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Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Think the Brooklyn Academy of Music meets Mass MoCA, all under one roof. At this arts complex, you can find groundbreaking performances—from such local companies as Alonzo King's LINES Ballet to such visitors as the Bang on a Can All-Stars—and quirky film fare (for instance, that typographical sleeper hit Helvetica)—plus irreverent art exhibitions like the recent “Dark Matters: Artists See the Impossible,” in which eerily beautiful photographs of unclaimed cremains canisters coexisted with the compelling electronic-multimedia installation Listening Post. Set conveniently across the street from SFMOMA, Yerba Buena has been nipping at its heels—or, at least, frolicking around it like a friendly puppy eager to play. Hey, the more art in the neighborhood, the better.

Tip: The center doesn't have its own café, but the adjacent Yerba Buena Gardens has two rooftop restaurants (B Restaurant and Bar, and Samovar) that are great on a sunny day.

Admission: $7 adults; $5 seniors and students. Closed Monday.