There are no doubts that San Francisco is one of the most amazing cities in the world, offering something for someone. You’ve probably heard different stories about Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate bridge, and other “classic” tourist attractions; here, we’ll present you with something different – 4 little known facts about the city of San Francisco.
1. Treasure Island
Located in the middle of San Francisco Bay between San Francisco and Oakland, Treasure Island is a small, 535-acre (2.17 km2) man-made island connected by a small isthmus to Yerba Buena Island. It was created in 1936 and 1937, from fill dredged from the bay, for the Golden Gate International Exposition. The island is named after the famous novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, who lived in San Francisco from 1879 to 1880. It used to be owned by the U.S. Navy, but was later sold to the city of San Francisco for $108 million as part of a redevelopment project.
2. Chinatown
San Francisco hosts the oldest Chinatown in North America and the largest Chinese community outside Asia. It was established in 1848 and has ever since been highly important and influential in the history and culture of ethnic Chinese immigrants in North America. There are two hospitals in San Francisco’s Chinatown as well as numerous parks and squares, a post office and other infrastructure. Aside for being a home for thousands of Chinese immigrants, it is also a major tourist attraction, drawing more visitors annually than the Golden Gate Bridge.
3. Tallest building
The tallest skyscraper in San Francisco is the Transamerica Pyramid which serves as the headquarters of the Transamerica Corporation. The building is designed as a tall, four-sided pyramid with two “wings” on either side to accommodate an elevator shaft on the east and a stairwell and a smoke tower on the west. At 260 m (850 ft), it was among the five tallest buildings in the world at the time it was built in 1972.
4. Farallon Islands
The Farallon Islands or just Farallones are a group of islands and sea stacks in the Gulf of the Farallones, lying 30 miles (48 km) outside the Golden Gate and 20 miles (32 km) south of Point Reyes. These islands are officially part of the City and County of San Francisco, and the only inhabited portion is on Southeast Farallon Islands (SEFI), where research residents stay. Unfortunately, the islands are closed to the public.