U.S. CITIES: San Francisco, California

Embassy of the United States of America U.S. CITIES San Francisco, California SAN FRANCISCO ©Shutterstock.com The City by the Bay ith foreign-born resi- between the Pacific Ocean and exposition inspired the con- dents making up more San Francisco Bay in 1776, but struction of the Palace of Fine Wthan 35 percent of the “City by the Bay” really Arts, one of San Francisco’s top the population, San Francisco burgeoned in 1849, when the tourist attractions. represents a unique blend of the California Gold Rush enticed City history includes these other world’s cultures. treasure seekers from around milestones: the world. In that year alone, the From the waterfront market- city’s population grew from 1,000 1869 — Completion of the first places of Fisherman’s Wharf and to 25,000. U.S. transcontinental railroad the gelato parlors of North Beach connected San Francisco to the to the Victorian homes of Castro In 1906, an earthquake and sub- U.S. East Coast and solidified the and the cable cars of Nob Hill, sequent fires devastated the city, city’s role as a commercial hub. San Francisco’s neighborhoods destroying more than 80 percent. showcase a diversity of people, Relying on the strong financial 1873 — The first cable cars car- cultures and activities. industries established during the ried passengers up Clay Street Gold Rush, San Francisco recov- and the city’s many notorious Then and Now ered quickly. The city reemerged hills. Today, San Francisco main- to host the 1915 Panama-Pacific tains the world’s last manually Spanish colonists founded San International Exposition. The operated cable car system. Francisco on the peninsula San Francisco, California 1937 — Upon completion, the Golden Gate Bridge spanned the opening of San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. The Golden Gate is considered one of the Wonders of the Modern World, a feat of civil engineering, and an internationally recognized symbol of San Francisco. 1967 — The “Summer of Love,” a counterculture movement of the 1960s that emphasized personal freedom and rejected consumer- ism, arrived in San Francisco. The movement still imparts a liberal San Francisco’s “Painted Ladies” add color to the city’s skyline. ©Shutterstock flavor to San Francisco. 1984 — San Francisco hosted the 2006 — Twitter, the popular micro- also has a lighthouse, a historic mili- Democratic National Convention. blogging website, was launched. tary fort and nesting seabirds. Delegates nominated New York Headquartered in San Francisco, Visitors to Pier 39 can enjoy shop- Representative Geraldine Ferraro the tech startup bolsters the city’s ping, sea lion watching and breath- as the first female major party can- credentials as a destination for taking views of San Francisco didate for the vice presidency. Internet companies. Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. The setting inspired Otis Art, Animals and Alcatraz Redding’s hit song “Sitting on the San Francisco is one of America’s Dock of the Bay.” The People most diverse cities — and that More than 800,000 people live Enjoy a picnic in Alamo Square, diversity extends beyond the eth- in San Francisco’s 122 square the park overlooking San nic origins of the city’s people. San kilometers, making it the second Francisco’s “Painted Ladies.” The Francisco offers a range of activities most densely populated major U.S. ladies are not actually women, but city. San Francisco also has one of as colorful as its neighborhoods. a row of Victorian houses painted the largest immigrant populations in the United States. The San Francisco Museum of in vibrant colors. Modern Art boasts the West Coast’s The area just beyond San Francisco first collection of modern and con- The Land also has much to offer. The winer- Situated on a famously hilly peninsula, temporary art, along with thought- ies of Napa Valley, high-tech entre- San Francisco shares boundaries provoking exhibitions. with the Pacific Ocean and San preneurs of Silicon Valley, and the Francisco Bay. The city’s Aquarium of the Bay mountains of Yosemite National contains more than 20,000 marine Park are all a short drive away The Weather animals and features a fish’s-eye from the “City by the Bay.” San Francisco experiences mild view of the surrounding waters. temperatures all year long. On average, the temperature in San Francisco does Embark on a ferry ride to Alcatraz, not exceed 24 degrees Celsius more the famous San Francisco island than 28 days a year. where such infamous criminals as Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly were imprisoned. The island UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE September 2012 BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAMS.

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