This vast three-way intersection spans North Beach and Chinatown, and you'll find delicious Italian pastry and gelato shops, mind-blowing Asian herbal remedy outlets, and remnants of Beat culture along its edges. It's also one of the few spots in San Francisco where you can still feel a palpable sense of history, from the old-school Victorian architecture supporting laundry lines, to the elaborate stone edifices of the churches and meeting halls, to the shirtless seniors greeting each other in unfathomable Sicilian dialects.
Muni: 20 Columbus, 30 Stockton

Tucked up in the mezzanine of a Bank of America, located above the Chinese-language East Wind Bookstore (featured English translation: "Synopsis of the Prescription of the Golden Chamber") is this free gem of cultural history, featuring blown-up Great Quake photographs, preserved Asian immigrant clothing, and a wealth of engrossing artifacts of the neighborhood's flux and flow.
1435 Stockton. (415) 391-6210

As with almost every other neighborhood in San Francisco, the Irish have a long history here, too. O'Reilly's, a storied, cavernous-yet-cozy pub pays tribute with a satisfying, piping hot menu of Celtic eats and music in an authentic atmosphere that's earned it several "Best of" awards and the loyal patronage of a colorful batch of regulars both green and gray.
622 Green. (415) 989-6222, www.oreillysirish.com

A San Francisco legend, these hatmakers have been in business for more than a hundred years - but that doesn't mean they're behind the times. The cute showroom off Washington Square Park is an outlet for their latest styles, wearable to even the most exclusive of nightclubs.
1612 Stockton, SF. (415) 402-0454, www.goorin.com

America's first unionized strip club, full of punk-rock lovelies and old-timey peep show theatrics. It can get a little raunchy in the tiny viewing booths, but San Franciscans - gay and straight, men, women, and other - consider this landmark a good, sticky time.
1033 Kearny. (415) 391-1326, www.lustyladysf.com

The espresso served at this tiny, two-story café and bookstore is among the best in the city, and for that alone it's worth visiting (added bonus: hunky staff). But it's Cavalli's extensive collection of hard-to-find Italian-language graphic novels and paperbacks that really sets this bookseller apart.

1441 Stockton. (415) 421-4219

There's no doubt that the Italian food in North Beach is the main draw - besides the many strip clubs. But this little hole in the wall takes gustatory delight to another level. Everything is cooked in an oven - no stovetops allowed - and brings the authentic flavors of Varese and Bologna straight to your lips.
519 Columbus. (415) 982-1124, www.losteriadelforno.com