Vesuvio Cafe (Beat Generation bar)

Vesuvio Cafe opened in North Beach in 1948 and quickly became a gathering place for Beat Generation writers and artists, including frequent patrons such as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. The bar sits opposite City Lights Bookstore and has retained much of its historic interior character and art-strewn decor. Vesuvio is often cited in histories of the Beat movement as a social hub where readings, conversations, and literary networking occurred.