Room after room of new and used books built in an old two-story house, Green Apple Books is one of my favorite places to get lost for an afternoon. While they have a second store located south of the Golden Gate Park on 9th Ave, their Clement street store is the original home base.
Great local bookstores are an endangered species, and to survive, they need to be the best of the breed, and that is Green Apple. Their staff recos are legendary, with hundreds of review cards all throughout the store to help find what you didn't know you wanted. Because they sell both new and used books, they maintain a critically quirky inventory which delivers what I most need in a bookstore: discovery.
I can go in looking for a cookbook by Marcella Hazan and emerge 3 hours later with a said Italian cookery tome, plus a biography of Cardinal Richelieu, which has been out of print for 20 years, a remaindered copy of a Michael Ondaatje novel I missed, a guide to Julia Morgan homes in the Bay Area, and some note cards which I always need. Match that level of discovery Amazon - I dare you.
Find your way with 156 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
The "Ingleside Terraces Sundial" in San Francisco is the largest sundial in the US. It's more than 100 years old & still tells the time very accurately...
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This San Francisco church has a rich history... today, the "Church of 8 Wheels", created by the Godfather of Skating, is the epicenter of the SF scene...
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You might notice that each brick on this staircase at San Francisco's Coit Tower has a name written on it. Here's the forgotten story behind those names.
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"CA Coastal Trail" in Francisco is a calm, easy and beautiful hike that includes quite a few Bay Area landmarks - and all next to the ocean...
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"Critical Mass" San Francisco is lots of fun and serious for some. Everyone is invited! No one is in charge! Body paint, optional.
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Thanks to "Cinderella Russian Bakery and Cafe" in San Francisco, I can now find some of my favorite comfort food including the piroshki any time I want!
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San Francisco loves City Arts and Lectures! And, I love it too. Now I can go to the Nourse Theater and enjoy inspiring speakers and discussions.
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"Pug Sunday" in San Francisco is on the first Sunday of every month. Four-legged and two-legged creatures alike welcome the new month at Altaza Park.
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The Louise M Davies Symphony Hall is a beautiful space of culture and concerts. There's always something and fresh to enjoy by the SF Symphony here!
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"Tikka Masala" in San Francisco is the kind of restaurant where you can get food when you're drenched and they're already closed. It never disappoints...
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"Swensen's Ice Cream" in San Francisco hasn't changed since 1948. It's the chain's first store and I sill buy bulk ice cream here when I'm in the area...
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"Victoria Pastry Co." has prompted me to travel across San Francisco solely to enjoy one of its famed cannolis. Walking into it is a test of self-control.
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156 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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