San Francisco Neighborhoods
San Francisco is not a large city in terms of population. It has nearly 800,000 residents according to the 2000 census figures. However, it is a very dense city with 16,632 residents per square mile. In the U.S. this density is second to only New York, with a population density of 26,517 residents per square mile.
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The residents of San Francisco are also very diverse. The first permanent settlers in San Francisco arrived from Mexico in 1777 to establish a mission. In the 1830s, San Francisco began to grow and develop into a port and city of commercialism and urban growth, laying the foundation for the multicultural city that San Francisco is today. In 1846, the United States claimed San Francisco during the war with Mexico, thus sparking the U.S. westward expansion to San Francisco.
In 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter's mill in Colma. The "gold rush" of 1849 swelled the city's population. Of 549 ships that entered the Golden Gate that year, 316 of them were from foreign ports. During the late 1800s the city developed banks, businesses, railroads and cable cars. San Francisco's Angel Island was the immigration center for more than 1 million Asian immigrants from 1910 to 1940. During the 1960s and 1970s, the hippies and gays flocked to the city expanding its cultural diversity, giving the city Haight Ashbury and the Castro.
The different cultures that formed the city, now flourish giving San Francisco many unique and disparate neighborhoods. You'll find distinctly different neighborhoods in close proximity. The borders between Chinatown and North Beach are blurred as Chinese and Italian restaurants intermingle on the streets. Along Fillmore street, you can walk from one of the city's most affluent neighborhoods (Pacific Heights) to one of the city's least affluent (Western Addition). The diversity of neighborhoods is one of the greatest parts of San Francisco. From the Mission to the Richmond District, the neighborhoods are as diverse as their dominant cultures. Exploring San Francisco's neighborhoods is a great way to get to know and enjoy the city. Some of the finest neighborhoods are profiled in this section, including:
- The Castro - The Castro is more formally known as Eureka Valley, which was the name for this neighborhood before this working-class district was homosexualized during the gay liberation movement of the 1960s and 70s. The Castro has become the gay mecca for gays who live in the midwestern United States.
- Chinatown - San Francisco's Chinatown is the largest outside of Asia. The southern entrance to Chinatown is marked by a dragon-topped gate at the corner of Grant and Bush.
- The Fillmore - San Francisco's Fillmore Street stretches from the Marina Green at the tip of the peninsula to Duboce Street just above Market. The Fillmore encompasses both one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in San Francisco as well as one of the poorest.
- Fisherman's Wharf - Fisherman's Wharf is the most visited neighborhood in San Francisco. It also contains many attractions that are worth a visit in their own right, including Pier 39, the Aquarium of the Bay, The Cannery, Hyde Street Pier and Ghirardelli Square.
- Japantown - Japantown covers a few blocks along Post Street between Fillmore and Laguna. The forced relocation of Japanese residents during World War II really took a toll on the Japanese population in the neighborhood. Despite it's small size, Japantown still has a vibrant community.
- The Marina - Bordering the San Francisco Bay on the tip of the peninsula, the Marina is close to many of San Francisco's top attractions, parks and beaches, including Fort Mason, Marina Green, Crissy Field and Fort Point.
- North Beach - North Beach, the traditional Italian neighborhood, is vibrant and teaming with coffee shops in the morning, Italian restaurants in the day, and bars and strip clubs at night. The main thoroughfare, Columbus Avenue, begins at the base of the Transamerica Pyramid and cuts a diagonal across the city to Northpoint and Leavenworth.
- Pacific Heights - Pacific Heights is one of the old money neighborhoods in San Francisco. You'll find it packed with mansions and foreign embassies, including the Spreckles mansion, which is currently the home of Danielle Steele.
- The Presidio - The Presidio is the lease densely populated neighborhood in the city. Its former use as a military base spared it much of the development that the rest of San Francisco saw. The rich landscape and diversity of the Presidio make it an important stop on any visit to San Francisco.
- Telegraph Hill - San Francisco's Telegraph Hill was named during the days of the gold rush in San Francisco when a telegraph semaphore system signaled the coming of inbound ships from the Golden Gate. As the hill is the tallest in the city, it was a natural location for the tall pole with moving arms used to signal the arrival of ships.
- Union Square - Union Square is both the name of the luxury shopping district of San Francisco and the park at its center. The square has recently been renovated and often has an art market featuring local artists.
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