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Visitors guide to SOMA (South of Market)

The West Coast’s answer to SoHo in New York City, SOMA is now the hottest real estate market just about anywhere. The property values in SOMA (which stands for South of Market) are No. 1 in the city, and most of it is new hi-rise condos or revamped old spaces, including a lot of old warehouses. The area used to be known for blight. Now it’s known for hipsters, tech companies, expensive condos and Giants baseball at their stunning, bayside ballpark.

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The area around Folsom Street and 11th Street is thought of as the heart of SOMA with its hot nightclub scene. The Paradise Lounge (11th & Folsom St.), the bluesy Slim's (333 11th St.) and the DNA Lounge (375 11th St.) pack 'em in like sardines in their Saturday best. That area also is known for its gay leather and S&M scene, which is highlighted each September with the unique Folsom Street Fair, an eye-opening public display of outrageousness.

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Increasingly the bridge-and-tunnel crowd (those who live outside of the city but come in regularly to work or play) overshadows the artists in SOMA. Nonetheless, the area has many cool galleries of all shapes and sizes as well as some top museums, such as SFMOMA (151 Third St.), the Museum Of Modern Art; and the Yerba Buena Arts Center (701 Mission) across the street.

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SFMOMA, which was recently renovated and expanded, is recognized by its distinctive facade with its silo atrium amid red brick walls. Here you will find works from Picasso, Matisse and Warhol. Views of SFMOMA from across Third Street in Yerba Buena Gardens will please even the most finicky social media scrollers. 

Yerba Buena Gardens, though small, is one of America’s prettiest urban parks. Also nearby, on Mission Street, check out  the Museum of African Diaspora and the Contemporary Jewish Museum.

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SOMA near Market Street is often filled with convention goers, most of them active around the large Moscone Center. It’s big and ever-expanding with three big halls, two underground.

The sprawling Moscone Center complex includes an indoor ice skating rink with big windows that offer views of the skyline, a bowling alley and a beautifully restored carousel from an old amusement park that once drew locals to Ocean Beach.

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The Financial District now extends across Market Street into SOMA, stretching down near the bayfront and South Beach. That’s where you will find the city’s largest building, the Salesforce Tower, at 415 Mission St. between Fremont and First streets. It’s nearly 1,100 feet tall, the tallest building on the West Coast.

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The Metreon complex at Fourth and Mission streets is a hot spot for shopping, eating and its movie theaters.

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Across the street from The Metreon, you will find one of the better places to park near Market Street at the Yerba Buena Gardens Garage, which fills the whole block of Mission Street between Fourth and Fifth streets.

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The Giants’ ballpark is a must-see. Since Oracle Park opened on King Street, filling the block between Third and Fourth streets, the surrounding area has blossomed, including the Mission Bay neighborhood just south of the ballpark. There you will find the Golden State Warriors' new basketball arena, Chase Center. Oracle Park and its neighboring marina is a good place to walk. If you have spring in your step, take the turn along the bay and head down The Embarcadero to the Bay Bridge and Ferry Building.

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Hot tips: If the Giants are playing, check out the free viewing area on the south side of the stadium, the right field side, beside McCovey Cove. You can walk right up and stand on the field level, separated from the right fielder by mere feet and a fence. If it’s busy, they will push you out after two or three innings. It is a unique (and did we mention free?) experience. One of the most memorable things to do: Rent a kayak and rest in McCovey Cove with the hopes that someone will hit a home run out of the ballpark and into your lap. It happens.

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Beware: If you are walking Mission Street in SOMA, stay away from Sixth Street. It’s sketchy, to say the least.

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Oddly: A block from the enormous Salesforce Tower, at the corner of Mission and Fremont streets, sits the city’s most ridiculous building. The Millennium Tower is home to very pricey condos - and all 58 floors of it are sinking. Since opening to much fanfare, the building has gone down about 18 inches and tilted nearly that much at its roof. Various groups are fighting over who messed it up and who might foot the $500 million bill to fix it. Meanwhile, it’s a good place for a selfie and entertaining social media post.

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Good eats: Just off Market Street on New Montgomery Street, the famed Palace Hotel has a beautiful restaurant, the Garden Court. It’s bright and airy and revered for its tea and brunch buffet. It feels classy but without the high prices you find at the classiest places. … If you have some money to burn, try Lulu (816 Folsom), President Bill Clinton's preferred stop in SOMA.

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Nearby: Head to 1705 Mariposa St. and take a free tour of the Anchor Brewing Company, one of the city’s gifts to the world.

Getting around: The Caltrain terminal is in SOMA, near the Giants’ baseball stadium. It’s good for accessing the Peninsula, Silicon Valley and San Jose. It goes on to the edge of the state’s agricultural region, ending in Gilroy, the Garlic Capital of the World.

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Party place: The Hotel Utah Saloon at 500 Fourth St. is always hopping, usually has live music, and you can take it all in from a cool second-floor balcony.