Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
4. JAPANTOWN
The Japan Center was built as part of an ambitious 1960s plan to revitalize the
Fillmore District. Blocks of aging Victorians were demolished and replaced by the
Geary Expressway and this Japanese-style shopping complex, with a five-tiered,
75-ft (22-m) Peace Pagoda at its heart. Taiko drummers perform here during the
Cherry Blossom Festival
each April. The extensive malls are lined with authentic
Japanese shops and restaurants, plus an eight-screen cinema, and the Kabuki
Springs and Spa. More shops and restaurants are found along the outdoor mall
across Post Street. This neighborhood has been the focus of the Japanese community
since the early 20th century.
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5. HAIGHT-ASHBURY
This anarchic quarter is one of the most scintillating and unconventional in the city,
resting firmly on its laurels as ground zero for the worldwide Flower-Power explo-
sion of the 1960s. Admire the beautiful old Queen Anne-style houses, a few of them
still painted in the psychedelic pigments of that hippie era. There are still some trip-
ping freaks and Neo-Flower Children here, along with far-out shops and the ven-
erable Haight Ashbury Free Clinic. Groove along the street and recreate your own
“Summer of Love.” The Lower Haight is noted for its edgy clubs and bars.
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6. HAYES VALLEY
Rising like a phoenix from the ashes of racial unrest in what used to be a very run-
down African-American slum, this small area has now become one of San Francisco's
hipper shopping and dining districts. The dismantling of an ugly freeway overpass
following the 1989 earthquake helped turn the tide, and the welcome result is a chic
area that hasn't lost its edge. Hayes Valley festivals take place at midsummer, when
the area's streets are thronged with revelers.
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