San Francisco Shopping

Union Square and Surrounds

Union Square is shopping central in San Francisco. All the big department stores have branches on or adjacent to the Square. You can find Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks and Barneys on Union Square itself. Nearby at the junction of Powell and Market Streets you will find the San Francisco Westfield Center, a massive indoor mall containing many, many shops including Nordstrom and Bloomingdales. For a smaller mall, head out of Union Square along Post Street towards the Financial District and you will find the Crocker Galleria which has plenty of cafes and restaurants along with a variety of shops.

Also well worth a look is Maiden Lane, a gated street between Kearney and Stockton Streets, closed to traffic during the day. It is home to many high end boutiques as well as San Francisco institution, Gump’s and San Francisco’s only Frank Lloyd Wright designed building, currently trading as Xanadu Gallery. I like to stop at one of the cafes here, you can sit outdoors and people watch.

If you are looking for a particular store or type of store, the best website I have found is unionsquareshop.com.

Fisherman’s Wharf

If you are looking for tourist knick knacks, look no further than Fisherman’s Wharf. There are a host of shops selling all sorts of souvenirs and gift items. Ghirardelli Square does offer a slightly broader range of shops.

Ferry Building Market Place

The Ferry Building Market Place along The Embarcadero is a great place to head for to look for food and drink items. If you want some interesting wine, olive oil, tasty cheese, nice chocolates etc. it is well worth a visit.