SPOTLIGHT ON SAN FRANCISCO WELCOME TO SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA So many have sung of the wonders of San Francisco, from Tony Bennett to Journey. This melting pot of world cultures is known for steep rolling hills, cable cars, fog, and fresh seafood. It is a city that celebrates its past with beautifully preserved Victorian houses and shrines to the Summer of Love, while looking toward the future with gleaming skyscrapers and the latest technological advances. San Francisco is home to corporate headquarters, great universities, and people that care about and respect the environment as much as they do one another. Contents Climate and Geography 02 Cost of Living and Transportation 03 Sports and Outdoor Activities 04 Shopping and Dining 05 Schools and Education 06 GLOBAL MOBILITY SOLUTIONS l SPOTLIGHT ON SAN FRANCISCO l 01 SPOTLIGHT ON SAN FRANCISCO CLIMATE San Francisco Climate Graph o 120 F 48.9oc 6 in. 152.4 mm San Francisco has a warm-summer Mediterranean o climate characteristic of California's coast, with 100 F 37.8oc 5 in. 127.0 mm moist mild winters and dry summers. San Francisco's o o 4 in. 101.6 mm weather is strongly influenced by the cool currents 80 F 27.7 c of the Pacific Ocean on the west side of the city, o o 3 in. 76.2 mm and the water of San Francisco Bay to the north 60 F 15.6 c and east. This moderates temperature swings and o 40 F 4.4oc 2 in. 50.8 mm produces a remarkably mild year-round climate with little seasonal temperature variation. During o 20 F -6.7oc 1 in. 25.4 mm the summer, rising hot air in California's interior valleys creates a low pressure area that draws winds JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC from the North Pacific High through the Golden Gate, which creates the city's characteristic cool High Temp Low Temp Precipitation winds and fog. As a result, the year's warmest month, on average, is September, and on average, Average High/Low Temperatures October is warmer than July, especially in daytime. Low / High San Francisco’s sharp topography and maritime January 46oF / 57oF influences create a multitude of distinct micro- August 54oF / 67oF climates. Specific parts of the city receive different amounts of rain, fog, and sunshine. Average Precipitation Rain 23 in. GEOGRAPHY San Francisco is located on the West Coast of the United States at the north end of the San Francisco Peninsula and includes significant stretches of the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay within its boundaries. Several picturesque islands are part of the city. The mainland within the city limits roughly forms a "seven-by-seven- mile square", a common local colloquialism referring to the city's shape, though its total area, including water, is nearly 232 square miles (600 km2). There are more than 50 hills within city limits. Some neighborhoods are named after the hill on which they are situated, including Nob Hill, Potrero Hill, and Russian Hill. Near the geographic center of the city, southwest of the downtown area, are a series of less densely populated hills. Twin Peaks, a pair of hills forming one of the city's highest points, forms a popular overlook spot. San Francisco's tallest hill, Mount Davidson, is 928 feet (283 m) high. The nearby San Andreas and Hayward Faults are responsible for much earthquake activity, although neither physically passes through the city itself. Minor earthquakes occur on a regular basis. GLOBAL MOBILITY SOLUTIONS l SPOTLIGHT ON SAN FRANCISCO l 02 SPOTLIGHT ON SAN FRANCISCO COST OF LIVING As with any big city, San Francisco has an assortment of unique neighborhoods that vary in cost of living. Overall, on average San Francisco has one of the highest cost of living indexes in the United States. However, that's the price for living in a city rich with culture, on the water, in mild temperatures, and amid one of the highest concentration of financial and technology company headquarters in the country. Key Housing Figures* Median Home Purchase Price Median Monthly Rent (1BDRM) $1,192,500 $3,291 *Sources: www.zillow.com - accessed 06/26/2017, www.numbeo.com - accessed 06/26/2017 TRANSPORTATION Highways Interstates I-280 US Highways US-101 State Highways 1 Airports San Francisco International Airport (SFO) Oakland International Airport (OAK) 24 miles away Mass Transportation Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a public transportation system that connects metro San Francisco area with surrounding cities in Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Mateo counties. San Francisco also has its famous cable cars that operate in the northern part of the city, from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf. The city has many ferries that connect to terminals at points across the bay. GLOBAL MOBILITY SOLUTIONS l SPOTLIGHT ON SAN FRANCISCO l 03 SPOTLIGHT ON SAN FRANCISCO LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT San Francisco is a vibrant city that combines a rich history with the latest trends, as well as Americana with global cultures. There is always something new and exciting to do in the city. The San Francisco Bay is full of sailboats all year round and the surfing is great on the Pacific beaches. Although the city enjoys a mostly mild climate, fantastic skiing is less than three hours away. Residents of San Francisco are very environmentally-conscious. The city is the birth place of the Sierra Club, Friends of the Urban Forest, and one of the first major curbside recycling programs in the country. Although San Francisco has its own professional baseball, football, and soccer teams, sports fans can cross the bay into Oakland to watch the Oakland Athletics (baseball) and Golden State Warriors (basketball). SPORTS Pro Teams MLB: San Francisco Giants MLS: San Francisco Deltas NFL: San Francisco 49ers Major Venues AT&T Park Kezar Stadium Levi's Stadium OUTDOORS & ADVENTURE Top-Rated Parks Fun on the Water Great Attractions Discover More Alamo Square China Beach Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary sanfrancisco.com Dolores Park Lake Merced Fisherman's Wharf ssf.net Glen Canyon Park Lands End Lombard Street sfgov.org Golden Gate Park Marshall's Beach Pier 39 sftravel.com Heron's Head Park Ocean Beach San Francisco Botanical Gardens visitcalifornia.com John McLaren Park San Francisco Bay San Francisco Zoo visitsfbayarea.com GLOBAL MOBILITY SOLUTIONS l SPOTLIGHT ON SAN FRANCISCO l 04 SPOTLIGHT ON SAN FRANCISCO SHOPPING & DINING Savoring San Francisco A Shopper’s Paradise San Francisco is as famous for its restaurants and Union Square is considered to be the shopping mecca trends as it is for the Golden Gate Bridge and cable of San Francisco. One of the enclosed shopping areas cars. Among the regionally typical foods are abalone, in Union Square includes the Westfield San Francisco Dungeness crab, sand dabs, bay shrimp, and crusty Centre. This mall is an upscale, 9-story building sourdough bread. Due to its location on the shore of featuring over 170 shops and restaurants with luxury the Pacific Ocean, there is no shortage of fantastic retailers as Burberry, Tory Burch, and Bloomingdale's. seafood restaurants in the city. San Francisco is also Not to be confused with Union Square, smaller, more home to the oldest and largest Chinatown in North trendy stores can be found among the beautiful America. Visiting is a must for authentic Asian cuisine. Victorian buildings on Union Street. ART & CULTURE For the longest time, San Francisco has been a center for arts and cultural awareness. Being a major coastal city, San Francisco has attracted artists, musicians, and thinkers from all across the world. The city's many museums and galleries reflect this global influence. Museums Theaters l Asian Art Museum of San Francisco l Eureka Theatre l Children's Creativity Museum l Golden Gate Theatre l Contemporary Jewish Museum l Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall l De Young Fine Arts Museum l New Conservatory Theatre Center l Exploratorium l ODC Theater l GLBT History Museum l Palace Fine Arts Theatre l Legion of Honor l San Francisco Playhouse l Maritime Museum l SHN Orpheum Theatre l Museum of the African Diaspora l Strand Theatre l San Francisco Museum of Modern Art l Theatre Rhinoceros l Walt Disney Family Museum l Victoria Theatre l Yerba Buena Center for the Arts l War Memorial Opera House GLOBAL MOBILITY SOLUTIONS l SPOTLIGHT ON SAN FRANCISCO l 05 SPOTLIGHT ON SAN FRANCISCO EDUCATION IN SAN FRANCISCO, CA Notable Colleges & Universities Elementary & High School City College of San Francisco San Francisco Unified School District San Francisco, CA Schools There are 121 public and 111 private schools (which are Golden Gate University not operated by the school district) in San Francisco. The San Francisco, CA student:teacher ratio is 19:1, which is better than the 20:1 state average. San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA San Francisco Educational Attainment High School Graduates or higher 85% Bachelor’s Degree or higher 53% University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA Contact 555 Franklin Street University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA 94102 San Francisco, CA (415) 241-6000 l www.sfusd.edu CONNECT WITH GMS Founded in 1987, Global Mobility Solutions is a global corporate relocation services company that specializes in workforce mobility. The company’s corporate relocation services include global assignment management, domestic relocation management, and a range of pre-decision solutions. Global Mobility Solutions is a perennial winner of the HRO Today “Baker’s Dozen” customer satisfaction survey, being recognized as a top relocation company in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Online Resources Phone & Email Baker’s Dozen www.gmsmobility.com 1-800-617-1904 Customer Satisfaction Ratings LinkedIn: Global Mobility Solutions [email protected] RELOCATION 2017 Winner GLOBAL MOBILITY SOLUTIONS l SPOTLIGHT ON SAN FRANCISCO l 06.