rewrite this content and keep HTML tags 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.AdvertisementArticle continues below this adHorgan Edet, co-owner of The African Outlet, sits amid the store’s varied goods. Jillian D’Onfro/SFGATEThe 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.A view inside the aisles of the SCRAP warehouse in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood, on Friday, July 28, 2023.Charles Russo/SFGATEAdvertisementArticle continues below this adSCRAP — 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 has a back garden space that’s drenched in light, shown April 12, 2021. Jonah L. via YelpSucculence — Bernal Heights: 402 Cortland Ave.AdvertisementArticle continues below this adWant 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.AdvertisementArticle continues below this adMiguel 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.You’ll find kites of all shapes and sizes at this colorful Chinatown shop.Adam S/Jame H. via YelpYou’ll find kites of all shapes and sizes at this colorful Chinatown shop.Adam S/Jame H. via YelpChinatown 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.AdvertisementArticle continues below this adAn interior view of Red Blossom Tea Company in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Dan Gentile/SFGATERed 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.AdvertisementArticle continues below this adNot 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.Bryr Studio — Dogpatch: 1080 Illinois St.AdvertisementArticle continues below this adBryr 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.San Francisco’s Spy Shop, located near Fisherman’s Wharf, has gadgets and gizmos galore.Jillian D’Onfro/SFGATESan Francisco’s Spy Shop, located near Fisherman’s Wharf, has gadgets and gizmos galore.Jillian D’Onfro/SFGATEInternational 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. AdvertisementArticle continues below this adFlax in San Francisco has just about any kind of art supply you can imagine.Lynn F. via YelpFLAX art + design – Fort Mason: 2 Marina Blvd. at Fort Mason CenterFLAX 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.AdvertisementArticle continues below this adOwner 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 is the oldest smoke shop in San Francisco.Dan Gentile/SFGatePipe 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.AdvertisementArticle continues below this adFTC…
40 of our favorite San Francisco shops
Denial of responsibility! Swift Telecast is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials, please contact us by email – swifttelecast.com. The content will be deleted within 24 hours.