The Beat Poets or Beat Writers embodied a literary movement that rejected the standards of the American Dream in favour of a more eclectic, experimental and (ahem) sexual life.
Whether you love them or hate them (personally, I’m not a fan of Kerouac’s’ work – Big Sur’s kind of cool but On the Road is grating), you should head to City Lights Books. It was one of the poets’ hangouts and still a landmark indie bookstore today.
Not sure what you want to eat? Head to the Ferry Building. A tri-weekly Farmer’s Market (on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings and early afternoon) and a host of small restaurants and eateries are guaranteed to tempt you.
Climbing the Filbert Street Steps to Coit Tower can feel like a never-ending task. Your quads will ache and at some point you’ll wonder whether it’s all worth it. It is – the views from Coit Tower are some of the best in the city.
The Golden Gate Park is the city’s green lung – a patchwork of wooded areas and wide-open spaces offering tantalising glimpses of the bridge before you finally arrive.