The story
Henri Lenoir founded the bar in 1948 at 255 Columbus Avenue, across an alley from City Lights Bookstore. Beat Generation figures including Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Neal Cassady drank here.
The alley it shares with City Lights was originally called Adler. It was renamed Jack Kerouac Alley in 1988, then refurbished and made pedestrian-only in 2007.
Everything that was here
- 1948–present · still open
Vesuvio CafeBar
Henri Lenoir opened Vesuvio in 1948 across an alley from City Lights, and in 1988 the alley was renamed Jack Kerouac Alley.
See the map in 1949 →
Did you know?
The alley outside was called Adler until 1988.
It shares that alley with City Lights Bookstore.
The alley became pedestrian-only in 2007.
Connected places
Explore the full web of connections on the map.
Nearby history
City Lights Bookstore
261 Columbus Avenue · 23 m away
Tosca Cafe
242 Columbus Avenue · 43 m away
Tosca opened in November 1919, and Prohibition took effect less than two months later. Its answer was a brandy-spiked ho
Condor Club
560 Broadway · 59 m away
Finocchio's Club
506 Broadway · 92 m away
The hungry i
599 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94133 · 107 m away
The Saloon
1232 Grant Avenue · 130 m away
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