City Info
USA | San Francisco

San Francisco is a major city in California, the centrepiece of the Bay Area, well-known for its liberal community, hilly terrain, Victorian architecture, scenic beauty, summer fog, and extreme ethnic and cultural diversity. These are only a few of the aspects of the city that make San Francisco one of the most visited cities in the world. San Francisco is located on a small seven-by-seven mile (11 x 11km) square of land at the tip of a peninsula between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific coast. It has a population of almost 800,000, but is the centre of a metropolitan area of millions. San Francisco is just one of the cities which makes-up the entire San Francisco Bay Area.

The city is famous for its hills. There are more than 50 hills within the city limits. Some neighbourhoods are named after the hill on which they are situated, including Nob Hill, Pacific Heights, Russian Hill, Potrero Hill, and Telegraph Hill. Near the geographic center of the city, southwest of the downtown area, are a series of less densely populated hills. Dominating this area is Mount Sutro, the site of Sutro Tower, a large red and white radio and television transmission tower. Nearby is Twin Peaks, a pair of hills resting at one of the city's highest points and a popular overlook spot for tour groups. San Francisco's tallest hill, Mount Davidson, is 925 feet (282 m) high and is capped with a 103 foot (31 m) tall cross built in 1934.

 San Francisco is characterized by a high standard of living. The great wealth and opportunity generated by the Internet revolution continues to draw many highly educated and high-income workers and residents to San Francisco. Numerous lower-income neighbourhoods consequently have become increasingly gentrified, and many of the city's traditional business and industrial districts have experienced a renaissance driven by the redevelopment of the Embarcadero, including the neighbourhoods South Beach and Mission Bay. The city also supports a large restaurant and entertainment infrastructure.

Tourism is the backbone of the San Francisco economy. Its frequent portrayal in music, film, and popular culture has made the city and its landmarks recognizable worldwide. The legacy of the California Gold Rush turned San Francisco into the principal finance centre of the West Coast in the early twentieth century. Montgomery Street in the Financial District became known as the "Wall Street of the West". Small businesses with fewer than 10 employees and self-employed firms make up 85 percent of city establishments.

As you can see there is a wide variety of industries where you could gain experience through an internship in San Francisco.