About San Francisco

San Francisco is one of the more popular American cities to visit. It entices tourists with it’s iconic landmarks, free-thinking inhabitants, architectural mix, high standard of living and famous hills with cable cars. San Franciso, which is located along the west coast of America, is also a major culture, transport and finance hub. The historic Alcatraz Island is part of the city of San Francisco. Minor earthquakes are a regular occurence here with the nearby San Adreas and Hayward Faults causing most of the activity.

The California Gold Rush was a very significant time in history for the city of San Francisco. During just a period of one year, from 1848 to 1849, the population rose from 1,000 people to 25,000. Ships, which had stopped off in San Francisco harbour, were left abandoned as crews headed off to the gold fields in search of treasure. In order to secure San Francisco Bay, Fort Point was built at the Golden Gate and a fort was also constructed on Alcatraz Island. Even though crime rates grew during the Gold Rush, along with prostitution and gambling, San Francisco did benefit. San Francisco became an important trading port, the banking industry developed, the famous Chinatown quarter was created, cable cars were introduced to the city, the citys architecture improved and so were its amenities. Overall, the Gold Rush led San Francisco to become a well-known major American city.

Attractions

San Francisco offers plenty of attractions to entertain its visitors with. The Golden Gate Bridge is San Franciscos most iconic landmark. You can drive, walk or cycle across the 1.7 mile span of the bridge. One of the most popular museums in this city is the Exploratorium. This interactive science museum invites both young and old to participate in experiments. Fisherman’s Wharf not only provides visitors with famtastic views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge but it also offers plenty of attractions along this waterfront area. Alcatraz Island is one of the most popular attractions San Francisco has to offer. Visitors wishing to get to the island can do so by catching a Blue and Gold Fleet ferry. For a good overview of the city, travel on a California Street line cable car.

Transport

Public transport, which is used by a third of San Francisco commuters, is operated by San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni). The public transport system is made up of light rail, subway (Muni Metro), buses and cable cars. Muni Metro street streetcars run above ground in outlying neighborhoods and underground in the downtown area. Services start at 5am Monday to Friday and finish at midnight. Services are limited at the weekend. The L and N lines operate a 24 hour service with ‘Owl’ buses taking over between 12.30am and 5.30am.