Beatnik Photowalk

Contemporary Jewish Museum: City Lights Bookstore is the epicenter of Beat History, founded by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin in 1953.

Contemporary Jewish Museum: Beatnik watering hole.

Contemporary Jewish Museum: Founded in 1956, this was the Beats’ home away from home.

Contemporary Jewish Museum: This place is full of treasures old and new, such as Allen’s typewriter, Jack’s jacket, and even the car used in the recent "On The Road" movie.

Contemporary Jewish Museum: SF Chronicle columnist Herb Caen coined the term “Beatnik” in print, but it it is said that this is where he overhead the words “Beat” and “Sputnik” used in close succession.

Contemporary Jewish Museum: The building containing this cafe houses several of Francis Ford Coppola's enterprises. He acquired the movie rights to "On the Road" in 1979.

Contemporary Jewish Museum: This used to be called Sun Hung Heung, and was one of the favorite of the Beats. Jack Kerouac especially enjoyed the balcony seats.

Contemporary Jewish Museum: There's a bridge in this plaza leading to the Chinese Cultural Center that offers excellent views of Chinatown, North Beach, and Downtown.

Contemporary Jewish Museum: Carolyn Cassady (yes that’s Neal Cassady’s wife) and Jack Kerouac used to cavort in this park when they were an item (with Neal’s permission).

Contemporary Jewish Museum: Now a burger joint, this was the precise site of the photograph of Neal Cassady and Natalie Jackson, on view in the exhibition "Beat Memories." It used to be a movie theater.

Contemporary Jewish Museum: Take a picture with the Allen Ginsberg mural on Yerba Buena Lane, and see the exhibition "Beat Memories: The Photographs of Allen Ginsberg" on view through Sept 8.