Haight-Ashbury

Maybe it was the massive amounts of people or the fog.. but I didn’t care for Haight Asbury. I liked Hayes Valley, Sunset, and Mission a lot more. ( and there were less rude French tourists at the above destinations)

The Haight is like a mini LSD trip iteslf. Although many of the buildings and people are grimy and dangerous, the place has kind of a grungy beauty. And the shops are absolutely bursting with glittery funky obscure shit – Tibetan jewelry, Indonesian imports, consignment shops, upscale hipster junk, novelty shops, hippie memorabilia… And, of course, the famous Ben and Jerry’s.

buy a bong

I used to live one block northwest of the Haight-Ashbury intersection, and can say that for all the kitschy tourist crapola—by far the least exciting part of the area—the neighborhood was always interesting.

Beyond the monuments to the events of 40 years ago, the sometimes hilarious, sometimes snarly streetpunk/walking wounded population that in many respects considers itself the heirs to that period’s legacy, and especially beyond the souvenir shops, junk stores, and gawking tourists, the neighborhood is also home to the city’s best record store, three independent bookstores (one an anarchist collective) a lot of good vintage clothing shopping, a couple of tasty low-end restaurants, some good cafes, a nice branch of the SF Public Library, and the entrance to Golden Gate Park, among other good things.

It’s also almost in the exact geographical center of San Francisco, which in theory makes it convenient to a range of neighborhoods.

Haight Street itself can be too crowded with amblers to be much fun to walk along, particularly on weekends, and yes, parking is thoroughly nightmarish, but along with a tourist trap, the Haight is a very active, vital neighborhood that has a lot to offer. Insider tip: The streets that aren’t Haight are substantially less grungy—I lived on Page and never had a problem with the street being dirty.

I felt really weird being there, since I had read a lot about hippies and I am really into rock & roll music, so it was fascinating just being there, of course I wished it was 1969 but anyway its a cool street… there are cool vintage and thrift stores!

i would say to really explore this place, not just the flashy psychodelic stores on the main front. walk around, go in the vintage stores, see the amazing houses, and just take it all in!

This place is truly scary at times, and wonderfully colourful at others. It’s absolutely worth visiting, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

As a hippie one must visit this place, but don’t think it’s still the magical place it once was. It’s filled with addicts on the streets and a Gap at the corner of Haight-Ashbury, make sure to spit on the window as you pass on your way to the grateful dead house.

the magic you are searching for is within yourself. the vibes from the 60s live on if you let them have an outlet. it’s more than a neighborhood from a time and a place, it’s an outlook and a way of life.

Its funny when you get there- that there isnt a big sign saying “this IS the actual Haight-Ahsbury!” But my advice is to take the scenic route through the city- get a map from triple A and then follow the signs with the blue seagul. it will show you the whole city! its so fun.

historic and nice. i must see