The Haight-Fillmore district of San Francisco, also called the Lower Haight, is one of two neighborhoods located on Haight Street, which together are commonly referred to as "The Haight". The two neighborhoods are separated by a large hill and are bisected by Divisidaro Street. The neighborhoods have two separate histories whose cultures and identities merged in the 1960's as poor, young white hippies moved into the Upper Haight and began to communicate and learn from poor, young black residents of the Lower Haight. Together, these "outcasts" forged the counter-culture movement the Haight is most well known for.

Today, they remain similar, yet distinct. The Upper Haight is more of a tourist destination, more identified with its hippy roots, and is safer, especially since the 1990's. The Lower Haight retains more of its black roots, has a more active night-life, but is unfortunately poorer, and therefore dirtier and less safe at night.

Geographically, Lower Haight is bounded by Webster St. on the East, and Divisadero St. on the West. The block between Fillmore and Steiner has the largest concentration of activity in the Lower Haight.

Get In

If you are walking really fast, it will take about 20 minutes to walk from the Lower Haight to the Upper Haight - and it will be good exercise going up a large hill.

Several buses (7, 71, plus the 6 east of Masonic) run the length of Haight St., as well as streets running parallel such as Fulton and Hayes.

See

• "' Duboce Park"', N Judah stops right in front, equal parts dog park and playground, separated by a low fence.
• Amoeba Records - Occupying a former bowling alley, this music and movie buff's dream world has a great selection of used and hard to find releases, as well as considerably generous trade-in offers.

Do

/*Sit in Cafes*/ watch people all day over multiple cups of coffee

Buy

• Zuzu's Petals, , 678 Haight, off Steiner. Fresh cut & silk flowers, unusual, artistic gift wrap paper, cards, small gifts.
• Life, , 604a Haight ,exotic perfumes and aromatherapy oils, incense, bath beads, jewlery , purses, cards, vaguely east indian themed goods, get some henna painted on your hands in the henna lounge. http://www.lifesanfrancisco.com
• Doe, , 629a Haight, south side, local designer clothing and small gifts, mags, small fridge w drinks.

Eat

• RNM. Haight at Steiner. The most upscale (and expensive) restaurant in the neighborhood. The small plates of comfort food will warm you up. http://www.rnmrestaurant.com/

• India Oven. 233 Fillmore St. This Indian restaurant is on the expensive side, although it is pretty good. Expect a wait any day of the week.

• Thep Phenom. 400 Waller Street. Sometimes called the best Thai in San Francisco, call ahead as this restaurant can be very busy. Or walk in with a small party and have a Singha in the back while you wait to be seated at a family-style table.

• Kate's Kitchen. Breakfast - southern style.

• Rosamunde Sausage Grill. Every type of sausage under the sun. Now with a vegan choice! Get your beer next door from Toronado.

• Bean There. Steiner at Waller. Good coffees with a nice selection of pastries, bagels, and focaccia bread. Great place to hang out and read a book. Outdoor seating.

• Axum Cafe. 698 Haight St at Pierce, This Ethiopian restaurant is very affordable. Try the vegetarian sampler. If you are hungry, order for two. Wash it down with an Ethiopian beer (2 kinds).

• Rotee. A casual, inexpensive Indian restaurant with modern decor and excellent food. No alcohol license, but patrons can bring their own beer from the liquor store across the street. http://www.roteesf.com/

• Hanabi. Haight at Fillmore (next to Whole Foods, across from Cafe International). Decent sushi, good hot food. The excellent music is the biggest draw.

• Horseshoe. Haight near Steiner. Coffee shop with sweets, net access, and a rotating band of political campaigns next door. Doors have been closed since 5/2005.

• The Grind. Haight near Pierce. Coffee shop with breakfast, lunch, and an amazing array of desserts, pastries, and munchies. Indoor and patio seating. local google result

• Cafe International. Haight at Fillmore (across from Hanabi). Offers net access, live music , food, and a variety of beverages, from coffee, tea, beer, wine to fresh squeezed juices. Good desserts.

• Memphis Minnie's. Great southern-style barbecue and (oddly enough) sake. http://www.memphisminnies.com/

• Love 'n Haight. Often overlooked, but a neighborhood favorite. A family-owned sandwich joint with an Asian flair. Meat and fake meat sandwiches made to order. Try the "veg" duck.

• Cafe du Soleil. corner of Fillmore/Waller, opens about 7am with coffee, pastries, all day serves salads, sandwiches,pastries,soup of the day, beer & wine bar, closes 10p or earlier,

live free jazz most sundays 5ish to 8ish, oh and outdoor seating as well. chic, casual, family friendly .

Drink

• An Bodhran, 668 Haight St. Closed since 3/19 - reopening as a new Irish pub under same ownership as Martin Mack's (in the Upper Haight).

• Mad Dog in the Fog, 530 Haight St., This is an English pub where you can come to watch soccer on TV or go out back where you can smoke. Occasionally live music at night. The hotline for when matches are being played is 1-415-442-7994. Since they open for live matches from England as early as 6am, its the best place to get a beer before noon in the area on the weekend.

• Toronado, 547 Haight St. This bar has forty-six beers on tap and a bottled beer menu which covers two whole pages. They serve many microbrews and imports from Germany, Belgium, and Japan. Come through the dutch door and if there is no room in the front bar, there is a back room with tables. No food is served, but you may bring food in from any of the many restaurants nearby. http://www.toronado.com

• Noc-Noc. 557 Haight St. A very artsy atmosphere. You can get many Trappist monk beers here. Live DJ nightly. Tarot readings Mondays 6-9 pm. Beer, wine and sake (no hard liquor). Alas for smokers: Big Brother finally put down the rebellion and smoking is now relegated to the sidewalk in front. http://www.idiom.com/~cxarli/nocnoc/

• Molotov's. Leans towards rockabilly crowd. Dog and food friendly.

• Underground SF, 424 Haight St. at Webster. Dance club and bar, formerly called The Top, which features different theme nights, some of which are geared to queer folks and their friends. http://www.undergroundsf.com/

• Nickie's, Dance club and bar - Grateful Dead night every Monday, and popular dub and funk nights during the week as well. http://www.nickies.com/

• Le Café du Soleil, 200 Fillmore. Replacing Movida, it adds croissants and sandwiches to the menu while still serving beer and wine.

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.

Contact

Stay safe

Lower Haight can be dangerous late at night after the bars close.