40 of our favorite San Francisco shops

Lately, it’s been impossible to avoid conversations about the decline of San Francisco’s retail landscape. The number of shuttered downtown storefronts — enough to inspire a viral TikTok account — is jarring, and indicative of civic problems that are much bigger than no longer being able to get a pair of jeans tailored for free in Union Square.

But while building a narrative out of the closures is common, it ignores the full story. There are still so many businesses in this city that are neighborhood cornerstones or that serve as “third places” for communities. These stores show that despite the convenience of online shopping, a tackle shop or a vibrator outlet can not only survive in San Francisco, but thrive long enough to achieve legacy business status.

To celebrate the tenacity of San Francisco’s local businesses, we’ve compiled a list of 40 of our favorites. Our most basic criteria were that the selected stores must be more than 5 years old and operate in a physical location (pop-ups or roving carts don’t qualify). This isn’t a traditional “Best Of” list: We aimed to select stores that serve the various communities — surfers, musicians, cooks — that make San Francisco such a vibrant place to live. 

So read on to learn about all our favorites, and if you have a shop you love that’s missing, let us know — we’re always looking for more San Francisco stories to tell.

We’ve ordered shops by neighborhood.

The African Outlet — Bayview: 4942 3rd St.

To visit the African Outlet is to be dazzled by the extraordinary amount of art and handicrafts that pack the incense-perfumed store. It boasts a wide variety of goods — including clothing, sculptures, masks and jewelry — from all around the continent. “We pride ourselves on being very eclectic and authentic,” said Judah Dwyer, who co-founded the store with Horgan Edet in 1989 after the duo met at a reggae club in the Mission.

SCRAP — Bayview: 2150 Newcomb Ave.

SCRAP’s warehouse, piled high with art supplies, is both chaotic and inspiring. You’ll find rolls of fabric, skeins of yarn, old magazines, paint, canvases, posters and other donated miscellanea — more than enough bounty to decorate a wall or get motivation for an art project — all at some of the cheapest prices in the city.

Succulence — Bernal Heights: 402 Cortland Ave.

Want to get your hands dirty? Stop by the planting bar at Succulence to repot the perfect new houseplant or create your own terrarium (you can also dig a little deeper at one of Succulence’s regular workshops). In addition to staples like dracaena, ficus or succulents, the shop stocks rare plants — some of its cacti look like space creatures — as well as non-living treasures, like jewelry. 

Cliff’s Variety — Castro: 479 Castro St.

This Castro mainstay has been serving locals in the same location since 1936 and is still helmed by the great-great-granddaughter of the store’s founder. In the ’70s, it was one of the first businesses to hire openly LGBTQ+ sales clerks, solidifying its place in the neighborhood. The part-hardware, part-variety shop truly has it all, from housewares to costumes to toys.

Sui Generis — Castro: 2231 Market St.

Miguel Lopez and Gabriel Yanez, the married couple behind designer consignment shop Sui Generis, opened it in 2006 to bring the likes of Prada, Gucci and Comme des Garcons to the Castro. Their keen-eyed curation and frequently rotating selection have made the boutique a fashion hotspot for the neighborhood, as well as a consignment outlet for gently used designer brands.

Chinatown Kite Shop — Chinatown: 717 Grant Ave.

Who doesn’t love a kite? Run by an owner in his late 80s, Chinatown Kite Shop is one of Chinatown’s oldest retail outposts and also one of its most colorful, thanks to the dozens of floating works of art hanging from its ceiling. There are bamboo-framed carp, dragons, butterflies and even Minions, with high-flying toys in almost every shape and size you can imagine.

Red Blossom Tea — Chinatown: 831 Grant Ave.

We excluded specialty food stores from this list but are making an exception for Red Blossom Tea because it’s just so exceptional. The walls are lined with nearly 100 teas that are treated with the same attention to detail as fine wines and are served by Michelin-starred restaurants like Birdsong. Established in 1985, the shop is still run by the same family — you’ll have to excuse the owner if she’s a little jet-lagged from visiting farms in China — and also offers a wide selection of ceramics inspired by 11th- and 12th-century Chinese designs that will spruce up any tea party.  

Real Guitars — Civic Center: 15 Lafayette St.

Not many shops in San Francisco can boast Jerry Garcia and Kurt Cobain as customers, but Real Guitars has been slinging sonic weapons since the days when both of those iconic musicians were actively performing. The shop is still operating at the same tucked-away Lafayette location, and now serves as headquarters for the owners’ own guitar company, Ransom Guitars.

Cole Hardware — Cole Valley: 956 Cole St.

The original location of the Bay Area hardware store chain opened in Cole Valley in the 1920s and has been in the same family since 1959. The store on Cole Street still feels like a neighborhood retailer, with excellent customer service and every aisle stocked to the ceiling with hardware store essentials and fun extras. 

Bryr Studio — Dogpatch: 1080 Illinois St.

Bryr Studio has developed a cult following for its handmade clogs, which range in style from comfy-practical to wedding chic. The small team makes each shoe onsite at its dual retail shop and manufacturing hub, so you can sometimes meet the creators while browsing footwear. Bryr also regularly hosts community fundraisers for local nonprofit groups, including those focused on racial justice and LGBTQ rights.

International Spy Shop — Fisherman’s Wharf: 555 Beach St.

Curious shoppers will find an unusual array of items at the International Spy Shop, including “diversion safes,” self-defense tools and collectible model cars. The store also has an airsoft shooting range and sells interactive simulations for those eager to try their hand at warding off a zombie invasion, for example. Seeing all the sneaky modes of surveillance that the Spy Shop peddles, from microphone pens to a wall clock that seamlessly hides a camera, you may find yourself tempted by its high-end “bug” detectors. 

FLAX art + design – Fort Mason: 2 Marina Blvd. at Fort Mason Center

FLAX is one of those stores where you could leave with something special no matter your creative interest. Want to try screenprinting? Hit up a workshop, then score a kit with everything you need. Fancy yourself the musical type? Take home a wind-up, punch-hole music box. Just need some gift wrap that looks like wallpaper from a Wes Anderson film? They’ve got that too, as well as just about any kind of art supply you can imagine.

Bird & Beckett Books and Records — Glen Park: 653 Chenery St.

Owner Eric Whittington opened Glen Park’s beloved bookstore in 1999 and transformed it into a neighborhood anchor. The store isn’t just known for its books, though it has an incredible selection of new and used ones. It also hosts jazz musicians every Friday — its name is a combination derived from jazz musician Charlie Parker’s nickname and author Samuel Beckett — in addition to monthly poetry readings and other performances. Live acts are supported by the store’s nonprofit arm and suggested donations are collected at each show.

Pipe Dreams — Haight-Ashbury: 1376 Haight St.

Yes, there are so many head shops on Haight Street that one might feel like they’re seeing tracers from a bad trip. But you’ve got to hand it to Pipe Dreams for outlasting all its water pipe-peddling peers. It’s the oldest smoke shop on the street, fulfilling Haight-Ashbury’s black light-adjacent needs since 1968.

FTC Skateboarding — Haight-Ashbury: 1632 Haight St.

It’s easy to forget, but for many people around the world, skateboard culture is one of San Francisco’s biggest exports. From Thrasher magazine to vintage hill bomb videos and trailblazing companies like Spitfire Wheels, the city is synonymous with skateboards. FTC has been supplying the community with everything it needs since 1986, back when a legit skate park in Civic Center would’ve been condemned instead of celebrated.

Amoeba Music — Haight-Ashbury: 1855 Haight St.

It may be an obvious choice, but there’s a reason you see Amoeba Music’s signature yellow shopping bags all over town. The Haight-Ashbury emporium of vinyl, CDs and music merch is one of the most iconic record stores in the world, and its size means that no matter what genre of music you like, it’s easy to spend an afternoon digging through the store’s endless crates. The mini empire, which has shops in Berkeley and Hollywood, also earns bonus points for one of the best YouTube music series around: “What’s In My Bag.”

Dark Garden — Hayes Valley: 321 Linden St.

Dark Garden’s corsets have appeared on the red carpet at the Met Gala, in a Smithsonian gallery and on the cover of Playboy magazine. Since it first opened in 1989, the business has created both standard-fit and bespoke lingerie in San Francisco for all sizes and gender identities. Its handmade garments cater to a range of needs, including bridal, boudoir, burlesque and back support. 

Isotope Comics — Hayes Valley: 326 Fell St.

For the past 22 years, Isotope Comics has welcomed people to peruse its vast variety of graphic novels, comic books and zines, often with a backdrop of funky music. Owner James Sime regularly sets up events, including signings and launch parties, and is always happy to make recommendations to help you find your next great read. 

Japan Video and Media — Japantown: 1737 Post St. (West Mall)

A giant stuffed Totoro greets you at the door of this jam-packed shop inside the Japan Center Malls. Visitors can find a staggeringly wide variety of Japanese and Korean movies, TV and music — including some rare finds — as well as posters, plushies and Funko figurines. While you’re at it, we recommend browsing through the entire shopping complex — adorable and interesting stores abound.

Vinyl Dreams — Lower Haight: 593 Haight St.

In the heyday of the ’90s rave movement, SF was full of record shops catering specifically to DJs playing techno, house and other booming electronic music subgenres (RIP IDM). Although there are still plenty of great shops worth patronizing on Haight Street alone (Amoeba, Groove Merchant and Rooky Ricardo’s, to name a few), Vinyl Dreams is the one carrying the flag of those old rave days. It’s a basement bunker of dance music run by an owner who is essentially a walking encyclopedia of San Francisco DJ history.

Jack’s — Marina: 2275 Chestnut St.

Jack’s shirt collection walks you through Bay Area sports history, with tees sporting logos from bygone franchises including the the San Francisco Clippers AFL football team and minor league baseball clubs the Oakland Oaks and the San Francisco Seals. All Jack’s tees are printed in SF, and the informal menswear shop also features a robust collection of baseball caps, as well as button-ups and denim. 

Paxton Gate — The Mission: 824 Valencia St. 

If you’re the kind of person who might covet a preserved fetal sloth or a taxidermied mouse dressed up like a superhero, then Paxton Gate has you covered. The eclectic shop sells curiosities like buffalo teeth and snake skeletons alongside crystals, fossils, unusual books and gardening supplies. Any lover of oddities will find something special here. 

Cable Car Museum Store — Nob Hill: 1201 Mason St.

SF has a deluge of shops hawking souvenirs, but there’s only one in which you can commune with the beating heart of the city and its most prominent symbol that doesn’t rhyme with “Molden Date Ridge.” The Cable Car Museum is one of SF’s most underrated attractions, and its gift shop brims with historical treasures and treats for any transportation lover.

Omnivore Books on Food — Noe Valley: 3885 Cesar Chavez St.

This small shop hidden on Cesar Chavez Street is a cookbook lover’s paradise. The Bay Area’s only culinary bookshop has all the latest releases, plus vintage texts, packed into overflowing shelves. A former rare books specialist, owner Celia Sack opened the store to celebrate her passion for the culinary arts in 2008 and still operates it today. Omnivore Books also hosts author events, so plenty of those coveted cookbooks come with a signature inside.

Just for Fun & Scribbledoodles — Noe Valley: 3982 24th St.

Just for Fun has everything you could need to find and fancifully wrap a gift, no matter who you’re shopping for. Its products run the gamut from the practical (calendars! tea towels!) to the silly (slime! quirky purses!), with cute wrapping paper, art supplies, home goods and toys thrown in between. You’ll enjoy getting lost on its colorfully tiled floor and amid its maze-like aisles.

Al’s Attire — North Beach: 1300 Grant Ave. 

Buy something from Al’s Attire and you’re guaranteed to end up looking sharp: The store sells bags, clothing and shoes, both off-the-rack and in custom designs. You’ll be lured in by the smell of leather and enticed to stay by the charming owner and tailor, Al Ribaya, who has run the store in North Beach for 37 years.  

Mureta & Co. — Pacific Heights: 2418 Fillmore St.

This Fillmore fixture specializes in estate jewelry rather than new pieces, with its oldest pieces dating back to the 1760s. Shoppers will be dazzled by Mureta’s collection of vintage designer pieces, including rarities from designers Tiffany & Co. and Cartier. The European-style boutique is homey and inviting, with leather-bound books lining the tops of the shelves.

Cottage Industry — Pacific Heights: 2328 Fillmore St.

Entering Cottage Industry is like stepping into the estate sale of a wealthy old eccentric. The nearly 40-year-old world goods store, which imports crafts from 58 countries, offers new surprises around every corner. A stack of concrete Italian frescoes leans against a pillar in front of a case of jeweled sandals, while masks from Venice, Tibet and Indonesia cling to the walls and chandeliers crowd the ceilings. The store is worth a visit if only to see the collection for yourself.

Good Vibrations — Polk Gulch: 1620 Polk St.

Come for the wide variety of sex toys and accessories, stay for the antique vibrator museum. Founded in SF in 1977 by a sex-positive activist who wanted to promote woman-centered sex education, Good Vibrations now has six locations throughout the Bay Area, including three in SF. While the knowledgeable, kink-friendly staff can help you pick out the right gear to satisfy your cravings, the Polk Street store’s collection of old “massagers” will provide an extra history lesson. 

ReLove — Polk Gulch: 1815 Polk St.

The team at ReLove, a small-but-mighty boutique for vintage, designer and independent clothing brands, loves helping people find their personal style. In addition to helping browse its highly curated in-store selection, the staff offers virtual styling sessions. The shop also features (and sells) prints from local photographers and recently opened a second location in Oakland. 

Collage Gallery — Potrero Hill: 1345 18th St.

This Potrero Hill shop has changed owners several times since it debuted in 1991, but Collage Gallery’s mission has remained generally the same: support local artists and craftspeople by selling their work. Look to Collage for locally designed clothing, jewelry and pottery, as well as home decor like refurbished vintage clocks and artful letters salvaged from old signs. Right on a delightful stretch of 18th Street grounded by Farley’s Coffee, it’s the ideal place to grab a gift for a friend (or yourself).

Gus’ Discount Tackle — Richmond: 3710 Balboa St.

Gus’ is like a mini Costco of fishing: It has nets of all sizes stacked in a corner, a bin piled with life jackets, crab pots hanging from the ceiling and more. The uninitiated can ask for help from lively owner Stephanie Ernst Scott, who will use her picker to grab the necessary tackle off the wall, then hand over a printout of how to correctly tie a line. When you make your catch, don’t forget to send a photo to Scott. You’ll join the scads of customers pictured with their own “big ones” on the shop’s walls.

Lucky Ocean Aquarium — Richmond: 109 Balboa St.

This peaceful aquarium store welcomes shoppers with moody lighting, glowing blue tanks and the soothing sound of oh-so-many bubblers. You’ll find creatures large and small (from sea snails to clownfish), along with every necessary accessory for a saltwater tank — including live crabs to clean it. If the shop doesn’t have what you seek, it will likely send you to nearby 6th Ave. Aquarium at 425 Clement St., where you scoop your own fish for purchase and the array of items extends to houseplants and bouquets.

Misdirections Magic Shop — Sunset: 1236 9th Ave.

In Misdirections, magic lovers have both a supply shop and a community space. Owner Joe Pon has created a hub for both professional and burgeoning illusionists since opening the shop 27 years ago. He not only sells tricks and all the supplies for a good performance, but also teaches lessons and provides mentorship in the magical arts. 

Oriental Art Gallery — Sunset: 1340 9th Ave. 

From corgi butts to Charlie Brown, unicorns to UFOs, and Sonic the Hedgehog to SpongeBob SquarePants, the Oriental Art Gallery is chock-full of just about every kind of enamel pin you can imagine. Dubbed “the pin lady,” the shop’s owner Su Lee, who is in her 80s, has become something of an online sensation for her sweetness, humor and positivity. The store is cash only — and be sure to take a picture of the pin you want in the front window before going inside.

Aqua Surf Shop — Sunset: 3847 Judah St.

Aqua Surf Shop has you covered whether you’re a surfer or just want to look like one. Dress the part with a wide range of apparel, like the store’s cozy flannels and custom tee designs, or get help with gear, like wetsuit fittings. The store also carries skateboarding supplies, in case you need the right protection to try out that old longboard you found in the garage.

Black Bird Bookstore and Cafe — Sunset: 4541 Irving St.

Located just a few blocks from Ocean Beach, this picturesque shop has a curated selection of books and giftable items, including an especially lovely kids section. There’s also a small cafe counter in the front of the store, providing sustenance to help you laze away a few hours (we recommended the backyard patio oasis). Opened in 2017, the store also hosts numerous community events, including children’s story time, poetry open mics and small business pop-ups, which have turned the shop into a true community hub for the Outer Sunset.

Jeffrey’s Toys — Union Square: 45 Kearny St.

Since 1953, one of the best places for a kid to be a kid has been tucked away on Kearny Street (the storefront itself dates back even further, to 1938). The old-school shop stocks toys ranging from puzzles to chalk to a wide selection of Barbies, plus an array of big-kid offerings, including purses shaped like Cup Noodles and shelves of comics.

Gamescape — Western Addition: 333 Divisadero St.

This nearly 40-year-old board and card game shop is usually filled with the chatter of, well, gamers gaming. Big groups regularly pile around a few folding tables in the back to play Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon and more. You can find anything you need to run a Dungeons & Dragons campaign or paint a model of a Warhammer 40,000 miniature, and classics like Rubik’s cubes, Ouija boards and a huge selection of jigsaw puzzles are on sale too. With venerable comic shop Comix Experience nearby, the block is a nerd’s paradise. 

Cookin’: Recycled Gourmet Appurtenances — Western Addition: 339 Divisadero St.

A favorite of Bay Area chefs, food stylists and fancy home cooks, this secondhand kitchen shop is packed with equipment from basic (wooden rolling pins) to obscure (ceramic toast racks). Its offerings are ever changing, its displays loosely themed: One wall features manual coffee grinders, French presses and Moka stovetop espresso makers, while another hangs with more copper pots than a scene from “Ratatouille.” It’s hard to get in, out and around Cookin’, but if you’re comfortable with a treasure hunt, you can find gems like vintage Tiki mugs, used Le Creuset cookware and much more.