San Francisco. San Francisco: a journey to the freest city in the world. Products and shopping
The city and county of San Francisco lie in the central part of the Pacific coast of California, at the northern tip of the peninsula of the same name, which borders the bay of the same name from the sea. This is perhaps the most beautiful and certainly the most liberal city in the USA, which has its own personality and its own style, not least determined by the picturesque local landscapes and frequent fogs that cover half the city.
Despite its far from small size (the total area of the city is about 600 sq. km), San Francisco is quite compact, hilly and bears little resemblance to the huge, chaotic Los Angeles. Considerable “merit” for this goes to devastating earthquake, which hit San Francisco in 1906 (fires caused by tremors raged for three days), after which the city was rebuilt almost anew according to a clear architectural plan. Many of the city's structures, which still define its face, were built within the framework of this development, from the early 1920s to the mid-1930s.
Sights of San Francisco
Historic Downtown Frisco, as Americans often call it, lies in the hilly northeastern part of the peninsula and is distinct from " big city"precisely due to the almost complete lack of planning - many of its streets are so winding and illogically laid out, have such a large difference in heights that they themselves are quite good attractions (a typical example of this is Lombard Street on Russian Hill). Currently, the Old City is located within the business center with its skyscrapers and offices and is framed along the entire perimeter by ethnic neighborhoods like Chinatown, North Beach And Telegraph Hill(Italian neighborhoods) Russian Hill, Mission District(African Americans and people from Latin America live here), Richmond(often called “New Chinatown”, but many Russian emigrants also live here), Sunset(immigrants from Asian countries) and other colorful areas.
The tourist center of the city is Union Square- an ever-noisy center of shops and hotels, flower sellers and homeless people. The famous cable cars run down the western side of the square to Aquatic Park, Washington Street, Chinatown And Financial District, or up - to Mark or to the Hopkins Hotel. Picturesque SoMa area(South Market Street) links the tall office complexes of downtown and the quaint neighborhoods along Embarcadero with an area of galleries and museums always crowded with tourists around Yerba Buena Gardens or nightclubs Eleventh Street. In the territory Fisherman-Warf(the foot of Russian Hill) with its rather kitschy shopping district is located Museum wax figures , and the pier itself is the gateway to such the most famous monuments cities like an island Alcatraz prison, Maritime Museum And Historic Pier.
The city's attractions include the famous Golden Gate Bridge(“Golden Gate”, 1937, one of the longest suspension bridges in the world - each of its spans is 1280 m long) and the nearby park of the same name (1017 acres) with botanical Stribing-Arbotherium gardens, a charming Japanese garden, Young Museum of Fine Arts and the tallest man-made waterfall in the western states; and also under construction New Bay Bridge, which will be the most advanced structure of its kind in the world, which is not surprising considering that its 160-meter supports will be located in the most seismically dangerous place in the city, exactly in the middle between the San Andreas and Hayward tectonic faults, and the 560-meter span will be supported on just one support.
Museums of San Francisco
Also widely known Alcatraz prison island(used in this role from 1933 to 1963), Montgomery Street villa district, Market Street business center, Mount Tamalpas(770 m) with a magnificent panorama of the city and the bay opening from its tops, the building Var-Memory Opera House(1932), Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) on South Market, Cable Car Museum(covers the history of another local landmark - the famous San Francisco streetcars, or cable cars, whose history goes back 130 years), Russian cultural center(1939) in the Richmond area, Mexican Museum, Asian Art Museum in the San Francisco library complex, Science Museum Exploratorium, zoo in Bueno Vista Park near Lake Merced, Angel Island(a former filtration camp during the Second World War, and today - popular place for walking tours and picnics), complex American Conservatory and theater (ACT), International Women's Museum, African Museum and many other unusual collections, as well as the vibrant Castro District and the famous High Ashbury, or Haight, area, considered the birthplace of the hippie movement.
Beach holiday in San Francisco
The ocean shores around San Francisco are not ideal for sea holiday– there is quite a strong surf, complex currents and fairly cool water, the temperature of which in the summer months does not exceed 15°C. Swimming at many city beaches is not recommended; on some, it is officially prohibited, as evidenced by prohibitory signs. The beaches of San Francisco are foggy even during the summer months.
Within the Golden Gate Park you can find many good places for swimming and active pastime, and on the territory of Baker Beach (east of Golden Gate) you can swim and relax all summer long.
When going to sunbathe and swim on the San Francisco coast, it is better to take a windproof jacket or sweatshirt with you; The winds here can be cool even in the summer months.
For lovers aquatic species sports, it is worth remembering about strong undercurrents. Surfing along the San Francisco coast is an option for experienced athletes, but not for beginners.
Most of the city's beaches do not allow drinking alcoholic beverages; The local police enforce the rule.
Beaches
Luxurious beach Ocean Beach, stretching 3.5 miles along San Francisco's west coast, is used more for running and beach sports. Swimming on the beach is not recommended due to big waves, ideal for experienced surfers. Ocean Beach has showers, cafes, volleyball courts And play areas. Drinking alcoholic beverages on the coast is prohibited. Lighting fires is allowed, but the group must not exceed 25 people. The most secluded section of the coast is in the south. There is no parking along the beach.
Rodeo – best beach for children in San Francisco is just under a mile long. Swimming is prohibited here due to pollution of the lagoon. The pebble beach is equipped with showers, picnic tables with places for making fires; Alcohol is prohibited on the coast. There are no cafes, restaurants or food stores nearby; You should take everything you need with you. Due to its location and open space, Rodeo is popular with hobbyists kites. In the northern part of the beach you can find small multi-colored pebbles; orange ones are most common.
From the beach Baker, popular among fishing enthusiasts, offers beautiful views of the Golden Gate. The coastline is equipped with showers, picnic tables and toilets. Eat free parking, but on weekends you should arrive before ten in order to have time to grab free place. To the north is the nudist beach North Baker.
On a small beach China, located in the prestigious Seacliff area, it is much easier to meet local residents than tourists. The waves on the coast are calmer than on Ocean Beach. Thanks to its sheltered location, China Bay is one of the few safe places to swim in San Francisco, but be mindful of the tides; their schedule can be found on the beach. Lifeguards are on duty from April to October. There are picnic tables and barbecue areas; You must bring your own food and drinks. Entry to the beach with animals is prohibited.
Nudist beaches
The largest nudist beach in the USA North Baker located in northwest San Francisco. The coast is an art platform for freelance artists; It is always noisy here and ethnic music is playing. There are areas for beach volleyball. Picnic tables are located a short distance from the coast; Alcohol and drinks in glass containers are prohibited. There are no restaurants or shops near the coast; You should take everything you need with you. The entrance to North Baker is just past the sign warning of dangerous surf.
Beach Land's End is located in the city park of the same name and is considered one of the most picturesque nudist beaches on the west coast of the United States. It's better to come early: the beach gets crowded in the afternoon. The coast is rocky in places. There are strong winds at Land's End, so even in summer it is worth taking a warm jacket with you.
Beach Fort Funston unofficially considered nudist. However, on weekends there are quite a lot of tourists and locals who prefer to sunbathe and swim with their clothes on. There are fewer people on weekdays, and on these days Fort Funston lives up to its status. In May and October it is very windy on the coast. The beach is also popular with hang gliding enthusiasts.
Hotels in San Francisco
In total, San Francisco has more than two hundred hotels, including guest houses, mini and boutique hotels, as well as luxury hotel complexes international hotel chains – Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and Ritz-Carlton.
Resort hotels are located primarily near the Pacific coast, either directly on the beach or across the street from it. Most hotels have a swimming pool, spa or beauty salon, restaurant and golf courses.
How to get there
You can get to San Francisco from Moscow with direct flights from Delta Air Lines. Travel time – from 17 hours. Also with Lufthansa, Aeroflot or Air France with a transfer in Frankfurt, New York, Los Angeles or Paris. Travel time – from 20 hours.
San Francisco is a city and main port on the Pacific coast of the United States, California, the center of a large urban conurbation, historical capital California. Located in western California, on a peninsula between Pacific Ocean, San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Strait. Population 843.3 thousand people (2013, population of Greater San Francisco - 7.2 million people).
Despite the fact that European expeditions visited here back in the 16th century (F. Drake, H.R. Cabrillo, S. Biscaino), they did not notice the convenient San Francisco Bay due to the fog. The ships of the Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portola were the first to visit here. In 1776, the military fort Presidio de San Francisco (“Garrison of St. Francis of Assisi”, operated until 1994, then a museum) and the mission “San Francisco de Asis” (another name “Dolores”) were founded. The first civilian settlement, Yerba Buena, was founded in 1835 by Englishman Captain W.E. Richardson. During the Mexican-American War, it was captured by the Americans and renamed San Francisco (1847).
In 1848, the first gold was discovered in Northern California, followed by the Gold Rush (1849), as well as the discovery of the Comstock Silver Mine in 1859, which contributed to the very rapid development of the city. In 1848-1870, the city's population increased 187 times (in 1848 the population was 800 people, and in 1870 - 150 thousand people). The population of San Francisco, as well as California as a whole, grew even more after the completion of the Pacific Railroad in 1869, connecting the West with the center of the country.
In April 1906, an earthquake occurred in the San Francisco area, after which a fire began that raged for several days. As a result, about 700 people died, the city center was destroyed, and a residential area of Victorian private houses was damaged. During the Great Depression, the city was replenished with immigrants from other states. During World War II, the city became a center of military shipbuilding; shipyards were built, employing about 500 thousand workers. In the summer of 1945, the San Francisco Conference was held, at which the UN was created.
By the end of the 20th century, environmental problems in the city worsened, as well as problems of overpopulation, and real estate prices rose significantly (one of the most expensive cities in the country). In the 1960s, San Francisco was the center of rock and jazz, the city became one of the centers of the hippie, beatnik, and pacifist movements; “Psychedelic” or “Californian” rock was born here.
Golden Gate Bridge
Among the attractions: the Golden Gate Bridge over the strait connecting San Francisco Bay with the Pacific Ocean (span length 1281 m), a height of 67 m above sea level makes it possible for anyone to swim sea vessels(symbol of California, built in 1937), the business part of the city with skyscrapers (Downtown), including the Bank of America, Pyramid, Embarcadero Center skyscrapers, consisting of four skyscrapers, and sculptural compositions (including avant-garde Vaillancourt fountain).
The hill districts of Nob Hill (originally a gold mining district), Telegraph Hill (the first telegraph office in the West opened here in 1853), Russian Hill (Russian Coaster, Writers' Quarter, home to the world's most winding street, Lombard Street) and Twin Peaks (opens from here) beautiful view to Downtown and bridges).
Lombard Street
History of the formation of the city of San Francisco, geographical characteristics of San Francisco, culture of San Francisco
Earthquake and fire in San Francisco in 1906, geography and climate of San Francisco, neighborhoods and parks of San Francisco, museums of San Francisco, attractions of the city of San Francisco
Section 1. History of the city of San Francisco.
As in many mountain towns The social climate in early San Francisco was unstable. This situation caused a great stir in Germany, and the Compromise of 1850 ignited divisions over the issue of "brutal labor." In 1851 and again in 1856, the Committee of Vigilance was created to combat crime, government corruption, and violence against immigrants, but the committee may have created more lawlessness than it prevented. This popular movement lynched 12 people, kidnapped hundreds of Irish government officials, and forced the resignation of the city's elected officials. The Vigilance Committee was stopped twice by force, after which they decided that the city had been “cleaned out.” This committee later focused on immigrants from China, causing much unrest in the Chinatown area, which led to the creation of legislation to weaken Chinese immigration to the United States by reducing the number of immigrants allowed in the city. The Chinese Immigration Act was passed in 1882 and repealed only in 1943.
The city of San Francisco was the seat of San Francisco County from 1849 to 1856. But because the city's population was greatly disproportionate to the population of the entire county, the California state government decided to split the county. passed through the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, just north of the mountain San Bruno. Everything south of the line became the new San Mateo County, centered on Redwood City, and everything north became the new incorporated city-county of San Francisco.
In the fall of 1855, a ship carrying refugees from Far East, from areas prone to cholera epidemics. Just as during the gold rush, population growth significantly outpaced the development of infrastructure, including sanitation, so a serious cholera epidemic became the number one problem. The Sisters of Mercy helped solve the problem; they worked in the first hospital in the San Francisco area, but already in 1857 they opened a new free hospital, which is still operating today. It is located on Stanian Street.
In the 1890s, San Francisco suffered from the party mafia, the city was ripe for reform and change. Adolph Sutro, a member of the Farmers' Populist Party, became mayor in 1894. Essentially, other than building the Sutro Bass swimming pool complex, he failed in all his attempts to improve the city.
The next mayor, James D. Phelan, elected in 1896, achieved great results. He introduced a new system that made it possible to increase the city's funds by investing them in . This helped him build a new sewer system, 17 new schools, 2 parks, a hospital and a main library. After Phelan left the mayor's office in 1901, he became interested in rebuilding the city into a large and modern "Paris of the West." When the San Francisco Arts Center asked him to develop a plan to beautify the city, he hired famed architect Daniel Burnham. Burnham and Phelan's plan was incredible, proposing a fifty-year attempt to rebuild the city by widening the boulevards and creating open spaces and parks. Some parts of the plan eventually came to fruition, including the opera houses north of City Hall, the subway lines under Market Street, and the Embarcadero Boulevard surrounding the city.
In 1900, a ship carrying rats infected with bubonic plague arrived in San Francisco. Erroneously assuming that corpses buried in the ground were sources of infection, city authorities prohibited burying bodies within the city limits. The cemeteries moved to an area that was undeveloped at that time, south of the city, where the city of Colma is now located. 50 blocks of Chinatown were under quarantine while authorities debated how to resolve the situation. The plague outbreak ended in 1905. However, the problem with the location of cemeteries and the lack of land remained. In 1912, all cemeteries were moved to Colma, where the dead now outnumber the living: more than a thousand dead to every living one. At the same time, they decided to leave the San Francisco mausoleum as historical monument Mission Dolores era.
On April 18, 1906, a devastating earthquake occurred, the epicenter of which was 3 km west of San Francisco. The surface wave magnitude was 7.7; seismic moment - 7.9. The entire city was flooded, then fires started that destroyed approximately 80% of the city, including almost the entire center. Many residents were trapped between the flood and the fire approaching their areas, it was decided to evacuate through the bay, which saved many people's lives. Refugee camps were located in Golden Gate Park, Washen Beach, and other undeveloped parts of the city. Even 2 years after the earthquake, many refugee camps were functioning. At that time "mortal" bell ringing was heard 478 times, however, according to 2005 data, more than 3,000 people were officially killed. With a population of 410,000 people. Up to 300,000 residents were left homeless.
Almost immediately after the tremors and the devastating fire, plans began to be drawn up for the rapid reconstruction of the city. One of the outstanding and incredible plans developed by the famous city planner Daniel Burnham was put forward for consideration. His bold plan included the construction of Haussmann-style avenues and boulevards, as well as a major transport artery running through the city. The project contained plans for the construction of a massive civil complex with a classical structure, which was to become the largest urban park in the world. It would stretch from the hills of Twin Peaks to Lake Merced. But this plan was not adopted, and it was postponed until better times; many still criticize it for its impracticality in spending city reserves and unrealistic requirements for structures. Private owners and the industrial campaign were against this idea, since to implement this plan the city needed to buy a large amount of their land. When the original street layout was restored, many elements from Bernhman's plan saw the green light, such as the neo-classical civic complex, wide streets, a major thoroughfare, a subway under Market Street, a fisherman's pier, and a monument on the Hill, Coit Tower.
In 1915, San Francisco hosted the Panama Pacific Exposition, an official celebration of the opening of the Panama Canal, by which time the city had been completely rebuilt after the earthquake. After the exposition ended, all its grandiose buildings were destroyed, except for the Palace of Arts, which still exists today, but in a slightly modified form.
The Bay Bridge (San Francisco - Oakland) opened in 1936, and the Golden Gate Bridge officially opened in 1937. During World War II, San Francisco was a major supply point for troops.
After World War II, many American soldiers who were in love with the city settled in it, which contributed to the creation of the Sunset neighborhood and Visitation Valley. During this period, California Transit (Caltrans) began aggressively pursuing a highway program in the Bay Area. However, Caltrans suddenly faced a serious problem in San Francisco, where the very high population density meant that any highway construction would leave many residents homeless. Caltrans tried to minimize the area of road construction by introducing two-level roads, but the development of technology at that time did not allow the construction of such complex structures and therefore the project was canceled because it was unsafe. In 1959, the city council voted to ban all road construction in the city, an event that became known as the "Road Revolution." Despite this, minor modifications to the roads were allowed. Since then, the anti-traffic police have been enforcing the ban. In 1989, the Loma Prietta earthquake destroyed the Embarcadero Highway and part of the Central Highway. After several referendums, city residents decided not to rebuild any of the structures. The areas covered by these roads have been redeveloped, with greater success with the Embarcadero, which has been redeveloped into a historic waterfront area.
In 1950, the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency was headed by Harvard graduate Justin Herman. He immediately began an aggressive update nature reserves cities. He also proposed a plan to divide San Francisco into large areas and fill them with modern buildings. Critics accused Herman of racism, perceiving his changes in the city's architecture as attempts to isolate and then evict African Americans. According to his plans, the Embarcadero Center, Japantown, Geary Street and Yerba Buena Gardens were built.
In the late 1960s, San Francisco became the epicenter of hippiedom, a boiling cauldron of music, psychoactive substances, sexual freedom, creative expression and politics. The apogee of the era was the Summer of Love in 1967, when thousands of hippies from all over the world came to the Haight-Ashbury area to celebrate love and freedom, thereby creating a unique phenomenon of cultural, social and political rebellion.
During the administration of Mayor Dianne Feinstein (1978-1988), San Francisco experienced a veritable “redevelopment boom” called Manhattanization. The financial district saw a proliferation of skyscrapers, and the boom also included the introduction of condominiums over several areas of the city. There was an opposition movement in the city, made up of people who believed that skyscrapers would destroy the unique characteristics of the city. Like the "high-rise revolution" 10 years earlier, the city began a "high-rise revolution" that forced San Francisco to introduce high-rises. The second wave of skyscraper construction, like the first, was met with discontent among the population.
During the 80s, homeless people began to appear in many US cities, and soon this problem became relevant in San Francisco. Mayor Art Egnos was the first and certainly not the last to try to solve this problem. Egnos passed a law allowing homeless people to camp in Civic Center Park, the camp was named "Camp Egnos". The next mayor, Jordan, launched the Matrix program a year later, its goals were to evict all homeless people from the city through the use of force. The program fully paid for itself, and he was able to evict almost all of the homeless. His successor, Wiley Brown, completely ignored the problem, which completely annulled the merits of his predecessor. Homeless people again filled the city streets. Nowadays, Mayor Gavin Newsom is fighting homelessness through his ambitious "Care Not Money" program, which provides a variety of rehabilitation and employment programs for the homeless.
On October 17, 1989, an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale occurred. The epicenter was in the Santa Cruz Mountains, about 70 miles from San Francisco, and the tremors in the city occurred a few minutes before the start of Game 3 of the World Series. The earthquake severely damaged numerous roads, including the Embarcadero and Central highways. The damage to these roads was so severe that they were decided to be completely destroyed. In addition to roads, the tremors caused extensive damage in Marin County. In the United States, this earthquake became known as the "World Series earthquake."
During the development of the Internet and dot-com companies, highly paid Internet businessmen, programmers and other workers flocked to the city, creating a high housing price, which caused a significant increase in its price. High rent forced many families to leave the city forever. The collapse of the computer industry in 2001 greatly affected the economic state of the city. To this day, the proximity to Silicon Valley and the large number of "computer" companies make high technology the city's main industry. San Francisco has the lowest number of children among its total population, 14.5% lower than other major US cities.
Geography and climate of San Francisco
San Francisco is located on the west coast of the United States, at the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula. The city's borders stretch greatly along the coasts of the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. The city includes several islands: Alcatraz, Treasure Island and Yerba Buena. The city also has uninhabited islands Faralon, located 43 kilometers away in the Pacific Ocean. It is often said that San Francisco is a square with a side of 7 miles (~11 kilometers).
San Francisco is famous for its hills. A hill in a city is an elevation of more than 30 meters. There are 42 hills within the city limits, some areas of the city are named after the hills on which they are located (Nob Hill, Pacific Heights, Russian Hill, Potreto Hill and Telegraph Hill).
Not far from the geographical center of the city, a little to the south, there are a number of hills with the lowest population density; here, the entertainment and information infrastructure of the city mainly prevails. On Sutro Hill there are television and transmitter towers. Nearby are the Twin Peaks, some of the tallest hills in the city and one of the most popular tourist destinations. The highest hill in San Francisco is Mount Davidson, 282 meters high; a high cross was built here in 1934 (its height is 31.4 m).
San Francisco is located near two tectonic faults that cause frequent earthquakes. Small earthquakes occur periodically in the San Francisco Bay Area. The threat of strong earthquakes places high standards on the strength of new buildings in the city and forces the rebuilding of earlier buildings and bridges.
Coastline San Francisco limits urban growth, so some areas, such as Marin, Hunter Point and much of the Embarcadero area, have been developed using artificial coastal infill. artificial island Treasure Island was built from material recovered from the construction of the Bay Bridge. Such areas are very unstable in the event of earthquakes, as the 1989 earthquake illustrated when it caused severe damage in Marin County.
A quote erroneously attributed to Mark Twain states, “The coldest winter I have ever experienced is a San Francisco summer.” The climate in San Francisco is generally similar to the Mediterranean climate, characterized by mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. San Francisco is surrounded by water on three sides, so its climate is influenced by the area's rather cool Pacific Ocean, which results in a mild climate with little seasonal temperature variation.
The city's average summer temperature is 18°C, 10°C cooler than Livermore, the closest inland city. The highest temperature in San Francisco was 39 °C, recorded on July 14, 2000. The average monthly temperature of the warmest month - September - is 18.2 °C, which is colder than July in Moscow, although in latitude San Francisco is south of Baku, at the level of Ashgabat. However, average daily temperatures above 16 °C last from the beginning of May until the end of October. Daytime temperature in winter is about 15 °C. Thermometer readings in the city almost never fall below zero Celsius; the lowest temperature was recorded on December 11, 1932, when it dropped to −3 °C. The season from May to September is completely dry, the rainy season begins in November and lasts until March. Snow is very a rare event in San Francisco, since 1852, only 10 cases of snowfall have been recorded. The city's heaviest snowfall was on February 5, 1887, when snow levels reached 3.7 inches in the city center.
Combination cold water ocean and the high air temperature of mainland California leads to the formation of San Franciscan fog, which in the summer can envelop the city (especially its western part; in the eastern regions the fog is less dense) for days on end. Fogs are active in the city at the end of summer and from September to October. The high hills are responsible for a 20% difference in annual rainfall between different areas. They also protect the eastern counties from the fog and cool temperatures that prevail in the Sunset area. The microclimate on the eastern side of the city is sunnier and drier.
Cityscape of San Francisco
Historic Downtown San Francisco is the northeast “square,” bordered to the south by Market Street. It is now the center of the Financial District, close to Union Square and the hotel and shopping district. In these areas there are cable tram tracks that run from the top of Nob Hill to Fisherman Landing. Also included in the historical “square” are Russian Hill with its famous winding street - Lombard Street, with the urban version of Little - North Beach and Telegraph Hill.
Mission County is predominantly working class and largely populated by immigrants from Mexico and...
During World War II, Japantown was on the verge of destruction as the government decided to evict all Japanese Americans. However, almost immediately after the eviction of the Japanese, the area was filled with thousands of African Americans.
The Alamo Square neighborhood is famous for its row of houses called "Painted Ladies" and mansions. In the north there is an expensive residential area - Marina.
Richmond is a vast region in the north of the Golden Gate Park, extending to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Today it is often called "New Chinatown", but in addition to the Chinese, Richmond is home to immigrants from other parts of the city as well. To the south of Golden Gate Park is the Sunset neighborhood, where the Asian diaspora predominates. Richmond and Sunset are the largest middle class neighborhoods; together they are known as the Avenue. Due to high crime rates, Bay View Hunters, located in the southeastern part of the city, is the poorest and most dangerous neighborhood in the city. Another southern neighborhood of the city is different from Bay View Hunters, being populated by students and the working class.
The South of Market is an industrial district of San Francisco that underwent a complete reconstruction during the period of dot-com development, the district witnessed the construction of many high-rise buildings. Following the success of the South of Market, another area, Mission Bay, has begun a complete overhaul of its infrastructure.
Ocean Beach stretches along the entire Pacific coast, but it is unsuitable for swimming, although it is popular among surfers, due to cold water and strong currents. The entire area east of the Golden Gate Bridge to Presidio Park, the former military base, occupies Baker Beach, the beach is known for its colonies of the endangered plant Hesperolinon congestum.
In total, there are more than 200 parks in San Francisco. The largest and most famous park in the city is Golden Gate Park, which occupies an area stretching from the city center to the Pacific Ocean.
Once upon a time, the entire territory of the park was covered only by grass and dunes, but now the park consists of thousands of artificially planted plants and trees. The park is rich in a large variety of gardens, the most famous of which are: the Conservatory of Flowers, the Japanese Tea Garden and Botanical Garden Stribing-Arbotherium.
Lake Merced is a freshwater lake surrounded by parkland near the San Francisco Zoo, home to more than 250 species of animals, many of which are endangered. Buena Vista Park is located in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, known for its role in the Hippie movement of the 60s. Officially the oldest park in San Francisco, it was founded back in 1867 and was first called Hill Park, and in 1984 it received its current name. The park is located on a hill with a truly beautiful view of the city.
San Francisco culture
San Francisco is characterized as a city with a high standard of living. During the Internet revolution, the city became one of the wealthiest in the United States, attracting highly skilled workers. Many poor areas have experienced a rebirth. Downtown has experienced something of a renaissance, spurred by the redevelopment of the Embarcadero and the South Beach and Mission Bay areas. Thanks to numerous reconstructions and reconstructions, housing prices in the city have increased significantly; they still remain among the highest in the country.
A large diaspora from Asia and South America makes San Francisco an international city. 39% of its residents are foreigners, and there are several neighborhoods where only immigrants live and work. Beginning in 1970, it was decided to hold the annual Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown due to the city's population of big number Chinese, and every year it only increases.
34. In the lobby of the Operations Memorial Opera House, one of the last buildings built in the Beaux Arts style in the United States
Many foreign actors, writers and other entertainment workers who arrived in the 50s founded the modern coffeehouse culture, and they also pushed the city into the social upsurge of the 60s. San Francisco became one of the centers of liberalism, as the Democrats, Greens, and Progressives dominated city politics. Residents of the city, since 1988, have never cast more than 20% of their votes for a Republican candidate.
Writer Jack London was born in San Francisco.
San Francisco has a large number of museums, the most famous of which is the Museum of Modern Art, which houses exhibits of modern times and the 20th century. The museum moved to a new building in South of Market in 1995, and the collection attracts about 600,000 visitors a year. The Ligin of Honor Palace mainly displays European works. Golden Gate Park is famous for its Museum of Fine Arts - M.H. de Young. It was founded in 1894, but was badly damaged after the Loma Prieta earthquake; in 2004 it was closed for reconstruction by the Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron, and reopened on October 15, 2005. Just like the Asian Art Museum, the M.H. de Young exhibits non-European works. The Asian Art Museum has one of the world's largest collections of Asian artifacts and works. From 1958 to 2004, all exhibits were located in the wing of the M. H. de Young Museum, but when it was closed for reconstruction, the Asian Art Museum moved to the San Francisco Library building.
The Palace of Fine Arts, originally built for the Panama Pacific Exposition, today hosts tourists as a popular science museum, the Exploratorium.
Near Lake Merced is the San Francisco Zoo, which cares for approximately 250 animals, 39 of which are considered critically endangered. The city is home to many museums with non-traditional themes: the International Museum of Women, the Museum of the African Diaspora, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, the Museum of Folk Trades, the Museum of Cartoons and the Mexican Museum. San Francisco is famous for its eccentric museums: Antique Vibrator Museum, Mechanical Museum, Ophthalmology Museum, Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, Stamp Gallery, Tattoo Museum (old tattoo machines and tools), UFO Museum, Bigfoot and Loch Ness Museum monsters and the Fisherman Shipyard Wax Museum.
The Walt Disney Museum in San Francisco was opened in October 2009 by the daughter of the animation classic Diana Disney. The museum is located in San Francisco's Royal Fort Park. On display are Disney's personal belongings, materials for films, and the films themselves, including those that the public has never seen. The building housed 215 monitors for showing films and a cinema hall for 120 people.
Symphony concerts, operas and ballets are quite common in San Francisco, and they all take place at the War Memorial Opera House, one of the largest theaters in the country. City ballet and opera are the oldest performing arts in the United States. The city is also home to the American Conservatory Theater (known as A.K.T.), which quickly became the Bay Area's premier theater show upon its arrival in San Francisco in 1967. In addition, a new conservatory and theater center has appeared in the city, famous for staging performances not only for a wide range of spectators, but also for people with an unusual sexual culture. The Bay Area Theater organization is the nation's premier theater promotion company. It has 365 theaters in the San Francisco Bay Area as its members. Bay Area Theater is the editor-in-chief of Calbort magazine.
In addition, the world's first gay men's choir is based and performs in San Francisco; it has 200 members and is called the San Francisco Gay Men's Choir. In addition to the choir, the city has an organization called the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Free Ensemble, the first open musical organization for people of non-traditional sexual orientation.
San Francisco has excelled in improvisational theater and the city has its own distinctive style. Compared to Chicago, where an improvisational performance lasts 30-45 minutes per evening, in San Francisco it lasts 2 hours. In San Francisco they assume that a person who can perform something according to a script can also play well on the improv stage. The greatest successes in the art of improvisation have been achieved by such groups as BETS Improv, The Unwritten Theater Campaign, Three for All, Truly Fictional Magazine, Leela Theatre, Chris Hopkins and the San Francisco Improv Alliance.
During the 1960s, San Francisco saw the formation of new rock movements, starting with the "San Francisco Sound". Two of the most influential San Francisco bands of the '60s, the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane, began their careers in 1965. San Francisco was home to the famous punk rock band Dead Kennedys. In the '80s and early '90s, the city witnessed numerous punk rock, electronic, industrial and rave movements that influenced San Francisco's music culture. In the late 90s, when “gentrification” occurred in the city, many musicians had to leave, slightly impoverishing the city’s creativity. San Francisco, mainly in Fillmore and Hunter Point, is home to a large number of rap artists, the most famous of which are Messy Marv, RBL Posse, Rappin" 4-Tay, San Quinn, JT the Bigga Figga and Paris. There is a lot of confidence in the city has received an electronic direction, influenced by West Coast House and Trance music. Some of the most popular DJs and producers of electronic music in San Francisco are Miguel Migs, Mark Farina and DJ Om Records, one of the most respected labels in San Francisco. The USA is also located in San Francisco. Almost every weekend some fairly famous European DJ plays in one of the clubs, and sometimes several.
San Francisco has so many different and unique street festivals, parties, and parades. The Folsom Street Fair takes place in September, the Chinese New Year Parade in February, Carnival (Christian holiday season) during the spring, Fleet Week in October, and the Lovefest rave festival in early October. San Francisco also hosts various public sports, such as the Bay to Breakers Race and the San Francisco Marathon.
Many neighborhoods of the city have their own annual festivals, especially live performances by musicians. The biggest ones are the Castro Street Fair, the Union Street Art Festival, the North Beach Festival and the Hayst Ashbury Fair. The San Francisco Opera hosts an open-air festival every year in Golden Gate Park, free of charge. The San Francisco Symphony, like the Opera, puts on several performances in July and is also an integral part of the Sturm Grove Festival. On July 4, Independence Day, the annual fireworks display takes place over Fisherman's Wharf; Another fireworks show takes place in May at KFOG: Kaboom!.
The San Francisco 49ers are the largest professional football team in the city. Its playing history began in 1946, and in 1971 the club moved to Monster Park (the club's modern arena), located at Candlestick Point. The club's success peaked in the '80s and '90s, when the team, led by stars Joe Montana, Steve Young, Ronnie Lott and Jerry Reiss, won the Super Bowl five times.
The San Francisco Giants, members of Major League Baseball, were originally based in New York City but were forced to relocate to San Francisco before the 1958 season. Unfortunately, stars such as Willie Mays, Willie McCovay and Barry Bonds failed to win the World Series after the club moved to San Francisco. In 1989, Game 3 of the Giants' World Series was stopped by the Loma Prieta earthquake. The Giants play at AT&T Park, which opened in 2000 as part of the redevelopment of South Beach and Mission Bay.
San Francisco universities are actively involved in the city's sports life. The Dons, the athletic team of the University of San Francisco, compete in Division 1 of the National Athletic Association of Colleges (NAAC). Bill Russell was the leader of the Dons men's basketball team when they won the NAC championship in 1955 and 1956. The Gators, representing San Francisco State University, play in the 2nd Division.
The city has a fairly strong lacrosse team, the Dragons, who play in the major lacrosse league. The club plays at Kezar Stadium, located in the southeast corner of Golden Gate Park. In addition to the Dragons, Kezar Stadium hosts the California Victoria team, which plays in the first division of the soccer league. There is another semi-professional soccer team in the city, playing in the amateur division.
San Francisco has rich resources and opportunities for hosting sporting events. That's why the city has hosted an annual walking competition, the Bay Breakers, since 1912, although it is more famous for the colorful costumes of the participants and the festive spirit of the community. A more serious competition, the annual San Francisco Marathon, attracts more than 7,000 participants. The city has about 200 miles of bike paths, and the Embarcadero and Marine Green neighborhoods are a magnet for skateboarders and rollerbladers. Golden Gate and Dolores Parks have all the conditions for tennis lovers. Because it's popular in San Francisco sailing, a yacht club was built in the Marina area.
The San Francisco Chronicle, where renowned Pulitzer Prize winner Herb Cain worked, is considered one of the most widely read newspapers in northern California. The once famous San Francisco Examiner, the brainchild of William Randolph Hearst's empire and the home of Ambrose Bierce, over the years has turned into a small tabloid. Sing Tao Daily has become the largest Chinese-language newspaper published in the San Francisco Bay Area. Alternative newspapers published weekly in the city include the Bay Guardian and SF Weekly. The most famous glossy magazine in the city is San Francisco Magazine. San Francisco Daily Journal, one of the oldest and largest dailies. Newspapers and magazines:
By the way, the Russian-American weekly newspaper has been published in San Francisco since 1994. It is distributed free of charge throughout Northern California.
24 hours The weekly newspaper is distributed in Russian stores, offices, kiosks and other gathering points of the Russian community in San Francisco and the Bay Area in California.
West East Weekly International Russian Newspaper weekly newspaper. Today the West-East newspaper is published in San Francisco, California. The newspaper began publishing on September 1, 2000. Then it was called the Denver Courier and was initially published only in Colorado.
Fakt Magazine Russian-American Information and Entertainment magazine is published in Los Angeles and distributed throughout California.
Russian Yellow Pages Russian telephone directory San Francisco Bay Area. Russian Yellow Pages is one of the most popular magazines in the Bay Area, founded in 2002. The magazine is published twice a year with a huge circulation and is distributed by Russian-speaking businesses, and also provides services to the Russian-speaking population of San Francisco and the Bay Area.
The San Francisco broadcast area ranks 6th in the United States, and the radio broadcast area ranks 4th. All of the country's major television networks have built affiliates serving the Bay Area, most of them in San Francisco. The city has several local television and radio stations, CNN and regional offices in San Francisco.
Social and legal television and radio station with the call letters KQED broadcast from the Potreto Gil area. KQED-FM is the nation's most popular affiliate of National Public Radio. San Francisco-based CNET and Salon.com were pioneers in Internet media.
Downtown San Francisco
The basis of San Francisco's economy is tourism. Thanks to the city's portrayal in films, music and popular culture, San Francisco is recognized throughout the world. This is the city where Tony Bennett left his heart, where Franklin Stroud, known as the "Birdcatcher", spent many years in prison, and Rice-a-Roni became the favorite food of the population. San Francisco ranks 5th in the number of foreign tourist visits among all US cities, and Pier 39, located in Fisherman's Wharf, is the third most popular destination in the country. More than 15 million tourists visited the city in 2005, leaving about 7.5 million in the city's treasury. The Moscone Center area has a large infrastructure of restaurants and hotels. San Francisco is one of the top ten places in North America, intended for holding various congresses and conferences. San Francisco is in the top 10 best cities peace.
The Gold Rush spurred development in San Francisco, and the city is now the main financial center on the West Coast. Montgomery Street and the Financial District are known as the "Wall Street of the West" and are home to the Federal and Pacific Exchange. America, a pioneer in providing services to the middle class, was founded in San Francisco in 1928. Many large financial institutions, multinational banks and insurance companies are located or have regional offices in the city. The center is home to about 30 international financial organizations, 6 Fortune 500 companies, and a large number of infrastructures aimed at professionally serving the population (law firms, PR companies, architectural companies, and so on).
The city's economy has grown rapidly since Silicon Valley emerged in the south, demanding to attract the high class. The valley is also home to a biotechnology and biomedical research center. Mission Bay is home to UCSF's second campus, which trains a highly skilled workforce and serves as the headquarters of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, which funds a statewide stem cell research program.
Small companies, with fewer than 10 employees, make up 85% of all in the city. The number of employees in campaigns with more than 1,000 employees was cut in half starting in 1977. It is very rare to find huge supermarkets called “Big Boxes” in the city, this is due to the fact that the construction of Big Boxes negatively affects San Francisco, from which the city treasury receives a large part. The Small Business Commission supported a campaign to preserve the small business share, forcing the city council to impose restrictions on the areas in which supermarkets could be built, a strategy supported by city residents who voted to put the restrictions into effect.
San Francisco has been a city-county since 1856; there is only one such county in California. In addition to being the mayor, he is also the head of the district. The mayor's jurisdiction extends beyond the county, an example being the San Francisco Airport, which is located in San Mateo County but owned by the City of San Francisco. According to the Rucker Act, signed in 1913, San Francisco was granted in perpetuity: the Hetch Hetchy Valley and the watershed in national park Yosemite.
The government of San Francisco consists of 2 equal branches. The first branch is the executive branch, headed by the mayor and other elected officials. The second branch is the legislative branch, it consists of 11 members making up the city council, headed by the council (in 2006, Aaron Peskin). The president is responsible for passing laws and enacting them, although city residents have the opportunity to directly influence the legislative branch by voting. Members of the city council are elected as representatives of different districts of the city. If the mayor dies or resigns, his powers will pass to the council president, as happened in 1978 when George Moscone was assassinated and his powers passed to Dianne Feinstein. The city budget for 2007-2008 was more than 6 billion.
The federal government uses San Francisco to house various departments such as the United States Court of Appeals, and. Before disarmament in 1990, there were 3 military bases in the city: Presidio, Treasure Island and Hunters Point. The only thing they inherited from them was the Fleet Festival. Located in San Francisco Supreme Court of the State of California, as well as a number of other state agencies. San Francisco is home to 30 diplomatic missions from around the world, including the Russian Consulate General.
As of 2005, the population of the city center was 739,426. With approximately 16,000 people living in one square mile, San Francisco has the 2nd most dense population of any US city. San Francisco is home to about 0.7 million people, the largest number in the entire Bay Area, and the city ranks 5th in the United States for this indicator, according to the 2000 Census.
Whites make up about 44% of the total population of San Francisco, Asians about 31%, Hispanics of any race - 14%, and African Americans make up less than 8% of the total population.
Few San Franciscans have lived in the city their entire lives. Only 35% of residents were born in California, 26% in the United States, and 39% outside the state.
In San Francisco in 2005, the average household earned an average of $57,496, 5th highest among large US cities. Following the national trend of moving out of more expensive cities in pursuit of increased income, many middle-class residents have left San Francisco, affecting the percentage of children born. There are 14.5% fewer children in the city compared to others big cities countries. In San Francisco, 7.8% are low-income households, a number lower than the US average.
Homelessness has been a "chronic problem" in San Francisco since the 1980s. In the city it is necessary large quantity more homeless people per capita than any other city in the United States. The large number of homeless people has contributed to an increase in criminal activity. For example, in 2003, San Francisco had 5,725 violent crimes and 38,163 property crimes, more than the national average. Among the 50 largest cities by population, San Francisco ranks 32nd for violent crime and 38th for property crime.
There is a significant (about 20 thousand people) Russian-speaking community in San Francisco and its suburbs: many live in the Richmond area. This area is famous for its abundance of Russian shops and restaurants. The city is home to a Russian cultural center, founded in 1939. consulate-General Russian Federation traces its history back to the times of pre-revolutionary Russia and has been operating in the prestigious Pacific Heights area since 1973.
Press in Russian: “Russian Club San Francisco” - electronic newspaper in Russian; daily news, events and a directory of Russian-language businesses in San Francisco and the Bay Area.
For the last two years of his life, Soviet actor Savely Kramarov lived in the suburbs of San Francisco.
The writer Margarita Meklina lives in San Francisco. She is the winner of the “Russian Prize” for 2008 in the “Small Prose” category for the series of essays and short stories “My criminal connection with art.” The prize is awarded in Moscow to foreign authors who write in Russian.
The newspaper “Russian Life” is published in San Francisco, editor-in-chief Vladimir Belyaev. The newspaper tells readers truthfully about events in the Russian Federation.
San Francisco has the highest percentage of gay people of any US city. According to the census, 2.7% of the total population are homosexuals. San Francisco is the first city in the world in terms of the number of homosexuals living in it; according to various sources, they range from 10% to 15.4% of the total population. This situation is associated with the migration of gays and lesbians from a conservative province to an extremely liberal metropolis.
San Francisco is one of the historical gay centers: the history of the political rise of homosexual Harvey Milk is connected with the Castro gay quarter, the most famous symbol of the LGBT community - the rainbow flag - appeared here, the world's first LGBT film festival "Frameline" was held, and the Memorial Park was built Pink triangle, and so on.
San Francisco State University is part of the California State University System. It is located near Lake Merced. The university annually graduates 30,000 students and accepts newcomers; teachers, many with advanced degrees, teach more than a hundred disciplines. City College of San Francisco, located in Inglisade County, is considered one of the largest colleges in the country. It educates approximately 100,000 students and offers a long training program. The Jesuit University of San Francisco was founded in 1855 and today is located in the Lone Mountain region. The university focuses on free-thinking arts and is one of the oldest universities established west of the Mississippi River.
The University of California, San Francisco is one of 10 campuses in the University of California system, and the No. 2 employer in the city. Specializing in biomedical research and graduating students only with medical education, it is one of the five best medical schools in the United States. The university has a KUSF medical center, which is one of the 10 best hospitals in the country. In 2003, the new 43-acre campus of KUSF opened, where research in the fields of biotechnology and the sciences of consciousness and behavior is conducted. The Civic Center neighborhood is home to Hastings College of Law, founded in 1878, the oldest law school in California and producing more judges than any other institution.
Many specialists in the fine arts studied at the San Francisco Institute of Arts or at the largest private Academy of Arts in the United States.
The California Culinary Academy, as part of the Le Cordon Bleu program, offers applicants training in the art of cooking and baking, as well as restaurant management.
Residents of San Francisco have a wide choice of public schools, but in most cases they prefer to send their children to Lowell High School, the oldest school west of the Mississippi River, and to the small School of the Arts. Compared to 10% nationally, in San Francisco just under 30% of schoolchildren are enrolled in one in a hundred private or parochial schools. Of these 100 schools, 40 fall under the control of the Roman Catholic Church of San Francisco.
Among the many private schools, two schools can be distinguished: St. Ignatius Preparatory College and Sacred Heart School. Both schools are the oldest and most bitter rivals. Every year schools organize the Bruce Mahoney competition, in honor of the memory of 2 schoolchildren killed during the 2nd World War.
San Francisco infrastructure
Because of its unique geography, which often prevented road construction, and the results of the "road revolution" of the late 1950s, San Francisco is one of the few U.S. cities to choose the European arterial style of road layout instead of a large freeway network. Residents of the city continue to follow this, choosing, after the Loma Prieta earthquake, to completely destroy the Embarcadero and part of the central highway, turning them into boulevards.
Several major highways pass through the city, connecting the north of the west coast with the south or the west coast with the center of the mainland. I-80 leading to New York City begins as it approaches the Bay Bridge, connecting San Francisco and Oakland, the only direct road link to the eastern shore of the bay. US 101 connects San Francisco to San Jose (southbound) and Marin County (northbound via the Golden Gate Bridge). SR 1 also passes through the Golden Gate Bridge. I-280, starting in the city, also connects it to San Jose. SR 35, which runs along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, enters the city along Skyline Boulevard in southern San Francisco. The busiest streets in the city are Geary Boulevard, Lincoln Way, Fell Street, Market Street and Portola Drive.
San Francisco's public transportation system is the most developed system on the West Coast of the United States. About 35% of the city's population uses public transport daily. Transport system the city includes buses, trolleybuses, surface and underground light rail Muni Metro. All this is the so-called MUNI system, which also includes the famous historical cable streetcars (see San Francisco Cable Streetcar).
In addition to intracity transport, San Francisco has a developed commuter service system. The city has a kind of metropolitan agglomeration, the work of which is provided by the BART agency. BART is a regional rapid transit system that connects San Francisco to east coast via the Transbay Tunnel, it also has jurisdiction over connections to San Mateo, San Francisco National Airport, and Millbrae. The Caltrain rail system connects San Francisco with San Jose.
international Airport San Francisco - San Francisco International Airport (: SFO, ICAO: KSFO, FAA LID: SFO), located 21 km south of the city on the shores of San Francisco Bay, in San Mateo County, it is located under the jurisdiction of the City-County of San Francisco. It is a hub for United Airlines, its largest tenant, and Virgin America.
San Francisco Airport is located on artificially filled land in the San Francisco Bay. The airport's international terminal is the largest in North America. During the late 1990s, when traffic became very dense and caused increasingly long delays, it was decided to build an additional runway, which required additional drainage of the bay. In 2005, the airport ranked 14th in the United States and 23rd in the world in terms of the number of passengers served, receiving about 32.8 million people annually.
There are two other large civilian airports near San Francisco. This is San Jose Airport - Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (IATA: SJC, ICAO: KSJC, FAA LID: SJC) - located 70 km southeast of San Francisco, as well as Oakland International Airport (IATA: OAK, ICAO: KOAK, FAA LID: OAK), located 32 km east of the city on the opposite shore of San Francisco Bay.
The Port of San Francisco was previously the largest and busiest port on the West Coast of the United States. This title currently belongs to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Its feature was numerous piers located perpendicular to the shore. They had cranes for unloading moored ships and developed transport routes for transporting goods to warehouses. The port received cargo from ports around the world and was the main center for the timber trade on the west coast. The West Coast Dock Workers' Conference in 1934 was a major event in the history of the labor movement and led to a port shutdown and clashes with National Guard forces.
The development of container shipping, which eliminated the need for pier-based ports, led to the movement of much of the commercial traffic to Auckland. Many of the piers remained abandoned for many years after the destruction of the Embarcadero Highway until the reconstruction of the port area was completed. The center of the port is the Ferry building, which still deals with transportation issues to suburban areas. The building was restored and converted into market square. Unused for main shipping, the piers are now used mainly for office buildings, shops, museums, mooring of tourist ships, yachts and private ships.
Sights of San Francisco
Leave the impressive architectural monuments and tedious trips to museums to other cities. Days in San Francisco (or simply Frisco) are best spent on the sun-bathed bay of the same name, digesting the bounty of the sea - regardless of whether you are a person or one of the seals of the sea lion subspecies, dangling gracefully and hitting the water with its belly on Pierce 39.
With its 43 hills and a population filled with eccentrics, freethinkers, crazy inventors and just weird people, this city stubbornly refuses to come down to earth. Instead, reality rises to the heights of San Francisco's weirdness: with all those parrots roaming the treetops, restaurants with inventive cuisine from maestros, and wandering poets who never utter a word that doesn't rhyme. In a word, crazy San Francisco is not for the faint of heart, but it is worth all the time, nerves and megabytes of digital storage.
San Francisco's cost of living is high, but it's well worth it: Everyone gets what they're looking for—inventive new cuisine, quality cultural events, great art, or spirits. Plus, there's a lot you can experience in San Francisco for free: the city's natural beauty, street festivals, walks in parks, gallery openings, or casual conversation. Other treats are cheap as hell, like Vietnamese noodles, the N subway ticket to the beach, or the so-called “happy vibes” at Mission dive bars. With a little creativity, you can have a fantastic, inexpensive vacation in San Francisco.
Hostels and B&Bs are the best accommodation options for those looking to save money. Car rental will cost about $40 per day without insurance, plus benzine. Parking costs $4 for a couple of hours (if you can find a free parking space, of course), for illegal parking - $30, but they will haunt you for a long time, even if you left the car for a couple of minutes. Overnight parking will cost $35 if the tourist does not bother to arrange with the hotel in advance. For comparison, the average taxi fare would be $12, and the average Muni fare would be $1.50. However, those who want to go on excursions along the coast or to the Wine Country cannot do without a car.
San Francisco is world famous for the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. It's worth visiting the SFMOMA Museum of Contemporary Art, Union Square, the local Chinatown with lots of fun souvenir shops and a million Asian eateries.
Fisherman's Wharf is a collection of silly attractions and the starting point for bay cruises. From there, kilometers of parks and beaches stretch west all the way to the Golden Gate, and beyond the bridge begin the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, the source of the country's best wines.
Here are some must-visit wineries: Beringer, The Hess Collection and Rubicon. Also widely known are the Alcatraz prison island, Mount Tamalpas with a magnificent panorama of the city and the bay, the Var-Memory Opera House and the Cable Car Museum.
Angel Island is a former World War II filtration camp and today a popular destination for hiking and picnics. As well as the famous High Ashbury (or Haight) district, considered the birthplace of the hippie movement.
Alcatraz- an island in San Francisco Bay. It gained particular fame thanks to the prison for especially dangerous criminals, which operated until 1963. Currently, a museum is open on Alcatraz. One of the most famous attractions of San Francisco.
Alcatraz Island is located in the middle of San Francisco Bay, 2.5 km directly from San Francisco itself. Alcatraz is a very popular San Francisco landmark and has been featured in many films, cartoons, television shows, books and computer games. At the same time, few people imagine what rich history this rocky island boasts.
Native American tribes lived around the San Francisco Bay about 10,000 years ago. Historians suggest that they sailed to the island and used it for their own purposes. In August 1775, Spanish naval officer Juan Manuel de Ayala entered San Francisco Bay and explored territories still unknown to Europeans. He gave one of the islands in the bay the name “Island of Seabirds” (La Isla de Los Alcatraces). It is not entirely clear which island he named so, but over time the name Alcatraz was assigned to a small barren rock island.
In February 1848, California became a possession of the United States, an event that coincided with the discovery of gold in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The “gold rush” that began immediately after this led to an explosive growth in the population of San Francisco, when in three years the number of residents increased from 500 to 35,000. To simplify navigation in the bay, a lighthouse was built on Alcatraz in 1854, which became the first on the west coast of the United States . The US Army, realizing that San Francisco was vulnerable to enemy attack, sought to protect the entrance to the harbor, including a military fort on Alcatraz Island. The fort was completed in December 1859. During the American period (1861-1865), Alcatraz was the largest military fort west of the Mississippi River.
The period of military prison on the island began in 1861, when the army began sending convicted soldiers to Alcatraz. Over the next forty years, the military importance of the island declined and in 1907 all guns were removed from the fort. Prisoner soldiers built most of the buildings on the island, in fact this was the last role of the military on Alcatraz, who abandoned the island in 1933.
A federal prison existed on the island for 28 years from 1934 to 1963. Alcatraz was a maximum security prison with maximum security and a minimum of privileges for prisoners. Among the prisoners arriving at Alcatraz were the most notorious US criminals, gang leaders and especially dangerous repeat offenders. The 336 regular cells and 42 solitary cells were never completely full; on average, the island prison housed about 260 prisoners. Alcatraz was a special prison where prisoners from other prisons were sent for misdeeds. Accordingly, good behavior in prison made it possible to earn a transfer to another institution. Almost never were convicts released directly from Alcatraz. On average, prisoners spent about 8 years on the island.
According to the federal government, none of the prisoners who tried to escape from the island were able to do so. There were 14 attempts in total, involving 36 prisoners. 23 were caught, six were shot, two more drowned. Five people went missing, their bodies were never found and no one saw them again. However, from 1861 to 1933, when a military prison operated on Alcatraz, successful attempts to escape directly from the island were recorded.
Attorney General Robert Kennedy ordered the closure of Alcatraz prison in 1963. There were two main reasons. Firstly, the stay of one prisoner cost the treasury $10 daily, while in any other prison only $3. The second reason was the severe pollution of the bay by sewage water from the island. Hollywood has released many films about Alcatraz, but the cruelty and violence on the island were clearly embellished. In reality, Alcatraz was a tough but relatively safe prison.
Tourists depart for Alcatraz from Pier 33, located on the Embarcadero. Please note that this is a very popular attraction with tourists, so tickets to the island may be sold out 7-10 days in advance. It is highly advisable to take care of reserving tickets in advance.
There are several types of Alcatraz tours, ranging from $26 to $58. On average, the duration of the tour is 2.5-4 hours. In addition to day tours, a unique night tour to the island is offered. Tourists can take advantage of audio tours, which were recorded using the real voices of guards and prisoners (in English). Best time to visit Alcatraz Island from April to May or from September to October. From January to March you can avoid the crowds.
Pier 39 is a shopping and entertainment center built on a pier in San Francisco. A popular destination for locals and tourists, the pier offers a variety of entertainment and recreational options. On the pier there are numerous souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes, cinemas, gaming centers and attractions, street performances are organized. In addition, of course, Pier 39 is famous for the California sea lions that choose the pier as their home.
Of the many restaurants located on the pier, the most notable is the floating restaurant Island (Forbes Island Magazine), but you can also enjoy sweets, ice cream and fruit from numerous street vendors. However, the most interesting feature The pier is a fur seal rookery located towards the end of the pier.
California sea lions have always lived in San Francisco Bay, but first appeared on Pier 39 in September 1989. Although the reasons for the migration remained unclear, the pier was renovated and everything possible was done to ensure that the animals could move freely and feel safe. By the end of 1989, more than a dozen sea lions had taken up residence on the pier. When the number of individuals exceeded 150 in 1990, yacht owners began to complain about the smell and noise, and there was also a real danger of ships colliding with the half-ton animals.
62. Pier 39 is located in the Fisherman's Wharf area directly opposite Alcatraz Island
But the factor of tourists attracted by lions outweighed, and the yacht mooring was moved to another place. The number of sea animals living on the pier is constantly changing. Sea lions periodically leave the pier in search of food, but invariably return, usually in the spring. Scientists estimate that in total about 1,500 animals settled in the rookeries of Pier No. 39. Sea lions decorate this wonderful pier and are a huge favorite among tourists.
The Aquarium of the Bay is located right at the entrance to the pier. Aquarium is an exhibition center where you can get acquainted with underwater world San Francisco.
The aquarium consists of three parts. In the first one, visitors can get acquainted with representatives of the fauna of the bay. The second part of the center is the largest and is made in the form of a glass tunnel more than 90 meters long. The tunnel is surrounded by 3 million liters of water, where 20,000 marine animals live. Through the glass you can see schools of fish, unusual jellyfish, sharks and other representatives of the bay swimming by. In the second tunnel you can get acquainted with the deep-sea world and see incredible animals. In the last section of the Aquarium you can even touch individual sea creatures, such as stingrays, starfish or leopard sharks.
70. Photo Golden Gate Suspension Bridge 3
This grandiose structure was built from 1933 to 1937. At the time of opening it was the largest suspension bridge in the world. Traffic is organized in six car lanes. Depending on the time of day and day of the week, the number of lanes for traffic in different directions varies. In addition to the car lanes, the bridge can be crossed on foot or by bicycle, completely free, moving in any direction. Motorists cross the bridge for free, moving only in a northerly direction. For those entering the city, that is, crossing the bridge from north to south, there is a small fee of a few dollars. Interestingly, if you enter San Francisco on weekdays, you will be exempt from paying 77. Photo of the construction of bridge 6
Fogs are frequent companions of San Francisco. In summer and early autumn, you can watch the mesmerizing sight of fog enveloping the bay and the Golden Gate. The lower the temperature, the thicker and more abundant the fog. You can experience amazing feelings if you watch this spectacle from the bridge itself, but do not forget to dress warmly.
Earthquake danger
There is no escape from this danger. Being located near tectonic faults, the bridge and the city itself are under constant threat of natural disasters. The bridge withstood its real test in 1989 during a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, but unlike the Bay Bridge, which had a section destroyed, the Golden Gate Bridge was completely undamaged.
Fort Point
On the southern shore of the strait, near the base of the bridge, is Fort Point. This is a small fort, whose casemates can be accessed completely free of charge from Friday to Sunday. On other days it is closed. During the Civil War, Fort Point was tasked with protecting the harbor from Confederate troops.
San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge- a bridge stretching across the San Francisco Bay and connecting San Francisco and Oakland. The name of the bridge is often shortened to Bay Bridge.
Construction of the Bay Bridge began in 1993, although its need was discussed during the gold rush. The opening of traffic occurred in November 1936, half a year before the Golden Gate Bridge was put into operation.
In fact, the bridge consists of two spans of approximately equal length. The first span connects downtown San Francisco with Yerba Buena Island, and from there the second span goes to Oakland. Some of the traffic on Yerba Buena Island takes place in a tunnel. The total length of the bridge exceeds 7 km. All spans of the bridge are two-tiered, i.e. traffic is organized simultaneously on different heights. Directly from Yerba Buena Island you can move to another island - Treasure Island.
The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge is a toll bridge, but the toll is only collected on the Oakland side when traveling towards San Francisco. The fare depends on the day of the week and time; at the beginning of 2012 it was $4-6.
Currently, a large-scale reconstruction is taking place on the eastern part of the bridge span, which should be completed in 2013.
Lombard Street
An attraction that tourists are always brought to in San Francisco is Lombard Street. The street as a whole is ordinary, but its section on Russian Hill with eight sharp turns allows San Franciscans to proudly talk about "the crookedest street in the world."
In the 20s of the 20th century, people living on this street wanted to keep up with their neighbors and get cars. But the street was too steep for vehicles with a slope of 27%. In addition, such inconveniences negatively affected the value of houses located along this steep section of the road. As a result, it was decided to reduce the slope to a tolerable 16%, and make the road curved. Currently, the 400-meter stretch of red-brick road is one-way from top to bottom (west to east), with a speed limit of 5 miles (8 km/h).
Lombard Street is an amazingly beautiful street. Multi-colored houses on both sides of the street along with colorful flower beds, neatly trimmed trees and bushes go perfectly with the red serpentine road. All this gives the street an unforgettable atmosphere of comfort. The street looks especially advantageous in spring and summer, when chrysanthemums bloom in the flower beds. It's funny, but in fact Lombard Street is neither the crooked nor the steepest street even in San Francisco itself. However, this does not matter, because you will not find another street like it.
Twin Peaks- two “twin” hills located in the very center of the San Francisco Peninsula. This is a very popular attraction. If there is no fog, then from the height there is a wonderful view of the city. Twin Peaks Hills has nothing to do with the famous TV series of the same name.
Located at a distance of 200 meters from each other, the hills have their own names. The northern one is Eureka, and the southern one is Noe. On the northern hill is a popular viewpoint known as "Christmas Tree Point". This fenced area offers a beautiful 360-degree view of San Francisco and the Bay, and there are telescopes. Many believe that the night view from Twin Peaks is even more interesting. You can get to Christmas Tree Point by car, parking is free.
During holiday events, such as the Fourth of July fireworks, Twin Peaks can be crowded. To get a seat you need to go there early in the morning.
At any time of the year it is very windy at the top - everyone going there should take a windbreaker or other warm clothing.
Sources
Wikipedia – The Free Encyclopedia, WikiPedia
tonkosti.ru – Subtleties of tourism
countries.turistua.com – Best search tours
americancities.ru – American cities
San Francisco began as a city of adventurers obsessed with the glitz of the Gold Rush and the possibility of instant riches. From a small settlement of Yerba Buena it grew to a large modern city, which today attracts thousands of tourists.
Unfortunately, everything that was built before 1906 has practically not survived. As a result of a massive earthquake, old San Francisco ceased to exist. But gradually a new one began to appear - with magnificent squares, business districts and huge parks.
There are many in the city amazing places- this is Pier 39 with a colony of Californian lions that have settled right within the city limits, and a mysterious prison island, and a group of miraculously surviving Victorian mansions. In a word, everyone can find an attraction to their taste.
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What to see and where to go in San Francisco?
The most interesting and Beautiful places for walks. Photos and brief description.
The main transport artery of Northern California and a recognizable symbol of San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge opened to traffic in 1937. The design was loved not only by motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. Many film directors have featured the Golden Gate in their films. Grandiose flying flights of red color can be seen in the films “Interview with the Vampire”, “Terminator 4”, “Superman” and others. The bridge was built according to the design of D. Strauss, I. Morrow and C. Ellis. The length of the structure is 2737 meters, width is 27 meters.
Former prison on an island in San Francisco Bay. This place became famous for the fact that famous and especially dangerous criminals were kept here under the strictest security. Until its closure in 1963, not a single person managed to escape from Alcatraz and survive. In 1969, the island was occupied by Indian leaders who protested against the government and believed that the Americans had forcibly occupied their rightful lands. Currently, Alcatraz has been converted into a museum.
Historical public transport, which began operating in 1873. The cable tram moves like a funicular along a cable car, that is, the engine is not in the car itself, but in the depot at the substation. Now this transport is used more as a tourist attraction, but the system is capable of transporting up to 7 million passengers a year. In the middle of the 20th century, there was a serious struggle to preserve the historical line; in the end, after several reconstructions, it was decided to leave the tram.
One of the central squares of San Francisco, located in the district of the same name. She is surrounded by huge shopping centers, boutiques, hotels, souvenir shops, restaurants, salons and galleries. Life here is in full swing around the clock and does not stop for a minute. The square is the starting point for exploring the city; locals make dates and business meetings here.
Picturesque street, or, more precisely, a 400-meter section of the highway, located on Russian Hill. Lombard Street is famous for being shaped like a winding ribbon that descends to the highway at a fairly steep angle. For cars this is a rather difficult section of the road, but for tourists it is an interesting sight, like an attraction. The road surface of the street is made of red brick, with green lawns planted along the edges.
A city park with a fairly large territory (the area is about 400 hectares), which begins in the city center and ends on the ocean coast. Inside there are artificial lakes, hills, islands, waterfalls, dunes, plains, and several museums. The park has all the conditions for sports, walking, cycling and just relaxing. In terms of attendance, the Golden Gate is second only to New York's Central Park.
A group of Victorian houses that survived the 1906 earthquake. The attraction is located on the territory of the elite city quarter of Nob Hill. The houses received the name “Painted Ladies” due to their architecture and bright exterior colors, which B. Kardum worked on in 1963. The picturesque wooden facades of the buildings are decorated with balconies, towers, verandas and other architectural delights.
A tourist port area, which is famous for its abundance of fish restaurants, shops, and museums. Ferries to Alcatraz depart from here, as well as a line cable tram. During the Gold Rush, Fisherman's Wharf became a habitat for unlucky gold miners who turned to fishing for a living. The Maritime Historical Park is located in the area.
A marina with a wide variety of entertainment options, it is a popular vacation spot for visitors and residents of San Francisco. The main attraction of Pier 39 is the California sea lion rookery. Special wooden platforms have been built for the animals in the water, on which they rest and bask in the sun in whole flocks. In total, about 1,500 lions live in the pier area; they first appeared in the bay in 1989.
Bright and colorful Chinatown with traditional red lanterns and pagodas. Chinatown is not only a place of residence for emigrants from the Middle Kingdom, but also a popular tourist attraction. The area began to take shape in the mid-19th century and became home to numerous Chinese refugees from Guangdong Province. Over more than 150 years of history, the quarter has grown and acquired its own infrastructure.
A small urban area with a large population of sexual minorities. Rainbow flags of the LGBT community are hung everywhere in the streets of the neighborhood. Local attractions are dedicated to the history of the emergence and development of the gay movement, as well as its struggle for equality. There is the LGBT History Museum, the famous Twin Peaks gay club with glass walls, and the Pink Triangle park.
Construction of the temple began in 1906 after the earthquake and lasted more than 50 years. Due to the seismic instability of the area, the architect had to abandon additional elements of façade decoration, as they could be destroyed during a natural disaster. The interior of the cathedral is made in the neo-Gothic style with numerous stained glass windows, frescoes and massive bronze gates.
The structure is located on the shore of an artificial lake. It is not a palace in the literal sense; the structure is an open arched colonnade of white stone, surrounded by a picturesque park. In fact, the Palace of Fine Arts is a more durable replica of an exhibit from the 1915 exhibition, which was called the “Tower of Gems.” The residents of San Francisco loved the structure so much that they called it a palace and decided to preserve it for the city.
The largest museum on the West Coast of the United States and the second most popular in the entire country. Works by contemporary artists who worked in the 20th-21st centuries are exhibited here. Among the exhibits are works by Pollock, Klee, Matisse, Saarinen, Warhol and other famous masters. The gallery opened in 1935; in 1995, an original modern building designed by M. Botta was built for it.
Interactive exhibition founded by experimental physicist F. Oppenheimer in 1969. Some visitors call it the “mad scientist museum.” Oppenheimer himself could not hold academic positions after being accused of anti-American activities. He took a job as a high school science teacher. At this time, he carried out many experiments to study the properties of the environment and materials, which became the preparation for the future museum.
The exhibition is located on the territory of the Golden Gate Park. Its founder was M. de Young, a journalist from a local news agency. The exhibition halls house a collection of objects and works of art belonging to the period of the 17th – 21st centuries. – paintings, clothes, furniture, etc. Basically, the exhibits were collected in North and South America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.
The Museum of Natural History, which is also a serious scientific organization. The Academy was founded in the middle of the 19th century. The team is engaged in educational work, organizing exhibitions and conducting scientific research in various fields, which include marine botany, ichthyology, ornithology, paleontology, anthropology and other disciplines.
The exhibition is housed in a building that previously belonged to the Public Library. The museum displays exhibits brought from various parts of the Asian region. There is also a shop at the gallery where you can buy jewelry, Chinese porcelain, silk and various antiques. There are free guided tours around the museum grounds.
The museum opened to the public in 2009 thanks to the efforts of the daughter of a famous cartoonist. The building is located on the territory of Presidio Park. Here is a collection of personal belongings of W. Disney, his sketches and designs, models and other exhibits. One of the walls of the building where the exhibition is located is made of glass. Thanks to this, you can admire the picturesque views of the San Francisco Bay.
An open-air museum in the bay. It includes several facilities: a library, the museum itself, a marina and a visitor center. The exhibition is dedicated to the history of shipbuilding and navigation, as well as some events in the naval history of the United States. At the pier you can look at historical ships of the 19th-20th centuries. The museum library stores ancient documents - drawings, archives and maps.
The City Hall building of 1915, built in an elegant Bozar architectural style designed by A. Brown Jr. The building is crowned with a monumental dome, the interior is dominated by marble decoration, and statues of the mayors of San Francisco are installed in the corridors. Tours of City Hall are organized for tourists, or you can go inside on your own - on weekdays admission is free.
The largest market in San Francisco, very popular among tourists. Retail space are located in the ferry terminal building, which is located in the central part of San Francisco. In addition to shops with a large selection of drinks and quality products, the market has a cafe, counters with prepared food and sections with products from local farms.
Skyscraper-pyramid, the most high building in San Francisco. Construction of the structure was completed in the 1970s. The tower reaches a height of 260 meters, it contains 48 floors, where offices and various retail premises are located. Every day 1.5 thousand people come here to work. Tourists cannot climb to the top of the tower, since only the first floor is open to the public.
The structure is located on top of Telegraph Hill. The tower is architectural monument difficult period in US history - the Great Depression (1930s). Inside, the walls of the building are painted with frescoes demonstrating current themes of those years: economic difficulties, unemployment, social protest. There are even drawings that depict sympathy for communist ideas.
A shopping center and entertainment complex located in the central part of San Francisco. The interior of the building is made in a somewhat pompous style for such a place; many structures are decorated with gilding and trimmed with marble. Inside the shopping center there are more than 170 high-end stores and several expensive restaurants. Westfield opened in 1988.
A baseball stadium located in one of the suburbs of San Francisco. It is an important sporting venue and a popular tourist attraction. The arena is home to the San Francisco Giants (a member of the US Major League Baseball). AT&T Park is not only capable of hosting matches, it is also ideal for hosting concerts, festivals and other large-scale public events.
A garden in a traditional Japanese style, located within the city's Golden Gate Park. In 1894, it was a temporary exhibit at the World's Fair, but later became a permanent garden. The gardener-emigrant from Japan M. Hagiwara took care of the park for a long time. Thanks to his works, visitors can admire picturesque alleys, pagodas, streams, cherry blossoms, arched bridges and stone statues.
A hill with an observation deck offering breathtaking views panoramic view to the city. On the slopes there is natural Park. It is best to arrive at the site before sunset. At this time, the sun's rays flood San Francisco with golden light and bright reflections play in the waters of the bay. According to many tourists, not a single Observation deck skyscraper can't compare to Twin Peaks.
A beach on the Pacific Ocean located in the westernmost part of Golden Gate Park. Stretches along the beach highway"Great Highway". The water in this place is quite cool, and in summer there can be fogs at temperatures as low as 9°C. It is better to visit the beach in late autumn or in early spring. Ocean Beach is the most attractive for surfing, but there are often dangerous currents.
A small beach with a length of 800 meters, located in the northwestern part of San Francisco. It is perfect for hiking, barbecue or sunbathing, but the water is too cold for swimming. From the beach you can clearly see the Golden Gate Bridge framed by picturesque coastal hills. Baker Beach is quite popular among nudists; the northern side of the beach is specially reserved for them.
San Francisco is a city in the western part of the United States on the Pacific coast. San Francisco received this sonorous name in honor of the Catholic saint Francis of Assisi. The city is part of the state of California and is the fourth most populous in it. total area The city's area is 600.6 km², of which only 121.4 km² is occupied by land. San Francisco occupies the northern tip of the peninsula of the same name and is washed on three sides by the waters of both the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. According to recent data, the city's population is 884,363 (2017).
The founding year of San Francisco is 1776. It was in this year that the Spanish settled the coast of the peninsula, establishing a mission in honor of St. Francis and erecting a fort near the Golden Gate. The resulting small town was named Yerba Buena, which translated meant “good grass.” The modern name appeared in 1848, when the city began to grow irrepressibly due to the California gold rush. The rebirth of San Francisco dates back to 1906. That year the city was severely damaged by an earthquake, fire and flood, and then was practically rebuilt from scratch.
TO climatic features San Francisco experiences summer fogs and cold winds. However, despite such inhospitable weather, the city is very popular among tourists. Tourism forms the basis of the city's economy. By number foreign tourists San Francisco ranks honorably fifth in the United States. Connoisseurs of Victorian and modern architecture, museum art, ethnic festivals and fairs, as well as fans of surfing and other sports water sports. US attractions located directly in San Francisco deserve special attention. Tourists especially appreciate Alcatraz Island, Pier 39, the famous Golden Gate Bridge and the world's largest Chinatown.
Another thriving industry in San Francisco is banking. It was here that the Bank of America was founded at the beginning of the 20th century, and today the main financial center of the country’s west coast, called the “Wall Street of the West,” is located. A significant take-off in San Francisco's economy occurred with the advent of Silicon Valley in the area. It is a leading center for innovative technology in America, where the bulk of the country's scientific and technological potential is located. It is home to high-tech companies that create computers and software. The pharmaceutical industry in the city is no less developed. The region is home to hundreds of companies involved in regenerative medicine, biotechnology and biomedicine, genetic engineering and medical electronics.
San Francisco is considered a city of different religions, racial groups, nationalities and interests. Moreover, more than a third of the city's residents were born outside the United States. One of the obvious problems in San Francisco is the large number of homeless people. This is a “chronic disease” of the city that appeared in the 1980s and contributed to the rise in crime rates. It is curious that in some areas and suburbs of San Francisco there are large communities of Russian-speaking people. For example, the Richmond area is famous for its large concentration of Russian restaurants and shops, and in one of the most prestigious areas of the city, Pacific Heights, the Consulate General of the Russian Federation has been operating for a long time. The Museum of Russian Culture and St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral deserve special attention. Another feature of San Francisco is the progressive views of city residents towards gay minorities. According to some estimates, about 15% of the population belongs to sexual minorities, which puts San Francisco first in terms of the number of gays and lesbians in the United States.
Based: 1776
Square: 600.6 km 2
Population: 884,363 people (2017)
Currency: U.S. $
Language: English
Official website: http://www.sfgov.org
Current time in San Francisco:
(UTC -8)
San Francisco is a city of amazing beauty, mysteries and dozens of hills. Even pragmatic Americans distinguish it from other large cities, calling it “the pearl of the West Coast.” Such iconic personalities as Jack London, Isadora Duncan, Clint Eastwood, Steve Jobs, Bruce Lee were born and spent a lot of time in this city. Soviet actor Savely Kramarov spent the last years of his life in the suburbs of San Francisco. The picturesque views of the city are known from many films and TV series. For example, “Basic Instinct”, “Intuition”, “Between Heaven and Earth”, “Detective Nash Bridges”, “Zodiac”, the television series “Slithers”. San Francisco is also well known for modern computer games. Among them are the games Mafia, Need for Speed, Homefront, Resistance 2.
How to get to San Francisco
On this moment There are no direct flights from Russian cities to San Francisco, but many European and Asian airlines fly to San Francisco Airport with connections at their home airports. Below is a list of all airlines flying from Russia to San Francisco. The transfer city is indicated in parentheses.
- Lufthansa (Frankfurt am Main): Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod
- British Airways (London): Moscow, St. Petersburg
- Air France (Paris): Moscow, St. Petersburg
- KLM (Amsterdam): Moscow, St. Petersburg
- Emirates (Dubai): Moscow, St. Petersburg
- Korean Air (Seoul): Vladivostok, Irkutsk
- Swiss (Zurich): Moscow, St. Petersburg
- Asiana (Seoul): Vladivostok, Khabarovsk
- Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong): Vladivostok, Khabarovsk
- Delta (Los Angeles/New York): Moscow
- SAS (Copenhagen): Moscow
An alternative option to get to San Francisco is via Los Angeles, which is easier and often cheaper to get to. Read more about this in the section “How to get to Los Angeles”. In this case, you can explore both the city famous from Hollywood films and San Francisco itself. You can get from the City of Angels in various ways - by bus, train, rented car or plane, read more about this.
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Story
Long before Europeans arrived on the continent, the San Francisco Peninsula was inhabited by Indian tribes. The Europeans managed to find one of these tribes called Oloni, which translated meant “Western people”. The camp of the Ohlone tribe was found on the coast of the town of Big Sur. In November 1769, a group of Spanish explorers led by Gaspar de Portula first visited San Francisco Bay, and seven years later the Mission of St. Francis of Assisi, otherwise known as Mission Dolores, appeared here. To provide cover, a small military fort was erected, where the Presidio Park is now located.
In 1821, Mexico officially declared its independence from Spain. Since then, San Francisco, as well as the entire state of California, began to belong to Mexico. The first city plan was created in 1835 by the Englishman William Richardson. He renamed the mission Yerba Buena. In 1846, during the Mexican-American War, the United States received rights to California. That same year, Yerba Buena's population doubled due to newly arrived Mormons. A couple of years later the city was renamed San Francisco. The swamps there were drained to create new land for construction.
In 1848, the famous California Fever began, attracting tens of thousands of immigrants to the state. By 1849, San Francisco's population had grown from 1,000 to 25,000, and continued to grow exponentially for the next 50 years. Large numbers of Chinese workers were recruited to work in the gold mines. After the gold rush they continued to work on the transcontinental railway. Thus, the Chinese of San Francisco founded the largest Chinatown in the country and one of the largest Chinese diaspora in the world.
During the gold rush, wealthy bankers and tycoons began to appear in San Francisco, whose names are still known to this day. These are Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, Charles Coker, Colins P. Huntington. These lucky mine owners quickly filled the Nob Hill area with mansions. Today, many of their buildings have become famous hotels, such as the Mark Hopkins Hotel or the Huntington Hotel. It was a period of great migration, and since the townspeople needed new jobs, new companies began to appear. These include Levi Strauss & Co., Ghirardelli, Wells Fargo, etc.
Not everything was rosy in the development of San Francisco. Unrest soon began over the brutal exploitation of immigrants, followed by riots in Chinatown. In this regard, in 1882, a law was passed to reduce the number of immigrants allowed in the city. This law lasted until 1943.
Another major problem affecting San Francisco occurred in 1855, when a ship carrying cholera-infected refugees from the Far East arrived in the city. This problem was solved with the help of the Sisters of Mercy, who worked in the city's hospitals at that time, but this epidemic greatly affected the demographics of San Francisco. In 1900, another infected ship docked in the city. This time the city was gripped by an epidemic of bubonic plague and the carriers were rats.
One of the most difficult periods in San Francisco was 1906, which brought a devastating earthquake and then a fire. The city was partially flooded and then burned by fire. Most of the inhabitants were trapped between these elements, and 80% of the city, including its center, was destroyed. Many people were saved thanks to an organized evacuation across the bay. Refugee camps have opened in the Golden Gate Bridge Park, Ocean Beach, and several other undeveloped areas. According to official data, more than 3,000 people became victims of the disaster, and most of the survivors were left homeless for a long time. Immediately after the earthquake, a plan was developed to rebuild and restore San Francisco. The main planner was again Daniel Burnham.K end of the 19th century century, San Francisco suffered from corruption and the mafia. The time for reform and change was ripe. Elected in 1896, Mayor James D. Phelan came up with a new system for increasing city funds and a redevelopment plan. His dream was to turn San Francisco into the “Paris of the West.” 17 new schools, a main library and hospital, a new sewer system, and 2 parks were built. Later, with the help of the famous American architect Daniel Burnham, Phelan developed a plan to widen the boulevards, create open parks and squares, as well as a global fifty-year reconstruction of the city. As a result, not everything was realized, but many ideas were brought to fruition. These include the current subway lines under Market Street, Fisherman's Wharf, Embarcadero Boulevard, and the Opera House across from City Hall.
The period after World War II was marked by the construction of new expressways in San Francisco. However, during the implementation of this plan, an unexpected problem arose. Due to population density, the construction of highways meant that many city residents could become homeless. For this reason, in 1959 it was decided to suspend road construction. Moreover, another earthquake in 1989 partially damaged the Central Highway and destroyed the Embarcadero road. City residents decided not to restore these areas, but to rebuild them. Thus, a historical embankment appeared on the site of the Embarcadero highway.
Justin Herman, a Harvard graduate, played a major role in the reconstruction of San Francisco. In the 1950s, he started renovating nature reserves and dividing the city into large areas filled with modern buildings. His projects include Yerba Buena Gardens, Japantown, Embarcadero Center, Geary Street.
In the 1960s, San Francisco experienced the hippie era, and even became the epicenter of boiling music, psychotropic drugs, creative and sexual freedom. The most important event of the hippie era was the Summer of Love in 1967. During this period, thousands of hippies from all over the world came to the Haight-Ashbury area to celebrate freedom and love. This unique phenomenon was akin to a cultural, social and political revolution.
Successive mayors of San Francisco have brought something new. For example, Dianne Feinstein, who ruled from 1978 to 1988, organized the Manhattanization of the city. It was a global reconstruction associated with the appearance of many skyscrapers. Manhattanization especially affected the city's financial district. There were many who disagreed with the massive development of skyscrapers in San Francisco, and the “high-rise revolution” began. In this regard, restrictions on construction appeared.
The 1980s saw the emergence of many homeless people in US cities. This problem has not escaped San Francisco either. Many mayors tried to solve it, each in their own way. While Mayor Art Egnos allowed the homeless to camp and coexist peacefully, Mayor Jordan solved the problem by forcibly removing all homeless people from the city. The next mayor, Willie Brown, simply ignored the problem, and homeless people again flooded the streets of San Francisco. His successor, Gavin Newsom, developed the Care Not Money program, which provided rehabilitation services and employment opportunities to all homeless people.
In the 1990s, San Francisco became a computer city. The close proximity to Silicon Valley played a significant role in this. Internet businessmen, leading programmers and other high-tech specialists began to come here more and more often, which greatly influenced the city’s economy and employment. Thus, the field of computer technology has become the main one in the city.
Climate and weather in San Francisco
Weather forecast
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Weather in San Francisco by month
| Temperature daytime, °C |
Temperature at night, °C |
Temperature water, °C |
Quantity precipitation, mm |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 11 | 12 | 104 | |
| 12 | 9 | 12 | 105 | |
| — | — | 12 | 76 | |
| — | — | 12 | 33 | |
| — | — | 11 | 16 | |
| — | — | 12 | 5 | |
| 21 | 16 | 13 | 1 | |
| 19 | 15 | 15 | 1 | |
| 19 | 14 | 15 | 4 | |
| 19 | 14 | 14 | 26 | |
| 16 | 12 | 14 | 53 | |
| 13 | 10 | 13 | 98 |
Reviews by month
| January 1 February 1 March 6 | April 15 May 28 June 1 | July 7 August 1 September 11 | October 11 November 7 December 1 |
Transportation San Francisco
San Francisco is considered to have the most developed public transportation system on the West Coast of the United States. More than a third of the city's population uses public transport daily, which includes buses (diesel and hybrid), trolleybuses, above-ground and underground light rail, and even historic cable trams. All transport within the city is part of the MUNI system.
Photos of San Francisco
Districts
San Francisco's urban landscape is diverse. It is based on hills, ethnic areas and neighborhoods, picturesque parks and coastal areas.
It is not known for certain how many hills there are in the city, but their approximate number is 50. Many of the hills of San Francisco are so famous that they are included in the city’s landmarks. For example, a popular hill Twin Peaks, luxury Nob Hill And Russian Hill.
Geographically, San Francisco is divided into forty districts that are not similar to each other. Many of them are residential and are divided into groups of neighborhoods. However, the following areas are especially popular among tourists: Union Square, Chinatown, Castro, Haight-Ashbury, Sunset, Richmond, Treasure Island, Civic Center, South of Market, Mission, Fisherman's Wharf.
There are more than 200 parks in San Francisco. The largest and most famous of them is Golden Gate Park, which stretches from the city center to the Pacific coast.
The coastal strip of San Francisco is represented by a long beach Ocean Beach. The water here is not calm and not particularly suitable for swimming, but this does not stop brave surfers who are not afraid of low temperatures and strong ocean currents.
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks translated from English means “twin hills”. In accordance with the name, the hill is represented by two identical hills. This place has become especially popular among tourists since the release of the action-packed TV series Twin Peaks, although it has no direct connection with the hills. The main advantage of the hills is that from their top there is a magnificent view of San Francisco. This is a kind of observation deck of the city, which locals call Christmas tree point. It is best to visit the hills in the late afternoon, when everything around lights up with colorful lights. For better review Telescopes are installed on Twin Peaks. Geographically, Twin Peaks is located in the central part of San Francisco and is the second highest point in the city. The hills are located at a distance of 200 meters from each other and have their own names. For example, the southern hill is called Noe Peak, and the northern one is Eureka Peak. During big holidays with fireworks, Twin Peaks gets crowded. This is especially noticeable on US Independence Day - July 4th. It can be windy at the top all year round, so it is better to go there in outerwear.
Nob Hill
Nob Hill is a favorite place of the rich and the most luxurious area of San Francisco. The top of Nob Hill is home to luxury hotels, superb views of the surrounding area and a cable car. Nob Hill has always attracted wealthy people from all over the world. They tried to buy a house or mansion here. However, even the height of the famous hill did not save them from the earthquake that struck California at the beginning of the 20th century. Of all the buildings in the area, only one house survived, which belonged to James Flood. Today it houses the Pacific Union Club, and luxurious Victorian buildings have risen on the site of the destroyed houses. Until 1850, the hill was called California, in honor of the street adjacent to the east - California-Street. The current name is a shortened version of the word nobility, which means “to know, nobility.” The best way to get to the top of the hill is by cable car. Of particular interest to tourists is the neo-Gothic cathedral in the center of the area. Nob Hill is adjacent to areas such as Union Square and Chinatown.
Russian Hill (Russian Hill)
Russian Hill is another upscale San Francisco hill neighborhood located near Nob Hill. The name Russian Hill means “Russian hill”. The most famous part of the area is Lombard Street. It is considered the most winding serpentine street in the world. There are also many green pedestrian alleys and an amazingly beautiful panorama of the bay. Another attraction in the area is the San Francisco Art Institute. Historically, San Francisco has always had large Russian settlements. The hill received this name during the Gold Rush, when a small Russian cemetery was discovered on its top. Over time, the cemetery was moved. Presumably these were the burials of Russian sailors and entrepreneurs from Fort Ross, a Russian settlement on the shores of Northern California in XIX century. It is known that at the beginning of the 20th century, Russian Hill was also densely populated by Russian emigrants, in particular Molokans. The writers Ilf and Petrov visited the hill, which they later wrote about in one of their books. Today there are almost no Russian residents on the hill, as most of them are based in the Richmond area. You can get to Russian Hill either by car or by taking the Powell-Hyde cable car line.
Union Square
In the very middle of downtown San Francisco is Union Square. This official center art, theatrical life of the city and shopping. The area surrounding the square is also called Union Square. This name comes from the demonstrations that took place here in support of the northern states at the beginning of the Civil War (1861-1864). Currently, it is the tourist and shopping epicenter of the city, where life is in full swing 24 hours a day. Union Square houses six large department stores, many luxury boutiques and hotels, art galleries, first-class restaurants and beauty salons. The square often hosts ceremonies, public events and concerts, and at Christmas a tall fir tree is traditionally erected here. IN winter period a skating rink appears here.
In the very center of the square stands a granite column with a Corinthian capital on top. On the capital you can see a bronze girl in a light dress, balancing on a ball on one leg, as well as kissing seahorses. The monument of a girl raises a trident and a laurel wreath in her hands. This composition was created in honor of Admiral Duhuy, a hero of the Spanish-American War of 1898. Another attraction of the square is the Westin St. Francis Hotel, named after the city's patron saint, St. Francis. Once upon a time, radical Sarah Jane Moore tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford near this hotel. In addition to its outstanding attractions, the Union Square area has many attractive streets for tourists. For example, Maiden Lane, which is closed to cars from 11.00 to 18.00 and turns into a cozy pedestrian area. At the same time, all the cafes in the block take tables and chairs outside. Geary Street also attracts many tourists, especially the five-storey building at number 49. At last count it houses about nineteen art galleries.
Chinatown
One of the most interesting and visited places in San Francisco is Chinatown. The area has a long history and is largest settlement Chinese immigrants outside Asia. According to the latest data, the total number of Chinese in the city is more than 150 thousand people. And this figure is constantly increasing. Global immigration dates back to the Gold Rush, when large numbers of Chinese were recruited to work in the mines and to build the transcontinental railroad.
Geographically, Chinatown is located in the very center of San Francisco and consists of 24 compact blocks. Most of San Francisco's Chinese actually live in other areas of the city, such as Richmond or Sunset, but Chinatown is their cultural and political center. One of the area's landmarks is the Dragon Gate, also known as the Gateway to Chinatown. It is the official entrance to the area, located at the corner of Grant and Bush streets. These gates appeared in the city in 1970 as a gift from the Chinese People's Republic. In style and form they are typical of Chinese architecture and are guarded on both sides by formidable lions. A favorite place for tourists is Grant Street. This is the main commercial artery of the area, occupying seven blocks. In addition to a whole string of shops with colorful and inexpensive goods, there are restaurants, bakeries, tea clubs, traditional medicine pharmacies and other authentic establishments.
Not at all out of place, but this is where Old St. Mary's Cathedral is located. This cathedral is the only building in the area that survived the earthquake and fire in 1906. At that time, Chinatown had a bad reputation and was called “Little Shanghai”. There were many brothels and gambling houses here, and in some alleys there were opium dens. After visiting Chinatown, tourists certainly visit Ross Alley. This is where the factory that produces Chinese fortune cookies, the so-called fortune cookies, is located.
Castro
The Castro is a legendary area that is extremely popular among sexual minorities from all over the world. It was once called "Little Scandinavia" due to large cluster people from Northern Europe. However, in the 1970s, gay bars began to open here and the cultural center of the gay movement gradually formed. There is absolute freedom of morals in Castro: lovers do not hesitate to walk around in an embrace, the cafe verandas are full of couples, the windows are full of pornographic posters, and the roofs of the houses are decorated with a colored rainbow - the official symbol of all gays and lesbians. In other words, the Castro is the cultural center of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, that is, LGBT. The world's first gay bar is also located here - Twin Peaks Tavern at 401 Castro Street. One of the oldest cinemas in the United States - the Castro Theater - is especially popular in the area. At night, the Castro is incredibly crowded. All bars and nightclubs that are considered the best in San Francisco are opening.
In 2011, the country's first LGBT History Museum opened between Castro and Collingwood streets. On regular days, admission to the museum costs about $5, but on the first Wednesday of the month admission is free. Another interesting establishment in the Castro is Cliff's Variety Store. It's a kind of gay supermarket where you can buy everything from kitchen utensils to feather headdresses. The Castro District is impossible to miss. After all, its rainbow signs and flags can be seen from afar. The best way to get here is by electric tram, which passes through the Castro and Fisherman's Wharf. By the way, it is along this line that historical vintage trams, brought to San Francisco from all over the world, run.
Every year on the last weekend of June, San Francisco hosts the city's most important event - the Gay Pride Parade. This holiday is called Pink Saturday, translated as “Pink Saturday”. At this grand event, the city is painted in all the colors of the rainbow, and the streets are filled with muscular guys in swimming trunks, painted transsexuals in wigs, naked bikers on motorcycles and topless girls. The main local hero is considered to be the first openly gay man, Harvey Milk, who was later awarded the post of politician in California. Although the Castro is a gay and lesbian area, locals and tourists of all orientations are always welcome.
Haight-Ashbury
Haight-Ashbury is another unique San Francisco neighborhood that rose to fame in the late 1960s as the epicenter of the hippie movement and its Summer of Love. This name appeared in connection with the location of the area at the intersection of Haight and Ashbury streets. This place does not lose its popularity among creative people. Fans of the hippie movement and vintage lovers actively come here to this day. In the shops of Haight-Ashbury, the sixties are always in fashion, and in the cafes and restaurants there is a motley crowd. The windows are full of psychedelic music, records and underground comics. Sometimes there are inhabitants of the city's bottom who like to beg for change.
The most remarkable year in Haight-Ashbury was the summer of 1967, when tens of thousands of young hippies from all over the world came here to celebrate love and freedom. The entire local and national press was full of news about 14-year-old boys infesting the Haight and stupefied by drugs. More and more young people flocked to San Francisco during their summer holidays. There were sensational stories of “free love” parties being held on the floor or old mattresses. There have been cases when drug addicts tried to fly out of high-rise windows. However, the area could not withstand such a flow of people. Chaos reigned everywhere: the streets were full of drugs, homeless people, hungry people, and the crime rate had increased. To officially close the hippie movement, a "Death of the Hippie" ceremony was held in October of that year. The youth left, and the area remained in decline and ruin until the 1980s. To solve this problem, local authorities turned Haight-Ashbury into a tourist area.
The area hasn't changed much since the Summer of Love and has retained its status as the hippie revolution capital of the world. Many world celebrities were also involved in the hippie movement. For example, in the summer of 1967, Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia came here, and The Beatles wrote the songs “All you need is love” and “She’s leaving home” especially for the Summer of Love.
Sunset
Sunset is the largest neighborhood of San Francisco, located in the central-western part of the city. Once upon a time, in the place of Sunset there were only sand dunes, and today it is a developed residential and commercial area. The area is surrounded by Golden Gate Park to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The eastern and southern boundaries of the area are slightly blurred. Sunset territory is divided into two parts:
- Inner Sunset
- Outer Sunset
Inner Sunset is located closer to the center of city life and away from the ocean. In fact, it is a relaxed student area where the University of California is located. Since there is a vast park area, students can relax during breaks from studying in the lap of nature. And in the evening they are attracted by the lights and noise of the big city.
Outer Sunset is always foggy and smells of the sea as it stretches along the Pacific Ocean. This area is very different from the central parts of the city. It is always quiet and peaceful here, and on the streets you can come across shops with farm products, modest restaurants and inconspicuous cafes.
Richmond
Richmond is an area in the northwestern part of San Francisco, surrounded on all sides by greenery. If in the south Richmond is connected to Golden Gate Park, then in the north it is bordered by Lincoln and Presidio parks. In the west, the area is washed by the Pacific Ocean. There is a large Russian-speaking community in San Francisco. The bulk of Russian residents live in Richmond along Geary Boulevard. Here is the only Russian Orthodox church in the city - Cathedral Holy Mother of God. This building of unique beauty stands out against the background of other buildings in the area. Richmond also hosted a large number of Chinese immigrants. Locals sometimes call it the “New Chinatown.” Richmond always has a relaxed atmosphere. There are no trendy boutiques or noisy clubs, but there are modest restaurants serving delicious food. The name of the area is taken in honor of one of the suburbs of Melbourne.
Treasure Island (Treasure Island)
The artificial island of Treasure Island is a former US naval base in San Francisco Bay. Today it is a thriving oasis visited by many tourists. Treasure Island was created in 1936 and 1937 specifically for the international exhibition "Golden Gate". The name of the island translates as “Treasure Island” in honor of the book by R. L. Stevenson, who once lived in San Francisco. Treasure Island is connected to the mainland neighboring island Yerba Buena, which is crossed by the San Francisco-Oakland Bridge. The island also passes through bus route to the city center. On Treasure Island, hangars have been preserved from the time of the international exhibition, which are of particular interest to tourists. After all, many scenes from famous films were filmed in them. Among them are “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, “The Matrix”, “What Dreams May Come” and others. There is a version according to which they plan to turn Treasure Island into one of the “green” cities of the future.
Civic Center (Civic Center)
San Francisco's largest government and cultural institutions are located in the Civic Center neighborhood. In addition to the city hall, there are two huge squares: Civic Center Plaza and United Nations Plaza. Lovers beautiful architecture You will appreciate a number of buildings in classical style. The name Civic Center literally means "civic center." The following buildings can be seen in the area: Supreme Court of California, Asian Museum of Art, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco Institute of Arts, Conservatory of Music. The area also includes the Fox Plaza condominium. Due to the area's central location, almost all city parades, marches and ceremonies pass through it. Among them are the famous Gay Pride Parade, the Love Parade, the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, etc. Next to the Civic Center is another remarkable area - South of Market.
South of Market
The South of Market is a fairly large neighborhood in downtown San Francisco, stretching from the Embarcadero to 11th Street. The area is quickly changing its appearance and is interesting with its new buildings, skyscrapers, and the stadium of the Giants baseball team called AT&T Park. South of Market is popularly abbreviated as SoMa. SoMa is home to many hotels, chic nightclubs and restaurants, warehouses, art spaces, modern penthouses, furniture showrooms and tenacious Internet companies that managed to survive the collapse of the technology market. Recently, more and more new high-rise buildings have appeared, but there are still quite a few empty blocks here. The area owes its name to the adjacent Market Street and literally translates as “south of Market Street.” The most attractive points for tourists are located at South Park, at 11th Street and where Yerba Buena Gardens is located. South of Market attractions include the Museum of Cartoon Art, the California Historical Society, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, the Museum of the African Diaspora, and the renowned Museum of Contemporary Art.
Mission
The Mission is a colorful neighborhood in the eastern part of San Francisco, home primarily to Spanish immigrants and hipsters. This name comes from the original Mission of St. Francis of Assisi, after whom the city was named. Tourists who have already seen all the sights of the city and want to see something colorful go to Mission. This is a hospitable corner of the city, where various subcultures and ethnic groups peacefully coexist. This area is like a melting pot. It has everything from expensive restaurants to shabby bars and street food. On Mission Street, stalls cluttered with baskets of produce juxtapose with colorful shops and roadside cafes serving excellent, freshly brewed coffee.
Many consider this area to be the most interesting in San Francisco. Among tourists and locals alike, Mission's diverse dining options are especially popular. There are dozens of first-class Mexican eateries, the so-called taquerias, many restaurants with Guatemalan, Nicaraguan and Salvadoran food, as well as traditional establishments of French, Chinese, Italian cuisine. The Mission District is distinguished from other parts of San Francisco by its colorful painted houses and buildings. This is the work of Latin American activist artists dating back to the 1970s. The Mission is like a magnet for creative people. There are dozens of art studios, galleries, and exhibition venues here. At the intersection of Mission Street and 16th Street, you can often see a gathering of poets, musicians and artists.
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