San Francisco

Stay Gay in SF at The Willows Inn
Perfect location, a helpful, friendly staff and many in-room amenities will make your visit to San Francisco and the Castro easy and memorable.
www.willowssf.com

San Francisco California Tours
Enjoy Tours and Cruises in San Francisco, CA. Book Online and Save.
www.SanFranciscoTours.us

San Francisco Travel
San Francisco sightseeing tour with tons of stops includes Bay cruise.
www.sanfranshuttletours.com

Clift - SF Hotel
San Francisco's Famous Clift Hotel. View pictures and book online.
www.CliftHotel.com

Inn at Union Square
Charming Union Square Location in San Fran. Low rates. Book Now.
www.UnionSquare.com

Sight Seeing Tours in San Francisco
Golden Gate, Alcatraz Guided Tours The Ultimate Way to See The City.
www.SuperSightSeeing.com

75 Hotels in San Francisco - USA
Great rates, guest-reviews. No reservation fee, you pay at the hotel.
Booking.com/Hotels-San-Francisco

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{{Infobox City |official_name = City and County of San Francisco|nickname = The City, The City by the Bay, San Fran, Frisco,{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/10/14/DD67721.DTL&type=travelbayarea |title=Frisco, that once-verboten term for the city by the bay, is making a comeback among the young and hip. Herb Caen is spinning at warp speed. |date=October 14 [ |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle --> Baghdad by the BayThe nickname "Baghdad by the Bay" was coined in 1949 by columnist Herb Caen: {{cite book|last = Caen |first = Herb |title = Baghdad-by-the-Bay |publisher = Doubleday |date = 1949 |location = Garden City, N.Y. |id = LC F869.S3 C12 -->|image_skyline = Painted Ladies.jpg|image_caption = "The Painted Ladies"]|subdivision_type1 = State|subdivision_name1 = California|subdivision_name2 = San Francisco|established_title = Founded|established_date = 1776|leader_title = [Mayor|area_magnitude = 1 E8|area_total_km2 = 122|area_total_sq_mi = 47|area_land_km2 = 121.0|area_land_sq_mi = 46.7|area_water_km2 = 479.7|area_metro_km2= 8869.3|area_metro_sq_mi= 3524.4|area_water_sq_mi = 185.2|PCWater = 82.85|population_footnotes= Table 1. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont Metro Area. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006|population_metro = 7,236,391|population_urban = 4,180,027|population_as_of = 2006|population_total = 744,041|population_density_km2 = 6111|population_density_sq_mi = 15834|timezone = [Pacific Standard Time|utc_offset_DST = -7|latd = 37|latm = 46|lats = 0|latNS = N|longd = 122|longm = 26|longs = 0|longEW = W|elevation_m = 16|elevation_ft = 52|website = http://www.sfgov.org|footnotes =-->

The City and County of San Francisco ([English language ) is the fourth most populous city in California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States, with a 2006 estimated population of 744,041. Population Finder: San Francisco County, 2006. U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed May 4, 2007. San Francisco is the second most Population density major city in the U.S.{{cite web| title=2000 Census: US Municipalities Over 50,000: Ranked by 2000 Population | url= http://www.demographia.com/db-uscity98.htm | accessmonthday=August 1 | accessyear=2006 | publisher = Demographia --> It is part of the much larger San Francisco Bay Area which is home to approximately 7.2 million people. The city is located on the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, with the Pacific Ocean to the west, the San Francisco Bay to the east, and the Golden Gate to the north.

In 1776, the Spanish Spanish colonization of the Americas the tip of the peninsula, establishing a Presidio of San Francisco at the Golden Gate and a Mission San Francisco de Asís named for Francis of Assisi. The California Gold Rush in 1848 propelled the city into a period of rapid growth. After being devastated by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, San Francisco was quickly rebuilt.

San Francisco is a popular international tourist destination renowned for its steep rolling hills, an eclectic mix of Victorian architecture and modern architecture, its large LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) population, and its chilly summer fog and mild winters. Famous landmarks include the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, the San Francisco cable car systems, Coit Tower, and Chinatown, San Francisco, California.

History The earliest archaeological evidence of inhabitation of the territory of the city of San Francisco dates to 3000 BC.Stewart, Suzanne B. (November, 2003). p. 55 Sonoma State University - Anthropological Studies Center. Accessed October 13, 2006. The Yelamu group of the Ohlone people resided in several small villages when a Spanish colonization of the Americas, led by Don Gaspar de Portolà arrived on November 2, 1769, the first documented European discovery of San Francisco Bay. Seven years later, on March 28, 1776 the Spain established a Presidio of San Francisco, followed by a Spanish Missions of California, Mission San Francisco de Asís (Mission Dolores).

(Mission Dolores)Upon Mexican independence from Spain in 1821, the area became part of Mexico. In 1835, Englishman William A. Richardson erected the first significant homestead outside the immediate vicinity of the Mission Dolores, near a boat anchorage around what is today Portsmouth Square. Together with Mission Alcalde Francisco de Haro, he laid out a street plan for the expanded settlement, and the town, named Yerba Buena, began to attract American settlers. Commodore John D. Sloat claimed California for the United States on July 7, 1846, during the Mexican-American War, and Captain John B. Montgomery arrived to claim Yerba Buena two days later. Yerba Buena was renamed San Francisco the next year. History of Yerba Buena Gardens. Yerba Buena Gardens. Accessed August 28, 2003 Despite its attractive location as a port and naval base, San Francisco was still a small settlement with inhospitable geography.The California Gold Rush brought a flood of treasure seekers. With their sourdough in tow, prospectors accumulated in San Francisco over rival Benicia, California, San Francisco's First Brick Building. The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco. Accessed August 28, 2006. raising the population from 1,000 in 1848 to 25,000 by December 1849.{{cite book|last = Richards |first = Rand |title = Historic San Francisco: A Concise History and Guide |publisher = Heritage House |date = 1992 |id = ISBN 1-879367-00-9 --> The promise of fabulous riches was so strong that crews on arriving vessels deserted and rushed off to the gold fields, leaving behind a forest of masts in San Francisco harbor.{{cite news | last = Harris | first = Ron | title = Crews Unearth Shipwreck on San Francisco Condo Project |publisher = Associated Press | date = November 14, 2005 | url = http://www.cegltd.com/story.asp?story=6287&headline=Crews | accessmonthday = September 4 | accessyear = 2006 --> [California was quickly granted [U.S. state and the U.S. military built [Fort Point, San Francisco at the [Golden Gate and a fort on [Alcatraz Island to secure the San Francisco Bay. Silver discoveries, including the [Comstock Lode in 1859, further drove rapid population growth. With hordes of fortune seekers streaming through the city, lawlessness was common, and the [Barbary Coast, San Francisco, California section of town gained notoriety as a haven for criminals, prostitution, and gambling. on California Street in 1899Entrepreneurs sought to capitalize on the wealth generated by the Gold Rush. Early winners were the banking industry, which saw the founding of Wells Fargo in 1852, and the railroad industry, as the business magnates of the Big Four, led by Leland Stanford, collaborated in the building of the First Transcontinental Railroad. The development of the Port of San Francisco established the city as a center of trade. Catering to the needs and tastes of the growing population, Levi Strauss opened a dry goods business and Domingo Ghirardelli began manufacturing chocolate. Immigrant laborers made the city a polyglot culture, with Han Chinese railroad workers creating the city's Chinatown, San Francisco, California quarter. The first San Francisco cable car system carried San Franciscans up Clay Street Hill Railroad in 1873. The city's sea of Victorian houses began to take shape, and civic leaders campaigned for a spacious public park, resulting in plans for Golden Gate Park. San Franciscans built schools, churches, theaters, and all the hallmarks of civic life. The Presidio of San Francisco developed into the most important American military installation on the Pacific coast. Presidio of San Francisco, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Accessed September 4, 2006. By the turn of the century, San Francisco was a major city known for its flamboyant style, stately hotels, ostentatious mansions on Nob Hill, and a thriving arts scene.

after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire.At 5:12 am on April 18 [, a major 1906 San Francisco earthquake and Northern California. As buildings collapsed from the shaking, ruptured gas lines ignited fires that would spread across the city and burn out of control for several days. With water mains out of service, the Presidio Artillery Corps attempted to contain the inferno by dynamiting blocks of buildings to create firebreaks.{{cite web | title= Presidio of San Francisco: Firefighting and Dynamiting | url= http://www.nps.gov/archive/prsf/history/1906eq/firedyn.htm | accessmonthday=September 2 | accessyear=2006 | publisher = National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Golden Gate National Recreation Area --> More than three-quarters of the city lay in ruins, including almost all of the downtown core.Montagne, Renée (April 11, 2006). [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5334411 Remembering the 1906 Earthquake National Public Radio, ''Morning Edition''. Accessed August 29, 2006. Contemporary accounts reported that 498 people lost their lives, though modern estimates put the number in the several thousands.http://quake.usgs.gov/info/1906/casualties.html Casualties and Damage after the 1906 earthquake U.S. Geological Survey, Earthquake Hazards Program - Northern California. Accessed September 3, 2006. More than half the city's population of 400,000 were left homeless.http://www.nps.gov/archive/prsf/history/1906eq/index.htm Presidio of San Francisco:1906 Earthquake and Fire National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Accessed August 29, 2006. Refugees settled temporarily in makeshift tent villages in Golden Gate Park, the Presidio, on the beaches, and elsewhere. Many fled permanently to the [East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area).

at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915)Rebuilding was rapid and performed on a grand scale. Rejecting calls to completely remake the street grid, San Franciscans opted for speed. Amadeo Giannini's Bank of Italy (USA), later to become Bank of America, provided loans for many of those whose livelihoods had been devastated. The destroyed mansions of Nob Hill became grand hotels. San Francisco City Hall rose once again in splendorous Beaux-Arts architecture style, and the city celebrated its rebirth at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915) in 1915.

In ensuing years, the city solidified its standing as a financial capital; in the wake of the 1929 Wall Street Crash, not a single San Francisco-based bank failed. San Francisco Gold Rush Banking The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco. Accessed August 27, 2006. Indeed, it was at the height of the Great Depression that San Francisco undertook two great civil engineering projects, simultaneously constructing the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge, completing them in 1936 and 1937 respectively. It was in this period that the island of Alcatraz, a former military stockade, began its service as a federal maximum security prison, housing notorious inmates such as Al Capone. San Francisco later celebrated its regained grandeur with a World's Fair, the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939–40, creating Treasure Island, California in the middle of the bay to house it.

steams under the Golden Gate Bridge in 1942, during World War IIDuring World War II, the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard became a hub of activity and Fort Mason became the primary port of embarkation for service members shipping out to the Pacific theater of operations. World War II in the San Francisco Bay Area. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Accessed August 29, 2006. The explosion of jobs drew many people, especially African Americans from the South, to the area. After the end of the war, many military personnel returning from service abroad and civilians who had originally come to work decided to stay. The UN Charter creating the United Nations was drafted and signed in San Francisco in 1945 and, in 1951, the Treaty of San Francisco officially ended the Pacific War.

Urban planning projects in the 1950s and 1960s saw widespread destruction and redevelopment of westside neighborhoods and the construction of new freeways, of which only a series of short segments were built before being halted by citizen-led opposition. The Transamerica Pyramid was completed in 1972, Pyramid Facts and Figures Transamerica.com "About the Pyramid," Accessed 2006-10-29 and in the 1980s the Manhattanization of San Francisco saw extensive high rise development downtown. Port activity moved to Port of Oakland, the city began to lose industrial jobs, and San Francisco began to turn to tourism as the most important segment of its economy. The suburbs experienced rapid growth and San Francisco underwent significant demographic change, as large segments of the white population left the city, supplanted by an increasing wave of Immigration to the United States from Asia and Latin America.Minton, Torri (September 20, 1998). Race through Time San Francisco Chronicle. Accessed September 1, 2006.

Over this same period, San Francisco became a magnet for America's counterculture. Beat Generation writers fueled the San Francisco Renaissance and centered on the North Beach, San Francisco, California neighborhood in the 1950s. Hippies flocked to Haight-Ashbury in the 1960s, reaching a peak with the 1967 Summer of Love. In the 1970s, the city became a center of the gay rights movement, with the emergence of The Castro as an urban gay village, the election of Harvey Milk to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and his assassination, along with that of Mayor George Moscone, in 1978.

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake caused destruction and loss of life throughout the Bay Area. In San Francisco, the quake severely damaged structures in the Marina District, San Francisco, California and South of Market districts and precipitated the demolition of the damaged Embarcadero Freeway and much of the damaged Central Freeway, allowing the city to reclaim its historic downtown waterfront.

During the Dot-com bubble of the late 1990s, startup company invigorated the economy. Large numbers of entrepreneurs and computer application developers moved into the city, followed by marketing and sales professionals that changed the social landscape as once poorer neighborhoods became Gentrification. When the bubble burst in 2001, many of these companies folded and their employees left, although high technology and entrepreneurship continued to be mainstays of the San Francisco economy.

Geography San Francisco is located on the West Coast of the United States of the U.S. at the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula and includes significant stretches of the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay within its boundaries. Several islands of San Francisco Bay are part of the city, notably Alcatraz Island, Treasure Island, California, and the adjacent Yerba Buena Island, together with small portions of Alameda, California, Angel Island, California, and Red Rock Island. Also included are the uninhabited Farallon Islands, 27 miles (43 km) offshore in the Pacific Ocean. The mainland within the city limits roughly forms a seven by seven mile square (11 by 11 km), which has become a colloquialism referring to the city's shape.

San Francisco is famous for List of San Francisco, California Hills.There are more than 50 hills within city limits.Graham, Tom (November 7, 2004). Peak Experience, San Francisco Chronicle, p. PK-23. Retrieved April 15, 2007.

Some neighborhoods are named after the hill on which they are situated, including Nob Hill, Pacific Heights, San Francisco, California, Russian Hill, San Francisco, California, Potrero Hill, San Francisco, California, and Telegraph Hill, San Francisco.

to descend Russian Hill, San Francisco, CaliforniaNear the geographic center of the city, southwest of the downtown area, are a series of less densely populated hills. Dominating this area is Mount Sutro, the site of Sutro Tower, a large red and white radio and television transmission tower. Nearby is Twin Peaks (San Francisco), a pair of hills resting at one of the city's highest points and a popular overlook spot for tour groups. San Francisco's tallest hill, Mount Davidson, is 925 feet (282 m) high, and is capped with a 103 feet (31.4 m) tall cross built in 1934.

The San Andreas Fault and Hayward Fault Faults are responsible for much earthquake activity, even though neither passes through the city itself. It was the San Andreas Fault which slipped and caused the earthquakes in 1906 and 1989. Minor earthquakes occur on a regular basis. The threat of major earthquakes plays a large role in the city's infrastructure development. New buildings must meet high structural standards, and older buildings and bridges must be retrofitted to comply with new building codes.

San Francisco's shoreline has grown beyond its natural limits. Entire neighborhoods such as the Marina District, San Francisco, California and Hunters Point, San Francisco, California, as well as large sections of the Embarcadero (San Francisco) sit on areas of landfill. Treasure Island, California was constructed from material dredged from the bay as well as material resulting from tunneling through Yerba Buena Island during the construction of the Bay Bridge. Such land tends to be unstable during earthquakes; the resultant Earthquake liquefaction causes extensive damage to property built upon it, as was evidenced in the Marina district during the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake.

Climate and approaches Crissy Field.A quotation incorrectly attributed to Mark Twain says, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." San Francisco benefits from California’s Mediterranean climate, characterized by mild wet winters and warm dry summers. Climate of San Francisco: Narrative Description Golden Gate Weather Services, Accessed on September 5, 2006 However, surrounded on three sides by water, San Francisco has a climate strongly influenced by the cool California Current of the Pacific Ocean which tends to moderate temperature swings and produce a remarkably mild climate with little seasonal temperature variation. Average summertime high temperatures in San Francisco peak at 70 °F (21 °C) and are 20 °F (9 °C) lower than in nearby inland locations like Livermore, California. The highest temperature ever recorded in San Francisco was 103 °F (39 °C) on June 14, 2000. National Climatic Data Center, Climate-2000/June/Climate-Watch/Selected Extremes, "Climatography of the United States," National Climatic Data Center, Accessed 2006-12-03 Winters are mild, with daytime highs near 60 °F (15 °C). Lows almost never reach freezing temperatures, though the lowest temperature ever recorded in San Francisco was 27 °F (-3 °C) on December 11, 1932. Climate of San Francisco: Top 10 Temperatures Golden Gate Weather Services, Accessed on 2006-12-03 May through September are quite dry, and rain is a common occurrence from November through March. Snow is extraordinarily rare, with only 10 instances recorded since 1852. The greatest snowfall on record was 3.7 inches (9.4 cm) in downtown San Francisco, and up to 7 inches (17.8 cm) elsewhere, on February 5, 1887. The last measurable snowfall in San Francisco was on February 5, 1976, when most of the city received an inch (2.5 cm) of snow. Climate of San Francisco: Snowfall Golden Gate Weather Services, Accessed on 2006-12-03

The combination of cold ocean water and the high heat of the California mainland creates the city's characteristic fog that can cover the western half of the city all day during the spring and early summer. The fog is less pronounced in eastern neighborhoods, in the late summer, and during the fall, which are the warmest months of the year. Due to its sharp topography and maritime influences, San Francisco exhibits a multitude of distinct microclimates. The high hills in the geographic center of the city are responsible for a 20% variance in annual rainfall between different parts of the city. They also protect neighborhoods directly to their east from the foggy and cool conditions experienced in the Sunset District, San Francisco, California; for those who live on the eastern side of the city, San Francisco is sunnier, with an average of 260 clear days, and only 105 cloudy days per year. Historical Climate Information Western Regional Climate Center, Accessed September 5, 2006

{{Infobox Weather|single_line= Yes|location = San Francisco, California|Jan_Hi_°F = 56 |Jan_Hi_°C = 13|Feb_Hi_°F = 60 |Feb_Hi_°C = 15|Mar_Hi_°F = 61 |Mar_Hi_°C = 16|Apr_Hi_°F = 63 |Apr_Hi_°C = 17|May_Hi_°F = 64 |May_Hi_°C = 17|Jun_Hi_°F = 66 |Jun_Hi_°C = 18|Jul_Hi_°F = 66 |Jul_Hi_°C = 18|Aug_Hi_°F = 66 |Aug_Hi_°C = 18|Sep_Hi_°F = 70 |Sep_Hi_°C = 21|Oct_Hi_°F = 69 |Oct_Hi_°C = 20|Nov_Hi_°F = 64 |Nov_Hi_°C = 17|Dec_Hi_°F = 57 |Dec_Hi_°C = 13|Year_Hi_°F = 63 |Year_Hi_°C = 17|Jan_Lo_°F = 46 |Jan_Lo_°C = 7|Feb_Lo_°F = 48 |Feb_Lo_°C = 8|Mar_Lo_°F = 49 |Mar_Lo_°C = 9|Apr_Lo_°F = 50 |Apr_Lo_°C = 10|May_Lo_°F = 51 |May_Lo_°C = 10|Jun_Lo_°F = 53 |Jun_Lo_°C = 11|Jul_Lo_°F = 54 |Jul_Lo_°C = 12|Aug_Lo_°F = 54 |Aug_Lo_°C = 12|Sep_Lo_°F = 56 |Sep_Lo_°C = 13|Oct_Lo_°F = 55 |Oct_Lo_°C = 12|Nov_Lo_°F = 51 |Nov_Lo_°C = 10|Dec_Lo_°F = 47 |Dec_Lo_°C = 8|Year_Lo_°F = 51 |Year_Lo_°C = 10|Jan_Precip_inch = 4.1 |Jan_Precip_cm = 10 |Jan_Precip_mm =|Feb_Precip_inch = 3.5 |Feb_Precip_cm = 8 |Feb_Precip_mm =|Mar_Precip_inch = 2.9 |Mar_Precip_cm = 7 |Mar_Precip_mm =|Apr_Precip_inch = 1.5 |Apr_Precip_cm = 3 |Apr_Precip_mm =|May_Precip_inch = 0.5 |May_Precip_cm = 1 |May_Precip_mm =|Jun_Precip_inch = 0.2 |Jun_Precip_cm = 0.5 |Jun_Precip_mm =|Jul_Precip_inch = 0 |Jul_Precip_cm = 0 |Jul_Precip_mm =|Aug_Precip_inch = 0 |Aug_Precip_cm = 0 |Aug_Precip_mm =|Sep_Precip_inch = 0.2 |Sep_Precip_cm = 0.5 |Sep_Precip_mm =|Oct_Precip_inch = 1.1 |Oct_Precip_cm = 2 |Oct_Precip_mm =|Nov_Precip_inch = 2.6 |Nov_Precip_cm = 6 |Nov_Precip_mm =|Dec_Precip_inch = 3.9 |Dec_Precip_cm = 9 |Dec_Precip_mm =|Year_Precip_inch = 20.4 |Year_Precip_cm = 51 |Year_Precip_mm =|source =Weatherbase{{cite web| url =http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=149427&refer=&units=us |title =Weatherbase: Historical Weather for San Francisco, California, United States of America | accessmonthday = Nov 8 |accessyear =2006| language = English -->|accessdate = Nov 2006-->

Cityscape Neighborhoods The historic center of San Francisco is the northeast quadrant of the city bordered by Market Street (San Francisco) to the south. It is here that the Financial District, San Francisco, California is centered, with Union Square (San Francisco), the principal shopping and hotel district, nearby. Cable car (railway)s carry residents and tourists alike up steep inclines to the summit of Nob Hill, once the home of the city's business tycoons, and down to Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, California, a tourist area featuring Dungeness crab from a still-active fishing industry. Also in this quadrant are Russian Hill, San Francisco, California, a residential neighborhood with the famously crooked Lombard Street (San Francisco), North Beach, San Francisco, California, the city's version of North Beach, San Francisco, California, and Telegraph Hill, San Francisco, which features Coit Tower. Nearby is San Francisco's Chinatown, San Francisco, California, established in the 1860s. The Tenderloin, San Francisco, California is often seen as the crime-infested underbelly of the city.

The Mission District, San Francisco, California is predominantly working-class and populated by immigrants from Mexican American and Central America, but is also gentrifying. Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco, California, famously associated with 1960s hippie culture, is now heavily gentrified, although it still retains some Bohemianism character. The The Castro, San Francisco, California is the center of gay life in the city.

in the Mission District, San Francisco, CaliforniaThe city's Japantown, San Francisco, California district suffered when its Japanese American residents were Japanese American internment during World War II. The nearby Western Addition, San Francisco, California became established with a large African American population at the same time. The "Painted Ladies," a row of well-restored Victorian house, stand alongside Alamo Square, and the mansions built by the San Francisco business elite in the wake of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake can be found in Pacific Heights, San Francisco, California. The Marina District, San Francisco, California to the north is a lively area with many young urban professionals.

The Richmond District, San Francisco, California, the vast region north of Golden Gate Park that extends to the Pacific Ocean, today has a portion called "New Chinatown," but also attracts immigrants from other parts of Asia and Russian people. South of Golden Gate Park lies the Sunset District, San Francisco, California with an Asian majority population.Chow, Andrew (March 22, 2002). "Dismal APA Turnout at First Redistricting Meetings" Asian Week. Accessed September 3, 2006. The Richmond and the Sunset are largely middle class and, together, are known as Neighborhoods in San Francisco, California. Hunters Point, San Francisco, California in the southeast section of the city is one of the poorest neighborhoods and suffers from a high rate of crime, though the area has been the focus of plans for urban renewal. The other southern neighborhoods of the city are ethnically diverse and populated primarily with students and working-class San Franciscans.

The South of Market, once filled with decaying remnants of San Francisco's industrial past, has seen significant redevelopment. The locus of the Dot-com bubble during the late 1990s, by 2004 South of Market began to see skyscrapers and condominiums dot the area (see Manhattanization). Following the success of nearby South Beach, San Francisco, California, another neighborhood, Mission Bay, San Francisco, California, underwent redevelopment, anchored by a second campus of the University of California, San Francisco.

Beaches and parks Ocean Beach (San Francisco) runs along the Pacific Ocean shoreline, but is not suitable for swimming because the waters off the coast are cold and have deadly rip currents. Baker Beach occupies a picturesque setting just west of the Golden Gate Bridge and is where one of the few existing colonies of Hesperolinon congestum, the threatened Marin Dwarf Flax, can be found. The biggest and best-known park is Golden Gate Park, stretching from the center of the city to the Pacific Ocean. Once covered only in grass and sand dunes, the park is planted with thousands of non-native trees and plants and is rich with attractions including the Conservatory of Flowers, the Japanese tea garden at Golden Gate Park, and Strybing Arboretum. Presidio of San Francisco, a former military base, and its Crissy Field section, restored to its natural salt marsh condition, are part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which includes Alcatraz, and other regional parks. Buena Vista Park is the city's oldest, established in 1867. Lake Merced is a fresh-water lake surrounded by parkland.

Culture and entertainment San Francisco is characterized by a high standard of living. San Francisco by the Numbers: Planning after the 2000 Census. San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association, Accessed August 28, 2006. The great wealth and opportunity generated by the Internet revolution drew many highly educated and high income workers and residents to San Francisco. Many poorer neighborhoods have become gentrified. The downtown has seen a renaissance driven by the redevelopment of the Embarcadero (San Francisco), including the neighborhoods South Beach, San Francisco, California and Mission Bay, San Francisco, California. Property values and household income have escalated to among the highest in the nation, It may not feel like it, but your shot at the good life is getting better. Here's why San Francisco Magazine. Accessed August 28, 2006. allowing the city to support a large restaurant and entertainment infrastructure. Because the cost of living in San Francisco is exceptionally high, many middle class families have decided they can no longer afford to live within the city and have left to the suburbs of the San Francisco Bay Area.

in Pacific Heights, San Francisco, California

Although the centralized commerce and shopping districts downtown, including the Financial District (San Francisco) and the area around Union Square, San Francisco, California, are well-known, San Francisco is also characterized by a rich street environment featuring many mixed-use development neighborhoods anchored around central commercial corridors to which residents and visitors alike can walk. They feature a mix of businesses and restaurants catering to the daily needs of the community and drawing in visitors. Some are highly gentrified, dotted with boutiques, cafes and nightlife, such as List of streets in San Francisco in Cow Hollow, San Francisco, California, and List of streets in San Francisco in Noe Valley, San Francisco, California. Others are less so, including List of streets in San Francisco in the Sunset District, San Francisco, California, or List of streets in San Francisco in the Mission District, San Francisco, California. This approach has influenced the South of Market redevelopment, with businesses and neighborhood services rising alongside highrise residences.Wach, Bonnie (October 3, 2003) Fog City rises from the funk. USA Today. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.

in The Castro.The international character San Francisco has had since its founding is witnessed today by large numbers of immigrants from Asia and Latin America. With 39 percent of its residents born overseas, San Francisco has numerous neighborhoods filled with businesses and civic institutions catering to new arrivals. In particular, the arrival of many ethnic Chinese, which accelerated beginning in the 1970s, complemented the already-established community based in Chinatown, San Francisco, California and has transformed the annual San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival and Parade into the largest cultural event of its kind.Lam, Eric (December 22, 2005). San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade Embroiled in Controversy. The Epoch Times. Retrieved on August 31, 2006.

Following the arrival of writers and artists of the 1950s, who established the modern coffeehouse culture, and the social upheavals of the 1960s, San Francisco became one of the epicenters of Modern liberalism in the United States activism, with Democratic Party (United States), Green Party (United States), and progressivism dominating city politics. Indeed, San Francisco has not given the Republican Party (United States) candidate for president greater than 20 percent of the vote since United States presidential election, 1988. Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Accessed September 6, 2006. The gay rights contributions and leadership the city has shown since the 1970s has resulted in the powerful presence gays and lesbians have in civic life. A popular destination for gay tourists, it hosts San Francisco Pride, the world's best-known gay pride parade and festival.

Entertainment and performing arts San Francisco's San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center features some of the longest operating performing arts companies in the United States. The War Memorial Opera House houses the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Ballet, while the San Francisco Symphony plays in Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The Herbst Theatre stages an eclectic mix of music performances, as well as National Public Radio's City Arts & Lectures.

The Fillmore is a music venue located in the Western Addition, San Francisco, California. It is the second incarnation of a venue which gained fame in the 1960s under concert promoter Bill Graham (promoter) and was where the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jefferson Airplane got their start and fostered the San Francisco Sound. Beach Blanket Babylon is a zany musical revue and civic institution. It has performed to sold out crowds in North Beach, San Francisco, California since 1974.

The American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) has been a leading force in Bay Area performing arts since its arrival in San Francisco in 1967, routinely staging original productions. San Francisco frequently hosts national touring productions of Broadway theatre shows in a number of vintage 1920s-era venues in the Theater District, San Francisco, California including the List of theatres in San Francisco, List of theatres in San Francisco, and List of theatres in San Francisco Theatres. from Yerba Buena Gardens

Museums The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) contains 20th century and contemporary pieces. It moved to its iconic building in South of Market, San Francisco, California in 1995 and attracts 600,000 visitors annually. Corporate Sponsorship (SFMOMA Facts and Audience) San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Accessed September 1, 2006. The California Palace of the Legion of Honor contains primarily European works. The M. H. de Young Memorial Museum and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco have significant anthropological and non-European holdings.

The Palace of Fine Arts, originally built for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915), today houses the Exploratorium, a popular science museum dedicated to teaching through hands-on interaction. The California Academy of Sciences is a natural history museum and hosts the Morrison Planetarium and Steinhart Aquarium. The San Francisco Zoo cares for a total of about 250 animal species out of which 39 have been deemed endangered or threatened. About the Zoo: Media Center (Press Kit) San Francisco Zoo. Accessed September 3, 2006.

Media The San Francisco Chronicle, in which Herb Caen famously published his daily musings, is Northern California's most widely circulated newspaper. Top 200 Newspapers by Largest Reported Circulation. (March 31, 2006) Audit Bureau of Circulations. Accessed August 28, 2006. The San Francisco Examiner, once the cornerstone of William Randolph Hearst's media empire and the home of Ambrose Bierce, declined in circulation over the years and has been reduced to a small tabloid. Sing Tao Daily claims to be the largest of several Chinese language dailies that serve the Bay Area. Alternative weekly newspapers include the San Francisco Bay Guardian and SF Weekly. San Francisco Magazine is a major glossy magazine.

The San Francisco metro area is the fifth largest designated market area Nielsen Reports 1.1% increase in U.S. Television Households for the 2006–2007 Season (Press Release) (August 23, 2006) Nielsen Media, Accessed September 20, 2006. and the fourth largest designated market area ARBITRON RADIO MARKET RANKINGS: Spring 2006 Arbitron, Accessed September 20, 2006. in the United States. All the major television networks have List of television stations in the San Francisco Bay Area serving the Bay Area region, with most of them based in the city. There are also some unaffiliated stations, and CNN, ESPN, and BBC have regional offices in San Francisco.

Public broadcasting outlets include both a KQED-TV and a KQED-FM, broadcasting under the name KQED out of a facility near the Potrero Hill, San Francisco, California district. KQED-FM is the most-listened to National Public Radio affiliate in the country. Radio Research Consortium. Accessed August 27, 2006. San Francisco companies such as CNET Networks and Salon.com pioneered the use of the internet as a media outlet. Leading global media which are marketed specifically to gay and lesbian audiences are centered in San Francisco, with PlanetOut Inc. the parent company of major print newsmagazines and online communities.

Sports The San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League are the longest-tenured major professional sports franchise in the city. They began playing in 1946 and moved to their present location in Monster Park on Candlestick Point State Recreation Area in 1971. They reached prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, winning five Super Bowl titles behind stars Joe Montana, Steve Young (athlete), Ronnie Lott, and Jerry Rice.

passes AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco GiantsMajor League Baseball's San Francisco Giants left New York for California prior to the 1958 season. Though boasting stars such as Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Barry Bonds, they have yet to win the World Series while based in San Francisco. Game 3 of the 1989 World Series in San Francisco was infamously pre-empted by the Loma Prieta earthquake. The Giants play at AT&T Park which was opened in 2000, a cornerstone project of the South Beach. San Francisco and Mission Bay, San Francisco, California redevelopment. Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed August 28, 2006.

The Dons, the athletic teams of the University of San Francisco, compete in NCAA NCAA Division I. Bill Russell led the Dons to NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship in 1955 and 1956. The San Francisco State University Gators compete in NCAA Division II. The San Francisco Dragons of Major League Lacrosse play at Kezar Stadium, which they will share with the California Victory of USL First Division. The semi-professional San Francisco Bay Seals of the USL's USL PDL are a second football (soccer) team in the city.

San Francisco has ample resources and opportunities for participatory sports and recreation. The Bay to Breakers footrace, held annually since 1912, is best known for colorful costumes and a celebratory community spirit. The San Francisco Marathon is an annual event that attracts more than 7,000 participants. San Francisco Marathon Expands Cool Reputation The San Francisco Marathon. Accessed September 3, 2006. There are more than 200 miles (320 km) of bicycle lanes in the city San Francisco Bicycle Plan City and County of San Francisco. Accessed September 3, 2006. and the Embarcadero and Marina Green are favored sites for in-line skating. Extensive public tennis facilities exist in Golden Gate Park and Dolores Park.

Boating, sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing are popular activities on the San Francisco Bay, and the city operates a yacht harbor in the Marina District, San Francisco, California. San Francisco's residents have been judged to be among the fittest in the United States.

Economy receives 1.5 million visitors per year. New Parts of Alcatraz Revealed to Public National Public Radio. Accessed October 10, 2007.

Tourism is the backbone of the San Francisco economy. Its San Francisco in popular culture in music, film, and popular culture has made the city and its landmarks recognizable worldwide. It is the city where Tony Bennett left his I Left My Heart in San Francisco, where the Birdman of Alcatraz spent many of his final years, and where Rice-a-RoniFinz, Stacy (July 16, 2006) RICE-A-REDUX After a 7-year hiatus, it's billed once again as the San Francisco treat. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on September 5, 2006. was said to be the favorite treat. San Francisco attracts the third highest number of foreign tourists of any city in the United States Overseas Visitors To Select U.S. Cities/Hawaiian Islands 2006-2005 U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Travel & Tourism Industries. Accessed August 27, 2006. and claims Pier 39 near Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, California to be the third-most popular tourist attraction in the nation. City and County of San Francisco: Sights in San Francisco. City and County of San Francisco. Accessed September 4, 2006. More than 15 million visitors came to San Francisco in 2005, injecting nearly $

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