SoMa, San Francisco

F you visit the SoMa district of San Francisco, you can eat a five-course meal while you sit on an oversize bed and watch a performance artist stretch the definition of theater. You can drop in on a penguin feeding or paddle a kayak in search of floating baseballs in the bay. This stretch of the city south of Market Street, long known for its alternative art and music scene, has matured into a mix of trendy restaurants, gritty bars, swank hotels and warehouses reworked to stage live music. It has a bustling waterfront, a major league baseball stadium and engrossing museums.