We were looking for a record shop that used to be around the corner from here and it is gone! So we…read morewalked into this little gem and the older guy behind the counter told me that the closed store was his second location but this one is the original - and it has been here for 39 years! I love old shops like this. It is small but packed with records! You'll find all different genres here- including a bin filled with records by local musicians. Though they didn't have the particular record we were looking for, we may head back tomorrow when we have more time to look through their collections. They are open every day. If you are looking to add vinyl to your collection, check this place out! It's old school in all the best ways and could use the support.

Looking for some special music / vinyl? This place likely has it…read more Cool atmosphere, a small but densely packed store with all manner of vinyl (and a few cassettes) for the discerning music fan. No nonsense but friendly service, ask for some help if you need inspiration!

The size of Amoeba overwhelmed me, but positively. This place was easily way bigger than my local…read morerecord shop, let alone any record shop I've been to in the past. Amoeba offers a VAST collection of vinyls, DVDs, CDs, stickers, and magnets. My partner and I collect vinyls, and we didn't leave disappointed.

I still remember when this location was Park Bowl, but that was (gasp) over thirty years ago when…read morebowling was still a popular social activity. I myself was on a bowling team named the Orient Express, and I wish I still had my red team shirt with the dragon on the back. But I digress as this has been an independent record store since 1997, an offshoot of the Berkeley store on Telegraph. Digital downloads be damned, this shop is focused on physical media...CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes, Blu-rays, and of course, vinyl. Even before picking up spares at Park Bowl, I recall that moment in my youth when I made the monumental decision to switch my record purchases from vinyl to CDs. Nowadays, vinyl is making a comeback among a younger generation looking for a higher quality, more realistic sound quality. I saw these Gen Z audiophiles flipping through the long LP bins in search of the elusive underground classic their stereophonic friends could appreciate and envy. Personally I could find nuggets of my own. Albums like The Very Best of Spike Jones (Photo 10) and The Complete 2,000 Year Old Man (Photo 5) resonated with me. I was happy to see individual LPs consolidated into boxed sets like the Linda Ronstadt retrospective. Beyond the music is the expansive DVD collection of movie titles both classic and obscure. There's also books and collectible merchandise like pop-culture lunch boxes and celebrity prayer candles. I'm not sure I need a candle that deifies Aubrey Plaza, but it's good to know where I can get one. RELATED - Exploring the Haight? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/Mq6DbbrGGJ

This shop have been here as long as I have lived. It's a…read morehuge part of SF Chinatown history. They sell traditional Chinese red envelopes with unlimited variations of designs, traditional Chinese New Years decorations and some tech stuff (aux plug or headphone plugs). Inside is a warm light (yellow), so colors/dye of decorations won't fade. It's a pretty huge space, they have red envelopes throughout the stores on very corner. Ranging and categorizing by events such as weddings, good luck, wealth, health, education, and they have a whole wall of customize last names. Today my mom bought a wedding envelope. That will be used for my cousins upcoming wedding. $3.95 and there's 2 inside. That's a pretty cheap price (Pricing depends on quality and design) Only con- The shop smells. It reeks of dry sweat and piss. There is no window installment. Idk if it's bad venting or no air conditioning or because they share venting with the chicken shop next door or because lots of homeless people piss in the alley... But they should find a fix. Because that is the #1 reason why they're not receiving business because customers aren't willing to stay in a smelly shop. And with more customers in there, the more stuffier it gets. While I was shopping today, 2 groups came in. One couple and a group of 6-8 young adults. The couple walked in and straight out. The group did a lap, complimented on the things but made fun of the smell, laugh and left.

Came here last time looking for some nice looking Chinese new year decorations & I ended up buying…read morea little mini hanging Lucky rabbit with a Chinese Style gold design & a small sized hanging red lantern... If your here in the San Francisco Ca Chinatown Area as a visitor from out of town from the states or from another country... And looking for nice looking Chinese New Year decorations... Go to the Asia Star at the San Francisco Chinatown Ca USA Location!!!

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.

I visited the City Lights bookstore up in San Francisco on my recent visit there. This bookstore…read moreharkens back to the Beat poetry movement of the 1960s. And when you walk in, you immediately get that sense of the power of words, the power of literature, and how they impact the community. Located right around the corner from Chinatown, we stop by when we were walking on Columbus Avenue. I had forgotten it was there, so it was great to visit this bookstore again. Hope to come again soon.

Definitely a "hole in the wall" store located in an unassuming alleyway in SF Chinatown. Store…read morehours appear accurate and the owner Tony opened the door right at 1:00 PM. The store is cramped and ceilings are low, so be mindful of any big purses or backpacks - you wouldn't want to knock over any of the delicate figurines. The place sells mostly Gundams. Not as many Real Grade (RG) gundams available, but still a great place to check out. Prices are marked on a majority of the products which I appreciate, though I still did find some items that didn't have a price tag stuck on it. Overall a cool place to check out if you're just browsing and seeing if anything catches your eye, but not if you're hoping to find something super specific (you might be able to call ahead of time to check inventory but I haven't tried this)

The service was good and nice. The selection was wonderful, there were so many model kits!…read moreThe value was not bad but some of the Gunplas were a little expensive.

I have been to a lot of interesting Chinese Gift Shops all over the San Francisco Chinatown Ca USA…read moreArea & Asia Star is one of them!!!!! The only when this Asia Star Gift Shop gets really busy is during the Chinese Lunar New Year!!!!! If your here visiting from another country or from another US State & If you like Chinese memorabilia try going to this Asia Star Gift Shop at the San Francisco Ca Chinatown USA area!!!!

Shopping in San Francisco's Chinatown…read more.. I was strolling around when I passed by a display of red Good luck envelopes. I wondered if they had my family's last name... and they did! I also looked at some keychains and jade charms... thinking that they're easy to pack in my suitcase and great as gifts... hmmm... For example, my sister is Year of the Horse... my mom is Year of the Dog, etc. Maybe next time! For now, I'm happy with my lucky red envelopes!

I went to Out of Sight (not the pizza place)at North Beach in San Francisco. Out of Sight records…read moreis a store which sells vintage clothes, records, and home decor located in North Beach in an alley which is out of sight from the bars, and restaurants which makes it a hidden gem. I stumbled here and went down the stairs and I felt I transported in a time machine to the past. A record store selling vinyl records sighting in San Francisco is a rarity like meeting a San Francisco born native still living in San Francisco. There were some interesting items here for sale . Lots of vintage items inside and it seems like a movie and television props storage space . It's a good place to explore classics from the twentieth century. Out of Sight records is a blast from past when things were built to last. Although record shops in San Francisco decreased and are at a low percentage Go to Out of Sight Records if you want to shop and go vintage

I've visited only two of Tokyo based Kinokuniya Bookstore's seventeen U.S. locations, San Francisco…read moreand Seattle, but because of my affection for Japanese food and culture, it left a strong impression, and I return from time to time. Did you know they have six stores in California and four in Texas alone? I'll gladly reconfigure my thoughts about Texans, that they that can support the existence of four Kinokuniya bookstores. Respectfully. I enjoy browsing the SF store, especially the travel section, cookbooks, and unique magazines. They have all the requisite kawaii stuff including Miffy, Moomin, Studio Ghibli, and Sonny Angels. Having Google Translate at the ready in camera mode, makes exploring some of the Japanese titles even more fun. A unique, immersive bookstore experience.

Had a fun time visiting this Kino while in SF Japantown! It's gigantic as it has two floors, filled…read morewith mango, anime merchandise, and so much more. You can find notable fandoms like Honkai Star Rail, Genshin, and others. It's a spacious location that's well stocked with so much variety for anime/'manga lovers. The staff are so attentive and friendly when we were trying to find certain art books. It's so easy to wander around and get lost in the products.

Got my guitar restrung here. The service was excellent and fast. They have a wide range of guitars,…read moreincluding less expensive ones. I appreciated that considering where we live.

Love these guys! I've bought two beautiful instruments from them and the experience both times was…read morefantastic. They are very chill, supportive, and helpful. It's a beautiful place to find just the right guitar :) And they have a fantastic selection of ukulele's and baritone ukulele's as well!

No glorious market building is complete without a bookshop and this is the one crowning the Ferry…read moreBuilding. Book Passage has great readings, is convenient to the financial district, and is a beautiful place to browse. I usually read between 40-80 books per year and you can never have enough. It's a joy to have local booksellers.

Friend invited me to "Benjamin Schneider with John King - The Unfinished Metropolis: Igniting the…read moreCity-Building Revolution" at the Book Passages location, it was a treat to visit this store! * Shop is compact but multiple bookcases were rearranged to allow for fold-up chair seating for ~30 or so, with standing room at the back. * Staff was very helpful & helped crowd with seating. * Hour-long event was free to the public (no RSVP required), and was a great opportunity to hear the author both speak on his book and hold audience Q/A session. Great event, will definitely be monitoring the calendar for more opportunities!