SoMa San Francisco, which stands for South of Market San Francisco, represents the most central part of the city. The area is home to techies, Michelin-starred restaurants and high-rise apartment buildings. The location and close proximity to downtown, public transportation, entertainment and restaurants make SoMa a highly walkable and convenient place to live.
Where is SoMa in San Francisco?
As its name suggests, SoMa is nestled south of San Francisco’s main street, also known as Market Street. The area includes a few smaller neighborhoods as well, including South Beach, Yerba Buena and Rincon Hill.
SoMa stretches all the way down to 11th Street, and along the way, you can find plenty of shopping, dining, museums and San Francisco’s famous Moscone Center. The neighborhood is also adjacent to Embarcadero, which is the city’s famous waterfront that faces the Bay Bridge and further down, the city’s tourist attraction, Fisherman’s Wharf.
Source: Rent.
Like many neighborhoods in San Francisco, SoMa has withstood earthquakes, financial fallout and now a pandemic. It has survived and thrived and is now a destination for both techies and tourists.
SOMA has about 12,000 residents, compared to the general San Francisco population of 881,549.
- Studio average rent: $3,040
- One-bedroom average rent: $3,635
- Two-bedroom average rent: $4,692
- Walk score: 97
- Bike score: 83
- Transit score: 85
Living in SoMa San Francisco
SoMa represents a complete spectrum of San Francisco, with accessibility and comforts of the city just a short walk away. Here are a few things to know about living in SoMa San Francisco.
Crime and safety in SoMa
Like parts of any big city, SoMa is perfectly safe to walk around during the day. Because the area is always bustling with lots of people and activity, it’s considered safe. There are, however, parts of Market Street that can get dicey, including going past 6th Street.
You may encounter some of San Francisco’s homeless population, which tends to gather in this area. If you need to go through this area at night, the best thing to do would be to either avoid Market Street or take public transportation if you need to go beyond 6th Street.
Entertainment and shopping in SoMa
If you’re in search of shopping or entertainment, SoMa is trendy and has plenty to offer. The most popular destination is Union Square and San Francisco’s Westfield Centre. At this mall you’ll find high-end brands like Bloomingdales and Nordstrom. The shopping continues in the outdoor part of Union Square, with the famous cable trolley available to ride, right outside of The Gap.
For more of a local shopping experience, there’s also the city’s beloved Alexander Book Company, Foto-Grafix Books and The Green Arcade.
Like the rest of the city, SoMa has its fair share of parks and places to relax. Locals enjoy the lawn outside of the Metreon, Salesforce Park and — just a short walk away — the Embarcadero.
Dining and restaurants
Although the pandemic has caused a shift in the way restaurants serve their food, there’s still plenty of ways to enjoy a nice takeout meal and beverage from local eateries and artisan coffee shops. The neighborhood’s dining scene offers delicious food at every price point, craft cocktail bars and incredible bakeries.
Here’s a glimpse into SoMa’s food and drink scene:
- The Bird: There’s often a line out the door for this hotspot that offers fried chicken and slaw. Top it off with a beer and curly fries.
- Dottie’s True Blue Cafe: If brunch is more your thing, Dottie’s is a staple in SoMa. Get a ginormous order of pancakes and settle in at this San Francisco institution.
- Birdsong: For some fine dining and a look at an open kitchen, check out Birdsong. The chefs prepare delicious chicken-based meals in front of you. Try any of the perfectly crispy fried chicken sandwiches and don’t forget to eat the huge flakes of batter that fall out of the sandwich with each bite.
- The View Lounge: For one of the best hotel rooftops in the U.S., make your way to the 39th floor of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in SoMa. It’s a fantastic way to soak up the city’s stunning views with a delicious cocktail and light meal.
Transportation
Fact: The trolley is definitely not the best way to get around San Francisco but is a blast to ride.
One of the best things about being in SoMa is that you have any number of public transportation options to get to your destination. From jumping on the ferry from Embarcadero to get across the bay to Marin or taking BART to shuttle down to the East Bay, SoMa offers it all.
If you have a car, you can easily hop on the 101 Freeway or take Interstate 80 to get to the East Bay or Sacramento.
The main forms of transportation include:
- Bus: 14, 14R, 5, KBUS, LBUS, NBUS
- MUNI: To get anywhere within the city, including Ocean Beach and Dogpatch
- BART: Subway that goes south to SFO or to the East Bay
- Ferry: East Bay or north of San Francisco, such as Sausalito or Marin
- Scooters and public bikes: They’re everywhere!
Education
Although for the moment, many schools are offering online courses only, there are a number of continued educational institutions housed in the heart of SoMa.
The SoMa area offers a number of universities, art schools, and trade colleges that are conveniently located for people living in the area. These include:
- The California Institute of Studies (CIIS)
- San Francisco State University Downtown
- Golden Gate University
- City College of San Francisco – Downtown Center
- Academy of Art University
- Wharton School – University of Pennsylvania
Weather in SoMa
SoMa has arguably the best weather in San Francisco — which is known for its micro-climates. Generally speaking, SoMa is slightly warmer and has more sun than other parts of the city, such as Ingleside or Oceanview, which both get an average of 12 hours of fog, daily! The fog is such a prominent force in the city, it’s called Karl and has its own Twitter account, @KarlTheFog.
San Francisco weather is mild, with moist winters, dry summers and an average temperature around 60 degrees. If you’re not familiar with San Francisco weather, prepare for foggy, chilly summers. The summer doesn’t really start until September, also known as San Francisco’s Indian Summer.
10 things to do in SoMa
From shopping, checking out local eateries, and soaking in the picturesque waterfront, there is so much to do and see in SoMa.
- SFMOMA: Spend a day browsing through 30,000 pieces of modern artwork across seven gallery floors and 45,000 square feet of free, art-filled public space open to all.
- Press Club: In the mood for a full-bodied glass of wine with dinner? Count on Press Club to offer an incredible selection of tastings and wines.
- Yerba Buena Gardens: Take advantage of San Francisco’s fantastic weather by spending an afternoon on the lush green grass.
- Salesforce Park: Stroll along a 5.4-acre elevated park, four stories above the streets on top of the Salesforce Transit Tower. Enjoy the view and check out the botanical gardens and public art.
- Oracle Park: This is where the Giants play! Even if you’re not into baseball games, you’ll still appreciate the beautiful view of the bay and can take a behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium.
- Alice Street Community Gardens: This is a small but surprisingly serene urban garden that is kept and manicured by seniors and younger disabled people from the neighborhood. Each person gets a plot for creative expression.
- California Historical Society: This organization has galleries that showcase the history of California through photography, manuscripts, posters and artwork.
- Walk the Barbary Coast: This is a four-mile walking tour connecting 20 historic sites and local history museums. There are approximately 180 bronze medallions and arrows embedded in the sidewalk mark the trail.
- Deli Board: This SoMa staple will satisfy your sandwich cravings with plenty of surprises to boot. The menu changes daily and includes piles of delicious meats spilling out of fluffy, hot rolls.
- Ice skate or bowl: Near the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, there’s a year-round ice skating rink and bowling center.
Finding an apartment in SoMa
Finding an apartment in SoMa starts with your budget for rent and what kind of building you want to live in. On smaller side streets you’ll occasionally find a Victorian or a modern condominium. Brick walk-ups are common, as are high-rises—these are more common the further west you go.
SoMa isn’t the most car-friendly part of San Francisco, but the newer high rises offer parking, usually with a monthly fee.
Convenience is the main theme when living in SoMa, but if a balcony overlooking a beautiful, innovative city appeals to you, then it may just be your next place to live.
Rent prices are based on a rolling weighted average from Apartment Guide and Rent.’s multifamily rental property inventory of one-bedroom apartments. We pulled our data in May 2021, and it goes back for one year. Our team uses a weighted average formula that more accurately represents price availability for each individual unit type and reduces the influence of seasonality on rent prices in specific markets.
The rent information included in this article is used for illustrative purposes only. The data contained herein do not constitute financial advice or a pricing guarantee for any apartment.
Source: rent.com