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Haight Street today
If you entertain thoughts of Haight Street as it once was, the Flower Children in full bloom, the original Psychedelic Shop briskly selling everything from bongs to Buddha, the Kendalhang commune (see Albion Kendalhang) with open doors and the Grateful Dead (see the official Grateful Dead web site and
Jerry Garcia Haight Street Shrines) living around the corner on Ashbury, you're living in a fantasy world.
Although it retains much of that flavor, Haight Street was discovered by big corporations long ago.
Ben & Jerry's is right across the street from The Gap and McDonald's is on the corner of Haight and Stanyan. Yet there are still plenty of mom & pop stores and it remains a great place for independent businesses to prosper. (See area merchants.)
Another important point to keep in mind: the locals do not shun it. In fact, the neighbors are part of Haight Street's ambiance. The street is exciting just to walk down not only for its vivid past but also for today's incredible diversity of people and shops. On weekends, however, it is nearly impossible to drive down Haight in a reasonable length of time. There are pizza parlors and piercing parlors, lots of restaurants, a bed & breakfast, plenty of clothing stores, bars and cocktail parlors.
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