If You're Going To San Francisco: North Beach

In this our final roundup of the Bay Areas prime shopping outlets we visit North Beach. Most know North Beach for its Italian restaurants and cafes. Some know it for the strip clubs across the way from the Italian restaurants and cafes. Others know it as a center of 1950's Beat culture.

Sure we know it as all these things too but also as an increasingly interesting shopping area.

A B Fits (1519 Grant Ave.) was a North Beach shopping destination before there was much North Beach shopping to speak of. While the shop now has a Union Square outpost, this original shop is known as the go to spot for imported denim and the best in men's and women's casuals.

Across the street from A B Fits is Ooma (1422 Grant Ave). This perky shop is home to all things girly, from sultry smoks to sparkly jewelry to colorful shoes.

For a break from the clothing shopping go to Aria (1522 Grant Ave). An antique shop that's neither dark, dank, or dusty, Aria has a knack for finding odds and end, many European, that are both interesting and attractive.

A few blocks from Grant Avenue but really a world away is another of little block of shops centered around street culture. First you'll run into Double Punch (1821 Powell Street), a mecca of Asian, European and American vinyl toys.

Right next door to Double Punch are a dynamic duo in streetwear and sneaker Recon and Nort (1827 Powell St.). Nort is Nike heaven.

Last, but most certainly not least is the legendary bookstore, City Lights (261 Columbus Ave.). Co-founded by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the shop was ground zero for Beat culture. But today, while still acknowledging its past with a huge selection of Beat writints, it is still very much a relevant and vibrant part of the community, and boasts and an expertly edited selection of fiction and non-fiction books. To go to North Beach without at least paying your respects would be criminal.