Grant Ave, Telegraph Hill

I love Grant Ave. on Telegraph Hill! (Even if I have always thought of this as North Beach.) If you want to feel the pulse of the city and be around a bunch of young up and comers, come here on a Saturday night in the summer. It is just packed with people--from twenty-somethings just out of college to tourists looking for the more adult pleasures the city has to offer.

It starts for me with The Saloon, one of the oldest bars in all of SF. (Dates to the Civil War.) This is just a super cool bar with live music and lots of old burnouts. Tope Cocktail Bar is also a good alternative if you are looking for more of a mixed drink sort of a vibe, as is Tupelo and Maggie McGarry’s. There is no shortage of places to get sloshed here. (I told you I loved it!)

There are also a ton of restaurants like the Greek joint right by Columbus, Estia; Ristorante Ideale (an Italian joint obviously) and Mo’s Burgers (if you want to keep it nice and simple) are also good choices as is North Beach Pizza as well. (Overrated imo, but you can decide for yourself.)

Of course, you can’t mention Grant Ave without giving a shout out to Caffe Trieste, one of SF’s most famous coffee houses. (You may have seen it in movies like 40 Days And 40 Nights.) The Steps of Rome (another famous North Beach eatery) is also right there on the corner with Columbus.

And it is not just the eats here, you also get great shopping delights like Ruby’s clothing store, Alla Prima Lingerie (for your special BF occasions gals) and Lola’s of North Beach.

There are also a lot less interesting places that are still vital if you happen to live on the second or third floors above these places along Grant. (Had friends who did that--it’s a blast if you can afford it!) There is a cleaners, a grocery store, a pilates place, a barber shop, nail salon and a mechanic’s shop.

North of Filbert (where Coit Tower and Pioneer park loom), Grant becomes purely residential with three story Victorian walk-ups with great old bay windows that look down on the street. Parking sucks but if you don’t have a car or store it in a garage you won’t miss your wheels--despite the hills, this is one of the most walkable places on Earth.

A block up from Filbert you hit the top of Grant and from there you get nice views of the bay as Grant drops down to the Wharf. Most days you get a cool ocean breeze and even the occasional scents of bakeries and restaurants. Despite the summer crowds it is the kind of place that you can’t help but be in love in.