shopping in san francisco
Aria, Photo By Justin Bernhaut, April 2008
- san francisco shops
- Deeming this West Coast city an ideal urban weekend destination, Rita Konig revels in its contrasting neighborhoods, excellent local food, abundant shopping and cool graphics.
- Aria
- 1522 Grant Avenue
North Beach
(415) 433-0219 A den of treasures: jars of tiny dice, spools of vintage French ribbon ($20 each), biological teaching charts. Proprietor Bill Haskell is an engaging storyteller who's prone to lament, "Remember when you could stow away on flights?" Um, sadly no! (Antiques shops in this city keep odd hours, so call ahead.)
- Atys
- 2149-B Union Street
Marina District
(415) 441-9220 These aesthetes culled Europe's design hot spots—Scandinavia, Italy, Germany and France—to bring you a store full of contemporary accessories and furniture. This is an ideal place to find sleek gifts for that architect or industrial designer in your life.
- Bae
- 3101 Sacramento Street
Pacific Heights
(415) 928-1287 We bought a ton of accessories: a teeny wooden easel (so pretty on a table holding a picture) and glass pots and trays for corralling the sundries that can turn a bathroom into a terrible mess. A pedestal occasional table with a shagreen top (for $250) was tempting.
- Bellocchio
- 10 Brady Street
SOMA
(415) 864-4048 Located in the SOMA (South of Market) neighborhood, this is like a fairy tale: faux-bois walls, a thatched awning populated by birds (not alive!). In addition to onionskin paper, cones of candy-cane-striped string and a wall of ribbons, you can have the most ravishing bows custom-made—total pre-Revolutionary France, Sofia Coppola–style.
- Biondivino
- 1415 Green Street
Russian Hill
(415) 673-2320 We lose our bearings in wine shops, but super-friendly Ceri Smith—a California native who sells all European bottles—thoroughly enjoys introducing people to different grapes.
- Birch
- 3263 Sacramento Street
Pacific Heights
(415) 922-4724 We so wish this was in NYC. Why don't more florists have the confidence to tie a bunch of beautiful narcissi in black tissue with a black satin ribbon? The flowers smelled unbelievable—we wanted to strap them to our noses.
- Conor Fennessy Antiques & Design
- 801 Columbus Avenue
North Beach
(417) 673-0277 An antiques emporium channeling a Victorian artist's study. An Austrian settee from the 1930s intrigued us, as did a '50s desk lamp. Fennessy, who also sells furniture of his own design, is gray-haired, wears thick black-rimmed and has classic Irish wit.
- March
- 3075 Sacramento Street
Pacific Heights
(415) 931-7433 Sam Hamilton, the owner, drips with good taste. Her antiques store is extremely articulate—nothing superfluous. There is a limited but perfect array of 20th-century silver and furniture from Europe. We are having her reproduce French club chairs from an original pair she had on display.
- Dandelion
- 55 Potrero Avenue
SOMA
(415) 436-9500 Dandelion focuses on contemporary items for the home, and boy, oh boy, do they have quite a spread. From cherry-bark chests to incredible iron teapots, there is little you won't find here.
- MDVII
- 1507½ Vallejo Street
Russian Hill
(415) 931-4213 The smallest and fullest store in San Fran. The owner is tremendously laid-back about everything being manhandled—and digging is what you do, for Venetian glass, European porcelain and vintage paste jewelry (people used to have their real jewels copied in paste for traveling, in case they were held up by highwaymen!).
- Monument
- 572 Valencia Street
The Mission
(415) 861-9800 Mostly mid-century (tons of those low, wood-veneer credenzas), with a big Scandinavian influence. We opted for a silver-plated ice pail for $95—such flair on a drinks trolley!—and longed to find a spot for a $750 Frankl mirror.
- Smoke Signals
- 2223 Polk Street
Russian Hill
(415) 292-6025 Possibly the most comprehensive newsagent, with the top international magazines: Pop, Marie Claire Maison, Maisons Coté Ouest, Vogue Living Australia, French Elle. We took our spoils a block away to Boulange de Polk for a good read over granola and yogurt.
- Stem
- 3690 18th Street
The Mission
(415) 861-7836 This combination flower, paper, children's clothing and home boutique had the most appealing glasses with platinum rims made by a local glassblower ($20 each) and quirky packets of collage materials: foreign stamps, cutouts of birds, buttons and other irresistibles.
- Sue Fisher King
- 3067 Sacramento Street
Pacific Heights
(415) 922-7276 The most exciting thing we discovered were the Limoges vegetables. They're made by Didier Gardillou, an artist in St. Astier, France, who crafts cabbages, radishes, radicchio, etc., of such delicacy. The rest of the merchandise is traditional, handsome home stuff.
- Swallowtail
- 2217 Polk Street
Russian Hill
(415) 567-1555 Ample skylights illuminate all the art hung salon-style as well as the furniture. We were drawn to a tripod floor lamp and an Indian mother-of-pearl inlaid dresser.
- The Curiosity Shoppe
- 855 Valencia Street
The Mission
(415) 671-5384 The focus is on handmade items, such as porcelain peanuts (in the shell) and miniature white porcelain keys, laid out on a red velvet box. Peruse the impressive stash of books, from a huge Charley Harper collection of illustrations to works by independent publishers, like J&L Books.
- The Gardener
- One Ferry Building
(415) 981-8181 Lovely Heath ceramics, amazing terra-cotta pots, Ohkubo Shears—we could go on and on, but we'll spare you a listing of the inventory. All you need to know is that The Gardener brings together an unparalleled selection of aesthetically pleasing goods for the garden and home.
- Tradesmen
- 311 Valencia Street
The Mission
(415) 552-8121 This venue is rarely open, so make an appointment. There are lovely things, like a vintage photograph of a cactus. Next door, owner Marc Josef keeps a stash for his decorator clients— make sure you get in. You could find a pair of Fornasetti pug figurines (a fortune!) or a sofa he received from a client.
- X21 Sultana
- 890 Valencia Street
The Mission
(415) 647-4211 This place is completely mad! The inventory derives almost entirely from liquidation and house sales, and much is overscale and eccentric: a 14' brass palm tree, a gigantic papier-mâché man's head. Sultana has an outpost on 1stdibs.com, which reflects its more conventional modern side.
