Interesting neighborhood, good restaurants, some great bars. Explore on foot though, parking doesn't exist.

Once next door to Greenwich Village, North Beach is also nothing but an archeological site these days.

Washington Square Park is my favorite part of North Beach. You get the smells from all the Italian restaurants, you can hear a violin playing from somewhere, kids are running around, there's a volleyball game going, couples walking around slowly holding hands. The park's surrounded by trees but you get a couple nice views of the hills. It's really a very relaxing and charming place.

Gone downhill a bit since the family restaraunts have been replaced by trend sites, but still a fun visit.

A few good restaurants on the periphery, but too many sex shops and shows.

This area is great on a Friday or Saturday night...lots of people out wandering the streets, instead of just driving to one bar, makes for a fun atmosphere. With all the restaurants and cafes, it's not bad during the day either.

i liked getting drunk in vesuvio's.

I absolutely love this area. Restaurants galore, and just a fun area to hang out in.

North Beach is a fun neighborhood in San Francisco. Definately explore North Beach on foot. The traffic is terrible. The very best thing about North Beach is Steve Silver's "Beach Blanket Babylon". This is a must see musical review that has been running for 27 years straight at the Club Fuzaggi on Greene Street between Powell and Stockton. Call well in advance for tickets. It sells out quickly. A must see show for visitors to San Francisco.

Great food!

Growing up in the Bay Area and now having lived in San Francisco for about a year and a half, I know that there is no where else in the city I would rather live. I love North Beach. I'll start first by saying that the choices are enless. Restaurants, you want restaurants, well North Beach has a plethora. It has everything from a great little pizza stand (Golden Boy) to a middle of the road (price wise) The Stinking Rose (which is known for its garlic icecream, I've tried it and while it is worth a try, I wouldn't get it again) to the upscale Enrico's, BlackCat, or DalleTorre's (sp?). It has coffee shops with so much character and personality, you can almost see Jack Keuroac's ghost writing in the corner of shops like Cafe Triste and Prague. Then there are the bars. There is after work scenes and happy hours at places like Tosca, Columbus Cafe, and O'Reily's (just to name a couple) and then more crazy places like the Tiki Lounge, Hi Ball, and The Hotel Bastel. My personal favorite is this bar called Kennedy's which is a huge space with tons of beers (literally any beer you can think of, they have and half of them are on tap). They serve great Thai food which is so random but makes it fun, and they have not only pool tables but air hockey, a motorcycle game, golf, darts, a great juxbox and sometimes bands play on the back deck. $2 Guiness isn't bad either. If you want to site see and sit in the park, there is an amazing view of Coit Tower which you can see the whole city, both bridges, and Angel Island. There is Washington Square where you can sit and read, eat lunch, take your dog, play frisbee, people watch, and catch ocassional festival. Then there are the hidden treasures like the Scat Man. He is the crazy old jazz man who owns this little music store on a side street, or the Gelatto boy who sleeps behind the counter until the bell rings as the door opens. If you are ever in North Beach in the mornings, stop by Mama's Cafe where there is always at least an hour wait outside the restaurant (even if it is pouring rain out) but when you eat, you'll understand why. These are just a few of the reasons why I love North Beach. It is a great place to spend a day if you visit SF.