Located on the Pacific coast of the US, the city of San Francisco is a huge melting pot filled with people from all walks of life. As a result, the city has developed and nurtured its own unique and very colorful cultural identity. This hugely influential city has been largely responsible for changing attitudes and cultures around the world; and where San Francisco leads, the rest of the world follows, eventually!
Being located on the San Andreas Fault, one of the most active tectonic plates on Earth, means San Franciscans continually live with the threat of earthquakes and this has certainly affected their attitude to risk. Almost entirely destroyed by a massive earthquake in 1906, a major tremor devastated the city most recently in 1989, albeit with minimal fatalities. As a result, San Franciscans have developed a unique and different approach to life, living under the daily threat of earthquake destruction but ensuring that their days are lived to the fullest in the meantime.
Every year, the people of San Francisco enjoy hosting many carnivals and street festivals, the most famous of which is the world’s largest Gay Pride parade, which takes place every September. Others include the Chinese New Year parade in February and the LoveFest held in late summer. The former has developed as a result of San Francisco’s Chinese community, and the city is home to one of the largest and oldest Chinatowns in North America. Established in the 1850s, it is still a major tourist draw and has also been featured in many popular TV series and movies.
In addition to a unique culture, the city also boasts equally unique landmarks. The iconic Golden Gate Bridge that links the city to the rest of Northern California is a true marvel of engineering that overlooks the infamous Alcatraz Island, once considered the most secure prison in the US. Coit Tower sits proudly atop Telegraph Hill and is one of the city’s most prominent landmarks, along with the Tranamerica Pyramid, the city’s tallest skyscraper.
Other San Francisco tourist attractions include Fisherman’s Wharf, which overlooks Alcatraz Island. Fisherman’s Wharf has a fantastic selection of restaurants and shops and is the starting point for the tour of Alcatraz Prison, which now serves as a tourist attraction with no dangerous criminals. And one access point is totally unique: Lombard Street is a street like no other in the world, adorned with flowers and winding down the side of a hill in a series of hairpin bends that slow traffic.
To ensure you get the most out of a trip to San Francisco, try to book a hotel in the Union Square district, as it is very central to all of the city’s attractions and a hub for the legendary cable cars. And remember to book your San Francisco hotel in advance if you’re going to attend any of the major festivals or parades, as they quickly fill up!