Overview
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In late 2007, the American Planning Association named North Beach as one of ten “Great Neighborhoods in America.” Locals could have told us that decades ago. Known as the Italian quarter in a city rich with immigrant history, North Beach is also the home of renowned beatnik poets, the world-class City Lights bookstore, funky cafes, vintage boutiques, second-hand music shops, ridiculously fresh-baked bread, and, of course, great pasta and pizza just about everywhere you turn.
Its compact network of skinny streets makes parking a bear but creates a cozy ambience. Tourists and locals alike flock here in droves to slurp up spaghetti, throw back a few cocktails, sip serious lattes while people watching from the plethora of sidewalk cafes, and climb to nearby Coit Tower perched atop Telegraph Hill. Washington Square Park serves as a central meeting point for the ‘hood, complete with residents running their dogs, average Joes reading a book, Chinese neighbors doing tai chi, homeless folks sharing a joint, and tourists resting their weary feet after wandering all day around the city. Those seeking a more peaceful form of salvation can duck into the imposing Saints Peter and Paul church that looms over the square (try to ignore the ominous 666 Filbert St. address on your way in).
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North Beach has got everything. It is always alive and there are more cafes, bars, and restaurants than you can imagine. It has a European vibe to it and is known as the "Italian Section" of the city. In the heart of the neighborhood lies Washington Square Park. On nice days it is filled with people having a picnic, playing the guitar or cracking a beer. If you work in the financial district, it is a leisurely (non-hilly) walk from N. Beach down Colombus Ave. All the necessities: Trader Joe's, Safeway, Walgreens, 24 hour fitness, etc. are all just a short walk away. It is an extremely feasible location if you do not have a car. North Beach lies just below the historic Coit tower and it is a nice escape to hike up there on a sunny day and observe the city. North Beach has variety too, you will find young families, young professionals and the elderly. Everyone seems to be happy and enjoying life at one of the numerous outdoor cafes. It can get touristy in the area, but it is easy to detect which places are tourists traps. Many of the cliche italian restaurants that line Colombus avenue are swarming with tourists. There are some authentic Italian delis that you can only find in North Beach: Molinaris and Palermo are amazing!
Ciao Italia! North Beach makes me feel like I%u2019m strolling the streets of Italy%u2026sort of. Careening Muni buses and a handful of homeless freaks chip away from the romantic feeling of a Florence or a Rome, but all in all, this SF hood delivers on charm. No shortage here of great pasta, grubbin%u2019 pizza (mmmm%u2026Golden Boy), tasty coffee, window shopping, good books (City Lights), and a mildly pleasing park at the center of it all. I particularly love a few moments of quiet reflection in St. Peter & Paul%u2019s Church, followed by a coffee at Café Greco and a donut-shaped homemade cookie from one of their glass jars. Located on Columbus Ave., this is just one of many great spots that features sidewalk tables, great for people-watching. Hmmmm%u2026and Mara%u2019s Italian Pastry on Columbus? Another great bet, along with the homemade foccacia at the corner of Stockton and Filbert (go early, as they always sell out). Good music and a few divey saloons can be found along narrow Grant Ave., and the locals know that the place for a latte and some serious discussion is Café Trieste on the corner of Grant and Vallejo. I love the vibe here.v
North Beach is home to a diverse mix. Old-school Italian immigrants mingle with newly arrived yuppies; writers and artists; and a small Asian population spilling over from nearby Chinatown. The rents are pricey enough to keep out the post-college set, unless mommy and daddy are footing the bill. Its proximity to the Financial District makes it a great home base for the 9-to-5er.
There’s no shortage of hip places to hang out here, but you might have to fight your way through a gaggle of tourists to grab a table. Tosca Café on Columbus offers an endless supply of Irish coffees lining the bar and seductive Mafia-style ambience. For an afternoon of bloody Marys and lazing al fresco, the Savoy Tivoli on Grant can’t be beat. For great Blues and a divier atmosphere, head farther south on Grant to The Saloon, where you’re likely to rub elbows with bearded mountain men and leave with your ears ringing. For an old-boys-club experience, pop into Gino & Carlo’s on Green for a pint, then grab a slice of nearby Golden Boy pizza when the buzz kicks in.
Not enough space here to reveal all the great food, so in a nutshell: Check out Mona Lisa, Steps of Rome, Café Macaroni, or Café Michelangelo (all on Columbus) for decent pastas. Consider Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Store Café at the corner of Union and Columbus for great panini and beer. Caffe Sport and the aptly named North Beach Restaurant are long-time faves. Rose Pistola makes for a classy night out with family or a date.
All that cozy culture and ambience comes with a hefty price tag. North Beach ain’t cheap, but if you can swing it, you’re likely to enjoy a relatively quiet and hip place to call home. The peacefulness increases the farther away you are from Grant Ave. or Columbus St.
While you’ll occasionally find a studio around $1,700 or a one-bedroom around $1,850, most digs in this area start around $2,300 and climb steeply upwards after that. And finding one with off-street parking available is even more of a task. The cool view buildings that perch atop neighboring Telegraph Hill could set you back in upwards of $4,000 for a two-bedroom. Best to look on the west side of Columbus or north of Filbert for the bargains (if there are any).
North Beach is served by several Muni lines and the Powell-Mason line cable car. The 20, 30, 41, or 45 buses will deliver you downtown and beyond. (Note: The 20 only runs weekdays; The 41 only runs weekday mornings and afternoons.) The 9X and 9BX (weekday and peak hours only) terminate on the north side of Coit Tower and go as far south as Balboa Park and City College. The 39 takes you up to Coit Tower and back, but save your money and hoof it up instead: This bus mainly caters to aging and/or lazy tourists.
There are a handful of parking lots in this area, but these spots will come with a price tag. Better to ditch the car behind and reach this area on foot or public transportation. A 15-minute walk will get you to the Financial District; Another 10 minutes beyond that, and you can be shopping your heart out in Union Square.
Be prepared to have money in the bank and an ink-filled pen. The more affordable North Beach rentals go quickly, as those in the know realize this is a highly desirable area in which to live. Who wouldn’t want to be a stone’s throw away from all that gooey pasta and pie?
If you’re serious about living here, get to know the streets. Several of the lanes on the east side of Columbus are smaller alleyways with no vehicle access. While charming, they weren’t made for cars. And all those Edwardians make for quaint city living, but many weren’t built with garages underneath. Having a car here is virtually unnecessary, so if you do own one, you might reconsider living here unless you can snag an elusive garaged spot. Doing the street parking shuffle on some of these hills is bound to wear you and your clutch out after a few months.
You’ll spot the occasional dog out for a romp with its owner, and if you hit Washington Square Park at the right time, you might assume the hood has a decent population of canines. But if it is, they must be confined to their apartments during the day. With only one city park to romp around in—and a small, street-bound one at that—North Beach isn’t really a dog lover’s delight. If a landlord will allow them, cats or birds would be more appropriate here given the lack of open space to run.
You won’t go hungry or thirsty in North Beach, with its endless supply of hip cafes, grungy bars, funky cocktail lounges, and great restaurants. If you’re musically inclined, check out the historic Bimbo’s 365 Club on Columbus at Chestnut. Its boasts an impressive line-up of smaller bands and some seriously cool supper-club-style digs from which to watch a show. Occasionally you can catch a big headliner here. If you like your atmosphere dirty and your clientele a bit on the sloppy side (that includes drunken bankers who wander in aimlessly after a long day at the office), head to the Grant and Green Saloon located at—duh—the corner of Grant and Green.
The newly renovated North Beach Pool on Lombard St. is a great place to swim a few laps or try your hand at aqua aerobics to burn off that lasagna you gorged on last night. You can also shoot hoops at several basketball courts in the area.
North Beach has a dark underbelly, too. If strip clubs and lap dances are your thing, you won’t be disappointed here. A plethora of adult joints pepper the strip east of Columbus down Broadway, including Big Al’s Adult Super Store, where you can buy your own goodies for home if privacy is more your thing. If you’re waxing nostalgic, pop into the Condor at the corner of Broadway and Columbus, where famed ‘60s stripper Carol Doda used to jiggle her wares. These days it’s a mediocre bar with go-go dancing on tap.
Columbus and Grant are North Beach’s main drags. Columbus cuts a notable diagonal path right through the heart of the neighborhood, with Chinatown and Russian Hill to the west, Coit Tower and Telegraph Hill to the east. The main action here lies in the blocks between Union and Broadway. Grant veers east from Columbus just north of Broadway and runs one-way until it dead ends near Francisco. Both streets are home to a variety of cafes, bars, and shops, but Grant is a little more off the beaten path and calmer. Washington Square Park—bordered by Columbus, Powell, Union, Stockton, and Filbert Streets—serves as the neighborhood's epicenter of sorts and provides the only real park/green area worth mentioning.
One of the best downtown views can be had just south of Union on Montgomery, where the street dead ends and the Transamerica Pyramid sits perfectly centered in the background. This scenic spot turns very ethereal on one of the City’s famed foggy summer evenings.
North Beach proper has a few small indy markets and the benefit of Chinatown’s produce shops nearby. But you’ll strike gold if you head a bit north on the fringe, where you’ll find both a Trader Joe’s and a Safeway at opposite corners of Mason and Bay Streets. Both have free parking (Safeway requires validation for up to 90 minutes).
Several big banks have ATMs in the area (BofA at Stockton and Columbus, Wells Fargo at Broadway and Grant), with a few smaller institutions in the area as well. With the Financial District within close walking distance, getting access to your money shouldn’t be a problem if you can’t find what you need right in the hood.
You can pump iron or hop on a treadmill at 24 Hour Fitness at Bay and Mason (upstairs in the same complex as Safeway). If yoga or karate’s more your thing, check out The Hapkido Institute Martial Arts Training Center on Powell near Chestnut.
North Beach doesn’t stand out as a family-friendly neighborhood. There’s only one real park with a small ancient playground, and the compact streets and steep hills don’t make it easy for stroller-pushing parents. Those families who do settle here should find it relatively safe, although there are a few seedy types that linger around Washington Square Park at random times of day, and many of the quieter streets seem dimly lit.
For information on schools in the North Beach area, consult the North Beach Public Schools website. Founded in 1890, the Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center on Lombard near Mason offers after-school activities for kids and senior programs for the older set.
