North Beach

San Francisco's North Beach District is an ill-defined part of the city that begins roughly at Broadway and Columbus Streets; at its South East corner is Coit Tower offering marvelous views of the Bay the the city; at the northeast corner is Joe DiMaggio Playground, while to the west is the Broadway Tunnel and Broadway St. North Beach is still the bohemian part of the city, the place made famous by City Lights Bookstore (still there) and the "hungry i" night-club (gone), the Beatniks and jazz and poetry. It also is home to the city's Italian community and its history that includes A.P. Giannini and the Banco di America and the brothers DiMaggio. The heart of North Beach is Washington Square at Columbus and Union Streets and it's a good place to start to explore the many stores, restaurants, and night-clubs of this most vibrant part of the city.