Local Information of San Francisco

Geography
Located at the northern part of the San Francisco Peninsula, the city has Pacific Ocean to the west, San Francisco Bay to the north and east and Brisbane to the south. Several islands also form a part of the city which includes Alcatraz Island, Treasure Island, Yerba Buena Island and some portion of Alameda, Red Rock and Angel Islands. Farallon Islands are offshore in the Pacific Ocean.

The city has more than 50 hills within the city limits which form the specialty of San Francisco. Some of the neighborhoods of the city are named after the hills on which they are situated. A pair of hills at one of the city’s highest points, the Twin Peaks forms a popular overlook spot. Mount Davidson is the tallest hill in San Francisco.

Climate
San Francisco experiences the Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and dry, cool summers. The climate is strongly influenced by the cool flows of the Pacific Ocean since it is covered by water on three sides. This comprises moderate temperature swings to result in a mild climate with lesser seasonal temperature variation. There are very few rainy days in a year with rare instances of snow.

Neighborhoods
The northeast quadrant of the city bordered by Market Street forms the center of San Francisco. Financial District and the main shopping and hotel district, the Union Square are centered here. The steep inclines of the Nob Hill can be reached with the help of cable cars. Russian Hill, a residential neighborhood with the famous crooked Lombard Street, North Beach and Telegraph Hill are also located in the area. Chinatown is situated nearby.

The Mission District is famous for its colorful murals. Alamo Square and Pacific Heights are some of the other neighborhoods. The vast region of Golden Gate Park extending to the Pacific Ocean, the Richmond, has a part called New Chinatown which houses immigrants. Sunset has a predominant Asian population which is to the south of Golden Gate Park. The Richmond and Sunset are collectively known as The Avenues. Outer and inner Richmond or Sunset areas refer to the western and eastern portions respectively, of The Avenues.