Adobe Books & Backroom Gallery
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Wall-to-wall inspiration – just-released fiction, limited-edition art books, rare cookbooks, well-thumbed poetry – plus zine-launch parties, comedy nights…
Must-see shopping in Western USA
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The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Star chocolatier Michael Recchiuti sells confections at the Ferry Building but invents them in Dogpatch – taste his latest concoctions here first. Go for…
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Denver
There are plenty of places to curl up with a book in Denver’s beloved independent bookstore. Bursting with new and used books, it has a good stock of…
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San Francisco
What's that alluring frosted-glass emporium – the lovechild of an Apple Store and Victorian lingerie boutique? Just as you suspected: it's America's best…
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Bound Together Anarchist Book Collective
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Since 1976 this volunteer-run, nonprofit anarchist bookstore has kept free thinkers supplied with organic-permaculture manuals, prison literature, and…
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The Haight & Hayes Valley
Enticements are hardly necessary to lure the masses to the West Coast's most eclectic collection of new and used music and video, but Amoeba offers…
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Las Vegas
File this under only-in-Vegas: this self-described 'cannabis superstore and entertainment complex' is an emporium the size of several city blocks devoted…
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The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
When local collectors and retailers have too much of a good thing, they donate it to nonprofit Community Thrift, where proceeds go to 200-plus local…
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San Francisco
The Swiss Army knife of hip SF emporiums, Park Life is design store, indie publisher and art gallery rolled into one. Browse among presents too clever to…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
This scrappy zine shop/how-to source/art gallery/publisher delivers inspiration to create your own artworks, zines and repurposed fashion statements. Nab…
San Francisco
The geodesic-dome tugboat marks the spot where ocean meets art in this surf gallery. Legendary shapers (surfboard makers) create limited-edition boards…
San Francisco
Psst…keep this SF style secret under your hat: there is no Paul. Started in 1918 by a Peruvian hatmaker named Napoleon, Paul's has been maintained by…
Seattle
Seattle's most beloved bookstore offers more than 150,000 titles in a large, airy, wood-beamed space with cozy nooks that can inspire hours of…
Portland
Powell's is one of the USA's largest independent bookstores, with a whole city block of new and used titles, and a well-attended series of readings.
Santa Fe
Local produce, much of it heirloom and organic, is on sale at this spacious indoor-outdoor market, alongside homemade goodies, inexpensive food, natural…
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San Francisco
'Wait, I'm supposed to put that where?' The understanding salespeople in this worker-owned cooperative are used to giving rather explicit instructions, so…
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Denver
The flagship store of this outdoor-equipment super-supplier is an essential stop if you are heading to the mountains or just cruising through Confluence…
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The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Diamond counters can't compare to the foodie dazzle of Bi-Rite's sublime wall of local artisan chocolates, treasure boxes of organic fruit and California…
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Seattle
This newer addition to Georgetown's small vintage row manages to find a perfect balance of pleasingly cluttered yet artfully refined. There are shelves…
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Denver
So you dig crochet and quilting? You knit a mean sweater and have a few too many tattoos? Welcome to Fancy Tiger Crafts, a sophisticated remodel of granny…
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The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Heads will roll, fists will fly and furious vengeance will be wreaked inside this mild-mannered shop stocking big-name and indie comics. Staff picks range…
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San Francisco
SF-born chocolatier Mindy Fong hits the sweet spot between East and West with only-in-SF treats like passion-fruit caramels, Thai-curry hot chocolate and…
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The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Plastic bags are banned in San Francisco, which is a perfect excuse to stock up on SF designer Baggu's reusable Ripstop nylon totes in bright colors and…
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San Francisco
Salivate over signed cookbooks by chef-legend Alice Waters and signed first editions of Berkeley chef Samin Nosrat's Salt Fat Acid Heat, and stay for…
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The Haight & Hayes Valley
Looking smart comes easily with effortless wardrobe essentials that casually blend style, comfort, and sustainability. Wear your heart on your sleeve with…
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San Francisco
'More style, less waste' is the credo here, and this dream walk-in-closet of vintage and indie fashion delivers – recent scores include handwoven…
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San Francisco
Dashingly handsome decor from indie design boutique Stag & Manor lets you take the Castro home. Macrame wall hangings give your pad California creds,…
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The Haight & Hayes Valley
Like ransacking a poet's attic, this SF maker collective yields evocative, imaginative handmade finds. You might discover hand-patched indigo scarves,…
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The Haight & Hayes Valley
'Modern Appealing Clothing' is what this store promises – and it delivers for men and women alike, with streamlined chic from Engineered Garments, graphic…
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The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
If you want to bottle San Francisco and take it home with you, you've come to the right place. Tigerlily stocks an intoxicating variety of local perfumers…
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Oakland
The Zenter has been called the Bay Area's 'other Asian art museum,' and while that designation is tongue in cheek, it's not entirely inaccurate either…
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North Beach & Chinatown
Find your fortune at this bakery, where cookies are stamped from vintage presses – just as they were in 1909, when fortune cookies were invented for SF's…
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Seattle
Pearl Jam once played at Easy Street, arguably Seattle's most multifarious record store, and the business continues to sponsor regular events. Inside,…
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The Haight & Hayes Valley
Overbooked kids and overworked adults deserve a time-out for Tantrum, delightfully stocked with musical otters, wooden ducks on wheels, and a mechanical…
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The Haight & Hayes Valley
Sly San Francisco wit is the rare device that makes this well-curated selection of gifts for all ages so irresistible. Block kits help kids build their…
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San Francisco Rock Posters & Collectibles
North Beach & Chinatown
Are you ready to rock?! Enter this trippy temple to classic rock gods – but leave your lighters at home because these concert posters are valuable. Expect…
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The Haight & Hayes Valley
Toilet seats signed by famous cartoonists over the front counter show just how seriously Isotope takes comics. Newbies tentatively flip through superhero…
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San Francisco
None of the hardware maestros at Cliff's will raise an eyebrow if you express a dire need for a jar of rubber nuns, some silver body paint, and a case of…
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The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Sui generis is Latin for 'one of a kind' – which is what you'll find at this high-end designer consignment shop that features recent seasons' looks, one…
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Santa Fe
If you don't have the opportunity to visit the Zuni Pueblo, you'll at least want to visit this exquisite gallery. Specializing in Zuni fetishes (tiny…
