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The fruit, vegetable, and live produce markets on Stockton Street are a must for any adventurous traveler. The greatest concentration of Chinese shops and Chinese shoppers can be found in the three blocks from Washington to Broadway. They are notoriously busy, and not for the faint of heart as locals deftly paw over each and every piece of fruit... you have to be quick! Tangerines are important during Chinese New Year. You may need a gut check as well in the live produce markets — there are all kinds of live fauna flapping about from frogs and turtles to chickens and ducks. The best time to explore Stockton Street is on weekdays; weekends are even more crowded, when Chinese families that have moved to the suburbs return for shopping on Stockton Street. To avoid the crowds, explore the area in the morning or late afternoon. Many of the shops close around 6PM, but the eateries will remain open into the evening hours.
Opened in 1962, this tiny factory produces more than 20,000 fortune cookies a day. The factory is in a small alley and it is tiny with only 3 people making fortune cookies. Tourists are welcome to walk in off the street — you get a flat (un-bended) fortune cookie sample but photos cost 50 cents and the moment you walk in they are asking you in their broken English what cookies you want to buy. It is a must see though!
Co-founded by Beat poet Lawrence Ferlenghetti, City Lights was one of the centers of the Beat community in the 1950s. It's iconic and has become synonymous with the literati Beat movement. Oh, don't forget to check out the books: they have a huge collection of Beat prose and poetry. Why not buy a copy of On the Road while you're there — you won't find a better place to get it!
This tiny paved pedestrian alley was named after the famous Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac who used to hang out in the alley a lot. It was intended to form a literary (and actual) connection between the communities of Chinatown and North Beach. There are plaques embedded into the street which are engraved with Chinese and Western poems from Kerouac, Confucius and John Steinbeck among others. The alley continues across Columbus to become William Saroyan Alley, named after another famous writer who lived in the city, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and an Academy Award.
The Filbert Steps are the part of Filbert Street that runs between Battery Street and Telegraph Hill Boulevard in North Beach. The steps end next to Coit Tower, and offer a scenic — though somewhat strenuous — route for visitors of the tower. In fact, following the steps is at times faster than driving to Coit Tower due to the high demand for relatively few parking spots near the site. Visitors of the steps will see public gardens, stylish homes and views of North Beach and the bay; if a path is not gated or specifically signed with "No Trespassing," then it is most likely public. Also, it pays to be adventurous: some of the best gardens and views are off the stairs. Finally, there is more than one way up and down; if you make a round trip you should find a new route for the return leg. Just avoid private property.
The center was established in order to promote understanding of Chinese and Chinese American history, art, and culture in the US. They have a small gallery with changing Chinese art exhibitions.
This is well worth a visit, with exhibits on the history and experience of Chinese immigrants to San Francisco over the past 150 years.