San Francisco Shopping

A day of San Francisco Shopping is one of my favorite guilty pleasures in life! There are so very many fun places to poke around in and the San Francisco waterfront area has many touristy stores but some other really great ones too! Also listed are other San Francisco shopping areas away from the waterfront.

San Francisco Shopping On The Waterfront

Located on North Point Street and Polk Streets. A former chocolate factory and one of the most fun places to shop in the city. Domingo Ghirardelli (pronounced “Gear-ar-delly”) started a chocolate and spice factory in this area around 1864. A clock tower which is an exact replica of France’s Chateau de Blois sits atop this brick shopping complex. There is a Ghirardelli soda fountain which has an old-fashioned ice cream parlor where I love to go to get a hot fudge sundae for a mid-afternoon treat!

The main plaza shops and restaurant hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and are open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and extended hours throughout the summer.

The Cannery

Located between Leavenworth, Hyde and Jefferson Streets. Used to be home to the largest peach canning factory in the world. There you will find food, shopping, jugglers and musicians. They have a Basic Brown Bear Factory where you can stuff and sew a teddy bear to take home. You will also find Sock Heaven where you can find a huge variety of socks to cover your feeties.

Shops Along Jefferson Street

Located from Aquatic Park which is at the end of Jefferson Street to where it ends on the Embarcadero If you are looking for all those tacky tourist souvenirs – refrigerator magnets, T-shirts, and anything that says San Francisco on it this is the place! I have found that if you go back one street to Beach Street or anywhere off Jefferson the prices are a little better – probably because they don’t have such stiff rents to pay.

Pier 39

Located on Pier 39 and is about a 10 minute walk east from Fishermen’s Wharf. There is also more shopping – over 110 shops in all at this somewhat overrated outdoor shopping mall. See my page on Pier 39.

More San Francisco Shopping Centers

Located 3 blocks east of Union Square. There are about 40 high end shops with expensive wares and designer creations e.g. Polo/Ralph Lauren and Gianni Versace. It has a glass-domed 3-level pavilion which is modeled after Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.

Westfield San Francisco Centre

Located on 856 S. Market in the heart of downtown. Recently had a $460 million makeover in 2006. It has a century-old dome that is 102 feet wide and three stories high. This mall is one of the few vertical malls in the country. Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria’s Secret are just a few of the stores you will find there.

Union Square

Located in the center of Bush, Taylor, Market and Montgomery Streets. The most popular shopping area in San Francisco. It has my favorite department store Macy’s and many other great shops. Be sure to explore Grant Avenue and Sutter and Post Streets and also Maiden Lane.

Chinatown

Located on Grant Avenue, Bush Street and Columbus Avenue. Loaded with cheap tourist shops and every cheap Chinese made thing you can think of! On Stockton Street you can grocery shop and find live fowl and fish if you like to meet what you eat.

Fillmore Street

Located in Pacific Heights on Fillmore, Jackson and Sutter Streets. Here you will find pricey boutiques, craft shops and places to get a great bite to eat.

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