San Francisco:
San Francisco was once simply Yerba Buena (Good Herb), a Spanish fishing village with a population of 400, set on a large natural harbour. At the tip of a 120-sq-kilometre (46.6-sq-mile) peninsula (bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Golden Gate Strait and north-east by the Bay) the area is made up of more than a dozen steep hills.Modern San Francisco retains its relationship between materialism and money on the one hand and cutting-edge thought and progressive politics on the other. In the 1950s, the bohemian Beat movement grew up and out of San Francisco’s Little Italy neighbourhood of North Beach, which helped foster the city’s importance in the arts.San Francisco has a mild year-round climate but it should not be confused with hot and sunny Southern California. As a testament to the moderate temperature, many homes do not have central heating systems and outdoor dining may be enjoyed almost year-round, thanks to the frequent use of outdoor patio heaters.
