North Beach Information

Also called 'little Italy', North Beach is centrally located between Chinatown, Telegraph Hill, Russian Hill and Fisherman's Wharf. It is home to some of the city's best restaurants and stays busy day and night with its numerous coffee shops and bars. Originally it was the Italian quarter with 60,000 Italians living here in the 1940's. In the 1950's many of the figures of the Beat movement gathered in the area in places such as Vesuvios and City Lights Bookstore owned by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Today it is a favored area for local young professionals. The Church of St Peter and Paul is located next to Washington Square - the location of Marilyn Munroe and Joe DiMaggio's wedding photographs. Two blocks away is St Francis of Assisi Church. Visit daily 11am - 5pm to view historic murals.