Haight-Ashbury
About Haight-Ashbury
Haight-Ashbury is a compact neighborhood at the eastern edge of Golden Gate Park. The intersection of Haight and Ashbury was the geographic center of the 1967 Summer of Love. The neighborhood today is mostly Victorian flats, with record stores, vintage shops, head shops, and cafes running along Haight Street for about eight blocks.
About Haight-Ashbury
The neighborhood is divided into Upper Haight (around the Haight and Ashbury intersection) and Lower Haight (east of Divisadero, more residential, with a concentration of bars). Most visitor traffic is in Upper Haight, where Amoeba Music sits at the corner of Haight and Stanyan in a converted bowling alley (the former Park Bowl).
The Victorians here largely survived the 1906 earthquake because the fire stopped several blocks east at Van Ness Avenue. The housing stock dates mostly to the late 19th century.
The Character
The retail mix on Haight Street is varied: head shops, yoga studios, vintage stores, juice bars, smoke shops, cafes.
Getting There
The 7 Haight bus runs the length of Haight Street from downtown. The N Judah streetcar stops a few blocks south at Cole and Carl. Street parking is limited, especially on weekends.
Where to Drink
All bars →
Things to Do
All activities →
Groove Merchant Records
Lower Haight vinyl shop opened in 1990 by Ubiquity Records' Michael McFadin, now owned by Chris Veltri. Name-checked by the Beastie Boys on Check Your Head. Bins lean jazz, soul, and rare grooves at 687 Haight Street.
Relic Vintage
Vintage shop at 1475 Haight, on the corner of Haight and Ashbury, carrying clothing from the 1920s through the 1980s with deeper inventory in the 40s and 50s. Open daily.
Indigo Vintage Cooperative
Multi-vendor vintage cooperative with two San Francisco locations: 1649 Haight on the Haight's vintage strip and 2266 Chestnut in the Marina. Vintage apparel is the core; accessories and home goods round out the booths, and the stock at the two stores reflects each neighborhood.
The Booksmith
Haight Street independent bookstore opened by Gary Frank in October 1976, now run by Christin Evans and Praveen Madan (who bought it in 2007). SF Legacy Business since October 2016. Regular author events, book clubs, and silent reading parties. 1727 Haight, daily 11am to 7pm.
Held Over
Haight Street vintage shop organized by decade, 1940s through 1990s, with European vintage (German lederhosen and dirndls, Italian leather) alongside Americana, Hawaiiana, western wear, and denim. Also rents costumes, so it gets busy around Halloween. 1543 Haight, open daily.
Fuzz & Sway
Lower Haight vintage shop at 683 Haight leaning toward wearable pieces (70s leather jackets, print shirts, denim) over collector-only stock. Ships if you don't want to carry the haul around. Open Thursday through Sunday.
