The nation's top planning organization has confirmed what Bay Area residents and smitten tourists already feel in their gut: San Francisco's North Beach is one of the greatest neighborhoods in America.

The district - which was once an Italian enclave leavened by a sprinkling of bohemians, now a dense agglomeration of sidewalk cafes and a population that spans the ethnic and social spectrum - was named as one of "10 Great Neighborhoods in America" today by the American Planning Association.

The 41,000-member organization took note of the atmospheric collage of low buildings around such historic gathering places as Grant Avenue and Washington Square. They also acknowledged the tenacious way that residents have fought to keep out chain stores and development projects that might water down "its eclectic mix of mom-and-pop shops, nightclubs and polyglot character (that) make it one of t