Small but packed record store and worth the visit. Nice selection on most genres (country and folk…read morevery small). Stocks a bit of all old media with majority of course being records. Owner is nice, will talk your ear off if you stick around. Prices seemed reasonable, did not find any real bargains but found a couple records for my collection that compared to other stores were priced fairly.

Stumbled across this shop on a short trip to San Francisco, and I will definitely be coming back! I…read moreended up spending three hours in there just looking at all their cassette tapes. Found some hidden gems at a great price. Also got a cassette holder that I am very excited about.

Very friendly lady helped us find the Chinese "lysee" red envelopes with our last name.read more

New Idea obviously sells DVDs and cell phone accessories. the store wasn't fully stocked as the…read morepics show. more like bare bones. not much into DVD's these days. time constraints. buys: tsing tao newspaper (.60) note: -many stores in chinatown selling cell phone accessories now.

What a cool place!…read more You can find things from vinyls to comics, to toys. There is a whole lot to see. At one of the desks, I received a free postcard and business card--which was cool. I also noticed they have a Photobooth. I believe it's $7 for two strips.

I still remember when this location was Park Bowl, but that was (gasp) over thirty years ago when…read morebowling was still a popular social activity. I myself was on a bowling team named the Orient Express, and I wish I still had my red team shirt with the dragon on the back. But I digress as this has been an independent record store since 1997, an offshoot of the Berkeley store on Telegraph. Digital downloads be damned, this shop is focused on physical media...CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes, Blu-rays, and of course, vinyl. Even before picking up spares at Park Bowl, I recall that moment in my youth when I made the monumental decision to switch my record purchases from vinyl to CDs. Nowadays, vinyl is making a comeback among a younger generation looking for a higher quality, more realistic sound quality. I saw these Gen Z audiophiles flipping through the long LP bins in search of the elusive underground classic their stereophonic friends could appreciate and envy. Personally I could find nuggets of my own. Albums like The Very Best of Spike Jones (Photo 10) and The Complete 2,000 Year Old Man (Photo 5) resonated with me. I was happy to see individual LPs consolidated into boxed sets like the Linda Ronstadt retrospective. Beyond the music is the expansive DVD collection of movie titles both classic and obscure. There's also books and collectible merchandise like pop-culture lunch boxes and celebrity prayer candles. I'm not sure I need a candle that deifies Aubrey Plaza, but it's good to know where I can get one. RELATED - Exploring the Haight? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/Mq6DbbrGGJ

This shop have been here as long as I have lived. It's a…read morehuge part of SF Chinatown history. They sell traditional Chinese red envelopes with unlimited variations of designs, traditional Chinese New Years decorations and some tech stuff (aux plug or headphone plugs). Inside is a warm light (yellow), so colors/dye of decorations won't fade. It's a pretty huge space, they have red envelopes throughout the stores on very corner. Ranging and categorizing by events such as weddings, good luck, wealth, health, education, and they have a whole wall of customize last names. Today my mom bought a wedding envelope. That will be used for my cousins upcoming wedding. $3.95 and there's 2 inside. That's a pretty cheap price (Pricing depends on quality and design) Only con- The shop smells. It reeks of dry sweat and piss. There is no window installment. Idk if it's bad venting or no air conditioning or because they share venting with the chicken shop next door or because lots of homeless people piss in the alley... But they should find a fix. Because that is the #1 reason why they're not receiving business because customers aren't willing to stay in a smelly shop. And with more customers in there, the more stuffier it gets. While I was shopping today, 2 groups came in. One couple and a group of 6-8 young adults. The couple walked in and straight out. The group did a lap, complimented on the things but made fun of the smell, laugh and left.

Came here last time looking for some nice looking Chinese new year decorations & I ended up buying…read morea little mini hanging Lucky rabbit with a Chinese Style gold design & a small sized hanging red lantern... If your here in the San Francisco Ca Chinatown Area as a visitor from out of town from the states or from another country... And looking for nice looking Chinese New Year decorations... Go to the Asia Star at the San Francisco Chinatown Ca USA Location!!!

City Lights is one of my favorite bookstores in San Francisco. There's something about wandering…read morethrough it that makes me feel like a kid again. With every twist and turn, another staircase or room appears, filled with books and entirely new worlds to discover. It always brings me back to the days I spent with my grandmother at our old library. We would sit together on the stairs and read to each other, completely content to spend hours surrounded by books. I think that's part of why City Lights feels so special to me--it brings back that same sense of curiosity, comfort, and excitement I felt with her. I rarely come here looking for one specific thing. The fun is wandering the shelves until a cover, title, or completely unexpected book catches my attention. Somehow I always leave with another story I can't wait to disappear into. There are bookstores you go to simply to buy a book, and then there are bookstores you experience. City Lights is the latter. It's a little piece of San Francisco that I hope never changes.

One of the neatest bookstores in the US. The Poetry room upstairs is wonderful. So much fun…read morehistory here to learn about. And this bookstores has some amazing staff book recommendations with little tags on the bookshelf telling you why they loved that book so much; found some great new finds that way. Dont forget to get your books stamped with their bookstores stamp on the way out!

The owner is incredibly helpful and happy to teach noobs advanced techniques…read more The prices are excellent and he carries most items (like Mr Hobby Sprays) that are overpriced online. I really recommend Ying's shop and I hope he continues to share his tips with the next gens of gunpla-ers :)

Definitely a "hole in the wall" store located in an unassuming alleyway in SF Chinatown. Store…read morehours appear accurate and the owner Tony opened the door right at 1:00 PM. The store is cramped and ceilings are low, so be mindful of any big purses or backpacks - you wouldn't want to knock over any of the delicate figurines. The place sells mostly Gundams. Not as many Real Grade (RG) gundams available, but still a great place to check out. Prices are marked on a majority of the products which I appreciate, though I still did find some items that didn't have a price tag stuck on it. Overall a cool place to check out if you're just browsing and seeing if anything catches your eye, but not if you're hoping to find something super specific (you might be able to call ahead of time to check inventory but I haven't tried this)

I have been to a lot of interesting Chinese Gift Shops all over the San Francisco Chinatown Ca USA…read moreArea & Asia Star is one of them!!!!! The only when this Asia Star Gift Shop gets really busy is during the Chinese Lunar New Year!!!!! If your here visiting from another country or from another US State & If you like Chinese memorabilia try going to this Asia Star Gift Shop at the San Francisco Ca Chinatown USA area!!!!

Shopping in San Francisco's Chinatown…read more.. I was strolling around when I passed by a display of red Good luck envelopes. I wondered if they had my family's last name... and they did! I also looked at some keychains and jade charms... thinking that they're easy to pack in my suitcase and great as gifts... hmmm... For example, my sister is Year of the Horse... my mom is Year of the Dog, etc. Maybe next time! For now, I'm happy with my lucky red envelopes!

I went to Out of Sight (not the pizza place)at North Beach in San Francisco. Out of Sight records…read moreis a store which sells vintage clothes, records, and home decor located in North Beach in an alley which is out of sight from the bars, and restaurants which makes it a hidden gem. I stumbled here and went down the stairs and I felt I transported in a time machine to the past. A record store selling vinyl records sighting in San Francisco is a rarity like meeting a San Francisco born native still living in San Francisco. There were some interesting items here for sale . Lots of vintage items inside and it seems like a movie and television props storage space . It's a good place to explore classics from the twentieth century. Out of Sight records is a blast from past when things were built to last. Although record shops in San Francisco decreased and are at a low percentage Go to Out of Sight Records if you want to shop and go vintage

This is a nice little record and used clothing shop in an alley in North Beach. The owner is a nice…read moreguy and prices seem reasonable. I haven't actually purchased anything there but plan to keep it in my rotation (no pun intended).

Super cute interesting finds, pretty pricey. Such as $25 for a small cloth tote or $35 for a normal…read moresize shopping tote Calendars, toys, plushes, and oh books of course. A lot of people go for the items more so than books

This is a long-established Japanese bookstore that has been around since I first came to the United…read moreStates over 20 years ago. My grandmother and my aunt both loved this place. They spoke Japanese and received a Japanese education, so this bookstore always held a special meaning for them. The store carries a wide selection of Japanese books, magazines, Reader's Digest (Japanese edition), and manga. It also offers many adorable Japanese-style plush toys, collectibles, and accessories. You'll often see American teenagers who are passionate about Japanese anime and manga browsing here, which gives the bookstore a lively and welcoming atmosphere. I highly recommend this bookstore to anyone who loves Japanese culture, anime, manga, or simply wants to experience a little piece of Japan. 一家很老的日式書店，我20年前來美國就有的書店了，我奶奶和我大姑姑生前就很喜歡這家書店，尤其她們都會講日文也接受日本教育。這家書店也很多日本的雜誌、包括讀者文摘和日本的漫畫，這家還有很多很可愛亞洲風格的玩偶和飾品。平常有很多愛好日式動漫的美國青少年會光顧這家書店，我強力推薦給喜歡日本文化的各位。

Love these guys! I've bought two beautiful instruments from them and the experience both times was…read morefantastic. They are very chill, supportive, and helpful. It's a beautiful place to find just the right guitar :) And they have a fantastic selection of ukulele's and baritone ukulele's as well!

Got my guitar restrung here. The service was excellent and fast. They have a wide range of guitars,…read moreincluding less expensive ones. I appreciated that considering where we live.