Welcome to
SoMa
Once an unloved industrial and warehouse district south of Market Street and downtown San Francisco, SOMA is now an established neighborhood of modern condominium towers, tech startup headquarters, art institutions, Michelin-starred restaurants, and the annual Folsom Street Fair. The neighborhood is large and varied and offers something for everyone. In the mid-19th century, SOMA was a growing community with low-density residential buildings, a business district, and emerging industrial areas near the waterfront. Wealthy residents moved to Rincon Hill, while the upper middle class settled in South Park. However, by the early 20th century, heavy industrial development and the 1906 earthquake turned the area into a working-class and lower-middle-class community of recent European immigrants, sweatshops, and factories. The construction of the Bay Bridge and U.S. Route 101 during the 1930s resulted in large areas being demolished. South of Market was home to a sizable population of transients and working-class people in the 1940s and 1950s, giving it a "skid row" reputation. However, the redevelopment of the Embarcadero waterfront in the 1950s brought a new population to the area, including the gay community and the leather community in particular, which thrived throughout South of Market from 1962 until 1982.
Energetic, modern, industrial, urban, contemporary, art
At A Glance
THE NEIGHBORS
Luxury modern living with plenty of live-work, loft and high rise options.
WHAT TO EXPECT
An urban hub with access to the best of everything the city has to offer.
THE LIFESTYLE
Endless options to explore for shopping, dining, entertainment, art and culture.
UNEXPECTED APPEAL
Fabulous outdoor spaces to enjoy.
NEIGHBORHOOD AESTHETIC
SoMa can be described as a blend of industrial grit, high-tech innovation and urban energy.
YOU’LL FALL IN LOVE WITH
Commute free living.
Located In SoMa
Nearby Neighborhoods
Financial District, Mission, South Beach, Mission Bay, Civic Center/Van Ness, East Cut, Potrero Hill
East to West Boundaries
Van Ness Ave. to the west, The Embarcadero plus King St. to the east
North to South Boundaries
Market St. to the north, Division St. plus Brannan St to the south
Commute Times
- Financial District via auto: 10 minutes
- Financial District via transit: 15 minutes
- South San Francisco via auto: 15 minutes
- Silicon Valley via auto: 45 minutes
AROUND THE BLOCK
A historic cable car line once separated SoMa from downtown and the Financial District, but the last decade has transformed this sweeping stretch of prime real estate from a backwater to a hub for the city’s booming tech industry, an international destination for modern art, fine dining and a thriving residential neighborhood within a stone’s throw of San Francisco’s beating heart.
WHAT TO EXPECT
What it lacks in the architectural character and history of some of the city’s historic residential neighborhoods, SoMa makes up for with urban dynamism and access to the best of what the city has to offer. From the Ferry Building and the waterfront Embarcadero to the world-class modern art museum that is the newly expanded SFMOMA, this expansive area tells the story of San Francisco’s changing character, spectacular affluence and fun-loving spirit.
THE LIFESTYLE
From the historic gay clubs along Folsom Street to the high art at the newly expanded MOMA, SoMa has long been on the cutting edge of San Francisco’s arts and subculture scenes. But in recent years, it has also become home to elite restaurants, gleaming condo towers, creating a single—if sprawling—neighborhood with more to do than some cities.
UNEXPECTED APPEAL
Despite its location beside the busy Bay Bridge and downtown Financial District, SoMa has some exceedingly pleasant places to escape the buzz of city life, including the two-square-block Yerba Buena Gardens, where free concerts are performed from May through October, and the waterfront, where you can grab a bench and watch seagulls and sea lions for hours.
NEIGHBORHOOD AESTHETIC
The aesthetic of SoMa can be described as a blend of industrial grit, high-tech innovation, and urban energy. One of the defining features of SoMa is its industrial past. The neighborhood was once home to a number of factories, warehouses, and rail yards, and many of the buildings in the area still reflect this history. However, in recent years, many of these buildings have been repurposed as live/work spaces for tech startups, artists, and other creatives, adding to the neighborhood's innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.
YOU’LL FALL IN LOVE WITH
It’s impossible to overstate the joys of a commute-free life. Living close to where you work and play means gifting yourself hours of free time to do the things you enjoy.
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