History and Description of the Metropolitan San Francisco Regional Area

History and Description of the Metropolitan San Francisco Regional Area - Search Home and House Property Listings

Prior to the discovery of the San Francisco Bay, the Oholone, or "western people" were indigenous to the coastal area between Point Sur and the Bay. European discovery and exploration of the area began in 1542 and culminated with the mapping of the Bay in 1775. Spanish explorer Sergeant Jose Francisco Ortega, a member of the Spanish expedition under command of Don Gaspar de Portola, actually discovered "La Boca del Puerto," the mouth of the port. The first colonizing party arrived in 1776 and established Mission Dolores, Registered Landmark Number One and the oldest intact building in San Francisco today.

The Sonoma Mission, the last and most northerly of all 21 Franciscan missions, was built in 1823. For years, mission priests and "Californios," local families -- who were California-born, but of Spanish blood -- co-existed serenely in the San Francisco area. Then, in 1848, gold was discovered at nearby Coloma and with the Gold Rush, Westward expansion began in earnest.

Today, San Francisco is a melting pot of ethnic and cultural diversity. It is home to many of the most famous tourist attractions in the world. Its restaurants, shopping, education and housing are world-renowned. From downtown San Francisco, the best view of the Bay is from a California Street cable car on top of Nob Hill. Cable cars are popular props in movies and television shows, such as Karl Malden's "The Streets of San Francisco." Many movie scenes include Lombard Street, its steep, zigzagged pavement perfect for police chases and action sequences. San Francisco's downtown skyscrapers provide a stunning backdrop for Alamo Square's famous "postcard row," a tight, escalating formation of Victorian houses.

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Unique San Francisco neighborhoods give the City its inner beauty and historic legacy. A myriad of communities in the Northwest, Central West, Southwest, Twin Peaks West, Central, Central North, North, Northeast, Central East and Southeast districts have their own distinct flavor.

Home prices in San Francisco range affordably from $265,000 in the Southeast District community of Bayview to $13.5 million in prestigious Pacific Heights. More than 58,600 students are served by the San Francisco Unified School District. Are institutions of higher learning, include Stanford University, the University of San Francisco and the University of California at San Francisco.

Victorian houses are the architectural mainstay of San Francisco. Pacific Heights, the City's most prestigious neighborhood, the Castro District and Nob Hill are among the many areas that feature stately Victorian houses. Some of Nob Hill's more noble attractions include Grace Cathedral, Huntington Park, Nob Hill Masonic Center and the Cable Car Museum.Union Street was the first neighborhood in San Francisco to covert its gingerbread Victorians into popular boutiques, art galleries and restaurants. Fashionable Union Square is the heart of San Francisco's upscale shopping district that includes many fine department stores such as Nordstrom's.

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San Francisco is also known for its international cuisine. For authentic Chinese food, one only has to walk through the historic "Dragon's Gate," the famous entrance to Chinatown. The Tenderloin district is another unique district with delectable food from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Of course, if American cuisine is more to your liking, there's no better hot fudge sundae than one from Ghirardelli Square, one of the featured waterfront attractions on Fisherman's Wharf. Known as "Fish Alley," the Wharf sells tons of seafood and deep-sea delicacies annually.

To escape the bustle of metropolitan San Francisco, try a subway ride on BART (Bay Area Transit) or a drive across the towering Golden Gate Bridge or a walk in one of the many parks serviced by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.

The Golden Gate Park is San Francisco's 1,000-acre backyard and home to the Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, a "living library" of plant species and California redwoods. The Japanese Tea Garden is a five-acre legacy of flowering cherry blossoms. The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a green treasure and a gateway to Alcatraz Island, the notorious former federal prison in the middle of the Bay. Lovely Sausalito is a Mecca for artists and host to several famous art festivals each year.

San Francisco has something for everyone: Tourist delights, a formidable professional football team - the 49ers - unique and affordable housing, and a breathtaking waterfront. It has cultural diversity second to none, including the San Francisco Ballet, Symphony and Opera, as well as, 24th Street's Hispanic festivals and the rich Italian heritage in North Beach. Whether you live and work or just visiting, you'll leave your heart in San Francisco, too.