Lovejoy's Tea Room
This is a combination tea room and antique store. It's categorized on this site as a catering business; I didn't even know they did catering. The tea, food and service are very good. Some of the furniture items are just on display, but some are in use until they're sold. They have an eye for tea-related antiques.
Integral Yoga Institute
Relaxing atmosphere in an old building on palm tree lined Dolores Street. You're not expected to be athletic here. It's hatha yoga at its most relaxing. A variety of gentle yoga classes, including parent/baby and classes for seniors. Drop-ins arae okay. Classes are $11 or $8 for seniors.
Small Frys Children's
My daughter's long outgrown this store, but we have such happy memories of shopping in there. This isn't the kind of place where you'll find great deals price wise, but you will find things you'll never forget. Our daughter passed on several special items of clothing to a cousin after she outgrew them and she loved them so much she's never going to forget wearing them either.
Bird & Beckett Books & Records
Not much room for inventory here, but what's there is very good. Plus, there's jazz every Friday night (early like maybe from 5 to 6:30 p.m.), frequent poetry readings. Diane Di Prima is often one of the poets. Once a month there's an emminent author's night where people read works from famous authors born in that month. Owner Eric Whittington has a sort of quirky, erudite charm and a good sense of how to forster community.
Tuggy's Hardware
It's worth it going into Tuggeys just for the smell. It brings back memories of times gone by. It's a small store, but it's got all the essential hardware and helpful staff. During the holiday season each year, they have a model train in the window. A nice touch.
Cover To Cover Booksellers
A couple of years ago this wonderful bookstore almost went out of business. It had moved to a location that was a bit too large just at a time when chain bookstores and the Internet started to really cut into small bookstores' sales. But neighborhood activists organized a campaign. Some loaned money, many pledged to buy $25 worth of books per month, a smaller storefront was found, and the store was given new life. It's humming along now. It has a good selection of books and very nice, knowledgeable owners.
San Francisco Mystery Books
One of my sisters is an avid mystery reader, so it's always a delight for her when she gets a gift certificate for the San Francisco Mystery Bookstore. She can browse to her heart's content and then we have tea or lunch at one of the nearby cafes, and it makes for a very enjoyable afternoon. The store's owner is really sweet and hosts book signings pretty often so mystery fans can meet their favorite authors.
Cotton Basics
The good thing is that the store is full of clothes made from pure cotton. Nice and healthy. The bad thing is that the basic styles don't really hold their color or shape all that well. I have several items I've gotten there in my wardrobe, and I feel dumpy when I wear them, so I tend to just wear them around the house.
Adda Clevenger
If you've got the money to pay for a private school education, this is one place to check out. It's arts-centered, but academics and athletics are strong. Their music instructor is highly qualified and soooo good with children, almost a magical touch.
Hidden Cottage Bed & Breakfast
San Francisco is really all about neighborhoods. Staying at this charming bed and breakfast in the heart of one of San Francisco's favorite neighborhoods can give someone an insider's experience of the city, one people who stay downtown or at Fisherman's Wharf will never get.
