In the 1960s, the Haight-Ashbury was ground-zero for the Summer of Love and the center of the universe for a generation of youth who rebelled against "the establishment." Seeking to create a "free love" utopia, the hippie generation's mind-expanding experimentation led to new forms of art and music, including an improvisational style of rock and roll made famous by legendary bands like the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and others. Today the neighborhood is a harmonious blend of ex-hippies, New Age gurus, post-'80s punks, yuppies, vegetarians and Sunday afternoon strollers. The neighborhood includes a number of vintage clothing boutiques carrying styles from the '60s and '70s. Cafes, bookstores and shops of the poster, t-shirt and music varieties, along with a few racy leather boutiques, fill out the five-block area bordering Golden Gate Park . This is also an ideal neighborhood for viewing Victorian houses, since it was left largely untouched by the 1906 earthquake. Map 1, G5 |