Shop the city: San Francisco

San Francisco, the so-called City by the Bay, is one of the cultural hearts of the US and a bonafide foundry of cool. This vibrant, diverse metropolis is home to a robust artistic and creative community, which yields many unique neighbourhoods where you’ll find shops and retailers that reflect San Francisco’s energetic spirit. From havens of vintage fashion and designer boutiques to bookstores and record shops, this district-based guide will help you to explore the city’s most popular corners.  

1. The Mission

Named for the Mission San Francisco de Asís Catholic church complex (also referred to as Mission Dolores), this neighbourhood is San Francisco’s oldest – and age looks good on it. The thriving district boasts, among other things, some of the city’s most interesting boutiques. Curiosity shop Paxton Gate is a destination all on its own, with its fantastic interior and one-of-a-kind, nature-themed jewellery, coffee table books and more. The area is home to outposts for trendy brands like Reformation , the Californian sustainable womenswear label that’s gone global 

2. Haight-Ashbury

A byword for flower power and the psychedelic aesthetic, Haight-Ashbury was the beating heart of the hippie movement. That thrifty personality is reflected in the neighbourhood’s vintage to hunt for preloved Japanese and American wearable treasures. If it’s newness you’re looking for, Cary Lane offers the same thrill, but for “NWT” (new with tag) pieces. The outlet store carries steeply discounted women’s and men’s fashion from well-known labels like Free People and Steve Madden.  

3. North Beach 

Paris has Shakespeare and Company; San Francisco has City Lights. Located in North Beach, the bookstore served as an incubator for talents of the Beat Generation, such as Allen Ginsberg. Decades later, it still elevates literature’s bold new voices. Here, bookworms can pick out their next holiday read or a paperback for the plane ride home, or even choose a book from City Lights’ own imprint, which has been publishing fiction, nonfiction, poetry and more since 1955. Feeling inspired to dress the part of the beatnik? Head down Jackson Street, where you’ll find cool clothing shops, like the LA-based, Scandinavian-inspired women’s casualwear label Anine Bing .

4. Fillmore Street

In a city full of Michelin restaurants and sommeliers (Napa Valley isn’t far, after all), good taste is a currency – that goes for the shopping, too. Fillmore Street, named after the district in which it’s located, is dotted with well-appointed boutiques by premium fashion and beauty brands. Fragrance connoisseurs can treat their noses at the San Francisco-founded Ministry of Scent , where you’ll find products from your favourite indie and niche perfumeries. And for fashionistas, the Parisian-chic label Sézane has only a handful of boutiques in the US, including one right here on Fillmore. 

5. Palo Alto 

If you’re visiting Stanford University or one of the many tech companies headquartered in Silicon Valley, make sure you carve out some time in your itinerary for shopping in Palo Alto. One highlight here is the Town & Country Village , a highly walkable shopping centre with independent clothing stores, restaurants and cafés. If you’re on the hunt for designer consignment, stop by TheRealReal ’s boutique to browse secondhand designer drip from the tech set. 

6. Berkeley

Cross the Bay Bridge for an afternoon in Berkeley, the rebellious younger sibling of San Francisco. The Bay Area’s enfant terrible has the reputation of being the birthplace of several counterculture movements, thanks to its main point of interest: the University of California at Berkeley. A major artery running from the campus, Telegraph Avenue is home to two of the country’s most famous music stores: Rasputin Music and Amoeba Music . If a rare record is too big for your suitcase, Amoeba sells branded merchandise such as T-shirts and tote bags, which are the perfect souvenirs for music lovers back home. 

7. Union Square

This neighbourhood in the downtown core is the destination for high-end shopping in San Francisco. Start your retail therapy at Neiman Marcus , the famous American department store synonymous with luxury. Union Square is not only a roll call of the most exclusive designers (think: Hermès and Goyard), but also home to lesser-known luxury brands like Japanese Lolita fashion specialist Angelic Pretty .