SFShopping

San Francisco · 12 places · 7 districts

Bookstores and Record Shops in San Francisco.

All 12 bookstores and record shops we cover in San Francisco, from North Beach, Valencia Street and Haight-Ashbury, on one map with addresses, hours and directions.

All 12

Bookstores and Record Shops, district by district.

Tap a place or a dot to see it.

  • Independent bookstore on the Bay side of the building, facing the ferry docks. Handy for a paperback before a ferry ride or a San Francisco title to take home as a gift.

  • Comics shop a block off Hayes on Fell St for graphic novels and comic books, one of the few bookstore-type shops in the neighborhood.

  • Independent bookstore on the block near Sacramento St, one of the few independent bookstores in Pacific Heights.

  • Bookstore and publisher co-founded in 1953 by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, first publisher of Howl, with new and used fiction, poetry and politics.

  • Record shop on the 1400 block of Grant Avenue, part of a small cluster of vinyl stores within a few doors of each other.

  • Vinyl record shop across the street from 101 Records on Grant Avenue, so the two are easy to dig through on one trip.

  • Record shop tucked away on Bannam Place, a short side street in the Grant Avenue area, listed in the North Beach vintage directory.

  • Art bookshop and design store at 19th St stocking art books, prints, objects, stationery, apparel, home goods and art supplies, with a gallery-like layout.

  • Small shop and art gallery in the southern blocks of Valencia selling zines, fanzines, artist books and art books, along with jewelry. Hours are not posted, so call ahead.

  • Large independent record store at the Golden Gate Park end of Haight, selling new and used vinyl, CDs, cassettes, DVDs, posters and zines, with free in-store shows.

  • Independent bookstore with a strong table of local authors and a busy calendar of literary readings and events. A good counterweight to the vintage racks along the rest of the strip.

  • The first Kinokuniya in the US, open here since 1969. Manga, anime art books and merch fill the first floor; English and Japanese books, magazines and gifts are on the second.

Good to know

Questions, answered.

Where is the best area for bookstores and record shops in San Francisco?

North Beach has the most, with 4, followed by Valencia Street (2) and Haight-Ashbury (2). Each district page has the full store list with hours and directions.

How many bookstores and record shops does this guide cover?

12, across 7 districts. Every listing has its address and hours and links to the store's own site.

Are these listings kept up to date?

Yes. Every store is re-checked against its own site, brand locator or mall directory at least every six months, and closed stores come off the list.

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