North Beach Aria.

Welcome to Aria. Located on funky little Grant Street in North Beach, just below Telegraph Hill, Aria is one of those rare finds that's long held a warm place in the hearts of San Francisco locals. Owner Bill Haskell rounds up the coolest, and the oddest of oddities and there's usually some melancholy French music drifting in the air. Doll parts, glass eyes, old anatomy and botanical charts, tons of vintage alphabet letters, old maps, spools of French ribbon, religious icons, all covered in perhaps just the thinnest layer of dust. Aria is the real thing, almost as much a museum as an antique shop and a wonderful spot to linger. It may look a bit like junk, but at closer look it's more like piles and stacks of authentic vintage gems. Bill is not often around, but if you catch him in town, you can give him a wish list for his next buying trip to the flea markets of France. Aria's hours are undefined, just like the inventory, so call ahead before heading over.