San Francisco was first discovered and settled by Spanish explorers who landed in Drake's Bay in 1575, claimed the land for Spain and named it "Puerto de San Francisco" after St. Francis. Mission San Francisco de Asis was established six years later. Driven by the wealth of the mid-1800s California Gold Rush, "The City" became the cultural hub of the West Coast and remained so until 1906 when tragedy struck with the 1906 earthquake and fire which destroyed many of The City's most notable structures. However, the spirit of San Franciscans could not be beaten by a mere force of nature and like the Phoenix, San Francisco rose from the ashes to regain its claim as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Still a cultural hub, San Francisco has a ballet, opera, symphony and The American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) with both home grown talent and famous Broadway productions. Major sports franchises include the San Francisco 49ers football and the Giant's baseball teams. The Giant's new AT&T Park opened in 2000, and has already become a favorite City landmark.
The City has always been an eclectic mixture of cultures and lifestyles from the Chinese immigrants who made their home in Chinatown in the mid-1800s, to the 1960's hippies who put the corner of Haight & Ashbury on the map and in the history books. It's this wonderful diversity and tolerance for different cultures and lifestyles that gives San Francisco its personality and charm, not to mention some of The City's most colorful celebrations such as the Chinese New Year, St. Patrick's Day, Gay Pride celebrations, and the Bay to Breakers Race. San Francisco is definitely a City that knows how to have fun!
The cultural diversity of The City carries over to its many neighborhoods which encompass a wide range of microclimates. Some areas are known for sun, while others are fog shrouded. Home styles range from the gingerbread Victorians of the Haight-Ashbury to the modern high rise condos in the newly developed, trendy South of Market. Ethnic communities blending their flavors into The City's melting pot include, Chinatown, Japantown, the Filipino community in Crocker-Amazon/South of Market, an Italian community in North Beach, and the French Quarter. Additionally, you can find Irish, Chinese, and Russian communities in the Richmond District. Other neighborhoods with distinct personalities include the historic Mission district named for Mission Dolores established there in 1776, opulent Pacific Heights with it's million-dollar plus mansions and bay veiws to match; Noe Valley, a little bit of suburbia in the middle of The City where families meet with dogs and baby carriages at outdoor cafes; and Potrero Hill, above the fog boasting the most sun in The City. This contrasts with the fog blanketed Richmond and Sunset districts which hug the ocean side of The City. One of the newest neighborhoods is the trendy SoMa, a revitalized former industrial area with trendy lofts, high rise condos, museums and art galleries.
For shopping, the wonders of Market Street & Union Square have items for everyone from every corner of the globe. When it comes to dining, check out Alioto's #8, which is the oldest restaurant on Fisherman's Wharf. Other notable food destinations include Forbes Island, "The World's Only Floating Island", Fisherman's Grotto, and Union Square, where you can find French, Mediterranean and American Cuisines. China Town has an assortment of Oriental (Chinese, Cantonese, Hunan and contemporary cuisines) restaurants and North Beach is famous for its wonderful Italian cuisine.
Easily accessible by Highway 1, the 280 and 101 Freeways from the south, the San Francisco - Oakland International Airport (9 miles south in San Mateo County), BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) rail system, as well as San Francisco Harbor, makes San Francisco a center of commerce for all those who live in the Bay Area. Population as of 2004: 724,538. Median household income as of 2004: $68,667.00/yr. Median house price: $661,904.00. Number of houses sold (1999-March 2000): 61,286. Size: 231.9 sq mi (600.7km).
San Francisco's business community is home to several Fortune 500 companies including the Gap, Charles Schwab, Levi Strauss, McKesson Corporation, Pacific Gas & Electric, and Wells Fargo. In addition to these major employers, a healthy tourist industry benefits over 60,000 thriving small businesses, which fuel The City's economic vitality. Ranked as the sixth largest metropolitan market in the United States and a top city in which to do business, San Francisco offers a range of resources to businesses including financial incentives, training, and easy access to capital and city services.
San Francisco Unified School District is one of the oldest school districts in California. The school district operates all public schools in The City of San Francisco. Lowell High School is the oldest public high school in the United States west of the Mississippi, and is widely renowned for its academic achievement. Additionally, it is one of the few public schools frequently placed on lists of the best high schools in the United States. There are also a large number of well-regarded private schools including
Archbishop Riordan High School, Saint Ignatius College Preparatory, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, International High School of San Francisco Lick-Wilmerding High School, San Francisco University High School, The Urban School of San Francisco, San Francisco Waldorf High School Stuart Hall High School, Convent of the Sacred Heart High School, and Mercy High School.
It's no surprise that the list of famous San Franciscans is as diverse as The City itself. Some notable examples include newspaper columnist Herb Caen, actresses Carol Channing, Amy Tam & Sharon Stone, film director Francis Ford Coppola, eccentric NBA player Gary Payton, founder of the Bank of California William Chapman Ralston, authors Anne Rice and Danielle Steel, conservative radio personality Michael Savage, actor Robin Williams and TV chef, Martin Yan.