Ah, what could have been but never was. That, in a steel-and-glass nutshell, is the Metreon, the monstrous beast at Fourth and Mission streets. Awkwardly shaped, dark interiors, stupefying walkways, confounding escalators -- the four-story 350,000 square foot megaplex, which opened in 1999, is an aesthetic and community failure.

Starting out in the dot-com apex with eye alluring gadget stores, the few remaining businesses now housed at the Metreon are, at best, odd. A food market tucked into a corner; a past-its-prime 'Hollywood Legends' museum that boasts, among other things, Lucille Ball's wig; and a mainstream theater are the main businesses most people recognize.

But are there any worthwhile reasons to visit the Metreon? SFist visited the gray old tin lady to find out.