San Francisco Sources.
•timeless treasures•
• zinc details•Over on Polk Street, from Filbert to Sacramento Streets. there's a batch of lovely new shops popping up, as well as my favorite old standards. Swallowtail being one of the latter, carries the most unique vintage furniture and accessories around. If I owned a shop, this would be it.
•swallowtail•
Mascara Vintage, Picnic and Bella Cose all have great vintage clothing and home accessories. They're all small, mom & pop type shops that carry local designers' new work as well as cool flea market finds, which is my favorite kind of business to support.
•picnic•Just over the hill in North Beach (our own Little Italy) is the one of a kind shop Aria. They carry just about everything you never knew you were looking for. Owner Bill Haskell rounds up the coolest, and the oddest of oddities and there's usually some melancholy French music drifting in the air. This is just a wonderful old shop to linger in after a cappuccino at one of the many Italian cafes nearby.
•aria•
•rae dunn•
•alabaster•
•And some must-sees off the beaten path•
The Alameda Flea Market • It happens every first Sunday of the Month. It's huge, so wear your comfy shoes, dress in layers and have some of the kettle korn they serve there. It's really good. But, bring your own cup of coffee-to-go. That's just me being truthful - do not wait in the coffee line while many of the treasures to be found pass you by. It's just not up to par with the stuff here waiting to be seen and grabbed. Half of my apartment is furnished from here and there are some really good bargains to be found. I hardly ever miss this flea market and I never wait in the coffee line.
• alameda flea market •
Take one of the old trolleys to the The Ferry Building Marketplace. This historical San Francisco landmark built in 1898 was the gateway to every immigrants' and sailors' arrival in San Francisco. It has now been converted into a gourmet's paradise. Wine tasting, amazing Ciao Bella Gelato, fresh fruits and vegetables, a meat market, the Cowgirl Creamery for the best cheese on the planet, The Slanted Door for the best Vietnamese food ever, gorgeous pastries and cupcakes at Miette and killer fish tacos and tamales at Mijita. It also hosts a local Farmer's Market every Saturday and Tuesday afternoon. It's a really fun afternoon of tasting, eating and I find it always inspires me to hunt for the best and freshest ingredients to take home and prepare my own favorite dishes.
• san francisco ferry building marketplace •Lastly, just take a walk anywhere in San Francisco, as it is a city for walking (it's only 7 miles x 7 miles). Maybe start on Russian Hill for beautiful views of the entire bay from the Golden Gate to Tiburon to Berkeley and beyond. From there stroll on down Macondray Lane. This the famous lane in Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, one of the original indie films (Parker Posey & Laura Linney are both in it) based on decandent life in 1976 San Francisco. A good one to watch before visiting, for the clothes and hair if nothing else.
• macondray lane •It's been so much fun being here. Thanks again Grace for having me and your warm hospitality. I hope you'll all visit San Francisco soon, and if you do I'll hear you had a great time visiting these favorites of mine. And trust me, skip Fisherman's Wharf. You'll be a much better visitor for it.
posted by design*sponge @ 7:46 PM
12 Comments:
Grace needs to file this for her city guides - brilliant! I can't believe that I lived in SF for a year in 1999 and never visited one of these places, but that's ok bec. I did visit FW.
i went down to sf last november after not having been there for nearly nine years to visit a friend who lived in the mission, and it pretty much solidified the fact that i needed to move to sf.
i think this post alone is reasons number 394830-39b to 84930483-85d as to why i need to move to san francisco.
i suppose as for right now, all i can do is sigh and wish until one fine day.
i regret so much as to not having seen this post earlier, as one thing that (without fail) cheers me up is rummaging at flea markets. i've been able to score some great finds at the old ones in nyc when i used to live there, and there's something to be said about carrying something that everyone inquires about and looks a desperate shade of green when you pass by.
I would love to know more about the gorgeous light fixture in the shape of a bouquet in the first picture!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful city with us. I have so enjoyed your posts and wonderful introduction and links to some really great sites and artists.
Love your blog as well.
Thank you so much for the insider's scoop of San Francisco! It's uncanny how timely your posts are, since I will be in SF the second week of May. Your advice is more valuable than any travel guide.
Just the fact that the city is 7 miles square is fabulous! We're walkers and now I feel like I'll get to see a lot more than I'd initially thought.
I'm so glad you all enjoyed the post.
Anon - that light fixture is photographed at Timeless Treasures. Owner Joan O'Connor does a lot of trips to Paris flea markets, so it could be from one of her buying trips. She always has great stuff - you can always contact her on the link to her site.
Claire - enjoy your trip to SF. remember - dress in layers. the weather here can change from neighborhood to neighborhood. And if you like walking, be sure and walk across the Golden Gate Bridge - it is really something special.
victoria, your posts were AMAZING! loved them all.
-joy
One more tip for those heading to Alameda Point: get there early! It's a little pricier to get in, but if you go in the afternoon, all the good stuff has already been snatched up.
beaturiful photos. i forget how pretty it is to live here sometimes! thanks for the reminder!
what a great expose on san francisco's charming, cute & unique retail venues! i used to live a few blocks away from swallowtail on polk street. now i'm in NYC and well, it just isn't the same! i'll have to check out the other stores when i'm in town again!
You have great taste. All the places you suggested are favorites of mine with the exception of the flea market which I have yet to visit. Look forward to another one of your posts.
Cheers~
Great list! But an update is that Friend in Hayes Valley just closed. That was a cool store so it's a shame.
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