Nestled into the foothills surrounding the San Francisco Bay is one of the great American metropolises: San Francisco. The city is a thriving hub of culture, food, art, music, education, and nightlife, and consistently rates as one of the most popular cities in the country with tourists. Much of its life is driven by the thriving, diverse immigrant communities that call San Francisco home. Right from its founding, this was a city of travelers, and over the decades it has welcomed huge numbers of migrants from all over the world, especially Asia and Latin America. These communities add their own contribution to the vibrant cultural life of San Francisco.
San Francisco is home to the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the most iconic structures in the U.S. The bridge, at almost a mile long, was a miracle of engineering when it was first constructed, and its warm color (known as “International Orange”) makes a beautiful contrast against the foggy skies and blue-grey water. Although the color was originally chosen to ensure that the bridge would be visible to passing ships, it turned out to be an excellent aesthetic choice, and contributes to the overall grace and elegance of the bridge.
A word of warning to the first-time visitor: you’ll sometimes hear people from outside San Francisco use the nicknames “San Fran” and “Frisco.” However, locals almost never use these names, and usually find them extremely irritating. Always use the full name of the city or, when writing, a simple “S.F.”
