Welcome to San Francisco
World-famous city in a picturesque Bayfront setting
San Francisco is a world-famous city with immense cultural influence. This thriving city is also a major hub of finance and commerce. With steep hillsides rolling back from the scenic San Francisco Bay, SF is a city of captivating views and world-class attractions. The iconic Golden Gate Bridge runs across the Bay, connecting SF to the cute towns and expansive open space preserves of Marin County to the north. Other Bayfront attractions include Hyde Street Pier and Fisherman’s Wharf.
San Francisco’s elegant, residential neighborhoods are best known for their distinctive colorful row houses. There are 44 hills within the city, and SF’s most sought-after homes tend to be located upon them. Russian Hill is one of the original seven hills comprising the oldest part of San Francisco. With gorgeous Victorian mansions and the famous twisting turns of Lombard Street, Russian Hill is one of San Francisco’s signature historic neighborhoods.
What to Love
- Elegant, historic mansions
- Golden Gate Bridge views
- World-class dining scene
- Fisherman’s Wharf
People & Lifestyle
San Francisco has long attracted some of the United States’ most revolutionary artists and entrepreneurs. In the middle of the 20th Century, SF incubated a world-changing counterculture of Beat writers, hippies, and psychedelic music. The city remains at the forefront of world culture, with close links to the Silicon Valley tech scene. Twitter founder Jack Dorsey is one of several pioneering tech figures who live in the spectacular homes lining the Pacific Heights’ exclusive Billionaire’s Row. SF’s countless attractions also include world-class restaurants, eclectic nightlife, and some of the United States’ most attractive urban green spaces. The city’s famously hilly topography provides many homes with mesmerizing views across the SF skyline and Bay.
Dining, Entertainment & Shopping
San Francisco boasts 34 Michelin-starred restaurants and several upscale shopping districts lined with premier fashion boutiques. Three restaurants in San Francisco have been awarded the ultimate accolade of three Michelin stars.
Atelier Crenn is an innovative recipient of three Michelin stars serving artfully presented French cuisine in a minimalist space among the trendy boutiques of Fillmore Street. SF’s other three-star awardees are Asian-influenced Benu in the dynamic SoMa district and impeccably sophisticated Quince in historic Jackson Square.
Other restaurants across San Francisco provide outstanding dining options for every budget and occasion. On the Bayfront, Fisherman’s Wharf is lined with historic seafood shacks serving signature crab and clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls. Hyde Street Pier juts out into the SF Bay from Fisherman’s Wharf. Originally built as a ferry pier in the 1920s, Hyde Street Pier now serves as a captivating, open-air maritime museum featuring sailing ships dating back to the 19th Century. Ghirardelli Square is another major waterfront attraction at the base of Russian Hill, featuring a five-star hotel and more than 40 restaurants and specialty shops housed within the historic headquarters of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company.
Things to Do
The Golden Gate Bridge is a distinctive landmark, which has become synonymous with San Francisco. With its brilliant red Art Deco design and soaring 746-foot towers, the Golden Gate Bridge is visible from across much of San Francisco. The 1,500-acre Presidio offers some of the best views of the bridge from its lush Crissy Field. The Presidio’s many other attractions include the sandy bayfront Baker Beach, miles of hiking trails, and tranquil forest areas.
Many other parks, big and small, dot San Francisco’s diverse neighborhoods. Russian Hill’s Francisco Park is one of the city’s newest greenspaces. A development project which took ten years and $20 million to complete has transformed the former Francisco Reservoir into a gorgeous 4.5-acre park with sweeping views of the Bay. At Russian Hill’s eastern edge, Lombard Street’s famous section of eight hairpin turns has led it to be called the most crooked street in the world.
Schools
San Francisco is served by the San Francisco Unified school district.
- Academy of Art University, Private, Higher Education
- San Francisco Art Institute, Private, Higher Education
- San Francisco State University, Public, Higher Education
- University of California, San Francisco, Public, Higher Education
- The University of San Francisco, Private, Jesuit, Higher Education
