San Francisco | Fillmore Street, Pacific Heights

On a recent visit to San Francisco, Pacific Heights was a must to visit to get out of the CBD and experience the light filled streets and trendy shopping strip that is Fillmore Street.

Fillmore is a long street running all the way to the bay near the Marina. This is the part of San Francisco where locals outnumber tourists, and you can get a feel for how the locals live. It's an interesting place to visit, more so during the day with many places to shop and eat with a laid back vibe.

Shopping

Take note, most stores don't open until 11:00 a.m., some are closed on Mondays. Most stores are specialty stores and boutiques offering fashion, homewares and giftware.

It's great to see Aussie brands like Aesop succeeding overseas and they had a beautiful store on Fillmore. As usual the staff were helpful, friendly and provided some much needed samples for the stay. It's always fun browsing the Aesop range and walking away with something that feels and smells delicious.

Widely known as the innovators of the boyfriend jean, Current/Elliott has become a denim brand defined by authenticity and sophistication. Launched in 2008 this brand continues to evolve and collaborate with people such as Marni, DVF, Joseph Altuzarra, Mary Katrantzou, and most recently Charlotte Gainsbourg.

One of my all time favourite fashion brands, Rag & Bone was a must visit. As was Jonathan Adler. I can't resist his bold colours and patterns.

Several vintage clothing shops and upscale thrift shops on Fillmore Street offer bargain-hunting opportunities.

It's not on Fillmore Street, but San Francisco's Japantown is so close that you can visit it while you're there. Here's what you can do in San Francisco Japantown.

Eat

You'll find plenty of places to eat on Fillmore Street. For a quick bite and a legendary juice sample Joe & the Juice, Blue Bottle Coffee or the local French boulangerie.

One of the easiest ways to pick one is to walk around, checking menus and seeing what's popular. You can also consult Yelp or another app that provides restaurant reviews and ratings. That approach will help you find places on nearby side streets like Gardenias at 1963 Sutter.

Interesting Fact | Some famous people who grew up on Fillmore Street in the early twentieth century including violinists Yehudi Menuhin and Issac Stern, poet Maya Angelou and comedian Mel Blanc, who was the voice of Bugs Bunny. During the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.

To read more posts like this go to The Journal.

Images taken by Nicole Hands | 1. & 2. Aesop / 3. Current/Elliott /