The People's Guide is Curbed SF's tour o' the nabes, lead by our most loyal readers, favorite bloggers, and other luminaries of our choosing. Have a piece to say? We'll be happy to hand over the megaphone. This week, we welcome Brock Keeling; Editor of SFist
[Something that could never ever possibly destroy us via Bhautik Joshi]
Nabe: South of Market (AKA SoMa, or if you're a horrible human being, Eastern SoMa)
Tell us something we don't know about SoMa? It was once referred to as South of the Slot, a reference to cable cars that ran up and down Market Street along a slot where the cables were attached. Jack London, who was born on Third and Brannan Streets, has a short story called "South of the Slot," which you should check out.
Local Customs of note:
Leather, bears, North Face jackets, chains, Whole Foods totes, public sex acts, tech industry fratboy brethren, assault & battery, babbling incoherently to oneself.
Hidden Gems in SoMa: HRD Coffee Shop (not really a cafe, but more of an A+ spoon that serves the now-famous Mongolian Beef Cheesesteak Sandwich ), South Park's swing set and jungle gym, the back patio at Lone Star Saloon, DarTEAling Lounge (like a life-size Victorian dollhouse come to life where one can enjoy tea and sandwiches), loads of sex clubs hinting at the city's halcyon days.
Are your neighbors "Rotten Neighbor" worthy? If so, dish. If not ... well, why not? I live too close to 715 Harrison, which is an 18-&-over club. Vile, yes; however a city needs such nightlife venues, so I white knuckle it. And, if I can get even more hyperlocal, during the club's gay Thursday night parties, my downstairs neighbors sometimes drunkenly shout hateful remarks to queer passersby. Frustrating on all ends, really.
Inflate the bubble or burst it: What's not-so-swell about your "perfect" neighborhood?If your nabe is an underdog, what's being overlooked? Since it's so big, it's got both the underdog element and booming aspect.
The final word on SoMa: No hills.
· The People's Guide [Curbed SF]
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