A great selection of used and new books! I especially loved the various displays, including one…read morecalled "50 years of Green Apple" which had one book from each year they were open. I highly recommend!

Green Apple is our favorite local bookstore and one of our favorite bookstores in the world! They…read morehave a fantastic selection of new and used books, and a knowledgeable staff. We love Green Apple so much!

While visiting the city of San Francisco came across Dog Eared Books and decided to stop in to see…read morewhat they had to offer. The bookstore was small and pretty busy with customers reading and selecting books to purchase. I walked around the bookstore to see what would catch my eye and they had so many good books to choose from. Walked over to their clearance section and found two books that peaked my interest. Ended up purchasing, the portrait of Dorian Grey and animal farm. They we're both a steel at a discounted price. These two books were on my list of books that I've been wanting to read, and now they have been added to my personal library. The employees here are welcoming and friendly. They are also very busy, keeping the store while organized and appealing to the eye.

The coolest bookstore I've ever been to!…read more My friend and I were on a mission for books to add to our "to-read" lists, and found this really cool store via google. It's nice to see small business bookstores doing so well, because it was really busy here! I wish we had more businesses like this where we're from. Small inside, but room to navigate around. I loved the Staff Picks and science fiction sections the best. There's also a decent fiction selection as well. At check-out, we ended up getting 4 books each! So there are some really great finds here. We'll definitely come back! This was such a fun shopping experience.

One of the neatest bookstores in the US. The Poetry room upstairs is wonderful. So much fun…read morehistory here to learn about. And this bookstores has some amazing staff book recommendations with little tags on the bookshelf telling you why they loved that book so much; found some great new finds that way. Dont forget to get your books stamped with their bookstores stamp on the way out!

An amazing bookstore and so glad I asked chatGPT to give me some ideas for a stroll around SF near…read moreUnion Square. Well, ok, this place isnt close to Union Sq, about a mile away, but it was a perfect delicious end destination for a post dinner stroll! I like bookstores and I like eclectic, unique ones. I'll go to Barnes & Noble if I had no other choice, but my favorite bookstores are independent ones and ones where they carry very unique books you can't find elsewhere. This bookstore made my inner little nerdy self so happy. I immediately got lost up front looking at very recent publication by Ai Weiwei. I then wandered onto the main floor and found an entire section of Asian works, which you will not find at B&N. I also found books from Norwegian writers too which I had never seen before, which thrilled me. I then made my way up to their attic floor which is dedicated to poetry and seems I just missed Allen Ginsberg's Howl centennial celebration. Ugh! I then came back down and then proceeded to their basement section and again I was quite pleasantly surprised by the depth and breadth of Asian themed books they had. They had plenty of the Chinese classics in English and found so many different versions of Journey to the West, I was completely overwhelmed. And then, saw an entire section on Africa and I had to fight hard to not pick up a copy of a book titled Prison Letters, which is a collection of Mandela's letters while imprisoned. I ultimately settled on two books by Ai Weiwei as he has continued to inspire me to be proud, to not conform, to be brave, to speak up, to be authentically and unapologetically me, to honor my ancestry and to push boundaries and to fight for what matters. And it just so happens too that my Chinese give name is also Weiwei. I loved coming to this bookstore and it will definitely be on rotation for me when I am in SF again.

Unfortunately, the annual book sale is no longer happening; however, there are monthly sales, check…read morethe web site, and weekly sales at the main library, weather permitting.

Blissful people kept waltzing by with brown paper shopping sacks. So many that I grew curious:…read morewhat were they all buying? I've attended many wonderful events at Fort Mason's Festival Pavillion and now another. They were all buying books - imagine, in 2018 - courtesy of the Annual Big Book Sale which benefits San Francisco's Public Libraries. This book sale is gigantic. When you enter (free of charge) you're given a map and you'll need it. The space is huge and filled. Literally, there are too many books here for me to get my head into. I went first to the "art" books and got a bit lost in the sheer volume. Then I made my way to "cookbooks" and almost ran back to "art". There's a lot to digest here. Mercifully, "graphic novels" had a smaller footprint as did "games". I made my way over to "comics" then to "LPs" and then to the checkout where I purchased 2 books as gifts for my son. It's easy to spend a lot here (hardcovers $4, paperbacks $3) but the cause is good so spend away. Thoughtfully, there's shopping carts at the entrance so if you want to walk around with 100 "maybes" before whittling down your actual purchase this helps. Well organized (as one would expect from librarians), this massive book sale is for those who still enjoy the act of turning paper pages. Amazingly, this tribe still exists and they're my people.

One of the best book stores in SF! If you're looking for anything fantasy/sci fi/ horror related,…read morethis is the place to go. Amazing selection and even better recommendations (I can't remember the number of times my finance and I have stopped in and chatted with the staff about new releases and recommendations). They also occasionally have events (like the Onyx Storm release party this week)!

Amazing. Just amazing. This is their new location, relocated (a few years ago?) from their old spot…read moreon Valencia. It's immaculately neat, well-lit, super well-organized, and their selection cannot be beat. I don't consider myself a fantasy/sci-fi/mystery/horror buff, but even I found things I knew I'd love to read here. There truly is something for everyone! I found a Georgette Heyer paperback here; she's famously difficult to find in used and new bookstores. The owners and employees are so friendly, and they emphasized that they will order books for you if you can't find it on their shelves. Just ask! I'll be back for all of my mystery needs :)

Excellent selection of cookbooks and books about cooking, including rare and historic ones;…read moreSuperb service

You know you're in trouble when the first thing that comes to mind, walking in the bookstore, is…read more"I'm going to need a bigger bookcase!" This place is from heaven if you're a foodie, or want to gift a foodie. Super amazing selection - thank goodness they've got several tabletops of selections because I would have been overwhelmed otherwise. Picked up some great ones - the staff was super nice and helpful. It's probably just as well I don't live in the area or I'd really be in trouble. Will be back!

A few highlights from this neighborhood gem:…read more * A curated selection of books: art, design, architecture, history, and other beautifully odd finds you won't see at big chains. * Custom wood furniture: handmade bookcases, tables, and chairs that feel built for readers. * Old-school library ladders: the kind that make you want to slide across the shelves like in a movie. * Journals, pencils, and pens - quality stationery

Excellent quality custom bookshelves for reasonable prices. They have lots of options for stains…read moreand can accommodate different dimensions. My bookshelf looks exactly as ordered and was completed on time with delivery and install included.

I am a sucker for visiting independently owned-and-operated thrift stores as they sometimes have…read moremore of a vast selection of merchandise to choose from than your average Goodwill. This takes me to "Community Thrift Store" that is located in the heart of the Mission District - San Francisco. Located directly on Valencia St. and adjacent to 17th St, this very popular thrift store has been serving its customers dating as far back as the mid-1980's. I came here on a whim as I just finished buying some baked goods at nearby Tartine Bakery (a must-try if you're in the area). Parking can be hit or miss but I would advise coming here by public transit (Bart/Muni), rideshare, or simply by bike or foot. The exterior part of the building is a distinctive hot pink color that gives it a strikingly bright charm. Once inside, you will notice just how much space is occupied as every square inch is utilized to its full potential. Usually when I shop at a thrift store, I walk out with at least a few items that are really cool finds. However, during this experience, I left empty-handed and walked out with the same amount of money I had when I came in. From what I noticed, many of the items (which includes clothing, kitchen items, and other knick-knacks) were quite pricey. For example, I saw a pair of Levi's jeans that looked GREAT; only problem is that they were asking $29. There was even a small stain as the jeans should've been less than $10. I even saw a very nice glass casserole baking dish w/lid but even at $25, I could find this same item at Target or even HomeGoods around the same price. I am not stingy but thrift items should not be costing an arm and a leg. I will say that their selection is quite extensive with a ton of men's/women's/children's clothes, purses, book, electronics, furniture, area rugs, music (vinyl records, CD's, cassette tapes), housewares, and other odds and ends that is sold here. But unless there is an item I really want, I don't think I will be making any future trips back here. Again, don't let this review deter you from shopping here. What someone else might find as a diamond in the rough might be classified as junk to others. What that said and done, I am giving "Community Thrift Store" just an average three star rating.

I really wanted to love this thrift store but I did not. There were several items that had stickers…read moreall over them with different prices. It was unclear which price was the accurate price, is it the lowest price or the price on the item the most? The store is pretty big however Items were way overpriced in my opinion for the condition they were in. (kitchen and houseware items, especially) I did find a curio cabinet I wanted to repurpose as an altar for our pets that passed but it was not marked and I walked around looking for someone who worked on the floor. I didn't want to wait in the pay line to ask a question and I did not want to be rude and walk up in front of a customer to ask my question. My suggestion would be to remove the old stickers if a price changes and have (identifiable) employees on the floor to assist customers with questions. I ended up giving up and leaving. :(

It's open! Just…read morelooks closed because they have sheets covering their glass window. But just push on the door and it opens. Eclectic finds. Suggest you call before going just to be sure!

Yay! Kayo is open again, in a beautiful new space just a block west of their old location! The…read moreold space was, like most used bookstores (Green Apple, Russian Hill Books, Dog Eared, et al), a bit cramped and overflowing with printed matter, but this new space is more like a temple of vintage books and magazines -- airy, filled with light, and with plenty of space. I don't think I've ever been in a used book store that had such an elegant and spacious feel, and I've prowled through used book stores around the world. There's still a good selection of vintage pulp magazines & paperbacks, entire sections for various kinks, lots of art books, and a surprising selection of high-end volumes to choose from (a signed copy of Evelyn Waugh's "Love Among the Ruins"?! Be still, my credit card!) If you miss San Francisco's late, great used bookstores (Acorn, Albatross, Fields', et al), take heart: we still have at least ten, now that Kayo is back among us, and Kayo's selection and foci are unique among them. Discover the unique treasures that Kayo offers!