Bikes to Books
Mission
Bikes to Books began as an homage to the 1988 street-naming project spearheaded by City Lights founder and former San Francisco Poet Laureate Lawrence Ferlinghetti, in which 12 San Francisco streets were renamed for famous artists and authors who had once made San Francisco their home. Over the past six years we’ve created a 7.1-mile bicycle tour connecting all 12 streets, a companion map, an expanded poster version, and a new walking tour and minizine of literary North Beach, sharing our passions for San Francisco history, art, literature, cycling, and urban exploration with locals and tourists alike.
Featured Fun
Saturday, September 26, 2020 at 1:00PM – (In-Person) Boots to Books Literary Walking Tour
Finally a tour for all the folks who have told the Bikes to Books founders “I’d love to come, but I just don’t bike.” This one-mile stroll through literary North Beach visits some of our favorite Bikes to Books locations and authors and a bunch of new ones, visiting over sixty years of literary history in a two-hour tour. All participants get a complementary copy of our companion sixteen-page minizine (and we’ll show folks how to fold them as well!)
In 1988, twelve streets were renamed for artists and authors who’d once called San Francisco their home, on a proposal from City Lights Books founder, and former SF Poet Laureate, Lawrence Ferlinghetti. In 2013, the Bikes to Books literary history bicycling tour and mapping project was born, co-created by Nicole Gluckstern and Burrito Justice. In 2019 we made our first SF History Days appearance, and also debuted our Boots to Books walking tour. We’re excited for the opportunity to combine the two this year and hope you’ll join us!
Event is free but Pre-Registration is Required. For the sake of public health and safety, attendance is limited to ensure social distancing and masks are required. Route includes some hills and narrow walkways. PG-13 content (not recommended for young children). Posters and maps will be available for purchase on the tour.