As an urban campus, it doesn’t get any better than CCA’s prime location. Located in the exciting Design District, close to the colorful Mission District, bustling Mission Bay neighborhood, and a stone’s throw from downtown San Francisco—you can make the most out of your graduate school experience every day (and find internships and jobs in the process).
📍101 Henry Adams St.
Potrero Neighborhood
Media Gallery
SF Design Week
Tony Bernardo goes to the SF Book Fair
Social scene
Galleries and museums
Design inspiration
Public transportation
▪️ Social scene
We have some fave spots around campus for eating and drinking, listening to live music, and gathering with your cohort post-crit.
Thee Parkside
Our local watering hole, Thee Parkside is *thee* spot for the CCA community, just two blocks from the Main Building. In the daytime, you can get your coffee and vegan donuts here. At night, pop in for a drink and their famed tater tots.
Bottom of the Hill
Live indie music is right outside our doors at Bottom of the Hill, which Rolling Stone magazine has called “the best place to hear live music in San Francisco.”
Plow
This hotspot is known for its brunch all over the city. Your coffee mug always stays full, and the lemon ricotta pancakes are extremely delicious. Whether you pulled an all-nighter in the studio or are an early riser, we recommend you line up early. (It’s worth it!)
▪️ Galleries and museums
CCA is within walking distance or a short bus ride from world-class museums and galleries.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
Less than two miles away from campus is SFMOMA, one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the United States. Enjoy seven floors of masterpieces in paintings, sculpture, film, architecture, and more.
Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco (ICA SF)
Opening October 2022, the ICA SF is a non-collecting museum, presenting need-to-know, civically engaged local artists and curators into global consciousness and brings international artists to the Bay Area. We’re close partners of the institution, which often invites faculty and graduate artists to participate in events and exhibitions.
Minnesota Street Project
Minnesota Street Project, just a 15-minute bus ride away, is the neighborhood’s ultimate destination for art viewing. The Project houses more than a dozen individual galleries and hosts a slew of events and parties, including some organized by CCA.
Museum of Craft and Design
This is the only museum in San Francisco devoted to craft and design. You’ll see a showcase of designers, makers and artists through an exciting and distinctive series of craft- and design-focused exhibitions and public programs. It’s also next door to CCA’s Dogpatch MFA Studio.
Museum of African Diaspora (MoAD)
This contemporary art museum celebrates Black cultures and inspires learning through the global lens of the African Diaspora. MoAD exhibitions change regularly throughout the year, and their Emerging Artists program shows work by local artists and art collectives.
▪️ Design inspiration
We’re located in the Design District, so cutting-edge studios, premium showrooms, and tech companies are right around the corner from campus. When SF Design Week takes over the city, a majority of the programming happens right here.
Adobe
Just down the street is Adobe, a tech company that brings art and technology together through software. Their products help the world (CCA students included!) communicate, collaborate, and get creative work done.
fuseproject
fuseproject is an industry leading design and innovation firm led by former Industrial Design Chair Yves Béhar. The company develops cohesive brand and product experiences through an integrated approach across strategy and design. An adjacent gallery space presents new work by contemporary artists, curated by CULT Aimee Friberg Exhibitions.
frog
frog is a global creative and design consultancy creating products and services across industrial and digital design, and customer service strategy. The company is committed to building an equitable, inclusive world through client work locally and globally.
San Francisco Design Center
Free and open to the public, the San Francisco Design Center is the destination for fine home furnishings and accessories, with over 100 showrooms displaying work across various styles.
Mike & Maaike
This progressive industrial design studio works both independently and with clients to create new opportunities through products, technology, furniture, environments and transportation. Their work is experimental and conceptual, and recent collaborators include Google, Headspace, Incase, Xbox, and the City of San Francisco.
▪️ Public transportation
There are many ways to get to and from CCA as you explore what San Francisco has to offer.
MUNI
MUNI is the city’s bus and light rail system. CCA’s new transit pass, included with your tuition, gives you unlimited rides on MUNI to get all over town.
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)
BART is the Bay Area’s subway system that allows you to easily get to and from the East Bay and Peninsula regions.
CalTrain
Our campus is conveniently close to a CalTrain station, which takes you along the San Francisco Peninsula, through the South Bay to San Jose and Gilroy.
Mission Bay Shuttle
We offer a free shuttle to and from MUNI and BART’s Civic Center stop. The service is available during peak commute hours and is a perk for CCA and our neighbors at Adobe.