San Francisco is immediately recognized around the world for its famous attractions: the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, the cable cars and the pyramid-shaped Transamerica Building. San Francisco combines sheer physical beauty, cultural diversity, leisure, recreational offerings and an ideal climate. Today, San Francisco is the heart of the Bay Area, a nine-county major metropolitan complex with a population of more than 6.5 million, making it the fifth largest market in the nation.

Though its physical landmarks are many, San Francisco is no less renowned for its rich cultural community. The San Francisco Opera, the oldest major company in the West, regularly presents international stars during its season at the War Memorial Opera House. The San Francisco Symphony and the San Francisco Ballet also are among this country's most distinguished companies. The symphony performs in the magnificent Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The ballet is one of two companies in the United States to own its own rehearsal and teaching facility. Professional theater activity centers around Geary Street, home of one of the largest and best-known repertory theater troupes in the country, the American Conservatory Theater, and the city's new Yerba Buena Gardens with its theater and art spaces. Theater patrons also enjoy the best of Broadway and London when touring plays, often featuring the original cast, arrive for performances at the Golden Gate, Orpheum, Curran and Marine's Memorial theaters. Numerous smaller theaters offer intimate settings for classics, comedies and avant-garde plays. The San Francisco Bay Area is particularly exciting because of its cultural mix including American Indian Contemporary Arts, the Asian American Theatre Company, the Mexican Museum, the Oakland Ensemble Theater Company and Dimensions Dance Company. The city is also home to active Chinese and Japanese cultural centers that celebrate the importance of the city's large Asian population with numerous festivals during the year.

In the midst of urban San Francisco lies the world's largest man-made park. Encompassing 1,017 acres, Golden Gate Park is a sanctuary for many. In addition to plants, trees, lakes, trails and sporting areas, the park includes a bison range, the famed Japanese Tea Gardens, the Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, the Academy of Sciences' aquarium, the Morrison Planetarium and 2 renowned museums-the Asian Art Museum and the de Young Museum. In all, San Francisco has 120 parks and mini-parks, 78 playgrounds, five golf courses, numerous tennis courts, nine swimming pools, five-and-a-half miles of ocean beach, a lake, fishing piers, a marina, small craft harbor and a zoo.

The San Francisco Bay Area has a wealth of world-class educational and research institutions, which contribute greatly to the region's economic strength. The University of California at San Francisco is one of the nation's top health, science and educational institutions.

Housing

To those who know the city's many amenities and limited space, it should come as no surprise that, in some respects, the cost of living in San Francisco is higher than that in other locales. Home prices and apartment rents tend to be well above the national average. Prices for food and certain other consumer items are also relatively high. While costs are above average, so are the income levels of most Bay Area residents. In fact, wages and salaries in the San Francisco area are among the highest in the country. Studies show that Bay Area residents have the third-highest discretionary income in the country. Higher salaries are partially a result of the Bay Area's highly educated workforce and concentration of jobs in high-paying growth industries such as technology and professional services.

Estimated median house or condo value in 2009: $751,600

Demographics

Population in July 2009: 815,358. San Francisco covers 46.7 square miles. It sits at an elevation 63 feet above sea level.

Weather

San Francisco, CA climate is mild during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 60's and cool during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 50's.

The warmest month of the year is September with an average maximum temperature of 71.30 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 46.40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperature variations between night and day tend to be fairly limited during summer with a difference that can reach 14 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 12 degrees Fahrenheit.

The annual average precipitation at San Francisco is 22.28 Inches. Winter months tend to be wetter than summer months. The wettest month of the year is January with an average rainfall of 4.72 Inches.

Information provided by idcide.com and city data.com