San Francisco ranks as the fourth most populated city in California, and is United States' twelfth most populous city. In 2008, the city's population was 808,977 according to government data, and with a total area of 46.7 square miles. San Francisco is located at the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula. The city serves as the cultural, financial, and transportation hub of the San Francisco Bay Area. San Francisco is well-known for its hills, in which there are over 50 hills within the city perimeters. Some of the neighborhoods were named after the hill's name where they are situated such as the Nob Hill, Russian Hill, and Pacific Heights. Mount Davidson is the city's tallest hill. The Sutro Tower, a television and radio transmission tower dominates this area. San Francisco has wet winters and dry summers. Its climate is remarkably mild due to the cool currents of the Pacific Ocean. June, July, and August are the coldest months in San Francisco. Tourism is the foundation of San Francisco's economy. The city is one of the top-ten destinations for conferences and conventions in North America. San Francisco is famous for its Victorian and modern architecture, popular landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, and cable cars. San Francisco has also become the major finance and banking center, and a home to several international financial companies.
It was the Yelamu group of the Ohlone people who first settled in the small villages of the area. The Spanish exploration led by Don Gaspar de Portola came in November 2, 1769. This was the first European visit to San Francisco Bay. Seven years after, the Spanish troops set up a fort at the Golden Gate in 1776, and established a mission named Mission San Francisco de Asis or the Mission Dolores. In 1821, the area became a part of Mexico after its independence from Spain. The mission was slowly put to an end under the Mexican rule, and the lands were later on privatized. The Englishman William Richardson built the first independent homestead, now known as the Portsmouth Square.
In 1848, a huge flock of treasure seekers came to San Francisco brought by the California Gold Rush. This propelled the city into an era of rapid growth and the population increased from 1,000 to 25,000 within one year and later became the largest city on the West Coast. The search of riches made the crews on arriving vessels rush off to the gold fields. California was then granted statehood, and the U.S. military established Fort Point at the Golden Gate to secure San Francisco Bay. In 1859, discoveries of silver and the Comstock Lode contributed to the further increase of the San Francisco population.
San Francisco is famous around the world for its breathtaking attractions: the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, and many others. The city is a combination of physical beauty, a place of recreational opportunities, ideal climate, and cultural diversity. However, the cost of living in San Francisco is higher than the other cities because of its several amenities and limited space. The apartment rents and home prices tend to be above the national average, but, the income levels of the residents in the Bay Area are higher too. The wages and salaries for San Francisco jobs are the highest in the country and this is due to the highly educated manpower and the concentration of employment in the technology and professional industries.
The transit system in the city is extensive, and reaching one's destination is usually quicker and uncomplicated due to its small geographical size. Some residents commute by car, while others use the bus and train services available. There are also ferries, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and AC Transit buses to serve the area. In terms of education, San Francisco Bay Area has many world-class educational and research institutions that greatly contribute to the economy of the city. One of the nation's top science, health, and educational institution is the University of California at San Francisco.
San Francisco has a vibrant and flourishing economy with tourism as its backbone, and industrial, professional and financial industries have also contributed to the great economy of the city. San Francisco being a home to more than 30 international financial institutions greatly provided the residents with stable employment and job opportunities. The most popular companies in the city are Oracle, PG & E, Google, Starbucks, and Yahoo! Among the most popular occupations in San Francisco are professional, management and related jobs at 46%; sales and office occupations at 22%; and service occupations at 15%. Of the employed population in San Francisco, approximately 71% work for companies, 12% work for the government, and about 10% are self-employed. The jobs most commonly listed are physical therapist jobs, software engineer jobs, product manager jobs, senior software engineer jobs, occupational therapist jobs and project manager jobs. The average salary of San Francisco jobs is $52,214. The unemployment rate in the city is 6.7%, compared to the 6.9% national average. Since January 2009, jobs in San Francisco have increased by 15%.
The top 20 fastest growing jobs in San Francisco are for biomedical engineers; network systems and data communications analysts; medical scientists; computer software applications engineers; biochemists and biophysicists; natural science managers; industrial engineers; veterinary technologists and technicians; biological technicians; chemical technicians and chemists; skin care specialists; technical writers; computer systems software engineers; network and computer systems administrators; database administrators; tile and marble setters; computer and information scientists, research; multimedia artists and animators; and financial analysts.
San Francisco won't disappoint the palates of the tourists and denizens. Great dining is the city's passion, with a wealth of restaurants serving great meals and delicious dishes that will quiet one's heart. San Francisco is known for its farm fresh and ingredient-driven plates of palatable food. The Cliff House serves tasty American cuisine with fresh seafood.
This is an elegant dining spot for patrons to enjoy amazing ocean views. The kitchen in The Cliff House is headed by Chef George Morrone, the first Bay Area recipient of four stars from the San Francisco Chronicle at two distinct restaurants. For a Mediterranean dining experience, tourists can visit Santorini Restaurant offering bold and bright cuisine in a warm ambiance. Shoppers in Union Square can stop here for a bite of their delicious delicacies. The place serves classic Mediterranean and American food from breakfast to dinner. If crab is a personal favorite, one can head to the Franciscan Crab Restaurant offering excellent panoramic seafood dining. This is one of San Francisco's premier seafood restaurants. A fun and casual dining spot brags a spectacular view of the Golden Gate, Alcatraz Island, and more. For a unique San Francisco dining and great nightlife experience, one can head to the Supperclub. Other destinations to satisfy the craving palates are John's Grill; Opaque, dining in the dark; E & O Trading Company; Alioto's; Daffodil Restaurant; Roots; and Ruth's Chris Steak House.
There are several great things to do in San Francisco and one on the list should be touring around the museums of the city. Both the tourists and locals would love to tour around as San Francisco is very wealthy, not just in terms of its economy, but by its culture as well. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has a vast collection of 20th century and modern artworks. This museum attracts more than 600,000 guests each year. The Palace of the Legion of Honor houses European antiquities and several works of art at the Lincoln Park building, and managed by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. The de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park has a collection of American decorative samples from Africa, the Americas and Oceania. The California Academy of Sciences stands just across the Music Concourse from the de Young Museum. This is a museum of natural history that includes the Steinhart Aquarium and Morrison Planetarium.
San Francisco also offers vibrant entertainment to the visitors and locals alike. The theaters and theater companies are the access to fusions of art forms in the city. The Orpheum Theatre regularly features performances by national touring companies of famous Broadway shows like the Cats, Rent, Phantom of the Opera, and The Lion King. Great entertainment is also showcased by the Actors Theatre of San Francisco organized in 1989 by a group of directors, writers and actors who wish to grace the stage with quality ensemble pieces featuring human condition.
San Francisco is no doubt one of the world's favourite travel destinations, and with its popular tourist attractions, incredible sightseeing and eclectic neighbourhoods, approximately 16 million visitors visit the Golden Gate Bridge each year. The 1,000-acre Golden Gate Park offers many different attractions with its Stybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens where 6,000 plant species and California redwoods thrive. The Japanese Tea Garden is also an adorable sight of beautiful plants; the Asian Art Museum, MH de Young Memorial Museum; and several other attractions are here. The open tennis courts, baseball diamonds, polo grounds, archery field and lawn-bowling greens offer a vast recreational opportunity for families, with an unlimited fun and excitement. Another famous place to see is the Alcatraz Island.
The Aquarium of the Bay opened in 1996 and later enhanced in 2001. The place is a unique educational learning and entertainment facility, with a diverse marine life of the San Francisco Bay, and providing window to the Bay that inspires and encourages the tourists and locals to preserve the wonderful natural resource. The Cable Cars have been the visitors' favourites. The Fisherman's Wharf is full of family fun with attractions like the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, the Wax Museum, and the Red & White Fleet. The Golden Gate Bridge is the most photographed attraction in the city and referred as the world's most beautiful bridge that connects San Francisco with Marin County. This is a two-mile suspension bridge. Other best places in San Francisco are Chinatown, Castro District, Cliff House, Coit Tower, Conservatory of Flowers, Exploratorium, Ghirardelli Square, Grace Cathedral, The Haight, Lombard Street, Lyon/Broadway Stairway, Mission District, North Beach, and the Pacific Bell Park.
San Francisco nightlife is as eclectic as its neighborhoods. Tourists and residents will enjoy the evening at the different hot spots in San Francisco. The hour after sunset is just the beginning of another great experience in the city. These are some of the best locations in San Francisco. The Parlor is a chic new addition to the nightlife scene in the city. This lounge and nightclub treats the patrons with a lot of modern perks like private TVs in private rooms, hi-def TVs, and a bar stocked with the finest choices of liquors. The DJs keep the energy level up in the club area.
Another cool destination is the 111 Minna Gallery where DJ beats and special events make the place alive. The place features live performances, film screenings and fine art, in a sophisticated 4,000-square foot area. Guests can also check out the Rockit Room, the all rock-oriented bar with high-quality sound system for the bands to drive the crowds excited and energize them for the night. There are also pool tables, flat screen TVs, and an iTunes jukebox for everyone to enjoy. The top DJs keep it cool in the Ruby Skye, located at the heart of downtown San Francisco that also offers live band performances, fashion shows, private events and dance nights. Other hot spots for an evening escapade are Red Devil Lounge, Club Deluxe, Hemlock Tavern, and 26 Mix.
The best of shopping is what San Francisco offers. Tourists and serious shopaholics will love it here. The shopping centers, districts and malls provide unlimited shopping experience for visitors and locals alike. Get an intense shopping at Westfield San Francisco Centre, the home to the world's largest American chains such as the five-story Nordstrom's, two-level Abercrombie & Fitch, and several other outlets like the Victoria's Secret and Bebe, and upscale retailers like Kenneth Cole and Club Monaco.
Another Mecca for shopaholics is the Union Square Shopping anchored by Saks, Neiman Marcus, Macy's, and Levi's stores. Surrounding streets offer tempting superstores and boutiques like Gump's and Britex Fabrics, Coach, Bulgari, Cartier, Thomas Pink, MaxMara, Louis Vuitton, Emporio Armani, Prada, Celine, Diesel, Gucci, Escada, Hermes, Guess, Agnes B., Wilkes Bashford, and Betsey Johnson. Shopaholics cannot resist these eclectic chains of fabulous fashion houses. A Street lined with chic shops, restaurants, brand name retailers and beauty outlets is the Chestnut Street. There are several shoe boutiques here offering trendy and functional footwear like Rabat. Gift shops and specialty shops abound the place as well. The redder and busier world for shopping is in San Francisco's Chinatown, where the place is decorated with burning candles, ornate lampposts and vivid silks flowing through the window fronts. There are a lot of precious finds here perfect for gifts and souvenirs. Going to Sacramento, Embarcadero Center 1-4 Shopping awaits, with several retail stores of brand names like Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Victoria Secret, Express Jeans, and Liz Claiborne. Other great shopping destinations include Fillmore Street, Haight Street, Hayes Valley, North Beach, Mission Street, Polk Street, and Sacramento Street.
San Francisco has several day spas for every need. After a great day roaming around the amazing city of San Francisco, tourists can spend some time for relaxation in the day spas located downtown and other corners of the city. International Orange is a simple, calm and relaxing sanctuary. The place offers specialized beauty treatments, yoga and bodywork. Visitors can experience a wonderful spa treatment here. The Aura Skin Spa offers top of the line skin solutions from IPL to Botox. They also offer fillers to plump up lips for a great appeal.
The medical spa's doctors are highly credible and qualified. An elegant appearance from the outside makes Burke Williams Spa welcoming to visitors and frequent customers. This is a local favorite. Plush robes, comfy slippers, deep soaking tubs and many more give the clienteles the royalty experience. The services include massages, herbal baths, paraffin treatments and other services for customer satisfaction. Another option is the Cocoon Urban Day Spa that offers a fantastic menu of treatments. For soothing, healing sessions, the EarthBody Advanced Therapies is the place to go. Offering ancient healing traditions and provide herbal rituals and care, restorative bodywork and organic skin care for each client. Stillpoint Wellness Center and Tru Spa are other great day spa options in San Francisco.
When visiting San Francisco, California, you will have a number of hotels to choose from. Whatever you are looking for, you are sure to find it available in San Francisco. If you are looking to stay downtown, one of your choices is the Argonaut Hotel. This hotel is located in Fisherman's Wharf. You will be staying in the middle of the San Francisco Maritime National Park and have easy access to the parks visitor's center. The hotel is located in the center of numerous activities available for you and your family.
If you are looking to stay in the cultural district, you may choose to stay at The Four Seasons. Located in the heart of the city, the Four Seasons offers access to all of the things to do in San Francisco. If you want to enjoy a piece of San Francisco history you may want to stay at the Hotel Whitcomb. This hotel has been a part of San Francisco since the early 1900's. The Hotel Whitcomb was used as the city hall building for the town from the years of 1912 through 1915. The words “city hall” could still be seen etched onto the building until the early 1990's. The hotel also features the largest dance floor in the city. Staying at the Sir Frances Drake hotel should also be considered. The Sir Frances Drake has been around since 1928 and offers an easy access points to many of San Francisco's wonderful attraction which includes Chinatown, the convention center, Nob hill, and the Theater district.
Public schools in San Francisco are run by the San Francisco Unified School District. It was the first public school district in the state of California. The district serves 56,000 students in 160 institutions. It has the highest performance rate in California and it is also top rated in the nation. In 2007, seven of the schools in San Francisco district received a Newsweek ranking as “Best High Schools in America”, which means that they are in top 5% of schools in the USA.
There are also more than 100 private and parochial schools in San Francisco. Over 30% of the city's school aged children attend private schools, which is a lot compared to the nationwide rate of 10%. Nearly half of the private schools are catholic schools run by the Archdiocese of San Francisco. One of the top five medical schools in USA, The University of California, San Francisco has sole dedication to biomedical and health sciences. The university also runs the UCSF Medical Center, which is also one of the top hospitals in the nation. The campus has around 4,500 students and there are 1,700 members in the academic staff. The biggest university in the area is the San Francisco State University with its 30,000 students and more than 100 disciplines. One of the larges community colleges in the country is the City College of San Francisco. It has more than 100,000 students and offers an excellent program for continuing education.
The University of San Francisco is a private Jesuit university. It was founded in 1855 and it is also the oldest higher education institute in the USA. There are other private universities, like the Golden Gate University that focuses on post-graduate training in law and business. The nation's largest institute of art and design – Academy of Art University, is also located in San Francisco.
There are three airports that service the San Francisco area. The biggest is the San Francisco International Airport. It is also the biggest international gateway in North America. It services 38 million passengers each year and is a major hub of United Airways. Alaska Airways has also a focus on SFO airport. The other two airports in the area are Oakland International and Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International airport. San Francisco International and Oakland International airport are connected with the city by the Bay Area Rapid Transit. BART is the regional metro and has eight stations in San Francisco. It also gets you to Berkley and Oakland.
San Francisco was ranked first in having the best public transit system in the USA. Besides BART there are several other means of public transport in San Francisco, most important of them being Muni and Caltrain. Caltrain only has three stops in San Francisco. Muni or the San Francisco Municipal Railway covers most areas for local and touristic interest. A 1-day Muni pass costs $13, while the 7-day pass only costs $26. Muni also runs some cable cars that cost $5 per ride and The Historic Streetcar F line. The streetcars are historic and come from all over the US and Milan, Italy. Both cable cars and streetcars run in the center. If you need to go further, there are diesel and electric buses that run in the rest of the city.
Taxis in San Francisco are expensive and insufficient. You can find a cab near major hotels or tourist sites, but catching one on the street is impossible. Calling a cab is also unreliable, as it might take half an hour or more for it to arrive, if it gets there at all. Instead of taxis, you should rent a car. All of the major car hire companies are represented at the airports and city center.
The City of San Francisco, which is also known as the County of San Francisco is considered a consolidated city-county in America. This status was bestowed upon the place in 1856. The mayor, who is the head of the city, is also known as the county of executive. San Francisco's city council is composed of the Board of Supervisors, the members of whom are the eleven city district representatives. From Monday to Thursday, the weekly Board of Supervisors meetings are previewed live on channel 26 of SFGTV cable. On weekends, the channel shows a playback of the weekly meeting. The Office of the County Clerk is a place where concerned citizens and official organizations of the city can file cases which are related to marriages, domestic partnerships, environmental impact reports, fictitious business names, notaries public and many others. The clerk, as the repository of these said documents, can protect these rights. Anyone who wishes to view the records for clarifications and validations may do so as long as they comply with the office's legal procedures.
Aside from the city-county status, San Francisco is also the hub of the Federal Reserve Bank, the US Mint and many other federal bureaucracy arms of America. It is also the seat of California's Supreme Court. The local government of San Francisco is composed of two branches of equal power. The Executive branch consists of the mayor, appointed and elected citywide officials, and the civil service department. The Legislative branch, on the other hand, is headed by a president and the Board of Supervisors. The Legislative branch takes responsibility in passing budgets and laws through the direct ballot initiatives. The locals can learn more about their city's local government on http://www6.sfgov.org. They can also visit the city hall from Mondays to Fridays, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm at 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco.
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