Ah!  North Beach ... the tide's out permanently here and we'll assume that you will ignore the unusual concentrations of Italian restaurants, Strip bars and Chinatown as you are intent only on enjoying an Anchor Steam at The Saloon and listening to some R & B.  As in most of the San Francisco Peninsula, a car is a liability because of the difficulty of parking so some use of Shanks' Pony is inevitable.  Directions from San Francisco's financial center would be ... Montgomery to Columbus, Columbus all the way one short block past Broadway - then look closely for Grant Street on your right.  From Fisherman's Wharf the cable cars all intersect with Columbus at some point - hop off at Columbus and walk towards the pointy Transamerica building till you see Broadway  a short block ahead of you - then turn left and look for Grant Street.