The dot-com boom of the late 1990s wasn’t just a modern-day Gold Rush in San Francisco— it was also a massive reformulation of the city’s socioeconomic landscape. As the ever-multiplying number of tech startups coalesced in the South of Market area, it was transformed, gentrified, and left wide open for catastrophe in the event of a crash. And, surprise! The market did collapse. The bubble popped — and in 2001, SoMa was a sad wasteland of empty offices and vacant apartments. By 2003, the city’s economy was dragged afloat by a resurgent international tourism surge. The people wanted big new buildings, and they wanted them now. SoMa became an architect’s dream: capital was everywhere, demand was everywhere, and city officials had finally relaxed zoning and height restrictions. It became an architectural gallery, featuring soaring skyscrapers next to postmodern masterpieces like Mario Botta’s SFMoMA. See all these colossal constructions as we traverse the main drag and back alleys toward the city’s peak: the behemoth Salesforce Tower. You’ll hear the backroom stories of how these towers came to be, and what they meant for the city at the time. Examine the work of internationally renowned architects while you enjoy one of San Francisco’s most gorgeous downtown areas.