North Beach

Without a doubt, North Beach is one of the liveliest communities in San Francisco. From the street art to the bustling of the always-packed café’s and nightclubs, there is never a dull moment in North Beach. Loved by citizens of San Francisco and tourists alike, North Beach is a one of a kind neighborhood. Known as the “Little Italy” of San Francisco, North Beach has many unique Italian style café’s, bookstores, restaurants, old timey barbershops, and small family owned bakeries. While these attractions alone are enough to bring anyone into the neighborhood, North Beach is also famous for being the home of the "Beat" literary movement of the 1950s. These streets, café’s, book stores, and other establishments contain history from one of America’s greatest time periods, and it is easily seen through the art work and signage just how much history and life there really was and still is within this neighborhood.

            While I had been to North Beach as a tourist before, I had never really taken the time to really get to know the neighborhood before venturing into North Beach this past week. With a traveling companion who was both a native to the city and of Italian decent, I was on a real tour of an area many visit but never truly get to experience. As my tour guide began to show me the good places to eat, the best nightclubs, and the best café’s, I began to notice how much the signage of the neighborhood was competing for my attention. Signs weren’t just above restaurants, but in the windows, on the streets, and even painted on the sidewalks surrounding the buildings! The more we began to walk through the neighborhood the more places my tour guide began to point out, and I noticed just how many “good eats” there were within such a close vicinity. It was no wonder these signs were trying to compete for my attention; with so many good places to eat the stores had to compete to remain in my thoughts.

            As I began to notice the signage more and more, I began to notice how distinct each form of signage was. The graphic language and bright lights of the nude nightclubs, the hand painted signage-design of the bookstores, and the old fashioned Italian styled signage of the café’s and restaurants - each form of signage was unique and felt as if it belonged with the establishment it represented. The signage of North Beach felt very unique in that it was specifically tailored to fit the “vibe” of the establishment it symbolized. It was as if the owners of the businesses took into consideration how to convey their stores through signage before building them. As a signage student I found this to be quite amusing.

            While hard to get to by bus, North Beach is a community no one should skip while visiting the city. It is a neighborhood rich with culture and community, and even if you aren’t of Italian decent, you’re always welcome at the proverbial family style dinner table known as the North Beach district.