Located at end of the Bay Bridge, the area is well-served by San Francisco's public transport network. There are a number of good hotels in the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood, as well as some of San Francisco's best bars, dance clubs and lounges.
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art boasts excellent touring exhibits, films and photography alongside its permanent works by artists such as Pollack, Warhol, Matisse and Picasso. Located across the street, the Yerba Buena Gardens complex provides a cultural focal point for the area with two blocks of museums, activities and peaceful gardens.
The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts hosts visual art exhibits, performances, and other events. Feeling almost like an extension of the gardens, the Contemporary Jewish Museum stands Mission Street by the Cartoon Art Museum; America’s only museum dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of cartoon art in all its forms.
An interactive multimedia and technology museum, Zeum, is aimed at a younger audience. A bowling alley and indoor ice-skating rink look down onto a restored carousel from the city’s old amusement park, Playland-at-the-Beach.
A five-acre downtown park, the Esplanade features an iconic waterfall memorial dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Nearby, the Moscone Center houses major exhibits, trade shows and conventions. Further away from the bay, visitors can find a number of mega-stores and wholesale marketplaces.
