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4.0 of 5 stars.
Just my luck. come to SF for a week and every day it is sunny and beautiful. I had counted on at least one rainy windy day so we could camp out at City Lights. Oh well maybe next time. I would give it...
yelp.com - user review - 10/13/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is my favorite bookstore in California. It has history and all the right elements that a great book store should have. The lighting, decor, even the smells are something that have stuck into...
yelp.com - user review - 10/11/2009
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3.0 of 5 stars.
The bookstore carries the name after the most beautiful movie in the history of cinema, but sadly, it is not even a reminder of the times passed by. Its spirit has been eaten up by the lack of an...
yelp.com - user review - 10/11/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Attention All Book Worms, this is where all library hours should be spent, that's if you live in San Fran of course. This famous, independent and nostalgic bookstore will make you want to stop time,...
yelp.com - user review - 09/30/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
It's not quite Shakespeare & Co., (but what is). City Lights is, nonetheless, a great bookstore and a treasure in SF. Poetry room is a joy to just hang-out in. Staff selections are excellent. It's...
yelp.com - user review - 09/26/2009
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2.0 of 5 stars.
This review, fair warning, is going to get a bit explicit and cranky. A lot like a horny pregnant woman without pickle wasabi ice cream. Which is something I never thought I'd compare myself to. So,...
yelp.com - user review - 09/18/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I loved sitting in the poetry room upstairs and reading poetry in the assortment of chairs up there. Despite getting criticized for my taste in poetry, it was a great place to relax and recharge the...
yelp.com - user review - 09/12/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Great selection, lovely atmosphere.
yelp.com - user review - 09/06/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
4 stars for the history, culture, and crazy cool beatnik space that is the monument of City Lights.Unfortunately, I can't give a 5th star. I had 2 friends visiting from Italy who were ecstatic about...
yelp.com - user review - 08/31/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Just given its history and importance in 20th century American literature alone this bookstore is a world treasure. Plus, there's an Anarchism section.
yelp.com - user review - 08/29/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This bookstore is wonderful. It has so much wonderful history, both locally and on an international level. As an angsty teen (and even now) I come in and stock up on my beatnik poetry and...
yelp.com - user review - 08/27/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
You know when you walk into a place and you can feel the importance filtering into the air, and filling your person with history? That is exactly what City Lights feels like. City Lights feels like...
yelp.com - user review - 08/24/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I have been coming here my entire life. Literally. My dad used to give me a twenty, drop me off in one of the cute plastic toddler chairs in the children's section downstairs and go drinking across...
yelp.com - user review - 08/19/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Hands down, the coolest bookstore I've ever been to. I can seriously spend all day here.
yelp.com - user review - 07/28/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
What don't they have?
yelp.com - user review - 07/24/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Go there if you want to spend a long time enjoying a quiet, browse around experience. I've been there a handful of times and have only scratched the surface in terms of looking around the different...
yelp.com - user review - 07/22/2009
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2.0 of 5 stars.
As a closet Beat-freak visiting SF for the first time, this was the first place I headed from the airport.After half an hour of browsing (lovely, lovely second floor!) I asked a staff member if there...
yelp.com - user review - 07/19/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
One of my all time favorite bookstores, but unless you live in the neighborhood, or work nearby; it is impossible to find street parking around here. That's why a bookstore like Powell's in Portland...
yelp.com - user review - 07/18/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Even though I hate a lot of the tourist traps up at North Beach, City Lights still hangs in there as a bookstore that isn't spewing over with displays of the latest Dean Koontz whatever novel.Browse...
yelp.com - user review - 07/17/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
A great bookstore with a lot of history. The selection of books is all about quality and not quantity.I noted that some uncomformist rebel slipped a few copies of The Economist into the magazine rack...
yelp.com - user review - 07/17/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Love City Lights. I could spend a weekend in the store, but they'd probably call the police to have me thrown out. I always leave with an handful of books that I'd somehow overlooked before, books...
yelp.com - user review - 07/13/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Besides the obvious history of this place, it really is a world class bookstore. I'd say it is the best non-used bookstore in the US.Great selection of radical leftist books (finally, their Marxist...
yelp.com - user review - 06/26/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Books.Books.Books.OMG, books!I came in here slightly cynical, thinking that all I'd find would be tourists and elitist literature snobs. I was wrong. What I found was a little store jam packed with...
yelp.com - user review - 06/23/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The poetry room is wonderful. It's the only place I've been to that has a good selection of Diane di Prima. Also, besides being wonderfully historic, the general selection of literary magazines and...
yelp.com - user review - 06/19/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I want to give City Lights a five-star review but my cynicism won't let me. Maybe my current reading list is to blame for this state of things: I just finished reading some stories by the deeply and...
yelp.com - user review - 06/18/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Yay! City Lights always has something cool to stick my nose in, and I'm not even that big on books. They have their own published works, offbeat magazines, cool art books, European literature. I love...
yelp.com - user review - 06/12/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
*Review No. 42 [========================================] [[ C I T Y L I G H T S B O O K S T O R E ]] [[ ======================================] [[...
yelp.com - user review - 06/09/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
LOVE. If City Lights was a man I'd jump it and fall in love over and over again. I felt like a nerdy college girl again when I read through the titles in the basement. From philosophy to travel...
yelp.com - user review - 06/07/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
As far back as I can remember, I've had a major crush on books.My parents took me to City Lights as a tot, let me run up and down the narrow steps, fawning over books that were out of my league. You...
yelp.com - user review - 06/03/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
voices of the chicano eightthe night torn mad with footstepsfootsteps creaking the old beamsof the floor abovesilent voices (spoken only in minds)calm pacers, careful not to disturb,reminiscent of...
yelp.com - user review - 06/02/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is one of the greatest bookstores in the United States started by Ferlingetti during the rise of the Beat Generation. The books are popular and alternative. There's a lot of great popular...
yelp.com - user review - 06/02/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
An institution. A destination. Like visiting history. A must-see for fans of Beat lit, counterculture theory, and free thinkers. We're lucky it's still thriving.
yelp.com - user review - 05/31/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Living in Paris is quite nice, especially with the endless cultural amenities. From world class museums to grungy squats, from chic cafes to hidden dives: Paris rocks. Bookish Americans in Paris also...
yelp.com - user review - 05/29/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
A hop skip and a jump away from Vesuvio, you'll find a beautiful selection of books at City Lights. This place is legendary, and goes on forever. I thought I had seen everything until I walked past...
yelp.com - user review - 05/26/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The sign in the poetry room upstairs says "READ HERE NOW." It's the best room in the store. There's something about the layout of the room that encourages browsing without overwhelming you with...
yelp.com - user review - 05/22/2009
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3.0 of 5 stars.
great location, beautiful architectural designs, lots of out of print & hard to find books, decent size LGBT section, nice cozy section to read and relax downstairs. I absolutely love the bookstore...
yelp.com - user review - 05/18/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
After having been in this area for about 9 years...give or take a few years.... I finally ventured in here.This place is very clean but it feels very cozy (maybe a touch too much). I kind of feel...
yelp.com - user review - 05/14/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
i love this place! it has the most random and wonderful books I've had the pleasure of leafing through. =) staff is always super nice and ALWAYS willing to give recommendations. *extra perk: there's...
yelp.com - user review - 04/29/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This review is long overdue.I've read many a book at this legendary book store, and purchased a few that I probably wouldn't have been able to find elsewhere in the city.Staff members are almost...
yelp.com - user review - 04/09/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I don't allow myself to visit anymore. Each time I do, I spend hours upon hours scoping out all the nooks and crannies reading and learning. I always leave with more than enough books to distract me...
yelp.com - user review - 03/27/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is one of my favorite bookstores in the city - this might also be partly due to that is within blocks of my brothers house. I have bought some great books here based on workers recommendations -...
yelp.com - user review - 03/22/2009
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My friends and I bought several books and some small chotchkie items from City Lights and had the best time hunting for obscure titles. I think the guy behind the desk got a kick out of us having so much fun!...
citysearch.com - user review - 03/12/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Owned and operated by the last living beat poet, Lawrence Ferlinghetti.This place cannot be reviewed as it is peerless. Yes it's a great bookstore, but it's also a time machine. A must see place when...
yelp.com - user review - 03/12/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
One of the best bookstores in the world! And a great place to just hang out and browse (for hours).
yelp.com - user review - 03/05/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Wonderful place! I love the old protest signs around the place, and the random chairs so you can browse without feeling bad. Also love that it is open til midnight AND it's in awesome North Beach....
yelp.com - user review - 03/04/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Here is a bookstore in a labyrinth. Perhaps it also has to do with the fact that i have such poor sense of direction , coupled with the fact that I cannot splinter my attention in a bookstore, that I...
yelp.com - user review - 03/03/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
City Lights renewed my stuck-in-Orange County-for-the-past-7-months spirit. On my most recent visit to SF, I found myself with 6 new books and without the guilt of being forced to order them from...
yelp.com - user review - 02/26/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
What a fabulous little bookstore. Not only are the staff helpful with great suggestions, but there is an amazing history behind this place. I love going upstairs to the Beat section and browsing...
yelp.com - user review - 02/24/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This bookstore breaths soul and history. It was the first bookstore I ever entered in San Francisco and unfortunately, that's true for many others, including, at times, swarms of tourists (if it...
yelp.com - user review - 02/17/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
The employees at the major chain always tend to ignore me if I try to ask for recommendations, so I always have a terrible time trying to find books that are just right for my moods for the day. My...
yelp.com - user review - 02/17/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I like this bookstore . Lots of interesting , unique , educating books .
yelp.com - user review - 02/16/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place is heaven to my eyes and to my readers soul. I love coming here whenever i eat at the cute italian cafe's around Northbeach. It's great for after a meal because you get to walk around while...
yelp.com - user review - 02/11/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
this is like going to a historical landmark/ museum. i love it; it's such a SF establishment....i've bought quite a few books here, including a couple of Kerouacs. *sigh*
yelp.com - user review - 02/09/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Love love love this place! I have heard so many good things about it and it defiantly holds up to it's reputation. I am secretly always looking for new books to read. I have about 15 on the to be read...
yelp.com - user review - 02/05/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Quaint, cute, full of history that your heart almost wants to burst with excitement. You wonder and gaze in awe at the beat generation history that surrounds you like a warm blanket. Cute mirrors...
yelp.com - user review - 02/01/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The place to find all those books that some corporate America hack has deemed unworthy of any valuable book space in the mega chains. I can't speak to the staff friendliness or lack thereof, mainly...
yelp.com - user review - 01/31/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Best bookstore in the city! It just happens to be within a few blocks of all the major strip clubs... And right across the alley from the kick ass bar vesuvio!Go to City Lights, buy a book, take your...
yelp.com - user review - 01/22/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Go to City Lights! You won't have Shitty Nights! Here's a historic book store to get your inner beatnik yuppie hippy on at. Stopped by here on a couple occasions going through the China Town, North...
yelp.com - user review - 01/14/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
best bookstore ever. i don't even like beat poetry or beat anything!
yelp.com - user review - 01/06/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Perhaps the grand-daddy of indie bookstores, at least in SF, and perhaps the West Coast. It's one of the best bookstores, ever. Now they primarily sell new books, and very little used books.Back in...
yelp.com - user review - 01/05/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Wow, I have probably read about 30 of these listings, and I am not sure if some of you are going to the same bookstore as me. Yes, this is an amazing book store with an amazing selection, but where...
yelp.com - user review - 12/26/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This landmark, bookstore, publisher and foundation makes me spend my money. When I am in North Beach and I want to read magazines you could never buy at Borders or Barnes & Noble I head here. The...
yelp.com - user review - 12/21/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
When I was fourteen I had this serious Beat poetry habit. I used to take BART and bus out to City Lights and sit upstairs and experience all the poetry and bask in the history of the place. I still...
yelp.com - user review - 12/18/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Good place to buy books in SF bay, nice selection and relaxed. Good location also, anyone still reading books these days, lol, should go here.
yelp.com - user review - 12/11/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Living history. For any beat reader, this is a must.
yelp.com - user review - 12/06/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Years ago, I hired a book finder to locate an out-of-print book by Juan Ruflo, titled "Pedro Paramo, a Novel of Mexico." The book finder was unable to find it, after weeks of diligently searching, and...
yelp.com - user review - 11/30/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Okay, momentarily looking past the charm, character and history behind City Lights... OH-my-god, do they have a cool selection! I could probably spend the whole day here. The store may feel a little...
yelp.com - user review - 11/30/2008
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1.0 of 5 stars.
Pretentious wannabe writers posing as customer service (ha!) staff - and the books are expensive. This place has mophed into a haven for tourists who actually think that the Beat writers were good,...
yelp.com - user review - 11/30/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
This place looked a lot bigger when I passed by it time and time again compared to when I actually went in. I did not check out the lower level, because I was aiming for fiction, but the upstairs was...
yelp.com - user review - 11/26/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
awesome awesome book store! so many books! if youre into the beat era this is definitly your place! the poetry room is a great place to sit down and check out a book. although everytime ive been here...
yelp.com - user review - 11/25/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I can't go to San Francisco and *not* go to City Lights! On my most recent trip I picked up a few staff recommendations and indulged myself upstairs with some in-house reading of their vast local,...
yelp.com - user review - 11/25/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
If I'm looking for a book, be it trade or academic, I know that if I can't find it on the shelves, City Lights can order it for me. Truly, this bookstore has one of the best selections in the country...
yelp.com - user review - 11/03/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
You don't need my review in this one. When you don't need my review, I write a haiku:History made hereAnd it still happens nowbookshelves and lectures
yelp.com - user review - 11/02/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
A Legend.I read Ginsberg for the first time when I was shacked up with my knocked up gf Sheryl. She peeped it and called me a fag. She didn't get it or just couldn't resist hurting me, I saw the...
yelp.com - user review - 11/01/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
If you haven't visited City Lights Bookstore and you live in the city, you should be hit over the head and dragged to this bookshop so you can have the privilege of waking up amongst one of the most...
yelp.com - user review - 11/01/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The best
yelp.com - user review - 10/30/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I was confused. But that's okay. I've always enjoyed being confused. Like kids that enjoy getting dizzy. But I went in to City Lights to pick up something simple, ambient, conducive to dinner...
yelp.com - user review - 10/28/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Awesome non-mega bookstore. Their selection is great, the staff was helpful. Great space and natural light. Their prices were great.
yelp.com - user review - 10/26/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
You know I'm not the type of guy that will go out of his way to go to a bookstore, and if I do I'm content with the Borders on my way home from BART in Pleasant Hill or Amazon. I had a lunch to myself...
yelp.com - user review - 10/09/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
City Lights is not a comfortable browsing book store when it is filled with people. The aisles are narrow and tight to navigate. I wouldn't call this a disabled person friendly place at all....
yelp.com - user review - 10/07/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
It's one of the best bookstores, I go in not looking for anything in particular, and come out either buying or skimming through a good book or two . This place has great nerd appeal! I love going...
yelp.com - user review - 10/05/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
If you're not a local, you don't go there to buy books, typically. Yeah, they've got stuff you'll never be able to find anywhere (especailly in the area of poetry), but mostly, you're there because...
yelp.com - user review - 09/29/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is my "happy place". It's that place go to when my world turns to shit. The selection is amazing; diverse, highbrow, and interesting on top of it all. Yes the clerks are strange and a little...
yelp.com - user review - 09/27/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I love this bookstore!! Very quaint, but with a great selection. I found The Enchanter, Nabokov, which I rarely see sold at major bookstores, so of course I had to pick it up! I would recommend going...
yelp.com - user review - 09/21/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
good place for books
yelp.com - user review - 09/20/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
We now know where the old beatniks and hippies ended up...standing behind the counter at City Lights as cranky, crabbing old men who carp at the customers. (To be fair, there are young people working...
yelp.com - user review - 09/14/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Come here and read - if you see something eye-catching, have a seat and lose yourself! City Lights just can't be beat in its awesome vibe and selection. I love coming here late on a weeknight and...
yelp.com - user review - 09/04/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Now that MIDNIGHT SPECIAL is closed down(oh so sad). City Lights now stands as my favorite bookstore on the west coast . well organized- very diverse. I actually felt comfortable sittting and reading...
yelp.com - user review - 09/03/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
If you love the Beats, you'll love this bookstore. That said, I love the Beats.
yelp.com - user review - 08/27/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Like Vesuvio next door, City Lights, for me, is about the history - and you can still see Larry wandering about. Nice.Another very cool feature of City Lights is that you can use their address for...
yelp.com - user review - 08/26/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
If you don't know how to read this might be the place for you. This place is Iconic. Sit and read. You can buy the book too which is probably a good idea if you like. You can even read poetry up...
yelp.com - user review - 08/21/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I like everything City Lights Stands for. But there are a few things that just feel wrong1. When I first moved to the Bay Area in the mid 90's, I had all these mental images of what City Lights was...
yelp.com - user review - 08/20/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
City Lights has a venerable history and is my favourtie bookshop in the city.It's certainly not the biggest bookshop in the world, although is deceptively large once inside, kind of like the Tardis....
yelp.com - user review - 08/12/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Disregard everything negative anyone's said. If you understand what a bookstore should be, you will love it here. Quiet, wooden, old, stocked with choice titles. Makes clever use of the awkward...
yelp.com - user review - 08/09/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I wasn't that impressed with the store. Don't get me wrong, I have enormous respect for the history and cultural contributions of City Lights. But as an actual bookstore, it doesn't distinguish...
yelp.com - user review - 08/08/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place is awesome. Nothing more.
yelp.com - user review - 07/31/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
City Lights gives the city character. It feels...defiant and dignified. The smell of books, books, and books. The smile of the helpful guy behind the counter. The quiet, the culture, the safe...
yelp.com - user review - 07/28/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place is an American institution and rightly so. Enjoy the great books and the history that goes with it.
yelp.com - user review - 07/25/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
If you are ever catching a bite in the immense degree of North Beach then you can't even consider walking past City Lights. Just put a zipper on your mouth for the next hour or two and be prepared to...
yelp.com - user review - 07/24/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
You bulldozing Borders-browsing buzzards need to stay away from this institution. I mean it. Beat it. Hit the road. Go peddle your discount card somewhere else. Only true book lovers need come here,...
yelp.com - user review - 07/22/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Don't believe the hype.
yelp.com - user review - 07/21/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
City LIghts is one of the things that made me move to San Francisco. I used to order copies of Kerouac's Scripture of the Golden Eternity over the phone from this place. Now that I live here I just...
yelp.com - user review - 07/19/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
While I prefer to buy books used on Amazon.com, I appreciate and value the history.They did have a huge selection of Diane di Prima (no surprise there) and some Bukowski shorts illustrated by Crumb...
yelp.com - user review - 07/08/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I browsed though this bookstore to kill time before dinner and I was surprised to find Hyphen Magazine! That's why this place gets three stars.They also had a performance that night but I had to leave...
yelp.com - user review - 07/07/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
In this day and age of Amazon.com I never buy books at bookstores (unless it is in an airport) so I am rating this on for the staff/atmosphere. Staff was super nice, all very young. Atmosphere was...
yelp.com - user review - 07/05/2008
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1.0 of 5 stars.
There's a review from earlier in the year, rather succinct, where-in the gal who wrote it defined the staff at City Lights in one word: Heathens.I feel uncomfortable in there. I shouldn't feel...
yelp.com - user review - 07/04/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti:I was surprised when your friends helped you stand up to the podium in discomfort after being huddled and rolled in a wheelchair. You could have been ailing when you relied on...
yelp.com - user review - 06/30/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
What a cool bookstore. I'm not even a reader, but so many in the selection piqued my interest. If only there was a bookstore like this in Chicago............
yelp.com - user review - 06/18/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I feel smarter just being in this bookstore. What a wonderful, eclectic collection. Their window displays can't be beat...they draw me into the store like a siren song. Whoever is in charge of...
yelp.com - user review - 06/12/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
If I lived around this area - I would have gone BANKRUPT because I love this bookstore!Everytime I come here, usually with my out of town friend in tow, I always end up buying book(s) - usually...
yelp.com - user review - 06/09/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Great independent bookstore with incredible selection. And it is a literary landmark! I know that if I'm looking for any book on Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs and the gang, I can easily find it there....
yelp.com - user review - 06/09/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
they redid their floors, which probably needed to be done, but ever since they did away with the old linoleum, it seems to have lost a bit of charm for me. especially upstairs in the poetry room....
yelp.com - user review - 05/26/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
go to the top floor and look for ferlinghetti. his imprint is everywhere down to the fact that paperbacks are sold here, the very thing he at one time championed. excellent selection of books, of...
yelp.com - user review - 05/17/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I get the goose bumps out of excitement that begin while I wait to cross the street to get into City Lights. All those shiny books in the windows begging me to read them can be too much for me to...
yelp.com - user review - 05/15/2008
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1.0 of 5 stars.
A conversation I had at City Lights this afternoon:Me: Where would I find Malcolm GladwellClerk: Malcolm Gladwell? I'm not familiar with him. Me: He wrote Blink and The Tipping PointClerk: Oh, we...
yelp.com - user review - 05/11/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Great collection of books, with many floors. A great collection of literature from the Beat generation...and more. A maze of books to choose from. Also located in a great location on Columbus Ave in...
yelp.com - user review - 05/11/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I love city lights....especially the Evidence section in the basement...small section of books from medical curiosities to criminal masterminds....love it love it love it....this section....check out...
yelp.com - user review - 05/10/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Oh sweet baby Jesus do I like this place! I have spent literally hours in this place after work, trying to lose myself in a good book. They have a great selection and the staff have guided me to books...
yelp.com - user review - 04/24/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Great bookstore. They have almost everything as well as local writers and publications. I can easily spend hours in here on a weekend. Sure, may be touristy, but the location suits it. You will surely...
yelp.com - user review - 04/20/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
One of my all-time favorite places to spend time. I could browse here for hours - and have sometimes even been known to purchase a book.
yelp.com - user review - 04/11/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
2 Stars Taryn G.?! Come on. So what if you were an English major. City Lights is a San Francisco landmark.. Granted many tourists from all over the world pay homage to the beat generation by...
yelp.com - user review - 04/10/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
This place was a huge let down for me. As an English major, I found it pretty disappointing that the majority of books in the store were novelty, tourists texts about "beat culture" and other vague...
yelp.com - user review - 04/07/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
i love this place. the history, the attitude. the selection. It may sacreligious to say so, but ferlingetti always seemed a bit of a hack poetically to me, but he deserves undying praise for city...
yelp.com - user review - 04/02/2008
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This was at the top of our places to visit while we were in town. It wasn't the best experience. After the way the staff treated us, I'd never give them my money. It's a neat store, so it's unforunate that...
citysearch.com - user review - 03/13/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I believe beatniks like Kerouac use to hangout here and then go to Vesuvio's after. Well I did it the other way around. On a drunken escapade, I was determined to buy a book. The result? The Essential...
yelp.com - user review - 03/12/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Definitely my favorite bookstore of all time, with such a great wealth of material for people who think critically and a little differently. I would kill for someplace like this in DC or VA. city...
yelp.com - user review - 03/08/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
city lights is amazing, walk up the old rickety stairs into the poetry room, read some odes and glance out the window towards the alley and the downtown skyline and dream.ah, i love this city.
yelp.com - user review - 03/08/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
It's taken me this long to write a City Lights review? A friend knows when to say when. So where were you, friend?OK, I want to give this place four stars because, deep down, I feel like a tourist...
yelp.com - user review - 03/05/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Okay, so I love bookstores. I seek them everywhere I go, and my favorite of all time in in Paris and I miss it every time I walk into a bookstore. But then I was taken to City Lights. Just as small,...
yelp.com - user review - 02/29/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
i love this place so much i want to lick the books.
yelp.com - user review - 02/25/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Of course nothing can compare to Portland's Powell's Books.But this was a pretty cool bookstore in a cool neighborhood. 3 floors of various books on all subjects. Its worth it to check this place...
yelp.com - user review - 02/19/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Once I tried to see if the staff would lock me in overnight if I just hid out upstairs at closing time. A sleepover in Citylights would be the best night of my life. I daydream about trips back to SF...
yelp.com - user review - 02/19/2008
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This place is a legend unto itself. Known best for its days as The Beats hangout -- writers like Jack Kerouac held court here. City Lights is located in North Beach. And although most tourists just take a...
citysearch.com - user review - 02/18/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I would live here if I could.
yelp.com - user review - 02/17/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
It is easy to camp out at this bookstore for hours. They have a good selection of books. I have seen some good book and poetry readings by talented artists. I also like the banner outside of the...
yelp.com - user review - 02/16/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is the best bookstore in San Francisco; it has 4 floors of books, zines and other publications. Great selection, good prices and well organized too. and every now and then they have really...
yelp.com - user review - 02/06/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
"Have a Seat and Read a Book" - can't think of a better theme for a bookstore! I went into City Lights looking for a particular journal and ended up losing a few hours reading random books. They...
yelp.com - user review - 01/20/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
You know when you get really excited about something... I mean really really excited, and all of a sudden you have to pee? Yeah, that's me every single time I walk into this place. I love books and...
yelp.com - user review - 01/18/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Probably the most famous bookstore in this town, if not the country.I kind of dig how they separate by author's nationality....it's an interesting way to do it. There's so much to read in this store...
yelp.com - user review - 01/13/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
City Lights is probably the only literary tourist attraction, but that is a good enough reason to go if you're in the area. Be advised, the only nearby street parking I could find was 30 minutes...
yelp.com - user review - 01/13/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
City Lights is one of the main reasons I'm jealous of Bay Area locals. The history, the subversive atmosphere, the irreverence of it all. And the books. Well, I've spent hours, hours just scanning the...
yelp.com - user review - 01/10/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The first time I went to City Lights I probably spent about an hour scanning the shelves, walking up and down the creaking stairs, and salivating over the books. This is the kind of place where you...
yelp.com - user review - 01/09/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is heaven for book nerds. The quirky featured titles and wide-ranging selection. It was a great little oasis from the tourist madness of Chinatown around the corner. I tried to walk out without...
yelp.com - user review - 01/07/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I'm glad they are here. The history of this place helps make San Francisco the unique place that it is. Good selection of certain genres of books. Countercultural, underground, social commentary,...
yelp.com - user review - 01/04/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Everyone has said it before, but it really is a treat to come here. The books alone would have been enough (catch that religious reference), but there's the history, the atmosphere, the whole North...
yelp.com - user review - 12/23/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Just an amazing library...
yelp.com - user review - 12/21/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
There is no way to say differently what has been said hundreds of times before. This bookstore is in a class by itself, there is no comparison. My particular interests are philosophy and music and you...
yelp.com - user review - 12/18/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
What a bookstore should be. I have been going here since I was a very young child. I remember my father driving me into San Francisco when he decided to go on a field trip, and we would spend hours...
yelp.com - user review - 12/15/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I had low expectations walking into the store--as it's obviously so famous and has a steady flow of tourist traffic due to its history, maybe it would be a great place to snap photographs. But this is...
yelp.com - user review - 11/24/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
i salivate over the unique stock . nice press. many titles i covet here. not cheap, but high quality.
yelp.com - user review - 11/23/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Best book store ever. Period. WTF is wrong with Yelp? This is in North Beach, not Nobb Hill! I've only been to SF 3 times, but even I know that. This the store to go when you don't have a book in...
yelp.com - user review - 11/20/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I have personally found some great rare books here and I did enjoy there "Dissent is not unAmerican" banner.
yelp.com - user review - 11/19/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
my second favorite bookshop (behind green apple) - the history does it some justice, and there's also a great selection/wide variety in the books they carry, but the biggest selling point is their...
yelp.com - user review - 11/10/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
this is a great little bookstore right in north beach. the staff is helpful, knowledgable, and friendly. this is not only a great location but a great store too. it's filled at the seams with so...
yelp.com - user review - 11/04/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is a Beat shrine! A classic bookstore filled with great books, many of them obviously from Beat writers and poets. A must go to place when visiting San Francisco. You could spend literally hours...
yelp.com - user review - 10/30/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Historic.
yelp.com - user review - 10/28/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I like to visit City Lights whenever I'm in SF. Especially like the painted outer walls of City Lights. As a poet/writer with a full time professional career doing something totally unrelated, I...
yelp.com - user review - 10/22/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Thank goodness places like this still exist in a day of Borders and Barnes Noble.Sure there doesn't seem to be an organizational system but I always aimlessly wandered around the creaky wooden floors...
yelp.com - user review - 10/18/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
YELPfor Patrick MI saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by ignorance, hunting oversexed blind,Driving past St. Regis or The Clift in a Mini looking for Mr. Goodbar & his massive...
yelp.com - user review - 10/09/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
My bookstore of choice. 3 different levels of pretty much everything you could possibly want to read. Lots of magazines, a whole section dedicated to poetry and just an overall chill ass atmosphere...
yelp.com - user review - 10/07/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The tourists suck. The organizational system is a bit wacky and annoying if I'm looking for something specific. But I still love this store. A whole floor of poetry? Sign me up! And all the Zines?...
yelp.com - user review - 09/25/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
i followed her closely as she zigzagged through the shelves and then bounded up the stairs of city lights bookstore, gushing about kerouac and ginsberg and the beats, and then falling quiet as we...
yelp.com - user review - 09/16/2007
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1.0 of 5 stars.
I swear this bookstore is a front for the newly erected Comintern. Don't be fooled, this is no Strands (for all you New Yorkers). You are better off at Boarders or BN......I know, I know, the...
yelp.com - user review - 08/31/2007
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1.0 of 5 stars.
4 stars? You have got to be freaking kidding me. This store is like a nugget of bad, wrapped in a flaky crust of suck, deep-friend in a vat of crappy. How do I lothe thee? Let me count the ways....
yelp.com - user review - 08/29/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I first came here when I discovered Kerouac and company in high school, taking the bus from South City. I like it for different reasons now-the translations of books originally in Japanese, Chinese,...
yelp.com - user review - 08/21/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
My wife and I have come here three or four times to browse, read, and buy ~$300 worth of books that we thoroughly enjoyed at home and at nearby cafes.Because of these experiences, whenever we visit...
yelp.com - user review - 08/18/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I could rave about the historical significance of this bookstore or...Tell you about the obscure and hard to find books I found here or...Marvel at the venerable hardcover books from Phaidon and...
yelp.com - user review - 08/18/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
City Lights Bookstore is how I intend to spend my Saturday night. What a great experience it is to throw on my jeans, sneakers, and a sweatshirt on a weekend night and head towards City Lights from my...
yelp.com - user review - 08/18/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Every time I come here, I feel as if I'm rubbing elbows with Ginsberg and Kerouac. It's an experience both humbling and revelatory. I've never felt more like there was so much to know and so much I...
yelp.com - user review - 08/17/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I dont think this place should get anything less than a five star...this is a classic, its probably one of the easiest book stores to navigate, and if you really cant find something then ask and the...
yelp.com - user review - 08/16/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
It's a legend. It's in every tourbook. Go anyway. Join their email events list, and cram into the top-level room for a reading.
yelp.com - user review - 08/14/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
There are bookstores and then there are Bookstores.Ask the average person on the street what they think of when they hear the word "bookstore", and they'll probably name vapid pulp distribution...
yelp.com - user review - 08/13/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I hated Howl when I first read it. I was a sophomore in college, it didn't make sense, it was too fast too jumbly too crazy and most of all...too LONG!Then I started reading more of this spontaneous...
yelp.com - user review - 08/13/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
A jewel box of a book store with a great selection of unique books for both adults and children. A great place to spend a couple of hours on a drizzly day. And when you are done step across the...
yelp.com - user review - 08/09/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Because where else in the world are you going to find an entire section dedicated to commodity aesthetics? (PS - It's in the basement, directly to your right from the stairs. Rah rah!)
yelp.com - user review - 08/08/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
coolest book store ever!
yelp.com - user review - 07/15/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
What can I say about this place that hasn't already been said? There are sooooo many cool books here that you can easily get lost for hours just browsing half of the levels. Aside from the historic...
yelp.com - user review - 07/09/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
If it's not enough that this bookstore carries a ton of books not found in so many other locations, consider the historical value of this landmark, and celebrate the brilliance of so many beatniks...
yelp.com - user review - 07/06/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
...phantoms & Ferlinghetti
yelp.com - user review - 07/05/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
While this isn't Powell's City of Books, this is one helluva bookstore. Aside from the history of this place, it still works. Sure, the bookshelves don't match and the downstairs is literally a...
yelp.com - user review - 06/30/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I can't say enough about one of my favorite places in the entire city. Talk about history . . . the beat poets stood HERE! You can feel the vibe in there, honest you can. THANK YOU for giving the non...
yelp.com - user review - 06/24/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Whether you actually buy something or just browse, this is one of the few remaining classic American independent bookstores. Don't come looking for a bargain or some trash off the Best Seller list;...
yelp.com - user review - 06/18/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
A true San Francisco landmark.I used to read lots and lots of Kerouac... and was really really into the literary Beat movement. There's just no way I can rate this book store less that five stars,...
yelp.com - user review - 06/16/2007
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1.0 of 5 stars.
ok so years ago i worked for this retail store who wanted to pay a bill belonging to "city lights" the lighting store downtown.Long story short, the mail brought the check to these clowns at city...
yelp.com - user review - 06/12/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
If you're really into the Beat movement, then it goes without saying that a pilgrimage to City Lights is in order. But outside of that limited area of interest, this bookstore really isn't that...
yelp.com - user review - 06/07/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Who ambled down San Francisco streets and alleyways, drunk on Pax Americana and isotope nightmares.Who scratched at the asphalt and concrete of Chinatown; Hello Kitty stings the retinas of Gandhi and...
yelp.com - user review - 05/29/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I really like this bookstore. It's the kind of store that makes you start to feel all sad inside because you realize there are so many good books and you'll never read them all. The shelves are packed...
yelp.com - user review - 05/29/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
No dispute about how great this place is and all it stands for....BUT, I have one gripe:The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is because I basically got ripped off the last time I was here. After I...
yelp.com - user review - 04/15/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
It's famous. It's necessary. I love Jack Kerouac. On the Road was a momentous and life-changing book for both myself and many of my friends. What I like about City Lights is that it is how a...
yelp.com - user review - 04/08/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
My FAVORITE BAY Area BOOKSTORE!!!There's not only a PLETHORA of books to choose from --- but the BRAINS you get to pick... such a STUNNING array. There's a whole section dedicated to local...
yelp.com - user review - 04/06/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
As much as I respect and admire the history of the place, I generally don't have good experiences with this bookstore. I'm not sure what it is... It's true that it's cramped. It's true that the stacks...
yelp.com - user review - 04/04/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
WARNING: This review is being done Laura B. flavour (sorry ladies, but no British accent, it just looks better that way).People, you know what this means. TOO MUCH INFORMATION! Also tangents, rants, &...
yelp.com - user review - 03/14/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Sometimes insecure hippie-types and would-be hippie types send me nasty messages to try and have me delete my reviews. The messages are, without fail, poorly written and stupidly rude; e.g.: "you...
yelp.com - user review - 03/14/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This is not your local Barnes and Noble. You're not going to find the latest chick lit book here. You're not going to disappear into a large arm chair for hours on end. You're not even going to do...
yelp.com - user review - 03/12/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This 3 story mecca should get 5 stars for the history alone...then figure in their awesome selection of books and other publications plus their crazy hours..come aaaaaaaahn. They also happen to have a...
yelp.com - user review - 03/08/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
City Lights is an undeniable focal point of San Francisco literary history. They have a wonderful selection of titles, washed in a thick editorial patina. Much more than a commercially-driven...
yelp.com - user review - 03/04/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I kind of feel that a review of this place should be split into two distinct parts: a review of the history of City Lights and the publishing house itself and one of the current store as it is now....
yelp.com - user review - 03/04/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Lawrence is an old grump, but I love him. We share the same birthday (month & day, not year!) and he writes like a god. Plus, City Lights is such a San Francisco treasure. Wish I had been around at...
yelp.com - user review - 02/21/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Every time I go to City Lights, I lament about seeing Lawrence Ferlinghetti there someday. Today was that day.Granted, it was through the window, and I was outside, while Amiri Baraka was giving a...
yelp.com - user review - 02/19/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is one of the most phenomenal bookstores I've ever been to. I turned into a Beat junkie last year and went crazy in this store. After that calmed down a bit (I still love Beat lit., I'm just not...
yelp.com - user review - 02/08/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The one, the legend, the best bookstore in San Francisco. Besides an amazing history, City Lights also has one of the best selections of books on the planet. I found some rare English translations of...
yelp.com - user review - 02/06/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This bookstore is all about history when you step through it's front doors. I've been known to spend a hour or so of my lunch hour in this place and you can easily get lost for a few hours.
yelp.com - user review - 01/27/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Not much of a reader, I ventured in with a couple of avid readers, all up-to-date on Kurt Vonnegut's latest. I will say, however, that I really did want to pick up a book to read whilst visiting this...
yelp.com - user review - 01/23/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
If I had a million dollars, I might spend it all at City Lights....The poetry room holds one of the best selections anywhere in the nation. I have spent hours sitting there and perusing pages on...
yelp.com - user review - 01/22/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
this is a wonderful place. i love book stores- but this one is like no other. meandering through the shelves my heart races and my fingers brush across the bindings of the masters and the new voices...
yelp.com - user review - 01/18/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This is one cool old skool bookstore. It makes you apprecaite the good old times and reminds me of when I was a little girl looking for a book in the school library. More importantly it is across...
yelp.com - user review - 01/09/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
more soul than any other book shop
yelp.com - user review - 01/05/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
City lights is exactly what a bookstore should be -- three creaky floors of semi-organized books on just about everything. No Starbucks, no CDs, and no particle board shelving.While you're at City...
yelp.com - user review - 12/30/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
It's not as big as Borders, and not as big as Amazon, but it's got the books you want. A great place to sit and read (on one of those little stools you never see people standing on), there's Vesuvio...
yelp.com - user review - 12/30/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Amazingly fun with unique reads!
yelp.com - user review - 12/27/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
City Lights Bookstore represents more than just classic San Francisco charm, this is no Borders or Barnes and Nobel (I went to the suburbs and that's all there is left for books in the flat lands),...
yelp.com - user review - 12/22/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is one of my favorite bookstores in the world, and since 1994, I've made it a practice to stop by every time I'm in town. It's somehow comforting how constant the shop has remained. Not only does...
yelp.com - user review - 12/18/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
A haven, but minus a star for the sniveling (lack of) customer service.
yelp.com - user review - 12/11/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
best book store in the city. what a book store should be. screw amazon and the chain stores and give your money to these folks. they deserve it. not to mention that these dudes carry stuff you're...
yelp.com - user review - 12/10/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
It's kinda hard to relax in a place that has so much myth and legend swirling around it. It reminded me of when I first went to school - was everybody so damned self-conscious as myself?Probably.
yelp.com - user review - 12/04/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
What is there to say about City Lights that hasn't been said before? Certainly, there's nothing I could or would even attempt to write *about* City Lights. I read the stuff they sell. I leave the...
yelp.com - user review - 10/30/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I had to comment on this since an older gentleman reminiscent of the Beatnik period hit on me as I attempted to down a cappuccino with my friends here on Saturday. I dashed in to avoid his...
yelp.com - user review - 10/22/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
What's the point of reviewing the king of indy bookstores? Great place with knowledgable staff, and signs that encourage you to sit down and read a book in the store.
yelp.com - user review - 10/15/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I originally went into this place as part of a personal pact with myself to speak to a new hot guy everyday in order to improve my self-confidence and grow thick skin. I figured I'd find some really...
yelp.com - user review - 10/12/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
A great bookstore/ publishing house. And a very nice historical reference to the beat poet movement. Just check it out!
yelp.com - user review - 10/11/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Fun place to look around during a day in SF. It's got books and magazines you won't find at some of the larger chains, plus I love that it never seems to change, get "upgraded", or try to pretend to...
yelp.com - user review - 10/08/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The best thing about City Lights is the way all the mythology of the place boils down to this very small space that smells of wood and books--be sure to jettison the hype and instead focus on...
yelp.com - user review - 10/05/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Another San Francisco staple for good reason. It's even near a store that sells human skulls for $600! Boil that in your soup!Note: I like how reviewers always put how they like such and such place...
yelp.com - user review - 09/23/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I love getting lost in City Lights Bookstore, a wonderful historic place where you can take an armchair journey into the Beat Generation and the remaining spirit of fierce independence that followed...
yelp.com - user review - 09/17/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Perks: 1.) Its in walking distance from my house2.) The little nooks and crevices of City Lights makes it seem like you're in some sort of hamster maze....so fun3.) They highlight local authors and...
yelp.com - user review - 09/12/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
So, I'm going to jump into reviews of non-foodie establishments with city lights, what better way to go? This is such an awesome book store! I only LOVE it because it had a book by David Mamet that...
yelp.com - user review - 09/07/2006
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Great bookstore with so much history. Honestly, I can't really say much in terms of their inventory or speakers or collections - I was rarely here sober enough to actually sit and read anything....
yelp.com - user review - 09/07/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Everything a great bookstore should be!It has history, hard to find books, a poetry room that eminates with experiences, cool people plopped reading, a great film and activist section.Also, their...
yelp.com - user review - 08/30/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Review City Lights?It isn't a book store, it is a landmark.
yelp.com - user review - 08/23/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
One of the best bookstores in town. They encourage you to sit and read and see if you want to buy the books/magazines. Friendly informative staff and a publisher in their own right.
yelp.com - user review - 08/17/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
A must visit. You will notice a left-leaning bias, particularly with regards to the political commentary texts, which is obviously good or bad depending on your orientation. Good mix of classics and...
yelp.com - user review - 08/11/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Love what they stand for. Love that I can support a local bookstore in my hood and that they carry what I need. Didn't love the guy behind the counter who treated me like an idiot, and acted like it...
yelp.com - user review - 08/06/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I 'window shop' every time someone comes to town and they must see City Lights, or if I have one of those random 'putzing around North Beach days'. It's very expansive and you can wander around each...
yelp.com - user review - 07/16/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I brought my right-leaning father here (who am I kidding, he tipped over into red territory as a small child) during his last visit. He lasted 5 minutes. (And I won $1 - my brother and I had a bet...
yelp.com - user review - 07/09/2006
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3.0 of 5 stars.
This bookstore is a landmark because it was founded by Beatnick writers. I get claustrophobic everytime I go here.If you want a copy of "The Howl" or if you are really into poetry (and are not...
yelp.com - user review - 07/07/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I can't shop here!! The staff knows to display every single book I would want to read. books I have never heard of, authors I have never heard of, really cool subjects I don't even know about--the...
yelp.com - user review - 07/07/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I used to check here before I bought any book, but now that i know the collection better I don't. Still, the "staff selections" are great, and frequently I go there, write them down and go to the...
yelp.com - user review - 07/05/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
i can literally stumble out of bed, and roll downstairs and buy a book-if i am so inclined. nicest neighbors, ever. uber-helpful/nice staff. good poetry section.
yelp.com - user review - 07/02/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
History. History made and eternally thankful!
yelp.com - user review - 06/22/2006
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I was really excited to come here because I had heard such great things, and knew of the historical significance. But I found the bookseller associates to be incredibly snobbish and pretentious....
yelp.com - user review - 06/12/2006
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3.0 of 5 stars.
For an old-school bookstore, they sure don't have many used books...it's historically relevant, but not the 'complete' bookstore you might be looking for. But it certainly has its niche, and when it...
yelp.com - user review - 06/08/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I simple love this bookstore. I love sitting upstairs in the chair by the window and reading. The vibe in there is amazing.
yelp.com - user review - 06/02/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is another SF icon, and I love it. Reading through books downstairs is one of my favorite things to do when I need to escape work. The place has such a venerated history--I just love walking in...
yelp.com - user review - 05/26/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Nothing to say that hasn't already been said. Definitely the most facinating book selection I have ever seen. I am happy to pay full price for books here just for the experience.
yelp.com - user review - 05/19/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I have finally accepted the fact that it is not possible for me to go into city lights without leaving with a new book. Some kinda weird mojo there.
yelp.com - user review - 05/06/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
It's an SF institution and a must stop if you're in North Beach. So glad to see that they've taken over the entire frontage now, replacing the Cheap Thrills Ice Cream place. The store is made up of...
yelp.com - user review - 04/30/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This San Francisco landmark is crammed with books and occasionally with people. There's the obvious focus on both poetry and San Francisco writers, but there's plenty to turn a quick stop into a...
yelp.com - user review - 04/26/2006
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This is one of those places where I could go in and browse for hours...days, if they didn't ever close. If you're interested in poetry or just love to try some new piece of fiction, this is the Mecca. Come and...
citysearch.com - user review - 04/24/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
My favorite moment here was finding, at long last, a copy of Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader, a long and detalied account of the history of North Korea. More devastating was realizing I...
yelp.com - user review - 04/06/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
They have all the books that are banned from wal-mart.
yelp.com - user review - 03/28/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
City Lights is like a magical little cavern of biblio-goodness.
yelp.com - user review - 03/26/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
if you like the beats, you must come here. if you like poetry, you must come here. if you like books, you must come here. this bookstore is worth a visit for the historical value alone (started by...
yelp.com - user review - 03/23/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
A gem of a classic but... If you insist on reading the entire book, next time please do so at the library with the normal people. You are clearly in Shatangi's way lol. I love the laid back...
yelp.com - user review - 03/18/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
What could feel more historic and meaningful than cruising around a landmark, throback, bookstore. They don't make'm like this anymore. And unless people keep going, this will be gone one day too....
yelp.com - user review - 03/14/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
one of the most historical landmarks in san francisco, city lights has still managed to keep the ambiance and the charm that kept bob dylan here in the 60's. their extensive collection of literature...
yelp.com - user review - 03/13/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Buy a unique book not to be easily found in a chainstore, go next door with that book and order a cappucino with a Bailey's chaser and you are ready to savor a tiny piece of original SF bohemia.
yelp.com - user review - 03/09/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Great Bookstore. Two cool recent experiences: 1) I had been searching for this book by an architect on the architecture profession to send to my architecture student friend for her birthday. They...
yelp.com - user review - 02/23/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I like wandering through bookstores, and City Lights is a great place to lose yourself in a stack of books. Upstairs, downstairs, the magazines on the main floor - I could live here!
yelp.com - user review - 02/20/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is truly an amazing bookstore not to mention the publishing house for many of the great beat generation authors. This is a must do when out of town guests come to SF - unless of course they don't...
yelp.com - user review - 02/15/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is definitely the best bookstore in town. I love the atmosphere and the selection. Especially the poetry section. They have a great selection of local authors and regular readings. I could spend...
yelp.com - user review - 02/07/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
In a general sense,looking at this place simply as a book store and nothing else,you have to admit that its selection is merely adequate.If you have a big list of stuff you're trying to find you...
yelp.com - user review - 02/05/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Small, decent bookstore. It doesn't have quite the organization or selection of most bookstores, but it makes up for it in its message and campaigns.
yelp.com - user review - 02/01/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The music section downstairs in small but very deep. For starters where else can you find books on composing for the jazz orchestra right next to sophisticated theoretical books on the musicology of...
yelp.com - user review - 02/01/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I like city lights - it's a neat store in a good location. I picked up a book that I had been meaning to buy for quite some time - they happened to have it on display. The selection seemed to be...
yelp.com - user review - 01/31/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Reminds me less of the classic wonderful bookstore, and more of my old hometown library: Not a bad thing. Their selection is great, and more than you'd think possible in that space. And I love the...
yelp.com - user review - 01/22/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Good selection of fiction, poetry, and foreign language references. What really makes this place stand out are the employee reviews and the staff-recommended titles.. I've never gone wrong with one of...
yelp.com - user review - 01/09/2006
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I refuse to give it five stars simply because it is a landmark. True story: the employees discriminate customers. One day I walk in with a beverage under my arm, and the clerk was like: You can't...
yelp.com - user review - 01/04/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Update - still cool. And I love love love the signs encouraging people to sit and read a book. If someone put one of those up, even as a joke, in a corporate place, people would feak. One of the first...
yelp.com - user review - 01/01/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
whenever i find myself in a very depressing project or amidst pathetic customers, political co-workers, or having to work with idiots...i day dream and wish, i wish i was strong enough to live humbly...
yelp.com - user review - 11/28/2005
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You can find lots of hard to find books. They also have many unique and rare books. This is yet another popular books store in San Francisco. The staff is nice and helpful and are ready to assist your needs....
citysearch.com - user review - 11/27/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
An institution. A landmark. A classic. Is there anything left to say?
yelp.com - user review - 10/21/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The classic beatnik book house. Can you believe it was 50 years ago that Ginsberg first read Howl here? It might not be making news the way it used to, but City Lights has a permanent place in San...
yelp.com - user review - 10/20/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
By far my favorite book store in the city, as well as, a cultural SF landmark. I can't leave this place without buying at least 5 books.....I know! It is easy to spend hours here, and if you...
yelp.com - user review - 10/09/2005
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a very popular store in the city. they have many books and the staff are very friendly and helpful when you ask for assistance. it is also right outside of the 15 muni bus stop so it is very accessible. i used...
citysearch.com - user review - 09/21/2005
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This bookstore is famous because of its association with the Beat poetry movement. In addition to selling lots of books, they have some Beat memorabilia too. It's not huge but has a great selection. I...
citysearch.com - user review - 09/21/2005
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If you miss the oldage bookstores (trust me this place is a historical treasure) where you could find the wooden staircase and find old unused books, they have an amazing collection of books including an...
citysearch.com - user review - 09/07/2005
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City Lights Bookstore should be christened a historical monument. It has seen such great things in the past and still today, truly buzzes with a true sense of history. Jack Kerouac read here, it was a huge...
citysearch.com - user review - 08/19/2005
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One day, while coming home from middle school years ago, I passed by a group of tourists who asked me if I knew how to get to a bookstore called City Lights. I gave them the directions, and they thanked me...
citysearch.com - user review - 08/14/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I'm glad there are tourists. There SHOULD be tourists. I'd rather those tourists be here at this book store, than standing in front of the wax museum down on the wharf or snapping up Hard Rock Cafe...
yelp.com - user review - 08/14/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is City Lights, THE City Lights. It exists as much as a peice of history as a bookstore. As your browsing the exausetive collections of books you get an erie sensation when you realize Jack...
yelp.com - user review - 08/11/2005
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4.0 of 5 stars.
It's got a lot of classics, and is a nice spot. But it can get a little touristy for those who know of all the beat era's hangout place.
yelp.com - user review - 07/20/2005
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City Lights Bookstore sits at the tip of Chinatown and is well known for the many famous autnors who have come to sit and read here. It is also the first all-paperback bookstore in the country. A nice and cozy...
citysearch.com - user review - 07/11/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
City Lights is a neat little bookstore in North Beach that actively encourages people to sit down and read a book. They have a number of chairs you can sit in all around the store. Sometimes the place...
yelp.com - user review - 07/11/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
oh the poetry loft
yelp.com - user review - 07/05/2005
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...make sure you stop in here at least once. Its reputation as one of the best bookstores in a city full of great bookstores is well-deserved. It is a little bit crowded, but you'll hardly notice if you're as...
citysearch.com - user review - 06/28/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Been hip so long tours come by to let pasty faced Iowans snap a picture of where the "beat" writers hung out (OOoo, look Margie!). Still, this place has never lost it's cool or charm and should never...
yelp.com - user review - 06/25/2005
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Located on Columbus Avenue and Jack Kerouac Alley, considered hallowed ground by Beatniks across the globe, City Lights Bookstore has no need of riding upon historical reputation when it comes to the business...
citysearch.com - user review - 06/22/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place is a landmark - lots of history and a great, if limited, selection of books. I could (and have) spend hours in here browsing. Don't go here if you are looking for Ann Coulter's latest or...
yelp.com - user review - 06/22/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Obviously interesting history, but go for the books too. Excellent selectivity (as opposed to selection--quality over quantity). Only bookstore I've been to that stocks Mike Topp's "I Used to Be...
yelp.com - user review - 06/11/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
True story - as a thirteen year-old, when people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up I would say, "owner of City Lights Bookstore".
yelp.com - user review - 06/07/2005
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This is a super cozy place with old, wooden stairs and ceiling-to-floor bookcases. It's exactly what a bookstore should look like. It's a little difficult to navigate for the first time, but you'll be sure to...
citysearch.com - user review - 05/27/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
My favorite bookstore in San Francisco. So much history -- so much culture -- so much politics. This is where Alan Ginsberg did his first public reading of "Howl" and got arrested for it. Lawrence...
yelp.com - user review - 05/24/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
words cannot describe my enthusiasm
yelp.com - user review - 05/18/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
if you can avoid the peak hours its such an enjoyable experience coming here. my eyes were dizzy when i left from all the darting around trying to absorb all the interesting titles and authors. you...
yelp.com - user review - 05/16/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The original all-paperback bookstore, founded (in 1953!) and still owned by Ferlinghetti. Now they carry hardcovers, too. Truly a literary landmark; a historic, comfy place to browse. Go during off...
yelp.com - user review - 04/30/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I easily get lost in City Lights. The upstairs poetry room is the place for me. Great place to go when it's rainy outside, mole in and forget about everything but Pablo Neruda. Favorite section at...
yelp.com - user review - 04/09/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Endless unfolding words of ages! What better place to wander amidst the words of the modern and the words of the old. Partaking of the poetry reading on the top floor, Partaking of a whiskey sour at...
yelp.com - user review - 04/05/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
One of my favorite bookstores in the city. A classic.
yelp.com - user review - 03/28/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
A change of residence means going through boxes of old crap. In this instance, VERY old. I just found, along with a fossilized fly, a "descriptive list of City Lights Publications" dated 1964-5....
yelp.com - user review - 03/14/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is the first place i made a pilgrimage when I moved to the city, they published Howl and so many other seminal works. The free poetry readings upstairs invariably feature the brightest stars.....
yelp.com - user review - 03/10/2005
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4.0 of 5 stars.
A San Francisco classic, and as a result it's on most tourists' hit-list. But they do have a great collection of books, and the little room at the top for Beat literature is genuinely atmospheric.
yelp.com - user review - 11/26/2004
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5.0 of 5 stars.
"the book store" like the downstair.
yelp.com - user review - 11/24/2004
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Want a bookstore that's not all about Danielle Steel, Stephen King and Dean Ornish? This is the bookstore for people who really read, write, and care about books. Don't miss the fab poetry room upstairs.
citysearch.com - user review - 05/21/2002
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