Haight Street Will Lose Its Ambiance After 37 Years

Photo: Ambiance

Haight Street transitioned from the land of tie-dye t-shirt shops to streetwear central over the last decade, losing a handful of vintage shops, music shops, and retailers like American Apparel along the way. During the neighborhood’s various retail waves, the original Ambiance store at 1458 Haight was a steadfast presence. That era will soon come to an end.

Hoodline reports that, after 37 years in the biz, owner Donna O'Leary  is calling it quits in the Haight. Fear not: the other three locations—3979 24th Street in Noe Valley, 1858 Union Street in Cow Hollow, and 756 Irving Street in the Inner Sunset—will remain open.

O’Leary told Hoodline that the tourist business which had once driven sales at the store has simply tapered off. “Our tourist business used to be fantastic," she said. "But now the tourist is not looking for clothing, just small SF mementos."

The store is currently closed, but will reopen at 10 am on Friday, January 17 for a blowout sale. (Ambi-Insiders will get invite-only access to pre-shop the sale on Thursday, January 16.) Ambiance announced on social media that it will be selling everything—including fixtures—down to the bare walls, and the sale will continue daily until everything is gone. Fixtures and furnishings will be priced from $5-$500, jackets and outerwear $39-$249, premium denim from $39-$159, sweaters from $39-$149, dresses from $39-$299, and vintage treasures from $10-$299.

Mark your calendar for one final spin around the store on January 17, and don’t forget about the Noe, Cow Hollow, and Inner Sunset locations moving forward. Local retail needs its hometown heroes to survive.