SAN FRANCISCO Real Estate

San Francisco, located in northern California between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, is a top commercial hub with a diverse population. The gold rush of 1849 jump-started San Francisco's development. An influx of immigrants from China and the arrival of railroads connecting the city to the eastern US triggered further growth, making San Francisco the west coast's first cosmopolitan city. The earthquake of 1906 and the resulting fires devastated the city; the Panama Canal in 1915 improved the distribution of goods to the city, enabling rapid rebuilding. During World War II, San Francisco was an important supply center to the Pacific.

Today, San Francisco has one of the nation's largest Asian communities and a significant gay/lesbian community. Along with Oakland, San Jose and other communities in the Bay Area, San Francisco is part of one the country's largest metro areas. It has a strong economy, home to thousands of high-tech businesses, primarily in the biotech and silicon industries. Known as Silicon Valley for its prominence in the development of semiconductors and computer-related technology, the area claims the headquarters of industry giants Adobe Systems, Apple, Applied Materials, eBay, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, National Semiconductor, Sun Microsystems and Yahoo.

The area is also home to many postsecondary institutions, from community colleges to 4-year universities. Some of these include San Francisco State University, the University of California at Berkeley, San Jose State University, College of San Mateo and Stanford University. There are also a number of online schools that serve the San Francisco area for people who are interested in learning how to become a registered nurse, earn a degree in English, business or other fields, but may not have the free time to enroll in an on-campus program.

While not as warm as southern California, the Bay area has an agreeable climate and a boatload of recreational opportunities. The city's steep hills and walkable Golden Gate Bridge make it one of America's great walking cities. For more variety, dozens of parks are easily accessible. Golden Gate Park, the largest urban park in San Francisco (and larger than New York's Central Park) has lakes, waterfalls, the de Young Museum, the Strybing Arboretum and the Conservatory of Flowers. The Golden Gate National Recreation Area, with 75,000 acres on both sides of the Golden Gate Bridge, is loaded with beaches, islands, walking trails and forests with 300-foot redwoods.

Source: https://www.citytowninfo.com/places/california/san-francisco