My favorite place in San Fran

Golden Gate Bridge? Nah. Presidio? Please. Embarcadero? Eh, maybe. Really, there's only one choice: Amoeba Music, the world's best record store. Located in the Haight, Amoeba is the music store to end all music store. Their selection is HUGE, especially in terms of used stuff. And the store is enormous, well organized, and just, in every possible way, a music aficionado's dream come true.

I mean, they've got listening stations where you can scan in any title and listen to the whole album right there. And did I mention the prices? How about almost any used CD from the Elvis Costello back catalog for $4.99? Or a whole other cornucopia of great stuff for not much more?

About a week ago, I had the great pleasure of spending about three hours wandering around this enormous musical treasure trove. I picked up a grocery-store-style basket and filled it up with stuff, listened to samples, rethought my choices, put stuff back, grabbed more stuff, discovered things I didn't know wanted, remembered things I forgot I wanted -- oh my goodness, I was in heaven. The most I paid? $9.99 for a brand-new copy of Tom Waits's excellent Frank's Wild Years. Not too bad at all!

Seriously, this will be the thing I miss most about SF. Well, this and burritos!

Anyway, check out my haul from my last visit to Amoeba is quite some time. :-(