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The Haight was the center of a small universe in the late 60s as the Summer of Love supplanted Swinging London’s mid-60s perch atop the heap of youth influence. Victorians seemed the perfect homes for these long-haired hippies clad in flowery clothes seeming of another era. Janis Joplin, The Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead all called The Haight home. Well, it went downhill since then but has started to really revitalize itself. There is still a seedy element to the area but the Victorians are worth too much money to fall into further disrepair so they’re being renovated to no end, and higher end shops have replaced many of the “head” shops of the past. It all has a flower power tinge to it but you get the feeling it’s more for show (and to make money) than for any real yearning for the better vibes of another time. The lower Haight is more authentic and retains some edgy flair. Closer to the park, you find more tourists and those looking for an already passé life, but certainly its worth checking out on your way to or from Golden Gate Park. It’s a nice enough place to do some window shopping, people watch and there are lots of good cheap places to eat. Oh, and don’t forget the Magnolia Pub & Brewery right in the center of it all as well as Toronado in the lower Haight, both great places to soak in local color and enjoy the local brews too. Leave a Comment Directions: The Haight is a bit out of the way so its best to go by MUNI bus #71 though during the day its an interesting walk down Market Street.
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The 60's Age of Aquarius is still going on in parts of the SF Bay Area. Haight-Ashbury certainly can give you reminders of those days of flower children & the peace movement. The same is true in downtown Berkeley on certain streets & in Marin County in Fairfax. You'll see tie-dyed clothes and crystal shops as well as some homeless people. Don't be afraid to stop & look in some of the more interesting shops in the Haight-Ashbury area. There are some good restaurants there, too. The neighborhood is a little neglected these days, but still represents the 60's revolution. Leave a Comment
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No trip to Haight Street would be complete without catching a film at the Red Vic. All through the 80's and 90's the Red Vic packed 'em in for everything from first run movies to the wierdest art films imaginable. Famed for it's comfy couches and homemade munchies, it was originally located in the ground floor of the Red Victorian B&B two blocks down (hence the name). The B&B's owner - Sami Sunchild - yep, that's really her name - decided she wanted to expand and the Red Vic had to go. It opened up shop in a defunkt nightclub called the Full Moon - where it sits today.
The couches are gone - replaced by "couch-style" seating, but the vibe of the place remains. This place is a true Haight Street original and if you're going to see a movie then this is the best place in the city to go to (with the possible exception of the Castro Theater).
Be sure to get the popcorn with butter and brewers' yeast. Yum! Leave a Comment Phone: (415) 668-3994
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Going to Haight Street is a bit like stepping into a time machine. The atmosphere there is much more 1960's than early 21st century. There are actually people, hippies, handing out political flyers on the street who have been doing so for over 40 years. Haight Street is also the home of many, many cool shops and restaurants including anarchist book stores, coffee houses, head shops, and unique clothing boutiques. The characters on the street are also great material for people watching. You will find everyone here from the aforementioned hippes and punk rockers sporting green mohawks, to goth students looking for a handout of loose change.
As you may know, Haight Street was once the home of such 60's rock icons as Janis Joplin and The Greatful Dead. The houses they lived in are still standing and marked out front with plaques for those interested in seeing them.
I was in San Franciso one week after Grateful Dead singer, Jerry Garcia's, death, so Haight was loaded with mourning Deadheads paying their final respects with one last roadtrip. Leave a Comment
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Flower Power of the 60's and all of the isms (Communism, Feminism, Authorianism, etc). Before the Present clean, Hip and Techno Savvy New Age Movement, there was the hippie culture (drugs, orgy, sex) and nothing is more Representative of the Hippie Movement than Haight/Ashbury District. Neo-punks, club kids, fashionites, tourists and neighborhood folks are equally at home here, whether they have come to get a new piercing, grab a burrito, find the latest drum 'n' bass 12-inch or just people-watch from a café. But save for a few hippie relics, the Haight today is a whole new scene. Exclusive boutiques, high-end vintage-clothing shops, second-hand stores, Internet cafés and hip restaurants have all settled in, making the Haight one of San Francisco's commercial centers
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I love the old houses south of the Panhandle in the Haight and Cole Valley.
Walk the side streets like Page and Cole to enjoy some of imho the most beautiful houses ever built anywhere. Leave a Comment Directions: This pic was taken north of Haight Street and south of the Panhandle between Stanyan and Masonic. Haight and south into Cole Valley down to Tank Hill along Ashbury is also great, but they're all over SF - some good ones in the Castro also.
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I assume you have done all the touristy stuff (saw the sealions at Pier 39, bought the SF fleece because it was too cold, bought pricey tickets to Alkatraz etc...)
Now you have to see the city for real. If you have a motorcycle that's the best. Other wise just hop on your car follow directions...
Start your tour at with Haight Ashbury. This is where the hippie movement started in the 60's. Check out the shops and cafes. Walk all the way to Amoeba, one of the biggest music stores in SF. At the end of Haight You will come to Golden Gate entrance. Leave a Comment
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Haight Ashbury used to be the hippy heighborhood. There are beautiful victorian houses all around. It's full of really trendy and expensive stores (clothes and shoes). There are also some used clothes stores. The people all around are very diverse, like nearly everywhere in SF. Leave a Comment
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What once supposedly was a theater (not the Straight theater - no one remembers which one) on Haight Street is now a strange clothing store called Wasteland.
No one working inside could tell me what it used to be. Does anyone know? Address is 1660 Haight St. between Clayton and Cole.
The Straight Theater was at 1748 Haight so I don't remember what this was - maybe it is "new" and wasn't anything at all....??
I like the architecture though, especially the detail. Leave a Comment Directions: Between Clayton and Cole on the North side of Haight St.
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This little tiny dinky theater is smack dab in the Haight. This place plays movies like:
Delicatessen, Willy Wonka, Poltergeist & Run Lola Run. Ok, not only is that cool but there are little couches to sit on, and they serve coffee in mugs and popcorn in bowls. The staff is very rugged and committed to a very unique movie going experience. I must say, that I have had no problems bringing in beers.
My favorite moment at the Red Vic: every Christmas day (if I’m in town) I roll and nice fat joint and head out to the Red Vic for a matinee of Harold and Maude. Some how this always this puts everything right for me.
Two big thumbs up for the Red Vic! Leave a Comment Phone: 415-668-3994Directions: The Red Vic Movie House is located on Haight Street,between Cole and Shraeder, just a block and a half east from Golden Gate Park.Website: http://www.redvicmoviehouse.com
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