Fisherman's Wharf may well be suffering the city's longest, and ugliest, identity crisis. Occupied first by Chinese fisherman and then by Italians, the community has been a commercial battleground since the fifties, when tourists first descended en masse, waving cash and clamoring for cioppino. Kitsch happened. Today, some 150 fishermen still work the wharf, but they are far outnumbered by the purveyors of T-shirts and coffee mugs, street performers, and tourists.  Now, once again, changes are afoot. The merchants, who used to fear that going uscale might alienate tourists, have pledged $600,000 a year to make the area safer and fancier, with more parks and wider sidewalks. But the price of improvement may be even steeper. The few remainling fishermen are facing a sharp increase in docking fees. If they're forced to pull up anchor, it's no exaggeration to say the neighborhood will lose its soul.

THE GRUB
The 32,000 locals who work at the wharf don't eat clam chowder every day. Their lunchtime secret? The leafy croissant sandwiches at Waterfront Bakery. Good food, cheap prices, and—a true rarity—no line. 2801 Leavenworth St.

Cultish crowds get their meat on at the city's only In-N-Out Burger, a fast-food chain even Bay Area liberals love. 333 Jefferson St.

Despite its welcome-to-the-mall vibe, the mammoth new Boudin complex offers bakery tours sure to reignite even a jaded local's love of sourdough. 160 Jefferson St.

When out-of-towners want dinner at the wharf, Alioto's or Scoma's used to be about the only options. Now there's the five-star Restaurant Gary Danko, one of the fanciest in town. 800 North Point St.

WHAT IT COSTS
...to rent: $3,3000 for a two-bedroon Victorian at 2638 Hyde St.
...to buy: $1.3 million for a two-bedroom condo at 836 North Point St.

YOU LIVE WHERE?
With little public notice, offices at Ghiradello Square are being converted into luxury apartments. What next—a preschool at the pier?

THE TALK
Still in the red from projects including the Hyde Street Harbor development, the wharf has sought revenue by raising the berthing rates by 60 percent. "The fishing industry is already depressed from fuel prices and environmental quotas," says Bob Costarella, whose family has been on the wharf for over 50 years. "If a guy can't fish, how can he pay a higher fee?" Many fishermen are threatening to sail elsewhere.

Developers, stand down: a Bay Area "island" recently up for auction on eBay turned out to be the floating restaurant Forbes Island, "It's not really for sale," admits manager Pierre Bleuse. "It's a gimmick to see how many hits we can get."

SHOP FRONTS
The swank Oakville Grocery, from the Napa Valley, may offer more gift mustard than groceries, but local foodies line up for the pâté. 2801 Leavenworth St.

The fab lawn adornments at the new Green Jeans Garden Supply aren't of the pink flamingo variety. And what Bay Area horticulturalist can resist orchids potted in organic soil? 2801 Leavenworth St.

The International Spy Shop sells hidden cameras, debugging kits,

HANGOUTS
"This used to be more of a working waterfront," says a ticket taker who's worked at the Hyde Street Pier for 30 years. "There were five or six places we used to go for a beer." Now, there's just one: the Buena Vista Cafe, where scruffy warfmen rub elbows with guidebook-toting tourists. 2765 Hyde St.

Chris Williams opened the Wattle Creek Winery last May on a tip that the area was moving on up. "There's definitely a more residential feeling here than there used to be," say Williams. 900 North Point St.

THE BACKSTORY
Wharf fisherman Giuseppe DiMaggio used to sneak home illegally caught striped bass to feed his struggling family. His son Joe worked the docks as a teenager but he hated the smell, so instead of becoming a fisherman, he struck out for a career in baseball. He learned to hit with a broken oar.

ONLY HERE
Hooters may not testify to the upscaling of the wharf, exactly, but city hipsters come slumming here for the orange short-shorts and eighties scrunch socks. And you thought it was the wings. 353 Jefferson St.

CELEB!
Lacey the Performing Dog sings "How Much Is That Doggy in the Window?" and balances on her owner's head. For good measure, an extra tips, she also jumps Evel Knievel-style over groups of unsuspecting kids.