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Shopping

San Francisco offers some of the best shopping in the world. The San Francisco Shopping Center on Market Street and the Union Square shopping district seem to be the most popular. But local shopping streets such as Hayes Street, upper Fillmore in Pacific Heights, Valencia Street in the Mission, Union Street in Cow Hollow, Sacramento Street in Laurel Heights, Grant Avenue in Chinatown, and North Beach offer many boutique choices. 

Notable San Francisco Shopping Destinations 

  • Westfield San Francisco Centre
    Market and Powell, San Francisco CA
    For San Francisco visitors and tourists, the Westfield San Francisco Centre mall is the definition of the San Francisco shopping experience. The Centre is home to some of the world's largest retailers, including Nordstrom's, Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria's Secret, Bebe, Kenneth Cole and Club Monaco.
  • Union Square Shopping
    Post and Stockton, San Francisco CA
    On par with Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Union Square is San Francisco's designer shoppers' paradise. In Union Square you can often see live music and art shows featuring dozens of artists. The park is surrounded by Macy's, Saks, Neiman Marcus and Levi's stores along with colorful flower vendors and street performers. Surrounding streets house preferred spots like Virgin Megastore, Gump's and Britex Fabrics, along with boutiques for Coach, Bulgari, Cartier, Thomas Pink, Louis Vuitton, MaxMara, Emporio Armani, Diesel, Prada, Celine, Escada, Gucci, Guess, Hermes, Agnes B., Betsey Johnson and Wilkes Bashford.
  • Chestnut Street Shopping
    Chestnut and Scott, San Francisco CA
    Chestnut Street is lined with a mix of local sophisticated shops, beauty outlets and restaurants alongside brand name retailers. Shoppers and locals can find unique boutiques like Rabat, Blue Bird, and Books Inc., as well as popular retailers like Gap Body, Williams-Sonoma, Bare Essentials or the Body Shop.
  • Chinatown Shopping
    Pacific Ave and Grant Ave., San Francisco CA
    Through the Dragon Gates on Grant Avenue lies San Francisco's Chinatown. Everything you could imagine is available in Chinatown, including carved Buddhas, paper parasols and mahogany furniture. The Fortune Cookie Factory, tucked on Ross Alley, is a tasty and popular find. Chinese food abounds as well—try House of Nanking on Kearny (at Jackson).
  • Embarcadero Center 1-4 Shopping
    Sacramento to Clay, San Francisco CA
    Embarcadero Center has brand names such as Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Liz Claiborne, Victoria's Secret and Express Jeans. It also hosts unique outlets like the Discovery Channel Store for science lovers and the Giants Dugout for the sports enthusiasts. The upstairs patio area is Fuzio, an Italian restaurant, and coffee drinkers enjoy Java City. The shopping mall is also home to the Embarcadero Theater, a movie theater that shows independent films.
  • Fillmore Street Shopping
    Fillmore and California, San Francisco CA
    Fillmore Street exhibits the upscale life of Pacific Heights. There are several well known beauty retailers and interior design boutiques. The Shabby Chic furniture and bedroom design store is next door to Betsy Johnson's runway shop. Perfumeries, furniture designers like Zinc Details and specialty beauty outlets like Aveda are all represented. For your coffee break, Fillmore Street offers a Starbuck's as well as the local Royal Grounds Coffee.
  • Haight Street Shopping
    Haight and Ashbury, San Francisco CA
    The stretch of shops, referred to by locals as the Upper Haight, was the center of '60s psychedelia. Despite some gentrification and the addition of chain stores like Ben & Jerry's and The Gap, it retains its counterculture flavor  with a hodgepodge of Victorian houses, bookstores, piercing salons and funky clothing stores. The thoroughly modern Jaxx sells edgy urban outfitting, and just across the street at X-Generation knock-offs of originals sell for less. For music lovers, Amoeba Records is one the Haight's biggest attractions.
  • Hayes Valley Shopping
    Hayes and Gough, San Francisco CA 
    Hayes Valley is one of San Francisco's hippest and newest shopping areas. Residents and visitors alike favor the area's art galleries, contemporary boutiques, interior design studios, outdoor cafes and wine bars. Located at 345 Gough Street is Shoppe Unusual—over 30 local artists' display in this colorful retail space.  Some other unique shopping experiences include 560 Hayes Vintage Boutique, Buu, Gimme Shoes and Evelyn's Antique Chinese Furniture.  
  • North Beach Shopping
    Broadway and Columbus, San Francisco CA
    North Beach is San Francisco's little Italy. It provides the perfect shopping getaway for unique European-inspired boutiques and a wide variety of Italian dining and cafés. Shops like Old Vogue, InSolent, and 101 Music are area favorites.
  • Mission Street Shopping
    Valencia St. and 16th St., San Francisco CA
    For tourists and San Francisco shoppers with more eclectic tastes, the Mission offers perfect shopping. It has a colorful stretch of blocks with off-the-beaten-path boutiques and ethnic clothing and furniture stores. Around them are the Mission's predominantly Latino, working-class bakeries and fresh markets. Some notables include Rayon Vert—the eclectic home and florist shop, and Fishbowl—the art and clothing gallery. The unique flavor of the Mission can also be appreciated at its taquerias and fresh produce stands on every corner.
  • Polk Street Shopping
    Polk St. and Broadway, San Francisco CA
    Polk Street, like the Mission, is one of the most diverse shopping neighborhoods in San Francisco. It includes a mix of high-end consignment shops, affordable retail outfits, variety shops and clothing stores. Different tastes and budgets are welcomed on Polk Street: try Lombardi Sports, Girl Stuff, and CRIS. As you move northward on Polk Street the neighborhood and the shopping become more upscale, especially north of California.
  • Sacramento Street Shopping
    Sacramento and Presidio, San Francisco CA
    Sacramento Street shopping is located between Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights in a quiet residential neighborhood. There are a variety of interior decor shops and clothing boutiques. Locals enjoy Brown Eyed Girl and Fetish shoes. It's a deluxe shopping avenue that offers great  finds in a relatively compact area.