Haight Ashbury and the Grateful Dead go hand in hand - so being huge deadheads... we had to make a pilgrimage to where it all started in 1965.
San Francisco is a city that I've been yearning to visit for years. Probably since my 7th grade history teacher taught us about the 60's and the hippie culture that was blooming in the bay area. The epicenter of the hippie movement was the Haight Ashbury District, and even today it's a colorful, fun neighborhood, full of shops, street art, restaurants, the Grateful Dead house (710 Ashbury St!) and of course... colorful San Francisco hippies (and crazy street people....lots of crazy street people).
If you're planning a trip to San Francisco, make sure you add Haight Ashbury to the itinerary!
Haight Ashbury Shops
It's no secret that my favorite part of any city is the shopping.... and the Haight was no different. All of the Haight Ashbury shops were so colorful and full of things I was dying buy. Along this famous street in San Francisco, you'll find shops filled with rainbow fur coats, wigs, platform shoes, tie dye everything, and vintage treasures for days! I could have spent a week going through the Haight Ashbury shops... and spent my life savings (happily) - but my sidekick (Tim) was only willing to dedicate a single afternoon to shopping.
Here's a few of the Haight Ashbury Shops that you need to check out on your next trip to San Francisco
Tim posing with our favorite Haight Ashbury shop! Love on Haight is a brand that embodies everything we love and stand for - so getting to experience it's colorful presence on this famous street in San Francisco was pretty amazing!
Love on Haight
Love on Haight was definitely my favorite shop on Haight street! They are a tie dye company that supports and partners with other artists in the Grateful Dead community. They create and carry tie dyed everything!!! Dresses, shirts, bathing suits, tapestries, socks... seriously everything. The best part about Love on Haight is that it's owned and operated by kind deadheads (My people!!) AND they donate a portion of their profits to Taking it to the Streets, which is a non-profit homeless youth organization based in the Haight Ashbury District. Love on Haight is a company that we love to support.. and you should too!
Held Over
Held Over is a vintage store in the Haight Ashbury district that's full of cool, reasonably priced vintage clothing. It was like that ultimate vintage store you dream of every time you walk into a consignment shop only to find ugly stuff you'd never actually wear. This place had a funky vibe and tons of beautiful retro dresses and other pieces that I had a hard time not taking home with me. If you're a lover of those bold, colorful prints from the 60s - this is your spot.
Decades of Fashion
This Haight street shop had more of a museum vibe than a vintage store. Everything within the 4 walls of this retailer was old, striking, and of the highest quality. We passed rows of sequined gowns, vintage suits and so many cool hats and other accessories. Even if you're not into wearing vintage clothing, Decades of Fashion is definitely worth the stop.
Haight Ashbury Musical Stops
The reason that the Haight Ashbury district is so iconic is in large part due to the thriving music scene in the 1960s. Bands such as the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Big Brother and the Holding Company (starring the queen, Janis Joplin!) played a major role in the counterculture movement during that time. Had these bands, their electric instruments, and the San Francisco hippies not been around - the Haight Ashbury district definitely wouldn't have been the same
The Grateful Dead House
The Grateful Dead (our #1 favorite band ever!!) got together in the Bay Area in 1965. Between 1966 and 1968 they lived at 710 Ashbury Street in San Francisco. There's an infinite amount of photos of the band and wild stories from this time period, which have turned this property into one of the most visited places in Grateful Dead history.
Amoeba Music
Amoeba Music was founded in 1990 in San Francisco - and still stands today as one of the dopest musical emporiums we've ever visited. This place is HUGE! They had a wide variety of new and used CDs and Vinyl, as well as old show posters and other music memorabilia. Our favorite part of the store was the section that held the rare recordings. We recently got a record player, so finding rare vinyl is always a treat. This was another store that we had to exercise EXTREME SELF CONTROL in. We could have easily spent thousands on music in this place.
Rasputin Records
Rasputin Records was founded in 1971 in Berkley, California. Since then, they have grown to 7 different locations - one of which, being on Haight Street in San Francisco! This was another great stop for us because they not only carried new and used CDs and vinyl - but movies too! Our purchases included DVD copies of The Big Lebowski,Dave Matthews Band Live in Central Park, and Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds at Radio City Music Hall (can you guess my second favorite band?). What I liked most about Rasputin was the colorful exterior! This is an iconic Haight Asbury shop that you definitely don't want to skip!
Haight Ashbury Street Art
This famous street in San Francisco has no shortage of amazing street art. Everywhere you look, there's something colorful and interesting to lay your eyes on. Since a picture is worth 1000 words - here's a few of our favorite pieces of street art in the Haight Ashbury district!
Haight Ashbury Rundown
Visiting the Haight was one of our favorite parts of our 20,000 mile road trip. This was a place we'd wanted to visit for so long, and it was just as colorful, and weird, and crazy as we'd hoped. We'll be back someday soon!
Have you been to San Francisco - what was your favorite part? Leave a comment below!
