San
Fransisco is located at the tip of a penisula by the Pacific Ocean.
It’s often considered to be the most European-like and the
most open-minded city in the US. Its cosmopolitan atmosphere, high
hills, famous cable car, oceanic climate (a mixture of sun and fog),
original neighbourhoods all contribute to making San Francisco a very
attractive city.
We beging our visit with the very
symbol of San Francisco, the Golden
Gate Bridge. The bridge is 1.22 miles long and 755 feet high,
and was inaugurated in 1927.
The Golden Gate Park is the
San-Franciscans’ piece of greenery. It’s 3 miles
long and 0.5 miles wide, and quite packed during week-ends. It displays
a great variety of plants from all over the world (from about 20
different countries), grouped together in small buildings (for example, the Japanese Tea Garden).
To get an idea of the size of San
francisco, we drive up to the Twin
Peaks, two hills that go up to 980 feet high.
Don’t forget to take the
“museum on wheels”, the famous cable
car, at least once. Be we advise you to take it in the
morning or in the evening, or you might have to queue for a while (up
to 45 minutes during the touristy season).
The main districts of San Francisco.
Union Square, the town centre, where you will find :
-
the main big shops (such as Macy’s);
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-luxury hotels;
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-fashion designers;
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-jewelers;
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-art galeries;
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-the main theatres.
Chinatown, the Chinese quarter, up north, with its
dozens of cheap shops located around Grant Avenue.
North Beach, the italian quarter, up north, with its
many bars and restaurants.
Fisherman’s
Wharf, along the
bay’s shores. It’s a very touristic area, with an
amazing view on Alcatraz.
Financial District, in the east, composed of banks and
skyscrapers.
Civic Center, in the west, composed of administrative
and cultural centres.
San Francisco is one of our favourite cities, it must be pleasant to live there.
