Great San Francisco Bookstores

There's Something Here for Everyone

San Francisco is a town with a rich literary history. It’s a magnet for poets, writers, readers, and other assorted intellectuals and mavericks.  And it’s got the bookstores to match.

There’s something for all bookstore  aficionados here - large chain stores and small independents; stores that are bright and modern, and stores that are dim and funky; stores that try to carry everything and stores that reflect their owners’ narrow, albeit passionate interests.

1.  City Lights - 261 Columbus Avenue at Broadway, SF 94133. (415)362-8193.  Open daily 10 am to midnight.

City Lights may be the most famous bookstore in San Francisco.  Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the beat poet and the publisher and champion of Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl,” co-founded the store in 1953.  It’s still going strong in its original location.

The store has exceptional selections of poetry, beat and contemporary literature, and books on progressive politics.  It carries books from all types of publishers, ranging from large mainstream houses to tiny independents. The store also hosts frequent readings and other special events.

2.  Cody’s Books - 2 Stockton at Market Street, SF 94108. (415) 773-0444. Opens daily at 10 am, and closes at 9 pm Sunday through Wednesday, and at 10 pm Thursday through Saturday.

Cody’s has been a fixture on Berkeley’s Telegraph Avenue for ages.  In September, 2005, they opened up a new store in San Francisco, near Union Square - and it’s a wonderful addition to the city.

It’s a beautiful, welcoming space.  You enter a small room at ground level and then descend an escalator to the main room, which has striking red pillars, elegant wooden bookcases, an open ceiling, and walls at unexpected angles.

Like the Berkeley Cody’s, the San Francisco store has a huge, intelligently-picked selection of books.  They also have in-store readings, although at the time of this writing, soon after the store opened, not yet as frequently as in the Telegraph Avenue store.