San Francisco is an American city and a county and the state of California. It is located at the northern tip of the peninsula, between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the bay to the east. Its name is commonly abbreviated to SF and the city is nicknamed The City by the Bay.Founded in 1776 by Spaniards within the Viceroyality of New Spain, the city, named in honour of San Francisco de Asís, took off during the gold rush and its extension, embellishment of San Francisco by the millionaires of Nevada.
She then became the cradle of jeans with the founding of Levi Strauss & Co. The 1950s saw the birth of Beat Generation. From the second half of the twentieth century, the high-tech industry developed in the Bay area. Today San Francisco is the most densely populated city in the United States after New York.You can't travel in the American West without crossing San Francisco this city so different from the others. In fact, it has such an American side with its large main street Market Street, its big buildings that can be found in all the big megacities, its tourist district Fisherman's warf with its sealions.
And yet with its 43 hills, its famous red bridge, its Victorian houses, its atypical neighborhoods like Castro or Haight Ashbury, it takes us back to our beautiful old Europe.The city is divided into several districts where all the diversity of this city comes to life:We find the famous chinatown near Union Square which is the main square of San Francisco, North beach the Italian quarter with restaurants up to their reputation, Japaneseown with the best sushi in the area, Castro the gay neighborhood where you will find the nicest places to eat and go out, Haight Ashbury the Hippie neighborhood with its thrift shops and pubs, Mission district the Latin neighborhood.. and other places even more wonderful than the others
If you're going around the American west, I guess you won't be staying in this town very long. So we will try to offer you a quick program where you can see as many things as possible in a short time.Accommodation:Already you should know that San Francisco is a very expensive city, so I advise you to book your hotel well in advance, as there are few hotels in San Francisco. Rooms are taken very quickly, and the longer you wait, the more expensive the rooms will be, unlike many cities in the United States.Above all, avoid the Tenderloin area between 5th and 9th street, i. e. a little after the Mall Westfield San Francisco Center to Civic Center.
Transport:
Then it is not necessary to rent a car to visit San Francisco, the whole city is very well served by the buses, their tramway, and their cable car (2$25 for 90 minutes, 0$75 for the lowest fares and 6$ for the cable car). From the airport you will be able to use the BART their subway that will take you directly to the city center, count about 8$65 (3$20 for discounted rates and http://www.bart.gov/tickets/calculator if you want to calculate the exact prices for each destination). Please note that most hotels do not have a car park, or they are either charged for it or they will offer you the closest paid car park to the hotel.City pass:So to visit the city I advise you to take the CityPass Card for 4 main visits as well as buses, trams and cable cars included for 7 days. It is a good value for money.
In terms of architecture, the city centre offers beautiful skyscrapers including some art deco. The skyline is very beautiful and much more interesting than in Los Angeles. The environment is much more urban in SF. And the higher you climb the better the outlook. If your room does not offer you the perfect view, you can always use the security stairs located outside on the facade. It's often forbidden, but the game is worth it especially at night.
Union Square
Well, it's the shopping fada that speaks to you, huh... Located in the heart of the city, this neighborhood is probably a shopping paradise. The Macy's, which is in this square, spans several floors, and I confess that I have been walking around quite a bit. But it is also the place from which you can borrow the famous cable cars.
Take a cable car ride
Probably the greatest classic, but here too a must-have for us! Going up Powell Street and going down to Fisherman's Wharf being hung on the side is definitely an attraction in its own right. For our part, we didn't get tired of it!The cable car is definitely an almost 100% tourist attraction. In fact, few premises use one because it is by far not the fastest way to go from point A to point B, but also because of the cost, a trip still costs the modest amount of 6$...
There are still three lines in service at SF. These are the last cable traction trams still in service! For the Lausannois, we will all remember the "string", our Lausanne metro, which operated according to the same technique but was replaced in 2006 by a more modern metro.*
Alcatraz prison
The visit to the prison is probably a must, and frankly it's 100% justified! The adventure begins with a ferry crossing to the island. The walk is very nice and offers a beautiful view of the city!Useful InformationIf you would like to do activities in San Francisco such as visiting Alcatraz, bus tours or helicopter flights over the bay, we recommend that you book your tickets online in order to take advantage of the best fares (and avoid queues)...?
The China Town of San Francisco
Probably the most exotic experience of our stay at SF! China Town is located north of Union Square and is home to the world's largest Chinese community (outside Asia)! There are almost 120,000 Chinese living in this neighborhood! It's impressive, once you've passed the famous Dragon gates, you're immersed in what you might think to be a completely different city!
Fisherman's Wharf
This district, located in the north of the city, is the starting point for the visit of Alcatraz but not only. The surroundings of the harbours are certainly very touristic, but a visit is still worthwhile. We recommend you go through Pier 39 where hundreds of sea lions have taken up residence, and it's really funny to watch one of these sea lions "fight" to gilt the pill in the sun but also the tourists who play elbows to take pictures of them.Fisherman's Wharf is also a fishing port. And so probably one of the best places to eat a good lobster (yes, we had fun) or crab. And guaranteed crab is fresh!
Golden Bridge
Probably one of the most famous bridges in the world! This is definitely a visit not to be missed when visiting San Francisco.The bridge can of course be crossed by car (what we did when we left for our road trip) but also on foot or by bike. Notice to the vertiginous, the bridge moves!Be aware that it is possible to take a boat trip to discover the Bay in an alternative way.
Golden Gate Park
This park is 450 hectares even larger than the New York Central Park. The walk in this park will lead you by several "attractions" not to be missed under any pretext! Whether it is the Japanese tea garden or the flower conservatory, you will be charmed by this magnificent green space that stretches from the city centre to the shores of the Pacific.In the park is 10 km of cycle path. The bike is therefore an excellent way to make a nice ride, and then why not take advantage of the bridge!To have the most beautiful view on the Golden Gate and San Fracisco we can only recommend you to visit the Golden Gate Recreation Area. It's a large green space on the other side of the bridge, and whether it's for a stroll or just to enjoy the breathtaking view of SF and the bay it's really a must see
If you like to walk, this tour is quite feasible on foot crossing the bridge and then going up the hill.
A walk on Telegraph Hill and visit of the Coit Tower
Telegraph Hill is a residential neighborhood in San Francisco, and we strongly recommend that you climb the top of the hill through the harbour. You will pass through beautifully maintained houses and flower gardens. Once at the top, a little lap on the Coit Tower is enough! The view over the city and the bay of San Francisco is fantastic, and you will be able to fully admire the typically American architecture with these perfectly straight streets that cut at right angles, an American standard, but funny enough for Europeans.
Lombard Street
The most tortuous street in the world! Lombard Street is actually a road that stretches from the Presidio to Embarcadero. But for tourists Lombard Street often evokes the winding stretch between Hyde Street and Leavenworth Street. This section, the photos of which have probably already been taken around the world, is made up of 8 tight bends that have been placed at this point in order to reduce the slope a little bit. This street can be borrowed by car, but only in one direction (in the direction of the descent).
