Stockton St, Downtown

You cannot walk down Stockton without finding _something_ that is interesting to see or do! Use this main thruway to find dozens of amazing side streets. If you want to sample Chinese cuisine at its best, stop in the dozens of tiny shops where you can find hot-from-the-stove selections ala-carte.

Stockton Street is a major street because it runs through the heart of downtown (Market Street) and then becomes the main street of the Chinatown District. In the section that runs downtown, you will find many high-end stores like Gucci and Nike. You will also find Union Square, a little miniature courtyard with little cafes that will have art exhibitions and music performances throughout the year. You have to pass the Stocktown tunnel in order to get into Chinatown. You can either drive through it with your car, wait for the bus right outside, or you can walk through. There are walkways on either side of the tunnel for people to walk. It is perfectly safe to do so during the day. Once in Chinatown, you’ll find that Stocktown Street is known for the multitude of grocery stores. It will usually be bustling with the elderly and children.

Stockton St. has it all, from shopping, restaurants, and ethnic diversity, to the department store Mecca of Macy's and more. It goes from Market St. and Union Square, to Chinatown's own shopping and eating district as well. How can you go wrong? Stop and smell the roses, have some dim sum, and explore all things in between. One hidden treasure along the way is a favorite Italian restaurant named Firenze by Night at 1429 Stockton St. in the North Beach area. The Insalata di Spinaci is to die for, not to mention the owner's personal wine selection featuring labels from his favorite Tuscan vineyards. Voted Best food among the top ten Italian restaurants in U.S.

Although Grant and Kearney are main streets in Chinatown, Stockton if really where the Chinese residents do most of their business. There are a lot of produce stands and live markets, and I wouldn’t even try to choose just one. My only recommendation is to go into any bakery and try the almond, sesame and melon cookies. Fabulous! We loved the pretty little silk purses and fortune cookies (handmade) for gifts for family and friends back home.

Stockton Street has so many places that one can visit to explore some of the history of San Francisco. This street starts at Market St. and goes all the way to the Embarcadero near the piers. A few places that are “must sees” are Pier 39 a few blocks from this street, Washington Square Park, Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd, Union Square, and Chinatown. These are all great places to take one’s family to visit and perfect for whipping out the camera. Stockton St has a wide selection of shops and restaurants to choose from. There are also multiple buses that go through this street so transportation is easy. This street is a great place for tourists to see some of the places that makes San Francisco the city it is. It is also a great place to shop for groceries and other products.

Union Square is in the heart of the downtown of San Francisco. Located a block away from Market St., Union Square contains the huge department stores including Macy’s, Niketown, Saks Fifth Avenue, Levi’s, and a Luis Vuitton Store. In the center of Union Square, there is a plaza where many workers hang out to buy a cup of coffee at the café, and tourists take pictures. During the Christmas time, Macy’s puts up a huge 30 ft Christmas tree where many families gather to take pictures. There are a lot of places to shop around in Union Square, and it is adjacent to Powell St. Stores such as Niketown and Macy’s are some of my favorites because I usually look for a pair of basketball shoe, and some nice clothing at Macy’s. The sidewalks are usually crowded with shoppers and tourists alike, and there is no parking. The 38-Geary line will take you to Union Square.

San Francisco’s almost all the main businesses are found on the Stockton street. Shopping is prominent in this area. It also has numerous departmental stores. A major area of Stockton street submerges oneself in Chinese refinement if only for a few minutes or so. Restaurants here serve delicious Chinese cuisine while the market area will give you a variety of Chinese handicrafts worth having.