Day Two

The Wharf • Coit Tower • North Beach

“The Powell, Jackson and Hyde” has been called the world’s most famous ride. Decide for yourself after you take the 12 Hyde Street cable car from Powell and Market over Russian Hill to the end of the line at the city’s north shore.

13 The Buena Vista Cafe (2765 Hyde; 474-5044), BV to locals, is a treat for breakfast and famous for Irish coffee. The original red brick factory buildings of 14 Ghirardelli Square, a turn-of-the-century chocolate factory, were converted to a restaurant and upscale shopping complex in the early 1960s. See some of the original chocolate-manufacturing equipment at the Ghirardelli Ice Cream Parlor (900 North Point; 771-4903). Nearby, 15 The Cannery (2801 Leavenworth; 771-3112) is another business landmark turned shopping haven.

16 The Hyde Street Pier, with historic ships like the 1886 Cape Horn square rigger Balclutha, is a must-see for history buffs and sea lovers. Docked just east, at Pier 45, is the 441-foot WW II 17 Jeremiah O’Brien. This last unaltered Liberty ship is boardable 359 days a year and makes annual cruises in May and October (reservations 544-0100).

Get back on the Hyde Street cable car and get off at Lombard to walk down 18 the crookedest street in the world. Continue down Columbus Avenue to 19 Washington Square, a green block in the heart of North Beach, which retains much of its original Italian quarter character, especially the restaurants and cafes, such as 20 Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe (566 Columbus; 362-0536). Dominating the square are the twin spires of 21 SS. Peter and Paul Church.

To get to 22 Coit Tower (tours: 362-0808), climb steep Telegraph Hill starting at Filbert Street, or take the #39 bus at Washington Square. Designed by Arthur Brown and completed in 1933, the tower and surrounding Pioneer Park offer an unparalleled panorama. Look for the jagged Farallon Islands 25 miles beyond the Golden Gate. Coit Tower’s interior is covered with WPA frescoes of California working life.

Bustling North Beach gets busier nights and weekends. Restaurants and cafes for after-dinner espresso and dessert line Columbus, upper Grant Avenue and the side streets. Stop in at Beat-era San Francisco watering hole 23 Vesuvio Cafe (255 Columbus; 362-3370), and end your day browsing 24 City Lights bookstore (261 Columbus; 362-1901), established in 1953 by Beat poet and publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

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