Furnished Apartments in San Francisco

Facts About San Francisco

San Francisco is well-known for the Steep Streets, Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz. As compared to the other cities in the U.S. it is the thirteenth largest city in terms of area.It has some exciting historical realities.

Some of the remarkable facts about San Francisco are as follows:

• When the rest of the nation was reeling under economic meltdown, none of the banks in San Francisco was affected; rather two bridges were constructed during the Great Depression, the Oakland Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge The United Nations Charter was drafted and ratified in San Francisco in 1945.

• The last full concert of the Beatles was hosted at Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966. The park had a capacity of 42,000 and only 25,000 tickets were sold

• San Francisco’s Port was full of abandoned ships after the Gold Rush waned. The materials from these ships were later on repurposed for homes and buildings.

• In 1906, more than half the city was devastated due to an earthquake and a resulting fire in the year 1906. 

• The abundance of, low resin, water-retaining, and Redwood trees in the city helped save the rest of the city from the devastating fire

• The only non-stationary National Historical Monument is in this city, San Francisco’s cable cars.

• In 1848, the first Chinese immigrants to the United States came to San Francisco. 

• The world-famous denim jeans were invented by Levi Strauss in San Francisco to be used by the Gold Rush miners who required durable and comfortable clothing material to withstand wear and tear.

Cost of Living in San Francisco

• Meals for two persons in a relatively cheaper restaurant will be $12 to $35. In a mid-range restaurant, it will cost anywhere from $85 to $60.

• Local Transport: one-way ticket would cost$ 2.50-3.50. The cost of a regular monthly Pass is around $ 80.00-99.00. The normal Tariff for a Taxi starts at $ 3.50-5.00

• Monthly Utility bills: for Heating, electricity, Cooling, garbage and water would range from$125  to $150

• Monthly rent would be anywhere from $2300 to $9900, depending on the area and size.

Tips for Visiting San Francisco

• San Francisco is known to have microclimates; sea breeze can dip the mercury of the otherwise moderate during the daytime and cold during the night. So be prepared with your warm clothing for the nights and light fabric to wear during the day. 

• Check out the Ferry Building Marketplace for tasting wine and go on a walking tour.

• Apart from availing the public transportation, you will be climbing a lot of hills. So, get yourself a good pair of walking shoes. Sunglasses are also recommended to prevent bits of grit and debris getting into the eyes due to gusty wind.

• Be prepared to face the fog that reduces visibility.

Things To Do in San Francisco

San Francisco has several places of tourist attraction to visit and fun activities to do.  Let’s take a look at some of them.

Q. What are popular things to do in San Francisco? 

Play an adventure game of fun scavenger hunt in San Francisco's Embarcadero. Breakfast at Sears Fine Food and then you can visit Union Square or the Ferry Building for shopping. 

Q. Does San Francisco have many romantic attractions? 

The fog in the hills of San Francisco lends a romantic feeling. There are Ocean Beach and the Golden Gate Bridge, for romantic walks and spectacular views.

Q. What are family-friendly things to do in San Francisco? 

There are many family-friendly things to do in San Francisco, discovering the Natural World at the California Academy of Sciences, seeing animals at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, a visit to the Exploratorium or going to the Aquarium in the Bay area to admire the sea life or better still you can go on a tour to the Chocolate Factory.

Q. What are unusual things to do in San Francisco? 

Among the many usual things to do, you could Cross the Golden Gate Bridge, Zip through Lombard Street, see the ocean locals at the Aquarium of the Bay, challenge yourself to an escape game, or sail the Bay for a spectacular view.

Q. What are some free things to do in San Francisco? 

Among the many things to do for free in San Francisco, you can drive down Lombard Street, take a walking tour of the city, visit a free museum, take a Cable Car ride, see the Sea Lions at Pier 39, walk across the Golden Gate Bridge or check out the Golden Gate Park.

Places to Visit in San Francisco

Some of the top places to visit in San Francisco on your bucket list should include the following:

• The Golden Gate Bridge: gracing San Francisco Bay is California's icon. It is popular among tourists for clicking photographs. An orange structure that has blue water in the backdrop makes for a splendid view. At night the view of the flood-lit bridge is equally striking.

• Alcatraz Island: Here you can visit the notorious historic Alcatraz penitentiary, amongst America's most notorious prisons. It was functional for almost thirty years, after which it closed down in 1963, reopening as a tourist attraction in 1973.

• Fisherman's Wharf: It is among the most popular tourist areas of San Francisco and one of the best places to visit. It is famous for its restaurants, shops, and beautiful setting beside the waterfront.

• Chinatown: It is the largest Chinatown outside Asia and the oldest in North America. Visit Chinatown during Chinese holidays or the Chinese New Year celebrations. It is the best in entire North America.

Places to Eat in San Francisco 

Of the many good places to eat while visiting San Francisco here are some that are worth mentioning:

1. Empress by Boon: It is owned by the Malaysia-born Michelin-starred Chef Ho Chee Boon, it is among the exciting restaurants in San Francisco inaugurated recently. The menu emphasizes contemporary recipes to present traditional Cantonese dishes prepared using local ingredients, mostly from the restaurant-owned organic farm in Gilroy, California.  

2. Nari: It is the most recently opened restaurant by Chef Pim Techamuanvivit. It is led by women including a chef de cuisine. It is a modern Thai restaurant serving some traditional Thai recipes using locally grown seasonal ingredients. The menu has large servings for sharing that include rich lamb curries, pork belly,eggplant, and Cornish game hen. 

3. Liholiho Yacht Club: It serves Tuna Poke on Nori Crackers, Scallops with Misoyaki pork belly, squash, pecans and grapes, house-made spam and clamshell mushrooms, or Kimchi fried rice with smoked egg yolk, Baked Hawaii, prepared with vanilla chiffon and caramelized pineapple ice cream is a specialty here.

4. Taj Campton Place: You can have exotic Southern Indian food by Chef SrijithGopinathan or Maine lobster in a curry broth, slow-cooked lamb served over basmati rice, duck breast with rhubarb and basil, and snap peas. To top it up you have cumin-lime yogurt.

Street Food in San Francisco 

Some of the best Street Food to have in San Francisco are served in Chinatown, the Crab recipes at the Fisherman’s wharf chowder and crab sidewalk stand, the authentic North Indian/Pakistani Tender Kebabs or the slow-cooked Silken Curry at the Zareen’s. For Korean Street food you can visit Aria. While in San Francisco, scout around for lesser known yet tasty street food delicacies served here, along with the famous abalone, Dungeness crab, bay shrimp, Sand Dabs and crusty sourdough French bread. 

Shopping in San Francisco

You can shop at the international famed luxury department stores or can purchase locally made items by artisans. For high-end exclusive fashion and home décor, San Francisco offers numerous options.  Union Square is the most frequently visited shopping Centre in San Francisco. Here you will get all the big renowned brands. 

Transportation in San Francisco

San Francisco offers a host of options and means of transportation to avail for traveling. You can choose from Streetcars/Trolleys (called Muni Metro), City buses (called Muni),BART trains at the Bay Area Rapid Transit, City buses (called Muni), San Francisco Bay Ferries, and Cable cars. There is the Golden Gate Transit (SF & North Bay buses) and the Golden Gate Ferries and the free shuttlePresidiGo, 

Weather in San Francisco

The summers in San Francisco are stretched, with an arid and comfortable climate. The winters are shorter but cold and wet as well as partly cloudy. The temperatures around the year vary from 45oF to 72oF and seldom below 39oF and rarely do the temperatures go above 83oF. The best time to visit San Francisco is from the third week of June till the first week of October.