- [Narrator] San Francisco is a rush.
A rush of art, flavors,
history, and innovation.
(funky rhythmic music)
It's all packed into a
seven-by-seven-mile square,
between the Pacific Ocean
and the San Francisco Bay.
The city has long attracted
trailblazers and countercultures.
The Gold Rush, immigration, beatniks,
hippies, the LGBTQ community,
and the tech industry
have all fueled San
Francisco's enduring influence
on American culture.
If you've seen a movie
set in San Francisco,
you've probably seen Chinatown.
The Dragon Gate arch at
Grant Avenue and Bush Street
tells visitors they're entering
America's oldest Chinatown.
In the mid-1800s, the
lure of the Gold Rush
and the availability of work
building the Pacific Railroad,
drew large numbers of Chinese
immigrants to San Francisco.
Today you can take in the
scene on packed Grant Avenue,
and head to Stockton Street
for the authentic Chinatown experience.
You can shop for traditional
Chinese ingredients,
sip a cup of fragrant jasmine
tea, and eat at some of
the best Chinese restaurants in the world.
The Golden Gate Bridge might be
the most iconic San Francisco landmark,
but the massive Golden Gate Park
is one of the most visited
green spaces in the U.S.
20% larger than New York's Central Park,
it covers a thousand square acres
in a near perfect rectangle,
stretching from the oceanfront west,
to the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.
It includes numerous gardens,
the historic Conservatory of Flowers,
and two world-class museums,
the California Academy of Sciences,
and the de Young Museum of Fine Art.
It also has some pretty unusual
residents for the big city,
a herd of bison.
Buffalo have lived in
the park since the 1890s.
And the tradition continues
today with a small group
of six bison that spend their days
in a bucolic green pasture
next to Spreckels Lake.
Keep going west and you'll
find yourself at Ocean Beach.
The top of the five-mile
stretch of shoreline
borders Lands End, a national
park with otherworldly views
on the Northwest coast of the city.
You can also explore the modern
ruins of the Sutro Baths.
When they opened in 1896,
it was the largest indoor
swimming facility in the world.
But the massive complex of
saltwater pools, restaurants,
games, and even a museum,
burned to the ground in 1966.
After you've climbed the crumbling walls,
stairs, and tunnels,
you can unwind at the historic
Cliff House restaurant.
Originally constructed in 1863,
the resort has been rebuilt
three times over the years.
Today you can take in the panoramic views
in one of the two restaurants
that now occupy the
neoclassical structure.
The lure of the city by the bay
goes so much deeper
than its natural beauty.
San Francisco's diversity,
artistic spirit,
and innovative drive all make
it a rich source of adventure
for any free spirited traveler.
(upbeat funky music)
