City Lights Booksellers & Publishers is one of the most famous independent bookstores in America, located on Columbus Avenue at the edge of San Francisco’s North Beach and Chinatown neighborhoods. It was founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin, and it quickly became the home base of the Beat Generation writers.
The store is also a publisher. In 1955 it launched the Pocket Poets Series, and in 1956 it published Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and Other Poems. The book led to a famous 1957 obscenity trial, which ended with a judge ruling that Howl was not obscene, a landmark moment for free expression in American publishing.
In 2001, San Francisco named City Lights an official historic landmark, the first time the city gave that honor to a business rather than a building. Today it is still an independent, working bookstore that locals and visitors love to browse.
Inside, you will find several levels packed with books, from fiction and poetry to politics, history, art and world literature. The upstairs poetry room is a favorite quiet corner, and the staff picks and small-press titles make it easy to discover something you would not find in a chain store. The store also hosts readings and author events.
Tips for your visit: give yourself time to explore every floor, and pick up a City Lights title as a souvenir. The bookstore sits right next to Jack Kerouac Alley and is a short walk from Washington Square and the cafés of North Beach. Parking is limited, so walking, cable car or public transit is the easiest way to get there. Check the store’s website for current hours and upcoming events before you go.
Address: 261 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133. Website: citylights.com
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