How to Escape the Ordinary In San Francisco

Minnesota Street Project: Where you can experience the city's burgeoning contemporary art & design scene

Once you’re able to tear yourself away from the view, skip the mainstream shops and commercial bustle of touristy Union Square and head to the Minnesota Street Project in the historic Dogpatch District instead. Here, three massive warehouses have been converted into some of the city’s most intriguing new contemporary arts studios and galleries. Set aside a few hours to wander through the exhibit spaces—and don’t forget to marvel at the warehouse interiors themselves: Local architect Mark Jensen was tapped to give the self-sustaining arts spaces a modern-industrial vibe complete with gleaming glass, vast skylights, and exposed beams. The entire effect serves as an insider-y glimpse into the city’s burgeoning contemporary art and design scene—and a welcome, underground alternative to the usual assortment on display at other more established galleries elsewhere in the city.