San Francisco
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The city that inspired Sinatra's popular song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" lives up to its name - the wistful morning fog, the famous bridge that reflects a golden light and cable cars that seem to go up the stars. San Francisco is a bristling metropolis of culture and history, blended with a modern twist. San Francisco covers 127 square km and is located at the northern part of California. Windy and blue waters surround the Bay City, with the Pacific |
Ocean on the west and San Francisco Bay at the east and north. Weather wise, climates are unpredictable, with the famous fog dominating the daily air. Summers are too searing, and sometimes dusty. Iit is considered the peak tourist season.
A total of 775,000 people live, play and work in the city. They are divided into: African Americans (7.8%), Asians (30.8%), Caucasians (43.6%), Latinos (14.4%) and Native Americans (0.4%). Major religious groups include Protestants, Jewish, Roman Catholics and Muslims. San Francisco is also considered a liberal place for the gay and lesbian community, similar to Los Angeles, New Orleans and New York.
Locals on the other hand, call their city different terms of endearment: "Ess Eff (S.F.)", "Fog City", "Baghdad by the Bay" and "San Fran". Neighborhoods have an eclectic mix of ethnic, upscale and hippie cultures found in Sunset and Richmond districts, Pacific and Marina Heights and Haight-Ashbury, respectively.
Tourists in 'Frisco' flocked the upscale shops of Union Square, trail through the typical high-rises, passing through North Beach, Chinatown. A clichéd tourist landmark of Fisherman's Wharf: an Alcatraz tour and the Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum should never be missed. For the more adventurous, appealing attractions include the 'Mission' - a hub of Latino culture and 'Castro', the place for gay offerings.
A haven for high-end shopping and recreation, San Francisco is rich by reputation. This is thanks to the staggering gay and single population, known for disposable incomes. The dot.com revolution also keyed up the city's market value, eventually affecting real estate prices.
San Francisco information
The very essence of San Francisco, it stands unique as America's most breathtaking bridge, with its gigantic towers and sweeping cables.
A tourist favorite, Alcatraz was once an infamous prison. It now offers a wealth of history with its museum, history tours, tide pools, gardens, bay views and bird colonies.
Fisherman's Wharf
Found at the northern part of San Francisco, its piers expand to the bay. The place to go for free entertainment: mimes, musicians, street performers and escape artists.
Cable Cars
The famed cable cars of San Fran were once made out of sheer necessity- the steep hilly slopes in the area could not accommodate ordinary trains. The US Interior Department's National Park Service instituted it as a National Historic Landmark in 1964.
Lombard Street
Awarded the moniker, "crookedest street in the world", its curves snake down a number of times down the road from Russian Hill.
The Good Life
San Francisco's vibrant sights and sounds offer people from all walks of life a taste of the good life. Locals and visitors will always experience something new in the city's ever evolving landscape.
About UC San Francisco
San Francisco is a county and a city.