The Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco loosely spans north-south from Fulton Street to 17th Street and east-west from Divisadero Street to Stanyan Street. A portion of the Fillmore District bounded by lower Haight Street evolved into the "Lower Haight" largely due to gentrification. Slightly more upscale areas of the rapidly gentrifying Haight-Ashbury essentially seceded, forming the "Upper Haight" and "Cole Valley" districts to the south and "North of the Panhandle" or NOPA to the north.

In the 60's large portions of the predominantly African American Fillmore District, once thriving with a large percentage of Black home- and business-ownership, including but not limited to several famous jazz clubs, were involuntarily relocated to the Haight-Ashbury due to "urban renewal." Urban renewal was distrusted by many as merely a means to move, usually lower-income, people around at the whim of developers. A popular protest slogan in the 1960's was "Urban Renewal Means Negro Removal." The Haight's abundant Victorian homes had undergone rampant subdivision in order to accommodate the influx of WWII soldiers. Subsequently, suburbia began to sprawl and attract urban middle class whites able to afford automobiles and real estate. This phenomenon is referred to as "white flight." San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury, with its then-surplus of affordable Victorian homes, was among the many metropolitan areas ripe for housing the influx of often large families from the rural south. They sought urban factory and other employment as agri-business displaced them from their small family farms. The Haight-Ashbury relatively quietly integrated and took on a "live and let live" laidback ambiance. The Beats, similarly displaced from their warehouse digs due to Financial District sprawl, also gravitated toward the Haight. They were attracted not only to the abundance of affordable housing, but also to the budding diversity consisting of S.F. State's intellectual and increasingly anti-establishment student population (enjoying cheap group housing), an emerging (pre-Castro District) gay and lesbian community, and the African American working class families righteously distrustful of a system that had taken away their farms, their homes and now their sons to the Vietnam War. White middle class college kids derailed by the draft now identified and allied with other oppressed peoples of the world, adopted ideologies and lifestyles of gentler, kinder and more sustainable cultures. Mostly teens, but people of all ages, ethnicities, religions and economic backgrounds, tuned in, turned on and dropped out of mainstream society at rates not seen before or since. They followed their hearts toward, what seemed to subscribers of the establishment to be impossibly utopian, alternative lifestyles. Many thrived, many were victims of COINTELPRO, other lives were ruined by destructive drugs such as speed, heroin and cocaine, and some remain committed today to ushering in a more inclusive, environmentally harmonious, more egalitarian, less stressful and more fun way of life -- basically these were the hippie values.

Get In

If you are walking, it will take about 20 minutes to walk from the Haight-Ashbury to the Lower Haight - and it's an easy downhill walk.

Several buses (7, 71, plus the 6 east of Masonic) run the length of Haight St. Nearby streets parallel to Haight also serve the area, for example the #5 on Fulton and #21 Hayes.

The N-Judah muni line (partially underground) also runs parallel to Haight St. several blocks to the south. An easy way to access the western portion of Haight St. (near Cole Valley) from downtown is to take the N-Judah outbound to Cole St., then go right. It runs under the hill.

See

Near the district's eastern border is Buena Vista Park. Steep paths to the top of its 575' elevation lead to some nice views through the trees, but easily circumnavigated by non-enthusiasts.

Near the district's western border is the entrance to Golden Gate Park. Walking into the park and through a small tunnel beneath the Alvord Lake Bridge [a Civic Engineering Landmark-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvord_Lake_Bridge], the first large field and adjacent hill are known as Hippy Hill. In dry weather, Hippy Hill is a popular destination for locals and offers a glimpse back at the Haight's hippy culture. There visitors will find a large and popular drum circle, amateur performers of many types from jugglers to musicians, frisbee enthusiasts, picnickers, and psychedelic drug users, all co-mingling happily. Don't be surpised to find locals lighting up a joint of marijuana at Hippy Hill. Though illegal in the US, California has decriminalized medical marijuana. A note from your doctor suffices to obtain a card enabling one to reliably check quanity and quality and purchase in a civilized manner over a counter. Hippy Hill is a relatively safe place to purchase marijuana, but law enforcement patrols Haight Street at the urging of merchants in order to maintain a teen- and tourist-friendly environment.

Famous Homes (Please note- These are all PAST addresses, none of the people listed still live there and these are peoples' homes and though they are used to and pretty tolerant of tourists taking pictures, their privacy should be respected and one should NOT go knocking on doors)

710 Ashbury St.-The Grateful Dead; 719 Ashbury St.- The Hell's Angels; 635 Ashbury St., 122 Lyon- Janis Joplin; 612 Ashbury St.- Country Joe McDonald; 2400 Fulton St.-The Jefferson Airplane/Starship; 1018 Page St.-Big Brother and the Holding Company; 1550 Page St.- "Hippie Temptation" house (site of CBS documentary); 1828 Page St.-Ron Donovan (psychedelic concert poster artist); 879 Haight St.-Flipper (famous punk band); 635 Cole St.- Charles Manson; 731 Buena Vista West- Graham Nash (and several owners later) Bobby McFerrin; 264 Downey St.- Michael McClure (Beat-era playwrite, poet); 1235 Masonic Ave.- Patty Hearst hid in Symbionese Liberation Army safe-house here; 32 Delmar St.-Sid Vicious (site of non-fatal overdose after last Sex Pistols show)

Do

• Haight Ashbury Flower Power Walking Tour by guides who experienced the 60's -- yet can actually still remember it! 40% architecture/general neighborhood history and 60% counter-culture hippy history comprise this fabulously far-out, fun and informative 2.5 hour flashback through the neighborhood; includes a trip to the Psychedelic History Museum in a restored Victorian, open only in conjunction with the tour. [1] [2]

• The Haunted Haight Walking Tour shows the spooky and macabre history of the neighborhood in an evening walking tour. http://www.hauntedhaight.com

• The Red Vic Movie House offers a rapidly changing selection of independant and second-run films its tiny auditorium. It is worker owned and run, and schedules many films about local culture, surfing, and eastern philosophy. Tickets are always cheaper than the chain theaters, film directors often visit to answer questions about their work, and the food and soda are non-corporate. One caveat: the seats can be a bit uncomfortable; however patrons have a choice of theater-style seats or couch-like cushioned benches. http://www.redvicmoviehouse.com

Buy

Haight-Ashbury has more shopping and variety of shops than Lower Haight, with a great record store Amoeba, book stores, fabric stores, shoe stores, cafes with music and poetry, a free clinic, and head shops from the '60's.

There are several places worth checking out, including...

• Amoeba: The best place in San Francisico to buy vinyl and CDs, with an emphasis on indie music. It has one of the largest selections for an indie music store in the country.

• Villians: A trendy clothing store that is mirrored across the street by its sister store Villians Vault. While clothing is expensive, it is on the cusp of indie fashion.

• Giant Robot: From the people behind Giant Robot magazine, which looks at cool Asian fashion / art / design / books / pop culture. The shop does the same, and sells cool T-shirts, some high-end manga and Asian graphic novels, art books and designer toys. [3]

• Roberts Hardware: A non-chain hardware store with over 20,000 items in inventory and another 200,000 available by special order. The oldest family-owned store on Haight Street, celebrating 75 years in 2006. Staffed by knowledgeable, friendly workers who are willing to take the time to explain how to make your repairs without any of the condescension or attitude found in other stores. [4]

Eat

• All You Knead: 1466 Haight Street (one block west of Masonic), 552-4550. 8AM-11PM every day. A cavernous space filled with fishtanks and comfortable booths, All You Knead serves up huge and hearty brunches as well as casual diner-style dinner meals. Eggs benedict and variations thereof are a specialty. $5-15.

• Asqew Grill: serves an array of flame-grilled skewers prepared in unexpected ways. http://www.asqewgrill.com/

• Cha-Cha-Cha: Popular Cuban tapas place. Good sangria. Typical wait is 1-2 hours on weekends, and they don't take reservations. Great bar, always crowded with a fun 'artsy' crowd. Watch out for the Sanngria! http://www.cha3.com/

• Citrus Club: 1790 Haight Street (at Shrader), 387-6366. Su-Th 11:30AM-10PM, F-Sa 11:30AM-11PM. This is an excellent noodle house with dishes chosen from all Asian traditional cuisines. Portions are generous in the extreme, with an emphasis on flavor over presentation. Decent prices and an unpretentious decor and a hip clientele make for a pleasurable group meal. $8-$15.

• Coffee to the People: 1206 Masonic Avenue (just off of Haight St.), 415-626-2435. 6AM-8PM. A favorite community gathering spot, Coffee to the People serves giant sandwiches, hearty soups, and organic and fair trade coffee and tea. Their croissant breakfast sandwiches are especially popular with locals. The shop has an overtly political theme and decor and is a good spot for people watching. $5-15. http://www.coffeetothepeople.com/

• Kan Zaman: 1793 Haight Street (at Shrader), 751-9656. M-Th 5PM-12AM, Sa 11:30AM-2AM, Su 11:30AM-12AM. A popular Middle Eastern restaurant, success has made Kan Zaman a difficult restaurant. Reservations are practically mandatory, with wait times up to 2 hours on weekends. The hazards come with a payoff: Kan Zaman has fine food at reasonable prices, of course, but the atmosphere is raucous and exciting. Belly dancers perform nightly, and a postprandial hookah pipe shared around a table is de rigueur. Definitely a night on the town. $15-20.

• Magnolia: serves solid food and microbrews, including some excellent cask conditioned beers. http://www.magnoliapub.com

• Pork Store Cafe: extremely popular breakfast spot. Always a line on the weekends. Very inexpensive, and friendly diner atmosphere and food.

• Squat and Gobble: popular for breakfast and lunch, crowded on weekends. Great crêpes, and outdoor dining on the back patio when the weather is nice.

Drink

• Deluxe Club: this small, stylish bar has been around for a long time. It's more of a coctail bar and has a limited selection of beer. Deluxe hosts free comedy on Monday nights and free music on Wednesday and other nights, always by local acts. The bar-tenders are friendly and the crowd is arty and hip.

• Gold Cane: a great place for cheap, strong drinks, and friendly bar-tenders. Divey atmosphere, local's crowd. Has a pool table and small outdoor patio for smokers of all types.

• Hobson's Choice: Offers comfortable and beautiful victorian decor as well as original alcoholic punch recipes served in large bowls (watch out, they're stronger than you think!). A great juke-box makes it most popular with the local USF college crowd. This is great if you want to pick up well dressed college aged kids. Otherwise, you may be annoyed by the large crowds, meat-market atmosphere, and unfriendly bar-tenders. Less crowded and less college dominated on weekend afternoons.

• Trax: A gay bar for gay men and lesbians that is also very much straight-friendly. Small, divey, and a local's scene. Drinks are cheap, and on Saturday nights it offers ridiculously cheap drink specials ($1 well coctails before 10pm)

• Aub Zam-Zam: A 1930's vintage cocktail bar with a beautifully restored arabesque art-deco decor. Written up in 'W' and 'Newsweek' magazines for the best martinis in the US back in the 80s. Drinks are moderately expensive but of exceptional quality, even from the well. An intimate and classy setting for a romantic evening with a juke box that leans toward swing and big band music. Named for the Well of Zamzam, one of the holiest places in Islam (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zam_zam), a source of blessed beverages.

Sleep

• Metro Hotel, 319 Divisadero St. ph 415 861 5364. A reasonably priced hotel at the corner of Page St. and Divisadero St., one block north of Haight St. The rooms are quite basic, but functional, clean, and quite inexpensive for the central city. There is an excellent French restaurant downstairs, with outdoor dining and weekend brunch. Rooms directly over Divisadero St. can be quite loud on the weekends.

• Red Victorian Bed & Breakfast 1665 Haight Street ph 415 864 1978 A throwback to the Haight Ashbury's glory days during the 1960s, this peace and love themed B&B has several eclecticly themed rooms and suites, as well as a cafe downstairs. Rooms start at under $90, and range up to over $200 for some suites. http://www.redvic.com/

Contact

• Coffee to the People: Haight and Masonic. Free wireless Internet.

• Rockin' Java: Haight and Schrader. Free wireless Internet. Pay by the hour Internet terminals.