San Francisco · 13 shopping districts
Thirteen neighborhoods, one city.
From Union Square's flagships and Jackson Square's galleries to the Ferry Building, Hayes Valley, the Haight and Valencia Street, every San Francisco shopping district we cover, with what to buy, when to go and how to get there.
Union Square
The downtown retail core around the square itself, with department stores, luxury houses on Grant, Post and Geary, and Maiden Lane's boutiques. It suits visitors after big-name flagships and designer labels, and it is rebuilding after several pandemic-era closures.
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Ferry Building
The 1898 ferry terminal at the foot of Market Street holds about 40 food shops, makers and restaurants along its ground-floor nave and arcades. It suits food lovers, gift shoppers and anyone catching a ferry, with a large farmers market three days a week.
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Hayes Valley
A few compact blocks west of the Civic Center where independent boutiques sit beside digital-native brand stores, eyewear shops and wine and sake shops. It suits shoppers who want clothing, gear and gifts within an easy walk, with plenty of cafes in between.
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Fillmore St
Upper Fillmore in Pacific Heights is a six-block run of designer and contemporary clothing stores, jewelers, perfumers and home shops, with independents mixed among national brands. It suits shoppers looking for women's fashion, fine jewelry and fragrance in a walkable neighborhood setting.
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Jackson Square
San Francisco's oldest commercial blocks, brick and cast-iron buildings from the 1850s that survived 1906, now hold designer boutiques and art galleries. It suits gallery-goers and shoppers after international labels in a quieter setting than Union Square.
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Chinatown
The oldest Chinatown in North America, with tourist-facing Grant Avenue for tea houses, kitchenware, silk and souvenirs, and Stockton Street where residents buy produce, bakery goods and dry goods. It suits tea buyers, cooks after a proper wok and anyone shopping for Lunar New Year gifts.
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North Beach
San Francisco's old Italian quarter, where Columbus Avenue's delis, coffee roasters and City Lights meet a run of record and vintage shops on upper Grant Avenue. It suits browsers who want books, vinyl and Italian food shopping in one walk.
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Valencia St
The Mission District's main independent shopping street, mixing denim and menswear, art books, knives, thrift and oddities shops among cafes and restaurants. It suits browsers who want local independents over chains, with Dolores Park two blocks away.
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Haight
The 1960s counterculture strip running from Masonic Avenue to the edge of Golden Gate Park, now lined with vintage and resale shops, tie-dye and gift stores, and one of the country's biggest record stores. It suits vintage hunters, record collectors and first-time visitors after the Summer of Love history.
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Japantown
One of three historic Japantowns left in the US, centered on the Japan Center malls and the pedestrian stretch of Buchanan Street. It suits manga and stationery fans, tea buyers, and anyone shopping for Japanese snacks, beauty products and housewares.
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Union Street
Cow Hollow's Victorian-era main street, lined with independent boutiques, activewear shops, specialty food stores and patio restaurants. It suits a slow weekend browse that mixes shopping with brunch.
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Sacramento St
A quiet four-to-five-block stretch of Sacramento Street in Presidio Heights with independent designer boutiques, high-end consignment, tabletop and furniture showrooms and a few well-known restaurants. It suits shoppers after designer resale, home goods and a neighborhood lunch rather than a big brand run.
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Chestnut St
The Marina's main shopping street, a few blocks of brand stores, women's boutiques, beauty shops and long-running delis and bakeries. It suits locals running errands and visitors combining shopping with the Marina Green waterfront.
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Where they are
Thirteen in the middle, none worth the trip.
Tap a pin to see what's there.
Plan a walking route across districts, then send it to Google Maps.
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