In Depth

Unlike most American cities that have evolved in a more measured fashion, San Francisco has been molded politically, socially, and physically by a variety of (literally) earthshaking events. In this chapter, we give you a little rundown on the history of the City by the Bay along with some other useful background on local views and customs.

San Francisco Today

Shaken but not stirred by the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, San Francisco has witnessed a spectacular rebound in recent years. The seaside Embarcadero, once plagued by a horrendously ugly freeway overpass, was revitalized by a multimillion-dollar face-lift, complete with palm trees, a new trolley line, and wide cobblestone walkways. SoMa, the once industrial neighborhood south of Market Street, has exploded with new development, including the beautiful Yerba Buena arts district, the sleek lofts of Mission Bay, and a slew of hip new clubs and cafes. South Beach is the new darling of young professionals living the condo-in-the-city life, and the spectacular new California Academy of Sciences and de Young Museum have given even the locals two new reasons to visit Golden Gate Park.

All that glitters is not the Golden Gate, however. At the end of World War II, San Francisco was the largest and wealthiest city on the West Coast. Since then, it has been demoted to the fourth-largest city in California, home to only 825,000 people, less than 5% of the state's total. The industrial heart of the city has been knocked out and shipped off to less costly locations such as Oakland and Los Angeles, and increasingly San Francisco has had to fall back on tourism as a major source of revenue. If the process continues unabated, the city may someday become another Las Vegas, whose only raison d'être will be pleasing its visitors like one vast Fisherman's Wharf -- a frightening premonition. Then, of course, there are the typical big-city problems: Crime is up along with drug use, and despite efforts to curb homelessness and panhandling, it's still a thorny issue.

But on the whole, San Francisco is doing just fine these days. Its convention halls are fully booked and the real estate market is stabilizing after a brief dip caused by the subprime housing debacle. The Giants are riding high after a 2010 World Series Win. Gay couples are poised to celebrate marriage equality after a 2010 courtroom victory overturning Proposition 8 (though the ruling remains stayed). In politics, the city awaits a November 2011 mayoral election to replace Edwin M. Lee. Dot.com companies seem to be staging a comeback, this time around with an actual plan to make money. Despite the recession blues, San Franciscans are finding ways to have fun -- lining up for hot, new restaurants and nightspots, packing theaters and film festivals, and crowding into Apple stores to get their hands on the latest iPhone. Though it may never relive its heady days as the king of the West Coast, San Francisco will undoubtedly retain the title as everyone's favorite California city.