3 Best Shopping in San Francisco, California

The brainchild of local author Dave Eggers is primarily a center established to help kids with their writing skills via writing programs, tutoring, and storytelling events. But the storefront is also "San Francisco's only independent pirate supply store," a quirky space filled with eye patches, spyglasses, and other pirate-themed paraphernalia. Eggers's quarterly journal, McSweeney's, and other publications are available here. Proceeds benefit the writing center.

On the center's storefront is an intricate mural designed by graphic novelist Chris Ware as a meditation on the evolution of human communication.

This family-run shop has been selling bright, fun-shaped kites—dragons, butterflies, sharks—since the 1960s. There's a lot more than kites, too, with feng shui items, art tiles, and even iPhone cases that can go home as local souvenirs.

The educational gadgets sold here are so clever and engaging that kids won't know they're learning while playing. Space- and dinosaur-related games are popular, as are science videos and optical illusion gifts.