San Francisco has some of the best attractions in the U.S and some amazing shopping to go with it, it is a shopaholics dream when visiting the West Coast. Check out these incredible places around the city to splurge!
Union Square
From street performers to food stands and flowers- this part of the city is great for the scenery and the shopping. For luxury shopping, there are many high-end stores such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Hermes, and more. On the budget side, DSW warehouse is right around the corner and there are many bargaining stands for faux jewelry and handbags.
Fillmore Street
Looking to spruce up your home? Rachel Ashwell's Shabbychic furniture and bedroom design store is one of the main attractions on Filmore and has everything you could need to make your home beautiful.
Westfield San Francisco Centre
For San Francisco visitors and tourists, the opulent Westfield San Francisco Centre mall and its surrounding downtown San Francisco shopping environs (Union Square is just a few blocks away) epitomize the San Francisco shopping experience. This centre is home to some of the world's largest American chains, including a five-story Nordstrom's, a two-level Abercrombie & Fitch, numerous outlets found in malls across the country such as Victoria's Secret and Bebe, and including high-end retailers like Kenneth Cole and Club Monaco.
Chestnut Street
Chestnut is a street lined with a mix of sophisticated shops, beauty outlets and restaurants alongside brand name retailers. While unique and offbeat in nature, Chestnut Street retains a distinctive neighborhood feel. Here shoppers and locals find incredible shoe boutiques like Rabat featuring trendy but functional footwear and specialty shops like Blue Bird, a gift shop carrying kitschy gifts like porcelain dolls and oversized potato heads. Well-known retailers, like Gap Body or the small, unique Chadwick's of London for cotton and lace lingerie, lend a mass appeal. Williams-Sonoma, a neighborhood fixture, has the best in cookware, utensils and cookbooks. For beauty care, Bare Essentials or the Body Shop will keep you looking great with the best in cosmetics and skincare. A lunch break on Chestnut means a choice of Cafe Marimba, an open, airy colorful Mexican restaurant or Cozmo's which prepares wood oven meats and seafood paired with California wines. On any day, Chestnut Street is bustling with shoppers, professionals meeting for coffee at Bechelli's or neighborhood Moms with strollers shopping at Books, Inc. The highlights of this cozy San Francisco neighborhood are a sophisticated ambience and streamlined energy conducive to shopping.
Chinatown
This place truly has everything. From amazing statues, carved wooden trinkets, wafting smells of green and black teas this place feels like a storybook world. Chinese food is just as abundant: for some of the best in San Francisco, the inexpensive House of Nanking is just off Chinatown's main drag a few blocks west on Kearny (at Jackson).
Embarcadero
Embarcadero is mostly crowded with professionals who work in the nearby towers or locals who know the local secret. Embarcadero is retail haven with brand names like Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, among others. Even though the Embarcadero holds big names, this San Francisco shopping mall has unusual niche, specialty stores and the Giants Dugout. The mall's spacious outdoor and indoor design lends itself to a more comfortable and easy shopping experience. The Embarcadero is contoured for the busy shopper with wide walkways and well-placed stairwells. During sunny days, the upstairs patio is perfect for patrons dining at Fuzio, a high-energy Italian restaurant or for coffee drinkers at Java City. The shopping mall is also home to the Landmark's Embarcadero Cinema a movie house showing the brightest alternative and independent films by top directors.
Hayes Valley
The Hayes Valley is a beautiful blend of art and commerce in a small San Francisco neighborhood brimming with art galleries, contemporary boutiques, interior design studios, outdoor cafes and wine bars. This stretch of San Francisco shopping, in view of the San Francisco Symphony and Opera House, is a great place to find out-of-the-ordinary items like, crafted ultra-modern club chairs, black ribboned dancing shoes and a funky tabletop in shocking blue. Hayes Valley does not tolerate chain names or major outfitters that would infringe on the artful and airy style of the neighborhood. Located at 345 Gough Street is Shoppe Unusual, where over 30 local artists' works are on display in one of Hayes Valley's largest and most colorful retail spaces. Some other unique shopping experiences include 560 Hayes Vintage Boutique, Buu, Gimme Shoes and Evelyn's Antique Chinese Furniture. Prices in Hayes Valley are manageable: San Francisco shoppers can splurge on a well-crafted French truffle bag while ordering lunch for two without tipping the financial scales.
Haight Street
The stretch of shops, referred to by San Francisco locals as the Upper Haight, was the center of '60s psychedelia. Despite gentrification and the proliferation of stores like Ben & Jerry's and The Gap, it still retains its hippie counterculture credentials, and is dotted with Victorian houses, anarchist bookstores, piercing salons and funky clothing shops. with food and booze choices just as prolific (try Cha Cha Cha's for sangria and tapas or Kanzaman for a vanilla hookah and a beer), locals as well as out-of-towners spend time shopping (or just window gazing) on the Haight's incense-scented sidewalks. For music-philes, the bowling alley turned record store, Amoeba Records, is one the Haight's biggest draws.
Polk Street
Polk Street is one of the most divergent shopping neighborhoods in San Francisco, offering a blend of high-end consignment shops, affordable retail outfits shops and low-end clothing stores. This San Francisco shopping district has one caveat: the best and safest shopping experience on Polk starts just north of California Street.
Sacramento Street
Sacramento Street shopping is on the cusp between Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights in a quiet residential neighborhood. The main features are the interior decor shops and high-end, but fun, clothing boutiques. Sacramento offers household items from small to large, from cashmere sofa throws and scented Florentine soaps to oversized Persian rugs and 19th century French tables. When done buying for the home, shoppers can indulge their fashion tastes with bathing suits designed by Shoshana at Brown Eyed Girl, a shop designed to look like the interior of a hip apartment, and view Jimmy Choo sandals and Prada heels at Fetish shoes. Sacramento Street is the ultimate deluxe shopping avenue with fantastic finds squeezed into a compact little block.
North Beach
North Beach, the unmistakable Italian district of San Francisco, boasts an Italian style and energy that permeates every boutique and restaurant. North Beach is the perfect shopping getaway because visitors will dine as the Romans do while finding unique European-inspired boutiques along Grant Avenue. Old Vogue carries a vintage wardrobe for men and women with the occasional funky piece. No day is complete at North Beach without going to the Steps of Rome and having a cappuccino.
Mission Street
For tourists and San Francisco shoppers with more eclectic and far flung tastes, the Mission is the perfect place to cater to unconventional whims. The Mission a colorful stretch of blocks with offbeat boutiques and funky ethnic clothing and furniture stores. Standouts include Rayon Vert, the eclectic home and florist shop and Fishbowl, the art and clothing gallery. Eateries add a unique flavor to the Mission with taquerias and fresh produce stands on every corner. What you won't find here are fashionistas wearing the same Gap sweater; the Mission prides itself on its inimitable and colorful style.
Finding a Place to Stay in San Francisco without Spending a Ton
In addition to great shopping San Francisco is also blessed with great public transportation making getting around and finding a place to stay more affordable. There are three main systems; the Muni for local busses and trains, the BART subway, and of course cable cars. The BART can take you far outside San Francisco and to the airports in under 30 minutes, and this opens up several suburban areas that offer more affordable hotels. If a downtown hotel isn’t within budget then finding a place to stay in San Francisco near the BART can save money. If staying downtown is a priority checkout the Moser near Union Square for an affordable option, or the 1906 Mission for a boutique option in one of SF’s most vibrant hotels.