NORTH BEACH

Once, 125,000 Italian-Americans inhabited the one-square-mile neighborhood known as North Beach. They infused it with a ambience reminiscent of the villages they came from, populating it with cafés, small butcher and cheese shops, and a civilized pace.

As other parts of the city became more expensive and fashionable, new ethnic groups flocked to North Beach: working class Irish, Peruvian, Mexican, French, Portuguese, and Chinese.

In the 1950's and 60's, poets, artists, hippies and others found a home in North Beach's open, laid-back atmosphere. Rents were inexpensive, so artists congregated, and the area was the epicenter of the Beat generation on the West coast.

Today, though some Italian vestiges still remain (cafés, restaurants and a handful of Italian-owned shops), the area's boundaries are increasingly blurred as more of Chinatown consumes North Beach. Nightlife here includes jazz, restaurants for all tastes, and lots of bars and clubs. If you value your sanity, you won't attempt parking.

Main attractions include the panoramic views atop of Coit Tower, lazy afternoons in Washington Square, and browsing the shelves of the famed City Lights Bookstore.

Coffee and Italian Fare - Choose from countless sidewalk cafes and restaurants along Columbus and Broadway, all infused with the area's dynamic Italian flare.

Three major bus lines (#15, #30, and #45) and two Cable Car lines will deliver you to North Beach. If you're staying in Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach is a short walk away. Even the walk from Union Square is a comfortable, though longer one.

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