4th St, Mission Bay

The two major features of 4th Street in SoMa are City College and the Metreon. This is one of the reasons why you will find so many young people in this part of the city. City college is not a great school but it is a good one.

The Metreon, on the other hand is little more than a very small, glorified mall with a very begin theater. It is little to write home about. There is an Imax theater, of course, so if you are into that sort of large screen experience go for it. As far as the dining goes you have stands like the Buckhorn Grill that serves fancy fast food basically, Jillians which is basically a pole joint that happens to server food (very bad food!), or Luna Azul that somehow finds a way to ruin Mexican food. Quite an accomplishment. Stick with Buckhorn if you are stuck here for some reason. Otherwise watch your big screen movie and take off.

If you are stuck you are much better off going to the Artist’s Alley gallery on Mission. It is just like a mini-SoMA—lot’s of really cool modern paintings that you can’t afford unless you are filthy rich. If you like to support education instead of the arts, you might try the nearby Educated Palate which the restaurant that is run by the City College students. A little bit like the students at the college itself, the food is a little bit hit-or-miss, pretty good some days, atrocious others. The best bet on the street in terms of food is clearly Annabelle’s Bar and Grill, a new place. They look like they are off to a great start but get there early or you’ll end up waiting. Definitely don’t try to squeeze it in before your movie.

The other highlight of the street is Yerba Buena Gardens which is definitely the prettiest place in SoMA. If you have kids the carousal should definitely be given a try. In fact, your best bet on the street is here. It is especially nice when it lights up at night—very Christmas in New York (or so I gather from the movies).

4th Street is a very busy (around Market Street that is) that runs through the heart of downtown San Francisco. There are many things to do on 4th Street. There’s the AMC Loews Theatres (Some call it the Metreon), Zeum Carousel, Yerba Buena Ice Skating & Bowling, various night clubs, and restaurants. 4th Street just about contains everything that would be fun for singles, couples, families, retirees, and tourists. 4th also runs next to Yerba Buena Gardens for those who like to tan or just want to read in peace on a nice green field of grass. At the pier end of 4th Street is the Mission Bay Branch Library. Once 4th Street passes over the bridge, it seems (to me) that there weren’t as much going on. There is also great public transportation available on 4th Street from various Muni stops and also the San Francisco Caltrain.

4th street is actually pretty long, it begins at 3rd street and extends all the way to Market street. The reason I say 4th street is a must-go-to-place is because it covers most of the hot spots in San Francisco. It is close to AT&T Park, home to the S.F. giants, the zeum, which includes restaurants, an ice skating rink, bowling alley, carousel, and more. The Metreon is also here, which includes the AMC theatres, arcades, stores, etc. There is the San Francisco Shopping Ceter too. There are just so many places to go on this street that it will take at least an entire day to see. This is the perfect place to have fun and hang out with friends or family.

4th Street is a great place to bring the kids. There are many parks, playgrounds and attractions for children. It’s a safe area with shops, places to eat and an Imax theater. If your not traveling with kids, 4th Street Bar and Deli is a great place to eat. A bit pricey for a bar but great food!

Walking down 4th Street from Market, you will find plenty to do in the SOMA district. For one thing, there is a large Imax theater with an entire play area for kids called Zeum. There is also a Mel's Diner and a Denny's that is open 24 hours (a hot spot for club goers). SOMA has a lot to offer. One block East of 4th Street, you'll find MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) and a fabulous park known as Yerba Buena Gardens.