SOMA
An energetic fusion of high-end modern living and industrial charm, SOMA (South of Market) stretches from Market Street to the waterfront. It has become a cultural epicenter over the past several decades, home to the Moscone Center, Contemporary Jewish Museum, Cartoon Art Museum, Museum of African Diaspora, SF MOMA, and more. Yerba Buena Gardens is twelve square blocks of nature, art, and fun for both kids and adults, with landscaped lawns, waterfalls, a sculpture court, playground, ice rink, carousel, bowling alley, and an excellent interactive children’s museum. Salesforce Park offers plenty of daytime diversion as well, filling 5.4 acres with botanical gardens, public art, and a daily schedule of free events. For beautiful views of the bay with a side of baseball, check out a game at Oracle Park, home of the SF Giants. If basketball or concerts are more your scene, you can make the short trip over to one of San Francisco’s newer neighborhoods, Mission Bay. Here you will find recently developed luxury condominiums, UCSF’s newest campus, parks and green spaces with waterside views. If retail is your sport of choice, head to Westfield Center or one of SOMA’s many one-of-a-kind boutiques. Feel free to shop until your blood sugar drops – the eclectic neighborhood is well-known for its diverse dining scene, ranging from casual (Pazzia, 7-Mission, Extreme Pizza) to destination (Mourad, Benu, Saison) to deliciously kitschy (Beard Papa’s, Pawn Shop, AsiaSF.) Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and Safeway have everything you need for dinners at home, and you can always grab a quick bite at SOMA StrEat Food Park or the Heart of the City Farmers’ Market. There are plenty of speakeasies, cocktail lounges, and sports bars to keep you busy from happy hour on; Wish, Driftwood, Azucar Lounge, and Charmaine’s at the Proper Hotel are some local favorites, and Lone Star Saloon is a true San Francisco institution.