San Francisco might be the place where visitors leave their hearts, but most also want to take home something more than memories—a souvenir. Sure, you can get the snow globe featuring the Transamerica Pyramid, the refrigerator magnet depicting the Golden Gate Bridge or a miniature cable car. But if you want to up your souvenir game, maybe take home something with as much sense of place that reflects a personal moment in the City by the Bay. There are many options; these are just a few that will set you apart when friends ask about your trip.
Landmark jeweler Shreve & Co. believes in keeping your San Francisco memories close at hand … or on your hand. Shreve carries the San Francisco Ring, jewelry by Wellendorff that pays homage to the city with an enamel flower pattern and diamonds on the outside and, hidden inside, a silhouette gold engraving of the Golden Gate Bridge. 150 Post St., 415.421.2600. shreve.com
Castro District boutique Local Take offers an array of San Francisco-themed art, clothing and oddities, nearly all designed and made in the city. There are quirky T-shirts with dinosaurs on the Golden Gate Bridge and “S.F.” spelled out in Muni bus transfers; framed prints of various neighborhoods; and wooden models of Sutro Tower. Not much space in the suitcase? Take home S.F. Mercantile’s 3-inch-high wooden skyline and assemble it when you get home. 3979B 17th St., 415.556.5300. localtakesf.com
The bookstore at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art stocks a wide variety of books that focus on San Francisco, its history and its art scene. But if you’re looking for something a little more whimsical, pick up a Golden Gate Bridge Fog Globe, created by Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. Instead of the landmark under glass with fake, floating snow—snow almost never happens here—there’s an eerie, swirling “fog” that eventually clears. Purchases benefit the museum and the parks. 151 3rd St., 415.357.4000. sfmoma.org
Photo credits: All product shots courtesy the retailers.
