Alamo Square Flea Market in San Francisco

Every summer in August, three sides of Alamo Square park in San Francisco hosts a huge local flea market that draws people from all parts of the city and the Bay Area. It's a mixture of antiques, vintage clothes and accessories, art, books, crafts, furniture etc. My good friends Summerlea and Nathan live only a few blocks away, so I've been lucky to visit this happening two years in a row. This morning, we started off at a local cafe, The Bean Bag, and had breakfast and then headed to the flea market. Along the way there were garage sales where clothing was very reasonable. Many people were shopping at these sales and I even got a pair of shoes for only $4.

Alamo Square park is in the center of the city and on a hill. From the park, the view of the city is incredible. And of course, it is bordered on one side by those famous victorian homes that we call The Painted Ladies. They aren't those wild pastel colors any more, but beautiful just the same. I've included some photos of the ladies and the park.

What's really crazy about the flea market is that on two sides (Fulton & Hayes Streets), the vendors and shoppers are crowded on narrow sidewalks. It reminds me of being at an art show on opening night. It is hard to look at stuff because there is such a crowd. Luckily one street (Steiner) is closed off for two blocks, so it's easier to look at things and shop. I know you will enjoy the pictures, as I've included a little bit of everything.