The city of San Francisco is one of the largest cities in the United States. It is located on a peninsula between the bay of the same name and the Pacific Ocean. This is a real gem of the state of California, attracting tourists from all over the world, thanks to its beautiful nature and rich history, dating back to the time of the "gold rush". It is a many-faced city with contrasts and color. Let's take a virtual trip to California and explore the sights of San Francisco.
History of the city
San Francisco has a fascinating story. It began in 1776, when travelers from Spain landed on the Pacific coast. They entered the first pages in the history of the city of San Francisco. The Spanish preacher founded the Mission of St. Francis of Assisi, in whose honor the city was named. The Spaniards built a fort called the Golden Gate. At the beginning of the XIX century in the territory of modern California, which was considered Mexican at that time, gold deposits were found. A stream of gold miners poured into open fields. A settlement was established with the current Portsmouth Square and the first street called Calle de la Fundacion (Founder Street).
William Richardson, the first land grantee, built his home on the hill where San Francisco is currently located. Along Grant Avenue, between Clay and Washington, established the first residence. The settlement turned into a city called Yerba Buena, which is translated from Spanish as “good grass”.
This small town was not given much importance, but the situation changed when a gold mine was discovered. In 1848, during the Gold Rush, Yerba Buena was conquered by the Americans and later became known as San Francisco. It has become the largest city on the Pacific coast. This is the story of the name of the city of San Francisco. True, in addition to its official name, it is called the "city by the bay" and the "city of fogs." The city received its second nickname because of strong summer fogs descending on the city, when the hot air currents in the central part of the mainland collide with the cold ones brought from the Pacific Ocean.
Geographical position
The peculiarities of the geographical location of the city include the fact that it is surrounded on three sides by water. The main role in the infrastructure of transport supply is played by the bridges: the Golden Gate and the Bridge over the Bay, which connects San Francisco with Auckland. The geographical coordinates of the city of San Francisco are: 37 ° 46'29 "north latitude and 122 ° 25'9" west longitude.
What is the city now? San Francisco has developed shipping and tourism business, a huge service sector and the largest centers for the production of high IT technologies. The city is a symbol of the Hollywood industry. There are no days in a city for a movie to be shot on its streets, which residents are already used to, and tourists are interested to see how Hollywood actors work.
By the way, the current population of the city of San Francisco is about 815,000 inhabitants. In connection with this indicator, the city ranks fourteenth in the United States in terms of population.
Climate
The terrain on which San Francisco is located is hilly. The water surrounding the city has a significant impact on weather conditions. Among major cities in the United States, the climate in San Francisco is considered the coolest and at the same time the most comfortable. The city has a Mediterranean climate with mild winters, warm summers, and slight temperature fluctuations throughout the year.
The coldest month is January. The temperature at this time in San Francisco does not drop below +8 ° C. September is considered hot with temperature fluctuations of +13 ... + 21 ° . In the summer months there is almost no rain, but frequent rains from November to April. Almost no snow falls.
Hills san francisco
The city of San Francisco is located on 74 hills (allegedly), of which 47 are named. The seven important hills of San Francisco at an altitude of 900 feet: Telegraph Hill, Nob Hill, Russia Hill, Rincon Hill, Mount Sutro, Twin Peaks, Gemini at Altitude 910 feet (277 m) and Mount Davidson at 925 feet (283 m). The remaining hills are lower in height. Roads in San Francisco run along the top and bottom of the hills. Some of the roads are extremely steep. Strict parking laws have been enacted in San Francisco for safety so that cars do not slide into San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean!
One of the attractions of the city is Lombard Street, the most winding street in the world, designed and built in the 20s of the last century. It is located on Russian Hill. Its slope is 27%, and at 400 meters of the road - 8 sharp turns. Cars on this unique road move at a low speed, only 8 km / h. Visitors say that there is nothing funnier than riding these steep gyrus.
Neighborhoods of San Francisco
The area of the city is slightly more than 46 square miles, which is approximately equal to 120 square meters. kilometers. Occupying the square tip of the peninsula (11 x 11 km), San Francisco is divided into several areas, each of which is interesting for its color. For tourists, a map consisting of 11 official districts has been developed.
The Mission District can be considered the most hipster. Historically, the area is inhabited by Hispanics. Their culture is the lifeblood of the area. Street art flourishes here. As already mentioned, the city of San Francisco (whose photo is in this article) is many-sided and unique. Each house of the district has its own "face".
In the evenings, Valencia's main street is full of fun, stylish youth. Residents like to spend days off in Dolores park. Mission Dolores is one of the most popular San Francisco parks. Its football fields, tennis courts and a playground are almost always filled with city dwellers who like to spend their holidays in nature.
The Haight-Ashbury district was famous for the fact that hippies came from all over the country in 1967 and everything that was connected with this movement came from here: sex, drugs, music, art, freedom ...
If you are going to San Francisco, do not forget to weave some flowers into your hair
Words from the famous song of Scott Mackenzie, which has been the unofficial hymn of San Francisco for almost 50 years, personify this city as the capital of the hippie movement and progressive youth.
For tourists interested in vintage clothing, in this area there are a lot of shops where you can buy it. There are small shops selling books and musical accessories: from notes to instruments.
Castro - an open gay quarter of the world and a synonym for LGBT culture (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender people) can only be found in the USA in the city of San Francisco. In the quarter, everything is painted in rainbow colors: transitions, storefronts, flags on the streets. The historical center of the LGBT community reflects a vibrant area, popular among young families, technical workers, and the community of artists.
Here people are accepted for who they are - gay, bisexual, transgender ... The area is filled with popular boutiques, bars and restaurants that attract a wide range of visitors. There are many nudist beaches in the area. Nudists are mostly men of all ages.
A Popular Place in San Francisco - Chinatown
The largest and most famous among Chinatown USA is located in Chinatown San Francisco. It houses the largest Chinese community located outside of Asia. It originated in the mid-nineteenth century, from immigrants who arrived from the Chinese province of Guangdong. The Chinese, wherever they go, always organized a "city in a city." Entering this area, tourists feel the presence of Asia: shops with inscriptions in the Cantonese language, most of the buildings have pagoda-shaped roofs, all lampposts are decorated with dragons, and the streets with lanterns. There are many cafes and delicious Chinese restaurants serving fortune cookies.
Today's Chinatown was rebuilt after the San Francisco earthquake in 1906, and its architecture is a strange combination of the foundations of Edward and Chinese details. It is traditionally believed that a pair of Chinese lion guardians provide protection; they are common in front of Chinese imperial palaces, government offices and temples. The gate has three entrances. The central one is for high-ranking people, and the other two - located on both sides of the central one - are for ordinary people.
In the quarter there are cultural places for visiting tourists: the Museum of the Chinese Historical Society of America and the Chinese Cultural Center.
San Francisco's oldest street
Grant Avenue is considered the oldest street in San Francisco, which ran from north to south, being the central axis of the tourist area of China. This is an area that is literally crowded with tourists snooping around kitsch shops and authentic Chinese restaurants. An overview of the entire street is a long story, not one page, but it’s worth paying attention to several noticeable places on a busy street. Symbolizing proximity to paradise, most temples are located in Chinatown in the upper floors of townhouses. Grand Avenue is also home to the oldest Chinese temple in America, Tin Hau. It was founded in 1852. On the corner of Grand Avenue and Torgovaya Street, there are several hand-painted murals that show Bruce Lee and the Buddha fresco. On the other wall are also murals with dancing dragons and the imposing Golden Dragon. What the Grand Avenue of San Francisco looks like today - in the photo below.
Tourism
The city in the bay continues to grow, annually opening the doors to thousands of new residents from around the world. It is truly a vibrant, diverse, and welcoming place to live in America. The city of San Francisco is characterized by extremely low unemployment. Tourism is considered to be one of the main sectors of the economy of this metropolis, so you can always get a job in the tourism business.
What attracts tourists to San Francisco? Most likely not only historical sights, but also a favorable mild climate, the uniqueness and originality of the city. More than 17 million tourists come here for excursions and vacations. San Francisco is in fifth place in the United States for visiting foreigners.
The city is known for its iconic sights, such as the Golden Gate Bridge and the bridge across the Bay Bridge, restaurants with unique cuisine in different parts of the city. A healthy balance of invariably mild weather, a large amount of greenery throughout the city continues to turn it into one of the most popular and picturesque cities in California. San Francisco invites tourists to visit Fort Point, an ideal destination for history buffs as well as the Golden Gate Park. You can visit it at the annual Free Bluegrass Festival if your visit to San Francisco coincides with its time. In the park you can ride on an old carousel and even see a buffalo in the natural environment.
The city's attractions
San Francisco has a unique world symbol - the Golden Gate Bridge. It was considered the longest span bridge from its completion in 1937 until 1964. It connects San Francisco with the Marin County and is a total of 3.2 km (2.7 miles). This is the most photographed bridge in the world.
The location of the Golden Gate Bridge is also within walking distance of many other tourist destinations such as Fort Point, Fort Baker and Presidio.
There is much to go for those who are interested in historical and cultural values. These are museums and cultural centers. These include the Museum of Modern Arts, the center of art and culture of Asia, the Jewish Community Center, the Memorial Opera House.
In addition, in the Mission District, you can spend hours walking the streets and viewing painted buildings, walking around art studios, and visiting exhibition venues. The Dolores park area is always full of people. Moreover, it has recreation areas, conditionally divided into hipster, family and gay zones. Depending on the time of rest in the Mission, carnivals (in May), large street fairs (in March), as well as a parade in April in honor of Cesar Chavez are held.
Mysterious Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island is considered one of the most visited places in the port city of San Francisco. Why do travelers from all over the world try to get to the island? Perhaps this attraction is attractive due to its interesting, but rather gloomy history. And tourists come to the island to personally see what Alcatraz was decades ago ...
In the history of the city of San Forancisco, the fact of the construction of the first lighthouse of the West Coast in 1854 was noted. And the place for him was determined on the island of Alcatraz (translated from Spanish "rock") in the bay of San Francisco, to direct the ships passing through the Golden Gate. But not only the lighthouse was built on the island. Government officials decided that the tiny island, nicknamed “The Rock,” would be the perfect place for a federal penitentiary. The rocky island was washed by dangerous currents, extreme tides, so it was impossible to escape from this prison. The country's most famous bad guys were serving sentences in prison: Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly and “Bird Man” Robert Stroud, a killer who was an expert in ornithological diseases.
During a tour of Alcatraz, tourists can personally see how gloomy the life of prisoners in solitary confinement was. Alcatraz may seem sinister from the inside, but tourists can enjoy dazzling views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, the lush surroundings of marinas in the north and the neighboring Angel Island, as well as California State Park.
San Francisco is one of the most iconic cities in the United States of America and, without a doubt, the most beautiful. The combination of geography, nature, architecture and its diverse and cosmopolitan composition makes San Francisco a world-class city.