General Store

4035 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122, USA

An artist and an architect curate a cool mix of practical things here. You’ll find books on furniture and design, and interesting items like wooden radios and pencil sets. Lots of it is handmade. The store also sells chairs and tables that Luke and Josh, my shopmates, make. 4035 Judah St., (415) 682-0600, visitgeneralstore.com. This story appeared in the January/February 2012 issue.

More Recommendations

General Store, San Francisco

An artist and an architect curate a cool mix of practical things here. You’ll find books on furniture and design, and interesting items like wooden radios and pencil sets. Lots of it is handmade. The store also sells chairs and tables that Luke and Josh, my shopmates, make. 4035 Judah St., (415) 682-0600, visitgeneralstore.com. This story appeared in the January/February 2012 issue.

Support Local Artisans at General Store

The call to buy locally is heard loud and clear in the Bay Area. To shop like a San Franciscan, check out General Store in the Outer Sunset. Operating as a collective design community, it sells the work of area artisans and craftspeople. You’ll find California beeswax candles, porcelain geodesic planters designed by an LA artist, and cheeky San Francisco-made tote bags. The shop carries creative gift options for men, women, and children and often hosts events, including trunk shows, book signings, and sandal-making workshops. So skip the mini cable car souvenir, do like a local, and support an artisan instead.

Handcrafted Design in the Outer Sunset

What began as an unassuming shop in San Francisco’s sleepy Outer Sunset neighborhood has since turned into a citywide—if not nationwide—icon for minimalist yet beautiful design. Opened in 2010 by couple Serena Mitnik-Miller, an artist, and Mason St. Peter, an architect, General Store occupies little more than a hole in the wall on Judah Street, but the small size of the space—like Trouble Coffee just next door—is more than made up for in quality. General Store is filled with treasures like furniture, books, jewelry, cards, succulent plants, and clothes, at once aesthetic and practical. The San Francisco shop (they opened their second location in Venice Beach in 2012) is open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekends.

shopping local in SF

This is a great little store just a few blocks from the ocean. They sell vintage wares, handcrafted jewelry and ceramics, pickled provisions, a greenhouse out back, and a wall of books and publications. On the same block you’ll find Trouble Coffee where you can get great coffee, a fresh coconut, and fancy toast or a few more doors down is Outerlands with delicious local meat and organic produce prepared to order.

Information on this page, including website, location, and opening hours, is subject to have changed since this page was last published. If you would like to report anything that’s inaccurate, let us know at notification@afar.com.

Nearby highlights
Sign up for our newsletter
Join more than a million of the world’s best travelers. Subscribe to the Daily Wander newsletter.
More From AFAR