Walk out of the Montgomery Street BART station and turn toward the water. You aren't on Market Street anymore, at least not spiritually. You’ve just hit New Montgomery Street San Francisco, a short, two-block stretch that basically acts as the elegant spine of the South of Market district. It’s short. It’s dense. Honestly, it’s probably the most "New York" feeling street in a city that usually tries its hardest to be anything but.
While the rest of SOMA spent the last twenty years turning into a forest of glass Salesforce-style needles, New Montgomery stayed grounded in brick, terra cotta, and actual history.
It’s where the money used to be. It's where the tech titans of the early 2010s pretended they were old-school tycoons. If you want to understand how San Francisco actually works—the friction between the "Old Guard" gold rush wealth and the "New Guard" digital gold—you have to walk these few blocks.
The Palace Hotel and the Ghost of 1906
You can't talk about New Montgomery Street San Francisco without starting at the corner of Market. The Palace Hotel isn't just a hotel; it’s a survivor. The original 1875 version was the largest and most luxurious in the world at the time, but the 1906 earthquake and the subsequent fires turned it into a skeleton.
The "new" Palace, finished in 1909, is what we see today.
Step inside the Garden Court. Look up. That glass roof is held together by massive amounts of gold leaf and enough history to make your head spin. Presidents have died here (Warren G. Harding, Room 8064, if you're into the macabre) and legends like Oscar Wilde have held court. It feels heavy. Not heavy like lead, but heavy like importance.
When you stand on the sidewalk outside, notice the transition. The street was specifically designed to be wider and more "grand" than the narrow alleys surrounding it. It was a statement. Ralston, the guy who built the Palace, wanted a grand entrance to his empire. He got it, though he died before he could see the street truly flourish.
Where the Tech Boom Found Its Suit
Right across from the Palace is the Hobart Building. It’s that weirdly thin, ornate tower that looks like it was squeezed by its neighbors. For a minute in 1914, it was the second tallest building in the city.
But move down the street toward Howard. You’ll hit the Rialto Building and the Sharon Building. These are the places that defined the second "Gold Rush."
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In 2012, if you were a startup and you wanted people to take you seriously, you didn't go to a garage in Palo Alto. You rented a floor on New Montgomery. Yelp famously took over the 140 New Montgomery building—the old Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Building.
The 140 New Montgomery Story
This building is a masterpiece. It’s an Art Deco skyscraper finished in 1925, and for decades, it was the tallest thing on the skyline. It’s got these massive terra cotta eagles perched on the corners, looking down like they’re judging your lunch choices.
When the tech boom hit, developers spent nearly $100 million to gut the inside while keeping that gorgeous facade.
It became the "Tech Palace." It proved that you could take a building meant for switchboard operators and turn it into a high-speed data hub for a company like Yelp. It’s a weird metaphor for the city itself: a classic, rigid shell filled with constantly shifting, invisible code.
The Academy of Art and the Student Vibe
It isn't all venture capital and fancy lobbies.
The Academy of Art University owns a significant chunk of the real estate around here. You’ll see students lugging huge portfolios or camera gear, smoking cigarettes near the bus stops, looking stressed. This keeps the street from feeling like a sterile corporate corridor.
There’s a tension there. You have some of the most expensive office space in the country sitting right next to art classrooms. It keeps the foot traffic diverse. You've got the guy in the $4,000 suit getting a coffee at Blue Bottle, and right behind him is a kid with dyed blue hair trying to figure out how to pay for more oil paints.
Food, Coffee, and the "Power Lunch"
If you're hungry on New Montgomery Street San Francisco, you have two choices: go high or go fast.
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The Pied Piper bar inside the Palace is the "high." It’s named after the Maxfield Parrish painting that hangs behind the bar. During the work week, you can practically hear the NDAs being signed. It’s dark, wood-paneled, and smells like expensive gin. It’s where deals happen.
Then there’s the House of Shields.
Directly across the street. Legend says there was an underground tunnel connecting the Palace to the House of Shields so guests could sneak across for a drink during Prohibition. Is it true? Historians are skeptical. Does everyone believe it anyway? Absolutely. The bar has no clocks and no TVs. It’s a time capsule.
For the faster crowd:
- Blue Bottle Coffee: Located in the 115 New Montgomery building. It’s always packed. The ceiling is high, the acoustics are terrible, and the espresso is perfect.
- The Sentinel: This is a tiny, tiny sandwich shop on the corner of New Montgomery and Stevenson. It’s basically a hole in the wall. You get the corned beef. You don't ask questions. You just eat it on the sidewalk.
- Mourad: Further down towards Howard. It’s high-end Moroccan. It’s where you go when the startup actually gets acquired.
The Architecture You Usually Miss
Most people just look at the storefronts. Look up instead.
The street is a masterclass in the "Chicago School" of architecture. This means steel frames covered in masonry. It’s why these buildings survived the later quakes. They have "bones."
Look at the details on the Sharon Building (55 New Montgomery). It’s got these intricate carvings that no developer today would ever pay for. It’s too expensive. Too slow. But back then, the building was the brand. If your building looked cheap, people thought your bank or your law firm was cheap.
The street basically ends at the SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) on Third Street, but the transition through the Minna and Natoma alleys is where the real "city" feel happens. These alleys used to be gritty. Now, they’re filled with public art and high-end lighting installations.
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Why the Street Actually Matters Now
San Francisco has had a rough few years. You’ve seen the headlines. "Doom loop" this, "tech exodus" that.
But New Montgomery feels different. Because it isn't just a tech hub, it’s a transit hub and a cultural anchor. It’s a five-minute walk from the Salesforce Transit Center and the "Salesforce Park" (that giant park in the sky which is actually incredible).
Because the street is anchored by the Palace Hotel and the Academy of Art, it doesn't rely solely on office workers. It has a "permanent" population of travelers and students.
While Mid-Market is struggling to find its identity, New Montgomery knows exactly what it is. It’s the dignified, slightly snobby, but incredibly beautiful heart of downtown.
A Note on Safety and Reality
Look, it’s still downtown San Francisco.
You’ll see unhoused neighbors. You’ll see the occasional "urban grit." But compared to the Tenderloin or even parts of Market Street, New Montgomery is a bubble. It’s heavily patrolled by private security for the big buildings and the "Community Benefit District" ambassadors in their bright jackets.
It’s one of the few places in the city where you can walk at 10 PM and it still feels vibrant rather than desolate.
Real Insights for Visiting or Working Here
If you’re heading to New Montgomery Street San Francisco, don't just walk through it to get to the museum.
- Start at the Palace: Even if you aren't staying there, walk through the lobby. It’s free. The grandeur is public.
- Hit the Alleys: Minna and Natoma streets cross New Montgomery. They are home to hidden galleries and some of the best small-scale architecture in SOMA.
- The 140 Lobby: Sometimes the security at 140 New Montgomery is chill enough to let you peek at the Art Deco lobby. It’s worth the attempt. The elevator doors alone are works of art.
- Lunch Timing: If you try to get food between 12:15 and 1:00 PM, you will fail. The lines are legendary. Go at 11:30 or 1:30.
- Look for the Bronze: There are historical markers embedded in some of the buildings. They tell the story of the 1906 fire line.
New Montgomery is a reminder that San Francisco is more than just a collection of apps or a series of hills. It’s a place built on the idea that commerce should be beautiful. Whether it’s a 1920s telephone building or a 1870s hotel, the street demands that you look up and pay attention.
The next time you're in the city, skip the Pier. Skip the tourist traps. Just spend an hour walking these two blocks. You’ll see the city’s past, its weirdly digital present, and probably a glimpse of whatever version of San Francisco is coming next.
Actionable Next Steps
- Photography: Visit during the "Golden Hour" (about an hour before sunset). The way the light hits the terra cotta on the Hobart and 140 New Montgomery buildings is a dream for photographers.
- Transit: Take BART or MUNI to Montgomery Station. Use the "New Montgomery" exit. It deposits you right at the base of the Palace Hotel.
- Architecture Tour: Download a self-guided walking tour app like Field Trip or check the San Francisco Architecture Heritage website for specific notes on the "New Montgomery Real Estate District."
- Dining: Make a reservation at Mourad at least a week in advance if you're planning a dinner; for lunch at The Sentinel, just show up early and be prepared to stand.