City Lights Bookstore - San Francisco - TravBuddy

The City Lights Bookstore is an interesting, independent bookstore that recalls the narrow, cluttered passageways of Shakespeare & Co. in Paris. While the selection is not as large as some of the larger, commercial chains, the books they choose to carry are actually interesting. The inside of the store is decorated with interesting signs and paraphernalia, including a San Francisco original that said "The red light district will be closed on friday night so that the girls can attend the police ball."

The bookstore has an interesting history too. It was the first bookstore in the world to exclusively sell paperback books and was a major spot for the beat generation. Famous writers like Jack Kerouac and Alan Ginsberg frequented this place and then had drinks next door at the gaudily decorated Vesuvio Cafe.