringed with benches which provide the ideal spot to sit, enjoy the atmosphere and people watch.
Washington Square Park: Columbus between Union and Filbert, San Francisco 94133
Visitors to San Francisco should check out the tourist information site for full weather and travel details.
