City Lights Booksellers and Publisher Review

Great little place to drop in for anyone and everyone. Make sure to check out the downstairs too.

The excellence of City Lights does not rest on its past. Certainly it has an excellent history, but that alone is not enough to make it relevant today. Showcasing independent and unusual publications today is an art, it's a calling. I appreciate that City Lights gives me a window into cultural things I might not find on my own.

Finding wonderful staff that are friendly, unpretentious and enjoy helping you discover new things is a huge joy and bonus. Worthy of your dollars and support, especially right now!!

Seriously, if you love to read, this us a must. This bookstore is part of SF history since the 50's and played a big part in the whole cultural revolution.

The book was great to see. I don't recommend going there because it's a little bit behind.

Quintessential San Francisco, but having recently visited Powell's in Portland it's great, but not quite the must visit book experience I would.have considered it previously. I believe I bought Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu.

So many cheap books! My bf loves this place and so do I. At first I was a little overwhelmed by the store since it's so huge! We usually stick to the book stands outside since those are the cheapest. Best place for cheap books I have visited so far.

Incredible bookstore with an exquisite selection, awesome place to browse for an hour

It is amazing it has a lot of books and it is big .

this has got to be the most hipster bookstore that i have ever been. I was hipster long before it was cool and now i see how i set the trends for the next generation.

This is my first time to visit SF. This Vintage bookstore is special in USA history and American west history. All the books are great. But I got 5 nice vintage postcards here. The owner is worm hearted and knowledgeable. And the staff was helpful.

A magical place full of history.
You have to go visit

Wide variety of books with very knowledgeable staff at hand. Also check out the cozy little poet's corner at the top!

Historic book store with a great selection and solid recommendations from the staff

I love book stores and this was one of the best I've been in!

Boys, that's history! Still indipendent, still peculiar.

I recall my first and only, but not last, visit to City Lights Bookstore. I was enthralled by its wood floors that echoed its history. All I did was look around because I was broke, but wanted to purchase over half of the books! It's such an amazing place, as are the books, for any book lover. A must place to venture, if visiting San Francisco.

Great place to get books, historic location, awesome hours and friendly staff. What's not to love? I've never been disappointed by the selection.

Best bookstore in the city hands down. Rich history, brave product offering, amazing space.

A historic bookstore that has very helpful staff and an amazing selection.

Great bookstore, they have a very varied selection that is current but also includes classics. The store also incorporates great philosophies and practices. Even though I was only visiting San Francisco, I could not resist buying about a dozen books I was interested in, and that number was only capped by room in my luggage

This is definitely a book store for bibliophiles. It a great mix of both well and lesser known known works. A little bit pricey, but worth it to support local business.

Truly awesome! I hate City Lights because it reminds me of how much the Amazon culture is robbing from our life experiences :(. A large eclectic collection of books and genres with little alcoves to truly enjoy and savoir the great curated selection of printed word adventures that have been laid before you.

Awesome book selection, good recommendations. Definitely go here!

A piece of history and a San Francisco institution! A slice of heaven on Earth for bibliophiles. Long live City Lights Books!

Great bookstore with lots of local history. Looks good inside and out.

Nothing short of the best books store I've ever seen. Historic relevance, continued commitment to all versions of the written word.

A small traditional American bookstore, you can come in and see, but the space is narrow

The legendary bookstore keeps still its glamour. Best place to read and buy books.

An SF classic place to find books in a collection you won't find anywhere else

Great book selections, very helpful staff, and books you wouldn't see anywhere else. Not to mention it's a cultural icon.

I really like this bookshop. There's a history and intimacy to it that is hard to come by. A must see for visiting book lovers.

This place is actually LEGENDARY. You can find a lot a LOT of stuff to enjoy in this place.

A fundamental place for lovers of literature, free thinking and the revolutionary power of words, which goes beyond its historical fame linked to Lawrence Ferlinghetti and the Beat Generation. It is however a well-stocked bookshop, in which to find both fiction and non-fiction as well as, of course, poetry and books on counterculture and civil commitment. A must visit if you happen to be in San Francisco, preferably with a little time available to get lost in the shelves and accept the invitation to take a book and sit and read. Wonder.

Great selection of books and a
Welcoming environment

Very cool little book store with a surprisingly large collection.