East Toole Ave, El Presidio

If you need a place to drop off the kids for awhile the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Angel youth center is a great location. There are also some great art galleries to explore nearby if that sort of thing is for you. MOCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art, was definitely the best of the bunch, even though it is pretty small. There's also a large parking lot nearby so you can walk around and take in all the art and culture.

This stretch of road is the place to see real artists at work in real galleries. As an old converted warehouse district, the street itself is in need of repair and parking can be difficult, but it is worth it for places such as Solar Culture which doubles as a nighttime music venue and all-the-time art gallery. Other spots can be found if you are willing to trust the crumbling sidewalks.

At night this is a place where you should probably know where you are going and not dawdle.

The intersection of Toole and Stone is a great place to sit and watch the trains roll by.