We first had the absolute pleasure of meeting Christy three years ago, and she remains one of the best sales specialists we've ever known. Back then, Christy guided us through purchasing our favorite Louis Poulsen pendant light. Right from the start, her patient and kind guidance made it clear just how deeply she cares about her clients. Beyond her wonderful personality, she is an incredible professional who truly understands both the aesthetics and practicality of lighting design. We knew immediately that we had come to the right place and met the right person! Christy is so genuine and caring. Buying from her never feels like just a business transaction--it's a wonderful experience that naturally leads to beautiful, warm conversations. She has truly set our bar sky-high when it comes to customer service. We also want to give a special shoutout to Ricky, who was immensely helpful when we needed an evaluation for a light we had accidentally damaged. He addressed all of our concerns with great care, making the entire resolution process completely seamless. Thank you so much to Christy, Ricky, and the whole team for being such a joy to work with over the years. We can't recommend them highly enough! read more

I am a repeat customer and although my most recent buying experience had a few bumps in the road, I'm pleased to say that City Lights immediately responded in a way that affirms both its commitment to customer satisfaction and good value. I applaud Joy and her colleagues for a positive experience and I'm also pleased with the new wall sconces! read more

been to various lighting stores up and down the bay area...city lights sf appears to have the largest selection for premium lights and able to get other lights...online prices and sales are comparable to others...coming in to the store in person and working with a sales associate opens up greater discounts with prices far better than any other shop in comparison...a few visits and selected various lights with an associate...placed all orders for pick up in-store...all lights were provided to the electrician for installation...quality was great and all worked perfectly... read more

City Lights SF - here comes the sun and hallway lights... - Lighting Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I've always had an excellent experience with City Lights, particularly Tina and her team. They've supported us through two full home remodels, handling everything from custom fabricated exterior stair lighting to recessed cans, Panasonic Architectural Series bathroom fans, and whole-home Lutron lighting controls. Tina reviewed our lighting and electrical plans, offering valuable insights and creative options we hadn't considered. She's knowledgeable, trustworthy, and a pleasure to work with. Pricing always seemed to be competitive and their showroom is expansive. read more

City Lights SF - Front Steps with lighting. - Lighting Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

Over the course of several years I have either gone to the store, ordered online, or ordered over the phone. I have not been disappointed ever. Today, Wilson, someone who has helped me more than once, was great. Helpful, informative, provided options, and information that was helpful even though I did not think to ask. Great, wonderful, thank you Wilson. read more

City Lights SF - A great place for lighting fixtures and more! - Lighting Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love the selection but my husband and I were there on Saturday looking to replace all our outdoor lighting. We spent an hour there. We perused the entire upper floor, we sat at the conference table and flipped through catalogs, and literally took product off the wall to look at the finish choices in the natural light. Not a SINGLE person said hello or may I help you or acknowledged our presence. It was astounding. And they were not busy at all. I left irate and disappointed. read more

Amazing customer service, lovely showroom and diverse range of products for home and commercial applications. And if they don't carry in house, they have thousands of products available on the website. Highly recommended! read more

We had been looking for a chandelier for our dining room for months and we went to several stores and looked online but didn't find anything great. We stopped by City Lights and were impressed with the options + the fact that the lights were all turned on. We had to wait for a while to get a sales rep but once we did, Robert was extremely helpful. We got the best price - we compared the Visual comfort chandelier we purchased against a few different options. The light was available for pickup in ~ 2 weeks and there was good comms through out. I recommend this store The picture doesn't do justice but the light looks fabulous even from the street! read more

City Lights SF - Lighting Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

Please see letter below. I am gravely disappointed with City Lights. The reader will get the gist of what transpired and why I am returning the products I bought there. It will be very telling to see how they respond. I have a dinning area full of their useless lights and their packaging. If they don't do as I have requested, where will Thanksgiving dinner be served? "Dear Sir, Did you read my email? This shouldn't be this difficult. First, this house is new to me. When one buys a house, one isn't privy to such details as to whether there is a switch on the sconce, and when I went to buy the sconces I didn't know to look. I find it to be gaslighting of me the customer when you and your staff point the finger at me and insinuate that I am dumb for not knowing if there is a switch on my sconce. Sheesh. I'll make sure to put that in my Yelp and Google review of City Lights. Second, when I went to City lights no less than 3 times to pick out new lights for my new house, I found the staff to be at turns lazy, rude, and uninformed. Ms. P. is the nicest, but she is obviously not informed enough to ask the right questions. She absolutely is 100% responsible for understanding the needs of the clients beyond aesthetics. Absolutely. She is a salesperson. That is what a good salesperson does. No one can deny that. I'll make sure to put that in my review too. This is exhausting. May I suggest that instead of digging a hole defending yourselves you just help your client out. This is how that sounds: "Oops. Our bad. So sorry. We'll help you find lights that are appropriate and fit the light boxes. " Done, that's it! If you had said those short four sentences I would not have gotten hostile, frustrated, hurt, and felt compelled to warn other customers to stay away from City Lights. This is what I've decided to do. I'll return the sconces. Please come pick them up on Monday. When they are picked up, return my money. You may pick them up between 9:00 and 12:00. 4 sconces and a chandelier. You may call or text on Monday to confirm. Thank you. read more

Had a nice experience in-store. The rep was helpful and printed info about the two light fixtures we were interested in. Went home to consider. A day or two later, we called and left a message on the rep's VM so that we could place our order through her. No response. Even though we had additional questions, we went ahead and ordered the items online. Of course, they wanted to sell a $5.25 shipping protection fee, which we waived. Now, it's oh crap, because we just noticed the small print. Online orders are not accepted in-person at the showroom or warehouse. So, if the order's wrong or damaged, you're SOOL, and you're making a special trip to the UPS Store. So now, with fingers crossed, we wait for the delivery of our items. Oh, by the way, when you call, or even when you walk in, the receptionist has as much interest in you as...well, I can't think of the analogy, but it's not good. By the way, nearly a week later, still no return call from the sales rep. read more

Pros: + The store is beautiful and large so there's lots to look at. + If you're new to the lighting fixture world, simply walking through will help inspire and inform your choices. + Large range of price options so something will likely be in your budget, although it's likely not the coolest or biggest thing in the store. + The gentleman who manages e-commerce is super easy to work with and goes out of his way to help when you have issues with an online order or return. + They seem to have a lot of sales. + Parking is really easy. Cons: - Like others have mentioned the customer service is not good. We worked with a nice, eccentric gentleman our first time there when we were n00bs, who walked us through how to create a lighting scheme for one's home. When we were ready to order and I emailed him for more info, I realized he is not a details type of person; he's solidly in the big picture thinker camp. Nothing wrong with that, as it was certainly helpful at the beginning of our journey. But when you're ready to make the deal and all you get are vague email replies days later that don't have any real answers to your questions, it's frustrating. - On my many visits to the store after initial consult, I appreciated the ghosting because I am a shopper who needs time/space to browse and I hate when sales people are up on me. Then again, on the occasions I did have questions and actually wanted to order something, truly there is no one around or no one who will look up from their computer and make eye contact. - This includes front desk folks who acted annoyed with me the two times I came into the store with questions or complications on my orders. - On the website or when working with a store employee, there needs to be better communication about what needs to be purchased in addition to your fixture for it to be fully functional at install, such as do you need to buy the bulbs or are they included, do you need to buy a canopy or is it included, etc. Here nor there/FYI: * These folks are not electricians and don't/can't help with technical issues. read more

We wanted to replace our kitchen lights with new tracks which was difficult to find. Not even at Home Depot and Lowe's. Found City Lights in the city. Joy was instrumental in finding the right lights for us. She explained the various watts, colors, etc. She ordered our lights which only took about a week to arrive. Now my lights look more updated and importantly much brighter! They have a showcase of modern and beautiful lighting fixtures. Staff was super friendly and the place is dog friendly too! Thanks City Lights! read more

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For years, City Lights has been the first place I go when I want to find unique and cool lighting. And now with their fabulous new store location, it's even more incredible. It's huge and so much to choose from. A few months ago, I went in to browse. With the help of knowledgeable John Walker, I found lighting for my entryway, living and dining rooms - everything from chandeliers to table and floor lamps. My home looks gorgeous now and is filled with beautiful light and fixtures. City Lights has it all. read more

Ask for Rick. He is knowledgeable and very patient. I placed an online order and he answered all of my questions and helped me find the right bulbs for the fixture I purchased. Excellent service! read more

I was told to come here when looking for something very specific or difficult to install. When I needed shower lighting for a remodel, the sales lady knew exactly what I needed and I walked out with the products. Fast forward a few months later and I'm looking for undercounter lighting for a small area in the kitchen. Sadly, Gina was helping me. Clearly, it looked like she didn't want to be there; unthrilled, unenthusiastic and unhelpful. Seemed like i had to pullllll information out of her. Never did get back to me regarding pricing. So, I walked down the street and ordered it somewhere else. Two stars because in general there is gennerally very kind and they've been an institute in the city for years. You're just out of luck if you get Gina. read more

Their ship dates are completely made up. They waited weeks to tell me my shipment would be 4 weeks later than published in their site. Their horrible CS department and leadership offered to cancel the order ad the only recourse. If you are on a construction schedule, dance yourself the headache and just order from the manufacturer... or a reputable site. Buyer beware. read more

Andrew in the parts department was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Love going into the showroom.. lots of cool lighting and designs.

Great place to check out the latest in lighting trends, especially if you're taking a remodel down to the studs. I've purchased lighting here a few years back, when I was doing just that, and had no problems. Just recently started returning to get more ideas for more recent remodels. Spent an hour here the other day in search of lightning, and found the glass bubbles I'm going to use over our dining table. (See photo). TIP#1- As with most showrooms, bring your interior designer to get an additional discount TIP #2 - Showroom is no longer open on weekends TIP #3- They have a room in the back where they sell all kinds of light bulbs, including hard to find ones. They're more expensive here, so don't come to purchase your every day bulbs, just those specialty ones. read more

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i have been going to City Lights for more than 20 years and i am never disappointed. they have an excellent selection of fixtures and more importantly, a deep knowledge of lighting. from new fixtures, to bulbs for existing fixtures, Tina Jones and the team at City Lights has a solution for any lighting need. at a time when we are all encouraged to shop online, it is really great to have a "brick-and-mortar" resource like City Lights where you can actually see the fixture before purchasing. they are an invaluable tool for me. read more

I ordered a table lamp and ceiling fixture online and it came quickly. Will order more again when I remodel.

First of all - terrific selection; more than I have seen elsewhere, and full range of prices. I have purchased two products through City Lights: a Hubbardton Forge light as part of my bathroom remodel - expensive but very high quality/I love it. Also, a new outdoor light by my entry to replace the old, boring, original light. Also Hubbardton Forge/ love this one too. I would never have gotten this far if it wasn't for staff member John Walker. These were big purchases for me and I was very indecisive about what would work - so much so that I must have gone back to City Lights at least three times; in fact, I returned the first light I purchased (different brand). John was not only always helpful, but patient and understanding. He gave good advice, provided me with glass and metal samples to take home for color matches. Couldn't have been nicer and spent a ton of time with me on the phone and in person looking at options. Plus, he made it fun! Without a doubt, if/when I have friends who are looking for new lighting, I will refer them to City Lights SF, but specifically to John. read more

Great location, pricing and customer service. Bought a lap at an estate sale and it was from Europe. They had the correct e14 European bulb in stock for seven bucks and I was a happy camper. read more

Was really impressed walking into the showroom. Some great fixtures. Lots of staff, but all in their own world. Needed to ask for assistance. Lowe's is literally right down the street and way cheaper. Chose to go to a lighting store like this for their expertise. John Walker was the staff member that "helped" us. Clearly explained that I wanted a motion activated light for a closet. Turns on with motion (or open of door) and off with lack of motion or after a certain amount of time without motion. Could have been just a light or a light and a switch. Was open. He helped us pick a light that would fit the space and then left to find the right switch. After a significant wait, he apologized for taking so long, explaining that there were several options and he needed to be sure it was the right one. Upon quick inspection, seemed right. Paid and left. A few days later, an electrician came and installed the light and switch. Turns out what we were sold is not what we asked for. It's only automatic off. Reached out to John and he responded quickly saying "Sounds like one of my personal home installations that always seem to never go like they are supposed to. Let me check with my manager about what to do and get this working for you with either this product or another. I'll get back to you today but likely afternoon." No further response. Ever. Followed up multiple times. Completely ghosted. Even copied the general customer service email and received no response. Tried calling as well. Nothing. Terrible customer experience and service. Not at all experts in lighting. Recommend you do not support businesses like this. Sad to not support local, but HORRENDOUS experience and service. You've been warned! read more

I first bought some lights from City Lights SF over 20 years ago. I returned this year for upgrading multiple fixtures. This is a wonderful business with a wide range of quality products. The customer service was top notch. Special thanks to Henry, who was super knowledgeable and easy to work with. He has a keen eye for what might work best for specific locations. He walked me through each fixture, pointing out important technical aspects to consider. I'm so glad I went with many of Henry's suggestions. The new fixtures look absolutely beautiful! I've also worked with Rick and Christy for upgrading LED strip light and switches. They were very professional and helpful as well. The front desk staff and warehouse staff were friendly and efficient, making the pick-up process smooth. The store's website is a great resource. It's easy to navigate and the pictures match the actual items very well. They also have free parking! All in all, I am very satisfied with City Lights SF and will definitely go back for future lighting needs. read more

This store is a disappointment. Their lighting selection is ok and the new large space is nice but: It feels sterile and is missing some of the more beautiful lighting out there There is no customer service. I can't figure out what all the people who work there are doing because they want nothing to do with the customers. I spent a long time at this store looking for lighting for my home remodel and not one of the six staff looked up From their desks. Not to mention I was one of perhaps three people in the store- They didn't get any assistance either. I recommend Lumens. The store is in Sacramento but their website is easy To use and their selection is much better than city lights. They also have great sales and there is even online customer Service. City lights is a like an in person catalog with live people sitting around ignoring you. They need to make some major changes to get me back there. read more

I called in to get some guidance on using a European light fixture here in the US and was directed to one of their technicians Rick Lopez. Rick listened to my issue and provided his input. Then we continued to communicate via email until I had all the information I needed. Rick is extremely knowledgeable, and went above and beyond to help me and I really appreciated that! I will definitely be returning to City Lights for my future lighting purchases/needs! Thanks, Rick! read more

Ordered on Sunday, emailed for shipping status on Tuesday, and have not heard a response by end of day Friday. Shopify also says my order has not been shipped yet. Will update if I get a response soon. Hopefully they've shipped it and just forgot to update notifications. read more

Excellent service. Great showroom. A little hard to find in new location, tho.

They have a beautiful showroom and their staff are efficient and friendly. They have helped me with repairs on our kitchen sconces and couldn't be happier. This is the spot I will go to when I replace the lighting in my home. Great selection with various styles to appeal to everyone's tastes. Parking lot ( free to park) next to the building across the street. read more

City Lights has been around for over 40 years and it has a diverse lighting selection and very knowledgeable lighting professionals on staff to help customers. Robert Munzer was invaluable in guiding us to a light fixture for over our dining room table. In addition, he made suggestions about how low to hang the light. We were in the midst of a kitchen/dining area remodel and he also made suggestions on where to place ceiling lights in the dining room since we wanted to add additional lights. Our order was delivered on time and we appreciated having the option to pick up the fixture ourselves to avoid shipping expenses. read more

John was of great help. He took me to the storage area to "dig-up" the parts I needed. Extraordinary lighting fixtures throughout.

Rick, at City Lights was very helpful in advising me when I had a problem with a bathroom light in my condo. After I finally got the lamp down, he diagnosed and resolved the problem immediately. Great service. read more

I was searching for an address numbers bulb for our house and checked several hardware stores. Nobody stocked them. Called City Lights and spoke with Michael V. He asked me to send a photo of the encasement and the package of the part number. Turns out they didn't stock them either but Michael researched the part number on the internet unbeknownst to me and called me back with a solution. If you are looking for fantastic customer service and pride in task; look no further than city lights. Wonderful people and very knowledgeable. read more

Very friendly staff! Excellent service. Needed an array of light bulbs for fixtures around our home and I was in and out with everything I needed in under 15 min. Highly recommend this SF local business! read more

Very helpful staff! John Walker was instrumental in helping us with lighting for our business and went above and beyond by assisting us with the design and acquisition and delivery. Many thanks! read more

We've been buying from City Lights for the past 20 years. Just purchased and had delivered four Minka Air fans. Excellent customer service; excellent communications; great prices. read more

Great place to go for hard to find lighting stuffs. Parking is super easy which is nice when you have truck.

Horrible customer service. Not sure if the sales representative was racist, or not interested in making the sale when she found out I was spending less than $1000. Either way, not an inviting experience. Sales representatives could use some customer service training. read more

Mike Reisfelt SAVED Me FROM DROWNING in a DUMB ELECTRICAL PROBLEM - and it was a HUGE PROBLEM (that universal electric told me there was no solution for btw) putting house on market needed exterior fixture already pulled out one thrown away so no reinstall - right 3 stupid trips (2 sales of wrong items- then that does not exist change the cans) to Universal Electric ---- so frustrated Stop by City lights Mike has it resolved and I am walking out the door in like 15 minutes ......... obvi can not sell the house with the exterior cans lighting the garage door - empty - bare bulb hanging down DISASTER AVERTED thanks to Mike Reisfelt super grateful read more

One thing I learned is that light bulbs do come in all shapes and sizes. My lamp does require a special bulb that a narrow glass bulb and a unique metal base need to fit on the lighting base and the shade. And not any standard light bulb will fit in my lamp. But this SoMa light and lamp shop sells all kinds of light bulbs for your unique lamp, various and lighting fixture. Plus, the shop also sells various lightings for the modern-day living-life. I just got an energy-friendly and 60 watt light bulb for $5.00. The light bulb has 950 lumen and guarantee at least 2 years of life. Lumen indicates the brightness of the light bulb. And my light bulb is indeed very bright, which force Joe Cool to wear his shades. After I purchased the light bulb, I quickly browsed through the showroom of fancy and unique lamps, lighting and other various types. The showroom has the lighting type that you need. And the knowledgeable sales rep can customize and special order the specific lighting you need for commercial and residential use. I always thought that a simple and standard light bulb was the main one. But I did not know that there are many different kinds for special kinds. The shop has it all, all right. read more

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