Photo courtesy of iStock / bluejayphoto
Welcome to San Francisco
San Francisco might not be California’s biggest city, but it makes a good case for being its most beautiful. From its scenic bay to its diverse and lively neighborhoods, there’s a lot to love about SF. Come along on a virtual tour of the city as we explore its top attractions and lesser known local favorites.
Photo courtesy of iStock / bluejayphoto
City revitilization
Crissy Field, a former military airfield, has been transformed into one of San Francisco’s most beloved green spaces. The grassy park and promenade enjoys some of the best views of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and is a popular spot for bird watching on the tidal marsh, jogging along the beachfront trails or windsurfing in the bay.
Photo courtesy of Visit California/Carol Highsmith
Flower power
San Francisco has plenty of icons, and when it comes to iconic neighborhoods, none is quite so famous as Haight-Ashbury. The city’s 1960s flower power movement was born at this intersection, where modern visitors will find record stores, clothing shops, tattoo studios and a collection of hip bars and restaurants.
Photo courtesy of San Francisco Travel Association photo
America’s first Chinatown
San Francisco is home to North America’s first and largest Chinatown. The Chinese Historical Society of America Museum chronicles the history of the local Chinese community, while the Chinese Culture Center hosts free art exhibitions and neighborhood walking tours.
Photo courtesy of San Francisco Travel Association photo
LGBTQ+ history
For a living lesson in San Francisco’s civil rights history, take a walk through The Castro, perhaps the most famous LGBTQ+ neighborhood in the world. The sidewalk outside the Castro Theatre – the Rainbow Honor Walk – is dotted with bronze plaques celebrating LGBTQ+ pioneers.
Photo courtesy of San Francisco Travel Association photo
Pride
On the last weekend of June each year, the entire city of San Francisco celebrates Pride, the largest LGBTQ+ event in the nation. The two-day event features a colorful downtown parade, live music and performances on more than 20 community-run stages, dancing and parties all over town.
Main events take place outside City Hall, where Harvey Milk gave his speech on Gay Freedom Day in 1978.
Photo courtesy of San Francisco Travel Association photo
Unexpected art
Spend some time in San Francisco, and you’ll find works of art in all sorts of unexpected places, like this animated, illuminated mural on the Pier 92 grain silos known as Bayview Rise. The installation by Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan symbolizes the Bayview neighborhood’s transformation.
Photo courtesy of San Francisco Travel Association photo
Immersive art
Point Cloud, a favorite nighttime photo op, is a permanent art installation by Leo Villareal inside the pedestrian bridge over Howard Street. The work was created with 858 steel rods and 28,288 LED bulbs that change between shades of blue, pink, yellow, orange and lavender.
Photo courtesy of San Francisco Travel Association photo
The People’s Palace
San Francisco’s City Hall has witnessed plenty of history in its more than 100 years of existence, including red scare demonstrations, the assassination of Harvey Milk and the legal marriage of 4,037 same-sex couples in 2004. The impressive building boasts the world’s fifth-largest dome.
Photo courtesy of San Francisco Travel Association photo
Bay waterfront
Some of San Francisco’s most popular residents – a colony of sea lions – make their home at Fisherman’s Wharf. This waterfront neighborhood, with its seafood restaurants, sourdough bread bakeries and souvenir shops, is also the jumping-off point for boat trips to Alcatraz and Angel Island.
Photo courtesy of San Francisco Travel Association photo
A taste of history
Foodies and architecture buffs alike won’t want to miss a stop at the Ferry Building, a historic Beaux Arts building with a history dating back to 1898. Today, the landmark houses retail space for artisan food and wine producers. The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market takes place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Photo courtesy of Visit California/Hub
Urban rainforest
Did you know you can visit a living rainforest without leaving the city? The California Academy of Sciences is home to a four-story indoor rainforest, housed within a glass dome. Visitors can see more than 1,600 species of plants and animals, including leafcutter ants and Amazonian tree boas.
Photo courtesy of San Francisco Travel Association photo
Breath of fresh air
You’ll find no shortage of places to get outdoors in San Francisco. Lands End, one of the area’s most popular hiking trails, winds along the rocky coastal terrain of the city’s northwestern corner, inside the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Photo courtesy of iStock / micopher
Abandoned beauty
Former mayor of San Francisco Adolph Sutro constructed a series of six saltwater pools and one freshwater pool along an ocean cliff in the western part of the city. The project was completed in 1896, but the pools eventually fell into disuse and were destroyed by fire in the 1960s.
Today, the ruins of these Sutro Baths attract photographers and sunset gazers.
Photo courtesy of iStock / Joseph Christopher Oropel
Postcard view
The Twin Peaks sit in the geographical center of San Francisco, offering spectacular panoramic views from the 925-foot summit. A hike to the top rewards you with views of Ocean Beach, the Golden Gate Bridge, Potrero Hill and the Mission District.
Photo courtesy of iStock / yhelfman
Tunnel of trees
Come to the Presidio of San Francisco, a former Spanish fort and army base that’s now a green space maintained by the National Park Service, for a history lesson and a scenic place to enjoy the outdoors. Lovers Lane, one of the park’s oldest walking trails, takes visitors through an enchanting tunnel of trees.
Photo courtesy of iStock / Gersh Daniel Gerstenhaber
Crookedest street in the world
Lombard Street, also known as the “crookedest street in the world,” attracts millions of visitors each year to its eight hairpin turns and Russian Hill mansions. Capture the best photos of the scenic street from the bottom before walking to the top for views over San Francisco Bay and the Bay Bridge.
Photo courtesy of iStock / Don White
The Painted Ladies of Alamo Square
Alamo Square might just be the most photographed area in San Francisco, thanks to its row of pastel-hued Victorian houses with the downtown skyline in the background. These homes, known as the Painted Ladies, display Queen Anne features, like large porches and multiple balconies. The best time to photograph them is at sunset.