| Introduction | | | | Marina, the |
| The City and County of San Francisco is the | | | | Castro, and South of Market. San Francisco also |
| fourth-largest city in thestate of California, in the United | | | | boasts of legendary popmusic venues such as The |
| States. A consolidated city-county,mainland San | | | | Fillmore and The Warfield. |
| Francisco is located on the tip of the San Francisco | | | | Universities |
| Peninsula. Insular San Francisco includes several islands | | | | San Francisco Unified School District and the |
| in the San | | | | Archdiocese of San |
| Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Strait, notably | | | | Francisco's dozens of Catholic elementary and high |
| Alcatraz, Treasure | | | | schools serve thecity. Despite its limited geographical |
| Island, and the Farallon Islands 27 miles offshore in the | | | | space, San Francisco is home toa multitude of |
| Pacific Oceanand also most of the privately owned | | | | Universities and Colleges. Public universities include: |
| Red Rock Island near the | | | | - University of California, San Francisco, primarilya |
| Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. | | | | graduate level health-sciences school, located north of |
| History | | | | Forest Hill |
| San Francisco has a long history of events marking its | | | | - San Francisco State University located in |
| growth from asmall town to a big city | | | | thesouthwest corner of the city near Lake Merced |
| - In 1776, the Spanish were the first Europeans tosettle | | | | - University of California, Hastings College of the |
| in San Francisco | | | | Law located downtown at its Civic Center |
| - In 1848, with the advent of the California goldrush the | | | | - City College of San Francisco, one of the |
| city entered a period of rapid growth | | | | largestcommunity colleges in the country is located in |
| - In 1822, serious development by | | | | the Ingleside, withseveral extension campuses. |
| non-Spanishspeakers began, when William Richardson, | | | | - Private universities: |
| an English whaler redevelopeda section of Yerba | | | | - The Jesuit-run University of San Francisco, one ofthe |
| Buena in what is now Portsmouth Square in | | | | first universities established west of the Mississippi, |
| Chinatown. | | | | located inthe center of the city |
| - In 1846, the Mexican-American War broke out. | | | | - Golden Gate University, a business and law |
| - On January 30, 1847, a naval force under | | | | schoollocated downtown |
| Commodore | | | | - California Culinary Academy Le Cordon Bleu |
| John D. Sloat claimed it in the name of the United | | | | programlocated in the Tenderloin |
| States and renamedit "San Francisco" | | | | - Academy of Art University |
| - On April 18, 1906, a devastating earthquakeresulted | | | | - San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking |
| from the rupture of over 270 miles of the San | | | | - Alliant International University. |
| Andreas Fault,from San Juan Bautista to Eureka, | | | | Sports |
| centered immediately offshore of San | | | | San Francisco is the home of many major league |
| Francisco. | | | | teams like |
| - The city was quickly rebuilt after the earthquake. | | | | - The San Francisco 49ers National Football |
| - The phoenix on the city's flag represents San | | | | Leagueteam, who play at Monster Park |
| Francisco's "rebirth" from the ashes of the fire that | | | | - The San Francisco Giants Major League |
| resulted from thequake. | | | | Baseballteam, who play at SBC Park |
| - In the 1950s San Francisco hired Harvard graduate | | | | - MLB 's Oakland Athletics |
| Justin Herman to head the redevelopment agency for | | | | - NFL's Oakland Raiders |
| the city and county. | | | | - The National Basketball Association's Golden State |
| - Justin Herman began an aggressive campaign to | | | | Warriors play across the bay in Oakland |
| renewblighted areas of the city. | | | | - The regional National Hockey League team, the San |
| - His planning led to the creation of Embarcadero | | | | Jose Sharks play in San Jose |
| Center, the Embarcadero Freeway, Japan town, the | | | | The Warriors and Sharks were once based just south |
| Geary Street superblocks, and Yerba Buena Gardens. | | | | of San Francisco, atthe Cow Palace, located several |
| Place of Interest | | | | yards south of San Francisco, in Daly |
| San Francisco's parks, museums, tours, and landmarks | | | | City. The city is also home to some famous golf |
| are favorites fortravelers the world over and offer an | | | | courses, including the |
| array of activities to suit everyvisitor. But no particular | | | | Harding Park Golf Course and the courses of the |
| activity or place makes the city one of themost | | | | Olympic Club. |
| popular destinations in the world. It's San Francisco | | | | Hotels & Accommodation |
| itself --its charm, its atmosphere, its perfect blend of big | | | | Luxury Hotels |
| metropolis withsmall-town hospitality. Some of its main | | | | San Francisco has elegant and grand hotels in its |
| attractions are: | | | | possession. Westin |
| - Alcatraz Island | | | | St. Francis, Westin Saint Francis, Palace Hotel, Argent |
| - Cable Cars | | | | Hotel, Mark |
| - California Academy of Sciences | | | | Hopkins Intercontinental, Hilton, Fairmont, W San |
| - Coit Tower | | | | Francisco, Pan |
| - Ferry Building Marketplace (and Farmers' Market) | | | | Pacific, Park Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Renaissance Parc |
| - Fisherman's Wharf | | | | 55, Ritz |
| - Ghiradelli Square | | | | Carlton - are some of these big names. |
| - Golden Gate Bridge | | | | All famous luxury hotels like Hilton, Hyatt, Palace Hotel, |
| - Lombard Street | | | | etc. havetheir branch in Fisherman Wharf. |
| - Pier 39 | | | | Budget Hotels |
| - The Cannery | | | | If the visit to San Francisco is in a particularly busy |
| - Yerba Buena Center for the Arts / Yerba Buena | | | | season andbooking in prominent hotels are over, here's |
| Gardens | | | | a list of moderate to veryinexpensive alternatives - |
| Museums & Art Galleries | | | | Alisa Hotel, Edward II Inn & Suites, |
| Notable San Francisco Museums include | | | | Hotel Beresford Arms, King George Hotel, The Marina |
| - The Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), | | | | Inn, The San Remo |
| - The Palace of the Legion of Honor, | | | | Hotel. |
| - The M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, | | | | Tours and Sightseeing |
| - The Asian Art Museum. | | | | San Francisco has different type of organized tours |
| Other museums include | | | | they differ in thecontents as well as the transport |
| - The International Museum of Women, | | | | system. Tours are available by href=" |
| - The Museum of the African Diaspora, | | | | BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) or on foot. The San |
| - The Contemporary Jewish Museum, | | | | Francisco |
| - The Museum of Craft & Folk Art, | | | | Visitor Information Center, at Powell and Market |
| - The Mexican Museum. | | | | streets, distributesfree route maps. Blue & Gold Fleet |
| In terms of performing arts, San Francisco boasts | | | | and Red & White Fleet aretwo href=" available. And |
| - The San Francisco Symphony, | | | | href=" |
| - The San Francisco Opera | | | | Line Bus tour is the San Francisco'slargest href=" |
| - The San Francisco Ballet. | | | | operator. The self-guided href=" |
| San Francisco's Ballet and Opera are some of the | | | | SUV tour, 49-miledrive is one easy way to grasp the |
| oldest continuingperforming arts companies in the | | | | beauty of San Francisco and itsextraordinary location. |
| United States. | | | | Beginning in the city, it follows a roughcircle around the |
| Shopping | | | | bay and passes virtually all the best-known sights,from |
| Like its population, San Francisco's shopping is both | | | | href=" the Golden Gate Bridge, Ocean Beach, Seal |
| worldly andintimate. Every persuasion, style, era, and | | | | Rocks, |
| fetish is represented, notin big, tacky shopping malls, but | | | | Golden Gate Park, and Twin Peaks. |
| in hundreds of quaint, dramaticallydifferent boutiques | | | | Transport |
| scattered throughout the city. San Francisco hasmany | | | | San Francisco has the most extensive public transit |
| shopping areas, but the following places are where | | | | system on the West |
| one will findmost of the actions: | | | | Coast and one of the most diverse in the country. |
| - Union Square & Environs | | | | Muni is thecity-owned public transit system, which |
| - Chinatown | | | | operates the Muni Metro lightrail system. BART (Bay |
| - Union Street | | | | Area Rapid Transit) is the regional transitsystem, which |
| - Chestnut Street | | | | connects San Francisco with the East Bay, through |
| - Fillmore Street | | | | anunderwater tunnel, and Northern San Mateo County, |
| - Haight Street | | | | Californiacommunities and San Francisco International |
| - SoMa | | | | Airport on the San |
| - Hayes Valley | | | | Francisco Peninsula. In addition, a frequent commuter |
| Food & Drink | | | | rail service, |
| San Francisco's restaurants are so renowned that | | | | Caltrain, operates between San Francisco, San Jose, |
| many people visit thecity just to eat -- and with good | | | | California and |
| reason. The city's brilliant chefs,combined with | | | | Gilroy, California. |
| California's abundance of organic produce, | | | | San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is located |
| seafood,free-range meats, and Northern California | | | | 12.9 km (8 miles)south of the city in San Mateo County |
| wine, guarantee some of theworld's finest dining. San | | | | on a landfill extension into the |
| Francisco also has varied nightlife rangingfrom bars to | | | | San Francisco Bay. It is the only major international hub |
| lounges to clubs. Major areas of nightlife in San | | | | airport in |
| Francisco are North Beach, the Mission District, the | | | | California other than LAX in Los Angeles. |