San Francisco is the fourth richly populated city in
California and also ranks 13th among the most populous cities in America. It is also a major transportation center of the
San Francisco Bay Area including San Jose and
Oakland. The California Gold Rush in 1848 propelled the city into a period of rapid growth.
After three-quarters of the city was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco was quickly rebuilt, hosting the
Panama-Pacific International Exposition nine years later. At present San Francisco is a popular international tourist destination, renowned for its chilly summer fog, steep rolling hills, eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture and its famous landmarks, including the
Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, and Chinatown.
Neighborhoods
The historic center of San Francisco is the northeast quadrant of the city anchored by Market Street and the waterfront. It is here that the Financial District is centered, with
Union Square, the principal shopping and hotel district, nearby. Cable cars carry riders up steep inclines to the summit of Nob Hill, once the home of the city's business tycoons, and down to the waterfront tourist attractions of Fisherman's Wharf, and
Pier 39, where many restaurants feature Dungeness crab from a still-active fishing industry.
Beaches & Parks
Several of San Francisco's parks and nearly all of its beaches form part of the regional
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the
United States with over 13 million visitors a year. Among the GGNRA's attractions within the city are
Ocean Beach, which runs along the Pacific Ocean shoreline and is frequented by a vibrant surfing community, and
Baker Beach, which is located in a cove west of the Golden Gate and part of the Presidio, a former military base. Also within the Presidio is Crissy Field, a former airfield that was restored to its natural salt marsh ecosystem. The GGNRA also administers Fort Funston,
Lands End, Fort Mason, and Alcatraz. The National Park Service separately administers the
San Francisco Maritime National Historical park – a fleet of historic ships and waterfront property around Aquatic Park.
