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City Lights Booksellers, San Francisco

4.6

#4 of 66 in Shopping in San Francisco

Historic Site Gift & Specialty Shop

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City Lights Booksellers, a funky bookstore founded by beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, serves as a literary meeting place in San Francisco. Stop in and have a look around this independent bookstore/publishing house established in 1953 and famous for the obscenity trial it faced after releasing Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" in 1956. Located between North Beach and Chinatown, this bookstore became a historic landmark in 2001. You can also shop the unique book collection here, which focuses on world literature, arts, and politics. With our online itinerary creator, San Francisco attractions like City Lights Booksellers can be center stage of your vacation plans, and you can find out about other attractions like it, unlike it, near it, and miles away.

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City Lights Booksellers Reviews

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4.8

46,267 likes

• By BrigitteUAE

  This bookstores history is very unique and you can feel still that very dynamic (and artsy literary) past the moment you set foot in the place. It is very difficult to make a decision what to buy, the...  more »

• By Ames_IowaCoach32

  City Lights might very well be the most famous bookstore in America. Begun in the 1950’s by Lawrence Ferlinghetti and friends it became the place of choice for the “Beat Generation.” Most of the names...  more »

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