Just south of the financial empire of San Francisco, the South of Market area, or SoMa, is a glaring contrast between the haves and have-nots, between recreation and survival. Clubs are plentiful among the warehouses, alleys and shelters. The blue lights of a Mercedes Benz Dealership shine on a sketchy looking corner. A group of about 15 girls rocked straight down Folsom Street –– to the honks and jeers of passing cars –– likely on their way to one of the dozens of nightlife spots SoMa has to offer.

The Holy Cow

A giraffe-coated cow complete with udders hangs over the entrance to this landmark club in SoMa. The Cow is your standard, shall we say, Meat Market. The decor is token –– a Budweiser long board, a tan Cuervo pool table.

The main bar is an island-style set-up, with one side extremely cramped. Three girls wearing full “hoochy” club gear, danced on the bar.

A lounge breaks up the main bar from the dance floor. It’s a long, dark room with benches leading to a classy back bar, with round padded stools and soft red lights; it was empty on Friday (Thursdays are really the night for the Cow).

The scene at first appeared to be young, but after some mingling, there was plenty of 30-somethings holding bottles of Bud and shaking it for all they had. The music ranged from standard Black Eyed Peas, to a non-remixed “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes, to Outkast.

There is a strictly enforced dress code at the Cow, according to the company’s phone message: “No baggy pants, no hoods, no sports wear, and no muscle-shirts . . . A smile is mandatory –– absolutely no unfriendly people.”

Beers: $4
Well Drinks: $5
Thursday dollar drinks until 10 p.m. – all drinks half price until midnight
Never a cover

1535 Folsom St. between 11th and 12th streets
(415) 621-6087

Butter Restaurant and Bar

The real treat of a Friday night in SoMa is Butter, which is just around the corner from The Holy Cow. Smaller, subtle and unique in all the ways that the Cow is generic, Butter is a stylish, refreshing scene.

Christmas lights line the awning outside, and Rhino, who plays in a hair metal cover band on Sundays, was at the door checking IDs –– the cover was $2 on a Friday night.

The bar is a U-shaped island in the middle of the club, with the DJ stuffed in one end, and a guy on guitar standing on the far corner, hitting the whammy pedal and jamming along with the music. The sound is a little trip-hoppy, and again, unique.

The scene was, perhaps, a little less diverse: young, white and swinging.

Super random and old 1980s World Federation Wrestling was projected on one wall, and an equally random ’80s break-dance movie was shown on the other. A disco ball spun slow, lazy lights across the room.

Miller High-Lifes are served in 32-ounce bottles and brown bags. A waitress made the rounds with Jell-O shots.

On the other side of the bar is a trailer section from which “trailer-treats” are served, which are either deep-fried or microwaved. Treats include: mini corndogs, deep-fried Twinkies, mac-and-cheese and Spaghettios. A sign on the trailer reads, “Fuck with me, and you fuck with whole trailer park.”

32-ounce Millers (brown bag included): $6
Cocktails: $6.50 to $7.50
Trailer-treats: $3 to $5

354 11th St. between Folsom and Harrison streets
(415) 863-5964
Open Thursday through Sunday, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The Garage Café and Deli

The Garage Café and Deli is a worthy side note to a night on the town in SoMa. There’s a pool table in the middle of the store, a foosball table to one side, and lots of chairs and places to hang, while Bob Marley plays on the stereo.

The Garage goes perfectly with a stroll from club to club around the SoMa: random, unique, fun. A small selection of groceries are for sale, and the deli makes sandwiches, burritos and pizza.

Sandwiches: $5.50
Pizza slices: $2.99

320 11th S.
(415) 861-0888

Open from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Hole in the Wall Saloon

Are you ready to check out a swinging gay biker bar (think Blue Oyster from the “Police Academy” movies)?

Shirts are optional at this dive, which is hot and wafting with funk as customers walk in and past the pool table. Leather-clad and/or shirtless patrons crowd the narrow interior. Light sculptures snake across the ceiling –– a twisting collage of exhaust pipes, mufflers, and luminous catalytic converters lined with red and blue Christmas lights, and the occasional electric ball pulsing with lighting bolts.

A hulking wax mountain erupts from the middle of the bar. Richard, the bartender (dressed in a leather vest with token hairy chest and no shirt), said the monument has been in progress since the Wall’s opening 13 years ago. Patrons can purchase small candles for a dollar and light and place them on the wax mountain.

I have to admit that I was expecting ass-grabbing and leering, but it was very easy to chill at the Hole in the Wall. The patrons, while niche-y, were easy going and generally welcoming. Beers are served in jars, and a cigarette girl with fluffy pink bunny ears made the rounds.

Beers: $4
Well drinks: $5

289 8th St.
(415) 431-4695

Open Noon to 2 a.m.

Club Six

A ways away from Folsom, and in a decidedly sketchier part of town (past the building with chairs and couches bolted to the side) is Club Six.

It’s kind of a big deal to get in, complete with long barricades, blankets over the doorways and a separate room where you shell out the $10 cover for this two-level bar. The main section at Six is a long, open, tall rectangular space. Projected on one wall was some making of a Jet Li movie special. The music is pretty much straight hip hop (A Biz Markie remix played upstairs, and then a few minutes later downstairs; not sure if that was intentional). There’s a long brass bar which serves expensive drinks.

The basement has a properly low ceiling held up by sporadic white brick pillars, and includes a massive DJ section at one end (at least three dudes were spinning). Don’t worry drinkers, there’s a downstairs bar there as well. The lights are red and dim, and there’s lots of places to sit.

It’s definitely a younger scene at Club Six, with plenty of aggressive bumping and grinding going on.

Beers: $5
Well drinks: $ 7

60 6th St.
(415) 863-1221