If you live in or are visiting San Francisco California, there is no place to visit quite like the South of Market (SoMA) neighborhood. The SoMA, as it is commonly referred to, borders Market Street to the north and northwest, Townsend Street on the south and southeast, the Central Freeway to the west, and the beautiful San Francisco Bay to the east.
The SoMA part of San Francisco isn’t just one homogenous area, but includes several diverse areas. If you’re into baseball, this is home of the AT&T ballpark, where the San Francisco Giants compete in the National League, although the stadium is used for other events as well including concerts, the Monster Energy Supercross, the Emerald Bowl, and a fun-filled broadcasting event of the famous Mavericks Surf Contest.
Apart from sports and big time events, the South of Market neighborhood has a reputation as a place with a vibrant West Coast music scene. There are still many popular bars and nightclubs in this area that have a reputation and history going back three decades when San Francisco had a thriving underground punk, rave, and independent music scene. More recently though, the influx of commercial and residential developments in the SoMA neighborhood has increased rents and changed the face of nightlife slightly to include more upscale restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.
In the SoMA you can still find very high class entertainment to a strong underground, and even the risque if that’s your thing. One of the most popular neighborhood bars is “The Chieftain,” while there are dance clubs for every preference. If you want something very low tone, then the San Francisco Flower Mart is a nice place to duck your head in and enjoy the smell of flesh flowers which are imported daily from around the globe.
If bars and nightclubs just don’t hit the mark, there are still many other attractions that the SoMA has to offer residents and tourists alike. Close to the SoMA are the Yerba Buena Gardens, which allows for a beautiful garden walk in the middle of the city. Additionally, the nearby Sony Metreon offers over 350,000 square feet of family-friendly entertainment including shopping, 9 restaurants, 15 movie theaters, and an impressive IMAX theater.
The SoMA has seen many changes over the last thirty years, and this neighborhood continues to change and evolve, but if history is any indication, then the SoMA will have a lot to offer everyone for years to come.