How to spend a day in Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco’s historic home of counterculture

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free journey electronic mail for professional recommendation and money-saving reductions

Get Simon Calder’s Travel electronic mail

Our microguides collection is impressed by the gradual journey motion, encouraging travellers to loosen up their tempo and take a deep dive into one specific neighbourhood in a well-loved metropolis. Rather than a whirlwind itinerary which goals to hit up each must-see attraction, these compact, close-up guides encourage you to zone in, take your time and actually discover like a native.

Few intersections in the US maintain as a lot cultural gravitas as San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury. Made well-known throughout the 1967 Summer of Love, these two then-unassuming road corners blossomed underneath the hippie-led “flower power” period as an estimated 100,000 youths spanning the US arrived in this suburb to unfold social values and indulge their hedonism.

Haight-Ashbury would quickly sprawl outwards as a psychedelic playground, with musicians together with the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin citing the realm’s free-thinking nature and reasonably priced hire, amongst different illicit causes, as components that made it so enticing.

Today, Haight-Ashbury stays a vibrant space and assembly level of the eclectic, and is home to colour-popping Victorian homes, quirky classic outlets and the world’s largest impartial report retailer. If you end up in San Francisco and wish a style of counterculture historical past, and far more moreover, right here’s what not to miss in the neighbourhood.

What to do

Go classic garments procuring

Is this one of the best place in San Francisco to bag a pre-loved garment? More than a dozen classic shops and thrift outlets are packed into a half-mile radius on Haight Street, between Central Avenue and Strayan Street, promoting the whole lot from Levi’s denims to vintage jewelry. Try Relic Vintage for uncommon finds or go thrifting at Held Over.

Read extra on US journey:

Visit the houses of well-known rockers

Haight-Ashbury wouldn’t exist in its present guise if it weren’t for that inadvertent highlight positioned on the neighbourhood by its hippie rockers. Music followers flock from all around the world to spend time in the realm the place the well-known 1967 Summer of Love all started. You can’t go in, however you possibly can see the house the place nomadic guitar genius Jimi Hendrix lived for a quick time, plus the historic Grateful Dead House the place the band lived and jammed collectively; each praised the low hire of the realm on the time for permitting the magic to occur.

Explore Golden Gate Park

It may not run by means of Haight-Ashbury, however the town’s largest park has its boundaries on the sting of the district. This 1,017-acre inexperienced area stakes its declare because the third most visited park in the US. Summer live shows are sometimes held on Robin Williams Meadow, a memorial patch for the late actor who lived in San Francisco, whereas the suitably named Hippie Hill sees 1000’s descend upon it on 20 April (or 4/20) to rejoice California’s authorized proper to use hashish. There’s additionally a skate park, multi-use path and botanical backyard, plus the Kezar Stadium, the previous home of the San Francisco 49ers American soccer workforce.

Where to eat

Cha Cha Cha

With such a combine of cultures it’s no shock that this neighbourhood’s meals providing has the eclecticism to match. Cha Cha Cha is a Caribbean tapas-style restaurant which comes extremely really helpful by these fortunate sufficient to reside close to it; simply ask any native the place to eat and so they’ll inform you right here. Its Cajun garlic shrimp is off the size, however you’ll need to spherical up your buddies and check out the paella.

Parada 22

Sticking with the Caribbean vibe, Parada 22 serves up genuine Puerto Rican dishes in a warming atmosphere well-known for its nice worth. Everything on the menu – together with their famend fried plantain and sautéed shrimp dish, mofongo – is $21 (£16.50) or underneath, whereas sangria flows aplenty at comfortable hour.

Slice House Pizza

Pizza by the slice may be the best post-bar snack, and Haight-Ashbury has many bars. Slice House is headed up by Tony Gemignani, one of one of the best pizza cooks round: he’s been topped World Pizza Champion a stonking 13 occasions. You can’t go mistaken with an NYC slice after a few craft beers, and their Detroit pepperoni is one thing else.

Where to drink

The Alembic

San Francisco’s cocktail scene has a lot to thank The Alembic for; this rustic spot leads the way in which in Haight and past with its forward-thinking method. Twists on cocktail staples embody a brown-butter Old Fashioned, and a black Manhattan with salted cacao. Arrive early and cosy up in a leather-based sales space.

Magnolia Brewing

In 1997, the unique Magnolia location discovered its home on the previous web site of the Drugstore Cafe, one of the unique Sixties hippie hangouts in Haight. Some 3,000 beer batches, spanning IPAs to stouts, have been produced in its basement and poured upstairs since then, with many named after the town and Haight-Ashbury’s notable residents. Try a pint of Misty Bay, a tropical hazy IPA, or a Janis Joplin, a citrusy double IPA.

Trax

Trax is a welcoming dive bar typically frequented by the native LGBT+ group. While it may not seem like a lot from the surface, there’s one thing actually nice hiding inside: San Francisco’s most cost-effective comfortable hour. Domestic beer is $3 between midday and 7pm from Monday to Friday, however is $2 all day and night time on Tuesdays, and any bar open since 1940 have to be doing one thing proper (there’s a pool desk, too).

Where to store

Love on Haight

Nothing screams Summer of Love like Love on Haight. This vibrant emporium of peace and love shares the world’s largest assortment of tie-dye and will actually be seen to be believed. T-shirts, attire and even underwear – it has all of it. There’s additionally a Grateful Dead merch part, in a light nod to their 2000 album Ladies and Gentlemen… the Grateful Dead which options the store proprietor’s tie-dye art work on the quilt.

Amoeba Music

You’ll discover one other “world’s largest” at Amoeba: this time it’s an impartial report retailer. One of three shops throughout California, the eclectic Amoeba not solely shares a ridiculous quantity of bodily music, its free live shows and occasions additionally make it a in style hangout for rockers. Amoeba is housed inside a former bowling alley and displays Haight-Ashbury’s progressive, free-thinking spirit: rainforest conservation, recycling efforts and native charity causes are all supported by means of purchases.

The Booksmith

The Booksmith is one of San Francisco’s best-loved small indie bookshops. This cosy literature spot shares a good assortment of new and basic books, with a specific give attention to subgenres associated to the storied previous of its neighbourhood. Keep an eye fixed on their occasions as many names related to the Nineteen Sixties, equivalent to Neil Young, Patti Smith and the Grateful Dead, have all made appearances.

Where to keep

Stanyan Park Hotel

For all its cultural significance, Haight-Ashbury does lack depth in lodging. Its solely actual resort choice is Stanyan Park, a boutique Victorian resort with 36 elegant rooms and a full breakfast buffet with every keep. Having lived a earlier life as a saloon and small lodge from 1883, it stays the oldest resort on the borders of Golden Gate Park and is one of San Francisco’s most historic.

The Line

Consider The Line, on the nook of Turk and Market, for one thing extra trendy. This imposing flatiron constructing celebrates native artwork from its foyer up to the rooms, whereas there are daring cocktails on supply in its rooftop bar and Asian-Northern Californian dishes at its lauded Tenderheart restaurant. Its 236 rooms function king-sized beds, Downtown San Fran views and high-end Grind espresso machines, whereas suites additionally embody roll-top baths and plush sofas. It’s simply a 15-minute Muni bus trip to Haight-Ashbury (catch quantity 6 or 7 at Market Street and sixth Street from outdoors the resort).

Getting there

Virgin Atlantic operates every day flights from London Heathrow to San Francisco International Airport.

Read extra on one of the best USA motels