San Francisco, California, of San Francisco County, is on a peninsula in the western part of the state. It is the main city of the San Francisco Bay region and the fourth largest city in California. San Francisco's economy is largely composed of tourism, finance and manufacturing.
The city is still considered to be the financial center in the western U.S. Important financial institutions include two bank headquarters, the Pacific Stock Exchange, and a Federal Reserve Bank. Other industries include textiles, clothing, publishing, oil, computers, chemicals and communications equipment. San Francisco also is a major port city to international locations and other parts of the western United States. Major companies headquartered in San Francisco include Charles Schwab, The Gap, Macromedia, Wells Fargo and CNET.
Known as "The City by the Bay," thousands of people find themselves moving to San Francisco, keeping San Francisco movers busy.
History:
Native Americans inhabited the San Francisco area for thousands of years before European settlement. The first European exploration was in 1542 and the first sites were established by the Spanish in 1776. The city of Yerba Buena was developed in 1822.
The United States took control of the area in 1846 during the Mexican-American War. The city was renamed San Francisco the next year. The city started to grow considerably from the California gold rush in 1848. During this time, the Chinatown district of San Francisco began. Additionally, major companies such as Wells Fargo Bank and Levi Strauss were established.
During the mid 1800s, San Francisco experienced political problems. Vigilante groups were formed and attempted to remove many people from San Francisco. Starting in 1900, the bubonic plague was brought into parts of the city and took five years to get rid of it. A large earthquake hit the city in 1906 and is believed to have killed a few thousand people. San Francisco hosted the Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915.
The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was built in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge the following year. The city was a major military point for Pacific tasks during World War II. Highways were attempted to be built around the city in the 1950s but strong opposition prevented much from every being built. The following decades were marked with certain groups of people coming into the city. The 1960s brought many gays and lesbians, the 1980s brought a large homeless population, and the 1990s brought many high-tech people into San Francisco.
Tourism:
San Francisco is serviced by San Francisco International Airport, which is located 11 miles outside of the city. Popular areas of San Francisco include Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, the Embarcadero, and Market Street. Telegraph Hill, Russian Hill, and Nob Hill feature many million dollar houses. Museums include the San Francisco Museum of Art, the Asian Art Museum, the M.H. De Young Memorial Museum, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Sports teams include the baseball Giants, the football 49ers, among several other smaller collegiate and professional teams.