Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sights
1
Jack Kerouac Alley
STREET
'The air was soft, the stars so fine, and the promise of every cobbled alley so great…' The
On the Road
author's ode is fittingly inscribed in the pavement of his signature shortcut
between Chinatown and City Lights bookstore. Spiffy with murals yet fragrant as ever, this
alleyway is where Kerouac was tossed after an epic binge at Vesuvio bar.
(btwn Grant & Colum-
bus Aves;
1, 10, 12, 30, 45,
Powell-Hyde, Powell-Mason)
2
Waverly Place
Look up to spot the flag-festooned balconies of Chinatown's historic temples, where ser-
vices have been held since 1852 - even in 1906, while altars were still smoldering after San
Francisco's earthquake and fire. Due to 19th-century race-based restrictions, family associ-
ations and temples were built right on top of barber shops, laundries and restaurants lining
Waverly Pl.
(
STREET
30,
California St, Powell-Mason)
3
Beat Museum
MUSEUM
This is the closest you can get to the complete Beat experience without breaking a law. The
1950-69 ephemera collection ranges from magnificent (the banned edition of Allen Gins-
berg's
Howl
) to tawdry (a 1961 Jack Kerouac liquor store check). Downstairs, watch fas-
cinating Beat-era films; upstairs, pay respects at shrines to Beat writers. Entry to the book-
store and poetry readings are free. Two-hour guided Beat tours offered Friday, Saturday
and Sunday cover the museum, Beat history and literary alleys (adult/student $30/25).
(
1-800-537-6822;
www.kerouac.com
; 540 Broadway; adult/student $8/5;
10am-7pm Tue-Sun;
;
10, 12, 30,
41, 45,
Powell-Hyde, Powell-Mason)
