SoMa
San Francisco’s SoMa, or South of Market, neighborhood is one of the city’s largest. Within these many blocks are an assortment of warehouses, upscale nightspots, hotels, art galleries, new development lofts, interior design boutiques and a scattering of .dot com survivors.
Once the hub of the dot com boom, today the neighborhood gets most of its traffic from Giants fans – as it is now home to the city’s storied franchise. As SoMa is huge and spread out, it can at times feel a little overwhelming – so it helps to plan your visit ahead of time. More so, areas around Sixth and Mission can get a little seedy. Your best bet is to spend your time exploring the cultural pockets nearby Yerba Buena, South Park and Eleventh Street.
Where it’s At
SoMa sprawls from the Embarcadero to Eleventh Street and stretches between Market and Townsend. However, most of the key attractions can be found in the South Park area, including Giants ballpark near the San Francisco MOMA and Yerba Buena gardens, near Folsom and Eleventh streets.
What to See
For some light-hearted culture, check out the Cartoon Art Museum, funded by Charles Schulz and dedicated to preserving and exhibiting cartoon art in all its forms (655 Mission St). The Contemporary Jewish Museum, or CJM, has regular exhibitions brought in from all over the world (736 Mission St). And for a true ‘only in San Francisco’ experience, on the last Sunday in September the Folsom Street Fair welcomes the grand finale of Leather Pride Week which includes all things within the leather fetish culture – including demonstrations of safe BDSM techniques.
SoMa is home to two San Francisco favorites. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) has an excellent collection that includes works from such greats as Pollack, Warhol, Matisse, Picasso and O’Keefe (151 3rd St.). The neighborhood is also home to the waterfront AT&T park, home to the San Francisco Giants baseball team (24 Willie Mays Plaza).
Where to Eat
For baked goods, nothing can compare to Beard Papas where vanilla filled puffs are made while you watch (99 Yerba Buena Lane). For some great pizzas, try Goat Hill Pizza and its all-you-can-eat offering (715 Harrison).