SoMa

Anchored by SFMOMA and Yerba Buena Gardens, SoMa is a still-gritty neighborhood of high-rise live-work lofts and office buildings, a handful of destination restaurants, and a concentration of dance clubs. Don't miss the museum, and if the weather cooperates, treat yourself to a picnic at Yerba Buena Gardens. Around these islands of interest are long stretches of pedestrian-unfriendly four-lane boulevards and seedy pockets where the homeless gather (especially 6th Street just south of Market Street). At night safety dictates that visitors take taxis and keep their wits about them.