San Francisco, CA

If you are in San Francisco and you go to the intersection of Montgomery St. and Washington St., you’ll find the beginning (or the southern end anyway) of Columbus Avenue. If you walk along this street, through pieces of Chinatown and the neighborhood of North Beach, you will eventually find yourself at the end of Columbus Ave. where it hits Beach Street not too far from the Bay. You will have passed a number of restaurants, several convenience stores, a few bars and a couple of famous locations (like the green building that is Francis Ford Coppola’s restaurant). You could stop at any of these places, but here are ten of the spots that you should be sure to stop during this walk:

1. City Lights Bookstore / Jack Kerouac Alley / Vesuvio – It’s the typical cliché tourist answer to give about where you must stop on Columbus Ave, but it’s still true. If you’re in the area, you should stop. There is rich history in and between these two buildings where the beat poets drank and read and lived their literary lives. Buy an independent magazine at City Lights. Order one of the specialty drinks on the board at Vesuvios. And take touristy pictures of the murals in the alley between them.

2. Church of Scientology – You will notice this spot because well-dressed young folks are standing outside encouraging you to go in. Go ahead and check it out; it’s absolutely fascinating. There’s a blocked-off exhibit of Ron L. Hubbard’s office (which of course he didn’t really have there). They’ll even give you a free stress test. I’m not saying to join the movement; I’m saying that you’ll get an interesting education and an experience worth sharing over dinner when you go here.

3. Kennedy’s Irish Pub and Curry House – When you walk by, you will smell the spices of the Indian food and it will beckon you in. But where is the Indian food? After all, the entire front room of this building is an Irish sports bar. No, wait, there it is in the back – the Indian restaurant that has both South and North Indian cuisine. Their dal soup is fabulous and the garlic naan is a must-get. There are pool tables and a couple of arcade games.

4. XOX Truffles – I didn’t like truffles until I got the ones that they make here. Honest. They’re amazing. And if you go in and buy a coffee for $1, you can get a free one. But you’ll want more than one.

5. Columbus Café – There are tons of cafes in San Francisco and you could easily get a coffee at any of them. There’s not a bad one in the bunch. But the people here are always especially friendly, the food is good … and it’s just enough off-the-beaten path of restaurants that you’ll be able to enjoy the San Francisco street life passing by without being overwhelmed. Besides, there are some cool paintings on the outside of the building.

6. Washington Square Park – It’s a small corner park that has that neighborhood feel to it. People play Frisbee together on the rare sunny San Francisco day. It’s quiet. Except when there’s a festival in the neighborhood, then it’s craziness.

7. Rosalie’s New Looks – This is a wig and costume shop. It’s probably not the best one in the city, but it’s an interesting stop on a North Beach walk. In a city where you can wear a costume to work and it’s unlikely that anyone will blink an eye, why not wear a wig? At least stop and look.

8. Artist & Craftsmen Supply – Sure, it’s “just” an art supply store. But there’s a little bit of magic in here. They have all kinds of fun little things that you can buy to brighten up your day.

9. Cobb’s Comedy Club – Big name comedians come here on a regular basis but it’s just as fun on amateur night. If you’re in the area on a night when there are some tickets available, you should stop and get some laughs. And get a buzz as well since they’ve got a two drink minimum at all of their shows.

10. Mara’s Italian Pastries – It’s a small place but if you’re seeking true Italian treats during your walk through “Little Italy”, this is your spot. They’ve got gelato, they’ve got cannoli and they’ve got things I don’t know the names of that are both beautiful and tasty.