Things to do in North Beach

5 places to start in North Beach

City Lights Booksellers

Lawrence Ferlinghetti co-founded this bookstore on Columbus Avenue in 1953, and it published Allen Ginsberg's Howl. The poetry room is upstairs.

Official site →Photo: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0

Coit Tower

The 1930s murals in the lobby are free to see. Pay for the elevator to the top and you get a full circle of bay and city.

Official site →Photo: Chris6d, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Beat Museum

A small museum on Broadway devoted to the Beat writers, around the corner from City Lights.

Official site →Photo: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 4.0

Caffe Trieste

This Vallejo Street cafe has been pouring espresso since 1956, and it still feels like a neighborhood living room.

Official site →Photo: Christopher Michel, CC BY 2.0

Vesuvio Cafe

Jack Kerouac drank at this bar, which is across the alley named after him from City Lights. Grab a table on the balcony.

Official site →Photo: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0

Hotels in North Beach

Staying over? These are the picks from our guide, Hotels in North Beach & Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, and Dyme members see private rates on each. You can also browse every San Francisco hotel guide or search hotels on Dyme.

Marriott Vacation Club®, San Francisco 2620 Jones St, San Francisco, California, 94133, San Francisco 9.2251 reviews Marriott's Serve 360 program covers energy and water reduction targets across all Marriott-branded properties, including this locationProgram details at Marriott Serve 360. View hotel → Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Fisherman's Wharf by IHG 550 North Point Street, San Francisco 8.51,954 reviews IHG's Green Engage program tracks energy, water, and waste metrics at the property level and publishes reduction targetsProgram details at IHG Green Engage. View hotel → Hyatt Centric Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco 555 North Point Street, San Francisco 8.01,708 reviews Hyatt's World of Care program sets property-level targets for carbon, water, and waste reductionProgram details at Hyatt World of Care. View hotel →

This weekend in North Beach: October 2–4

47 things on: 7 exhibitions, 7 gigs, 4 parties and 4 free. Listed by day and start time.

Friday, October 2

10:00 AMItalian Sport Shoes DesignItalian sneaker heritage.Art710 Sansome St Floor 2View listing →10:00 AMPersonalized Guided Tour of The Beat MuseumBeat generation time capsule.Art540 BroadwayFrom $450View listing →10:00 AMCelebrating 25 Years at Paul Thiebaud GalleryQuarter-century art survey.Art645 Chestnut StView listing →10:00 AMKaufman ArchivesBeat generation literary shrine.Art540 BroadwayView listing →10:00 AMAdmission ArchivesBeat generation artifacts.Art540 BroadwayView listing →10:00 AMIra Cohen Archives - The Beat MuseumBeat Generation literary exhibition.Art540 BroadwayView listing →5:00 PMFirst Fridays Art Crawl w/ “Dear San Francisco” Open House ToursAcrobats up close.Tour678 Green StFreeView listing →5:00 PMBattle of the Decades DJ Party and Happy HourDecade-hopping dance party.Bar473 BroadwayFreeView listing →5:00 PM$1 Drink Fridays: Battle of the Decades DJ PartyDecade-hopping dance party.Bar473 BroadwayFreeView listing →5:00 PMNorth Beach First Fridays Art CrawlSelf-guided gallery crawl.ArtNorth BeachView listing →5:00 PMBattle of the Decades DJ PartyDecade-hopping happy hour.Party473 BroadwayFreeView listing →6:00 PMNorth Beach First Fridays Art WalkLive music at North Beach First Fridays.Bar12 William Saroyan PlaceView listing →6:00 PMFirst Friday Poetry Series Celebrating Staying Still w/ Hieu Minh Nguyen, Lee Willow Trumpfheller, & Dāshaun Washington Poetry Book ReleasePoetry & pinot.Talk362 Columbus AveView listing →6:30 PMHaunted Pub CrawlSpooky tales and drinks.Tour582 Washington StView listing →7:00 PMThe Brad Leali Jazz Quartet ft. Carla HelmbrechtIntimate jazz standards.Music498 BroadwayFrom $40View listing →7:00 PMSalsa Lessons with Ava & RodolfoSalsa lessons & live band.Party850 Montgomery StFrom $20View listing →7:30 PMDear San FranciscoAerial history & heart.Show678 Green StFrom $87View listing →8:00 PMLate Night DJ and EntertainmentMoroccan-inspired cocktail lounge.Bar714 Montgomery StView listing →9:00 PMAtta KidNOLA-funk jazz fusion.Music498 BroadwayFrom $40View listing →9:00 PMThe Setup- Comedy at The Speakeasy SFUnderground speakeasy stand-up.Show644 BroadwayView listing →9:30 PMSalsa Night with Live Band: Pepe Y Su OrquestaUnderground salsa party.Party850 Montgomery StFrom $20View listing →

Saturday, October 3

10:00 AMPersonalized Guided Tour of The Beat MuseumBeat generation time capsule.Art540 BroadwayFrom $450View listing →10:00 AMCelebrating 25 Years at Paul Thiebaud GalleryQuarter-century art survey.Art645 Chestnut StView listing →10:00 AMKaufman ArchivesBeat generation literary shrine.Art540 BroadwayView listing →10:00 AMAdmission ArchivesBeat generation artifacts.Art540 BroadwayView listing →10:00 AMIra Cohen Archives - The Beat MuseumBeat Generation literary exhibition.Art540 BroadwayView listing →11:00 AMBrunchSpritzes & sidewalk vibes.Bar565 Green StView listing →1:00 PMOpera SaturdaysLive family opera performances.Show601 Vallejo StView listing →2:00 PMCaffe Trieste Saturday ConcertItalian jazz & show tunes.Music601 Vallejo StView listing →6:30 PMHaunted Pub CrawlSpooky tales and drinks.Tour582 Washington StView listing →7:00 PMMarcus Shelby Quartet Celebrates Monk and TraneJazz legends reimagined.Music498 BroadwayFrom $45View listing →7:30 PMDear San FranciscoAerial history & heart.Show678 Green StFrom $87View listing →8:00 PMLate Night DJ and EntertainmentMoroccan-inspired cocktail lounge.Bar714 Montgomery StView listing →8:00 PMCultural Music PerformanceAndean music & vegan eats.Music1630 Powell StView listing →10:30 PMLate Set: Simon Rowe Organ TrioLate-night organ jazz.Music498 BroadwayFrom $20View listing →

Sunday, October 4

6:00 AMUpwardSunday morning dance party.Party473 BroadwayView listing →9:00 AMNorth Beach Farmers MarketWeekly neighborhood ritual.Shopping725 Greenwich StView listing →10:00 AMPersonalized Guided Tour of The Beat MuseumBeat generation time capsule.Art540 BroadwayFrom $450View listing →10:00 AMKaufman ArchivesBeat generation literary shrine.Art540 BroadwayView listing →10:00 AMAdmission ArchivesBeat generation artifacts.Art540 BroadwayView listing →10:00 AMIra Cohen Archives - The Beat MuseumBeat Generation literary exhibition.Art540 BroadwayView listing →11:00 AMBrunchSpritzes & sidewalk vibes.Bar565 Green StView listing →5:00 PMLori CarsilloSongbook standards, softly swung.Music498 BroadwayFrom $40View listing →7:30 PMDear San FranciscoAerial history & heart.Show678 Green StFrom $87View listing →

On all weekend

No set start time for these, so go when it suits you.

Happy Hour SpecialParisian nightlife, Vegas energy.Party523 BroadwayFreeView listing →San Francisco's Barbary Past: A Self-Guided Audio TourLiterary haunts & Gold Rush tales.TourSan FranciscoFrom $9View listing →The SetupIntimate stand-up comedy night.Show988 Columbus AveView listing →

More San Francisco neighborhoods

• The Mission District
• Union Square
• SoMa
• Civic Center
• The Financial District
• The Marina District