San Francisco CA Moving Companies

San Francisco, California

If you’re moving to San Francisco, you won’t be the first person to be attracted by the city’s charms. The “City by the Bay” has been a destination for miners relocating cross-country in search of gold, followed by silver prospectors, followed many years later by the Beat poets of the 1950s and the flower children of the 1960s. Whether you’re planning to hitch a ride to San Francisco (like Jack Kerouac did) or hire a whole fleet of San Francisco moving companies, take a moment to learn about the exciting city you’ll soon call home.

Economy:
San Francisco has been a center of trade since the California Gold Rush, because it is one of the largest cities on the West Coast. It owes much of its success to its bay, which houses ports that are ideal for international shipping. The city has also become a center for aviation technology. Lockheed and NASA each have facilities in the city, and San Francisco also has three large airports. The most important of these is the San Francisco International Airport, which is the ninth-largest airport in the U.S.

As a result of World War Two, San Francisco became a center of defense technology, and it retained its technology industries after the war ended. This allowed nearby Stanford University and Silicon Valley to become the birthplace of the modern computer industry.
Because the city is ideally situated for international trade, it houses a wide variety of other industries. Many items are manufactured in the city, including apparel, glass, leather, lumber, machinery and auto parts. The city is also home to a thriving medical industry, including research, biotechnology and the manufacture of pharmaceuticals.

History:
The first known occupants of San Francisco were the Ohlone, who left over four hundred shell mounds throughout the area. Sir Francis Drake visited nearby Marin in 1579, but prolonged contact between the Ohlone and Europeans did not begin until Gaspar de Portola sailed to San Francisco in 1776.

In July of 1846, Mormon leader Samuel Brannan traveled from Illinois to New York City, and sailed from there around South America to San Francisco. The town became an official part of the United States, and its residents soon discovered gold. News of the discovery reached the eastern U.S., and the year 1849 saw more than 50,000 people moving cross-country in what became known as the Gold Rush.

The lure of wealth also reached China, and many Chinese men made the harrowing voyage across the Pacific Ocean to try their luck at panning. Although the people of San Francisco made a consistent effort to discourage immigration (sometimes with brutal tactics), Chinese and other Asian immigrants became an important part of the local culture. Today more than 30 percent of the city’s population is Asian.

Tourism:
One of the most famous landmarks in San Francisco is the Golden Gate Bridge. It stretches 1.7 miles and is painted a striking orange color. The bridge’s suspension cables are anchored by towers reaching 746 into the air.

Another iconic feature of San Francisco is Postcard Row, which is located in Alamo Square. This row of Victorian townhouses (complete with pastel colors and gingerbread trim) is beautifully juxtaposed against San Francisco’s downtown skyline.

For an architectural contrast, take a boat out to Alcatraz Island. Once there, you can tour the jailhouse that held Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly. Nearby Fisherman’s Wharf is the perfect place to enjoy the foggy ambiance of the bay—and a hot seafood dinner, too.

Colleges/Universities:
• San Francisco State University
• City College of San Francisco
• Heald College
• Golden Gate University
• California College of the Arts
• University of California, San Francisco
• The University of San Francisco

Interesting Facts:
• Alcatraz Prison was billed as an escape-proof penitentiary, but there have been a number of escapes. The last escape was made by John Paul Scott, who swam from Alcatraz Island to Fort Point, at least 1¼ miles in 55-degree water.
• The San Francisco Examiner was arguably the city’s most famous newspaper. It was owned by publishing giant William Randolph Hearst, and famous reporter Ambrose Bierce wrote for it. The paper’s fortunes have since declined, and it is now published as a free tabloid.
• San Francisco is named after the Spanish mission founded on its site, the Mission San Francisco de Asís. This is turn was named after Saint Francis of Assisi, the popular Catholic patron saint of animals.

Helpful Links:
• City of San Francisco
• San Francisco Dental Offices
• San Francisco Storage Facility
• San Francisco Moving Guide