In This Guide
In this guide you’ll find everything you need to know regarding parking in SOMA (South of Market St), a large neighborhood in San Francisco. These pointers include:
- About SoMa
- Things To Know
- Best Places to Park
- Lots and Garages
- Top Tips
- Street Parking
- Resources
- Attractions
About SoMa
SoMa, or South of Market, is one of the largest neighborhoods in all of San Francisco. Within the neighborhood, there are smaller sub-communities, including popular destinations such as Rincon Hill and Mission Bay. If you are interested in museums and history, this is the perfect destination for you. The community itself has been around since nearly the city’s inception, dating back to 1848.
During the 1840’s and 50’s, the community served as a growing destination for pioneers with the handful of a few business centers. SoMa essentially became a smaller city within the larger San Francisco, as the wealthy moved to Rincon Hill while South Park served as more of the middle class destination. With the 1906 Earthquake and fires, SoMa, much like the recent of the community, needed to rebuild. The rebuild helped propel SoMa into the 20th century, as instead of smaller brick and wood, cement, iron and steel was the construction material of choice. You can see many of these buildings there now that were erected just before the Great Depression.
SoMa now stands as a major hub for manufacturing, trade and as a destination for bar hoppers and clubbing. It was also influential in the punk and rave scene during the 80’s and 90’s. Naturally, with the wider nature of the community, it is open to a variety of businesses, ranging from auto repair shops to the headquarters for leading new-age companies like Foursquare, Pinterest and Airbnb.
Things to Know
When visiting San Francisco, chances are you’ll find yourself in SoMa at least once during the stay. Whether catching a professional baseball game or stopping by one of your favorite social media facilities, there is all sorts of things to see and do here. It also is a bit easier to park than what you might find to the north of the community in downtown.
Best Places to Park
Best Parking Spot: The majority of parking structures here sit between Interstate 80 and Market Avenue with the exception of a few options. The best place to park likely depends on where you’ll be going in the community. The 100 Henry Adams St. Lot at 100 Kansas Street is a great option for most people though. This is located near the very southern edge of the community. It is also in the heart of the Design District, where there are no other major parking structures or lots. The 470 Brannan St Garage is desirable for being open 24 hours a day, being the only lot open on the eastern/southern side of Interstate 80, and for being just a few blocks away from AT&T Park.
SoMa Lots and Garages
View the map below or directly on Google for a list of off-street parking lots and garages in SoMa. Expand the map below to find more options outside of the neighborhood.
1 St. Francis Pl
1036 Mission St Garage
1036 Mission St
1064 Mission St Garage
1064 Mission St
120 Hawthorne St Garage
120 Hawthorne St
124 Folsom St
124 Folsom St
1401 Folsom St
1401 Folsom St
153 Townsend St
153 Townsend St
100 Henry Adams St. Lot
100 Kansas St
201 Spear St
201 Spear St
23 Brady St
23 Brady St
255 12th Street
255 12th Street
299 2nd St
299 2nd St
322 Tehama St
322 Tehama St
333 Beale St
333 Beale St
336 Ritch St
336 Ritch St
38 Colin P Kelly Jr St
38 Colin P Kelly Jr St
39 1st Street
39 1st Street
395 3rd St
395 3rd St
40 Stevenson St
40 Stevenson St
400 Howard St
400 Howard St
400 Spear St
400 Spear St
470 Brannan
470 Brannan
475 Brannan St
475 Brannan St
486 Jessie St
486 Jessie St
50 8th Street
50 8th Street
Pier 30 Parking Lot
501 The Embarcadero
588 Brannan
588 Brannan
59 S Van Ness
59 S Van Ness
61 Oak Grove St
61 Oak Grove St
675 Townsend St
675 Townsend St
777 Harrison St
777 Harrison St
801 Bryant St
801 Bryant St
833 Bryant St
833 Bryant St
890 Mission St.
890 Mission St
Bayside Lot – Lot #26
1 Bryant St
Top Parking Tips for SoMa
- There is often a lot of construction in SoMA that can effect the permit requirements. Be sure to read signs carefully and be on the lookout for temporary signs. Note it may not even be you’re street that is under construction effecting the change.
- If you intend on parking several blocks away for a Giant’s game, make sure to check the street sign as to when the vehicle needs to be moved (for the street sweeper). Should you miss this time you’ll receive a fat fine. Find more tips for parking at AT&T Park.
Street Parking in SoMa
Street Parking Overview
Should you find available street parking where a permit is not required, you likely will be able to park for free. That is one of the perks in the area. You’ll need to keep your eyes open, but SoMa is one of the better communities in San Francisco when it comes to free parking.
Best Bets for Street Parking
- At Harrison off of 1st (Harrison/1st)
- Falmouth Alley at Folsom (Flamouth and Folsom)
- Beale Street off of Folsom (Beale and Folsom)
SoMa Parking Meter Locations and Rate Areas
Metered and free parking is available in SoMa. There are four metered zones in SoMa:
- Green: “Area 2” – meters enforced between 7AM-6PM Mon-Sat, $1-$3 per hour; limit 1-4 hours
- Red: “Area 3” – meters enforced between 8/9AM-6PM Mon-Sat, $.25 – $2 per hour; limit 1 hour to unlimited
- Blue: “Area 5” – meters enforced between 7/9AM-6PM Mon-Sat, $.25-$6 per hour; limit 2 hours to unlimited
- Brown: “Port of SF” – meters enforced between 7AM-11PM Mon-Sun, $.25 – $3.50 per hour
See meter locations and rate areas for all of San Francisco on the city’s website.
Paying for Metered Parking in SoMa
Like all parking meters in San Francisco, parking meters in SoMa accept coins, credit cards, PaybyPhone, and pre-paid SFMTA Parking Cards. Read more about the street meter payment options.
Smart Pricing Street Parking in SoMa
Prices at the meter can fluctuate with demand in SoMa via San Francisco’s Smart Pricing Program. Be prepared for inconsistent meter rates between $.25 and $6 per hour, and limits between two hours and unlimited in the areas in the map below.
Learn more about how the program works, or use the live map to find availability, pricing, as well as street sweeping and other restrictions.
SoMa Residential Parking Zones
Some pockets of SoMa have restrictions for residential parking. There are two different zones: U and Y. View the map above or keep a look out for the signs like the one below to know if you’re in a residential zone.
Parkers without this permit are allowed to park for the posted time limit (typically 1-2 hours) unless other restrictions apply. You can view the full San Francisco residential permit map here.
Free Street Parking in SoMa
You can park for free anywhere in SoMa after meter and residential restriction hours (typically 10 PM on weekdays). Parking is free on the weekends. During the restricted hours, you can park free outside of the metered areas, limited to 1-2 hours in residential zones, and limited to 72 hours in unrestricted zones. Of course, look out for street cleaning signs as well, which is aggressive in SoMa compared with other neighborhoods.
Resources
- Parknav – Helps parkers find the best street parking with real-time predictive data.
- ParkMe – Helps parkers find off- and on-street parking using full-time researchers and a predictive algorithm.
- SFPark.org – City website with live parking availability and pricing.
- SpotHero – Find and reserve parking in advance with this free on-demand parking app.
- Parkopedia – Browse street and off-street parking rates with an interactive map.
- AT&T Park: Home of the San Francisco Giants, this is widely regarded as one of the most picturesque Major League Baseball venues in all of professional baseball. If you are interested in baseball, want a beautiful view of the Bay or want to check out one of the outdoor concerts that takes place when the season is over, check out the website for all your needs.
Attractions
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA): This is one of the crown jewels in terms of not only art collection but artistic architecture within the entire city. Initially founded in 1935, SFMOMA has been a thriving center for the arts within the city. Plus, it just reopened in May 2016 after extensive expansions. The museum believes more than one million visitors a year will visit the museum with the newly opened wing, so if you have any interest in modern art, this is a beautiful location to check out for yourself.
The Cartoon Museum: While nowhere near as large as the SFMOMA or really many of the other museums within the neighborhood, this one is a bit more unique. If you are a lover of comics and cartoons, this is a must see. The Cartoon Art Museum, while not at its present day location, has been around since 1984 and, with its growing collection of cartoons, panels and comic book collectibles, this truly is a unique place you may just fall in love with. Charles Schulz, famed creator and animator for the Peanuts cartoons helped open the museum with a sizeable endowment.