San Francisco, California

: San Francisco redirects here. For other uses, see San Francisco (disambiguation).

Culture

Main article: Culture of San Francisco, California

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Some of the most notable landmarks are the Transamerica Pyramid and Golden Gate Bridge.

Related Topics:
Transamerica Pyramid - Golden Gate Bridge

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Contemporary life

In the years following World War II, San Francisco accelerated its transformation into a center of alternative culture and lifestyles. Movements instrumental in this change include the beat generation or beatniks, the San Francisco Renaissance in the 1950s, hippie culture, women's liberation, gay civil rights, the Summer of Love in the Haight Ashbury, and the rave culture of the 1990s.

Related Topics:
Beat generation - Beatniks - San Francisco Renaissance - Hippie - Summer of Love - Haight Ashbury - Rave

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The high concentration of gay people in the Castro District and Noe Valley, coupled with the city's history with Gay Rights, has earned San Francisco the reputation of the "Gay Mecca". It is the world's most popular destination for gay tourists and hosts the world's largest gay pride parade and festival in June.

Related Topics:
Gay - Castro - Noe Valley - Gay Rights

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San Francisco has been the setting for numerous television programs such as Dharma & Greg, Full House, The Streets of San Francisco, Nash Bridges, Charmed, Midnight Caller, Monk, and Disney's "That's So Raven".

Related Topics:
Television program - Dharma & Greg - Full House - The Streets of San Francisco - Nash Bridges - Charmed - Midnight Caller - Monk - That's So Raven

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Movies set in the city include Basic Instinct, The Conversation, Edtv, So I Married An Axe Murderer, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Game, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Pacific Heights, The Towering Inferno, The Birds, Heart and Souls, ', The Presidio, The Princess Diaries, Dirty Harry, Metro, Bullitt, Twisted, Vertigo, Where the Buffalo Roam, Bicentennial Man, Just Like Heaven, 40 Days and 40 Nights, and the upcoming Zodiac.

Related Topics:
Basic Instinct - The Conversation - Edtv - So I Married An Axe Murderer - Mrs. Doubtfire - The Game - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner - Pacific Heights - The Towering Inferno - The Birds - Heart and Souls - The Presidio - The Princess Diaries - Dirty Harry - Metro - Bullitt - Twisted - Vertigo - Where the Buffalo Roam - Bicentennial Man - Just Like Heaven - 40 Days and 40 Nights - Zodiac

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The city is featured in the popular video game as the fictional city San Fierro. Landmarks from the city in that game include the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, City Hall, the Transamerica Pyramid, cable cars, and Chinatown. The older racing games San Francisco Rush and San Francisco Rush 2049 allow players to race cars through the city streets (the latter title including futuristic alterations).

Related Topics:
San Francisco Rush - San Francisco Rush 2049

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Other fictional works set in San Francisco include The Joy Luck Club, The Maltese Falcon, and Tales of the City.

Related Topics:
The Joy Luck Club - The Maltese Falcon - Tales of the City

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Through the years San Francisco has also become a favorite subject of many popular songs and most of which became a hit. A few of these are:

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• I Left My Heart in San Francisco by Tony Bennett
• (Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding
• San Francisco (You've got me) by The Village People
• San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair) by Scott McKenzie
• Lights by Journey
• San Franciscan Nights by Eric Burdon & The Animals

Museums and performing arts

Notable San Francisco Museums include the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), the Palace of the Legion of Honor, the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, and the Asian Art Museum.

Related Topics:
Museum of Modern Art - Palace of the Legion of Honor

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In terms of performing arts, San Francisco boasts the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Opera and the San Francisco Ballet. San Francisco's Ballet and Opera are some of the oldest continuing performing arts companies in the United States. The city is also home to the American Conservatory Theater, also known as A.C.T., which has been a leading force in Bay Area performing arts since its founding in 1965.

Related Topics:
San Francisco Symphony - San Francisco Opera - San Francisco Ballet - American Conservatory Theater

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In addition to professional, mainstream performing arts, The City is home to the 200 member San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, the world's first, as well as the San Francisco Gay Freedom Band, the world's first gay marching band. Two additional gay choruses, the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco and Golden Gate Men's Chorus, also perform throughout the year.

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Nightlife

San Francisco also has great nightlife ranging from bars to lounges to clubs. Major areas of nightlife in San Francisco are North Beach, the Mission District, the Marina, the Castro, and South of Market. San Francisco also boasts of legendary venues such as The Fillmore and The Warfield.

Related Topics:
North Beach - Mission District - Marina - Castro - South of Market - The Fillmore - The Warfield

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Some say that San Francisco is the birthplace of the martini, a claim disputed by New York City.

Related Topics:
Martini - New York City

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Sports

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Club

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Sport

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League

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Venue

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Logo

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San Francisco 49ers

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NFL

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National Football Conference

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Monster Park

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Oakland Raiders

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NFL

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American Football Conference

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McAfee Coliseum

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San Francisco Giants

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Major League Baseball

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National League

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SBC Park

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Oakland Athletics

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Major League Baseball

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American League

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McAfee Coliseum

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Golden State Warriors

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Basketball

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National Basketball Association

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Oakland Arena

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San Jose Sharks

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Ice Hockey

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National Hockey League

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HP Pavilion

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San Jose Earthquakes

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Soccer

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Major League Soccer

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Spartan Stadium

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San Jose SaberCats

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Football

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Arena Football League

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HP Pavilion

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San Francisco is the home of the San Francisco 49ers National Football League team, who play at Monster Park and the San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball team, who play at SBC Park. MLB's Oakland Athletics, NFL's Oakland Raiders, and the National Basketball Association's Golden State Warriors play across the bay in Oakland. The regional National Hockey League team, the San Jose Sharks play in San Jose. The Warriors and Sharks were once based just south of San Francisco, at the Cow Palace, located several yards south of San Francisco, in Daly City.

Related Topics:
San Francisco 49ers - National Football League - Monster Park - San Francisco Giants - Major League Baseball - SBC Park - Oakland Athletics - Oakland Raiders - National Basketball Association - Golden State Warriors - National Hockey League - San Jose Sharks - Cow Palace - Daly City

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College sports include the University of San Francisco Dons. Other Regional College Sports team includes the Stanford Cardinals, the San Jose Spartans and the California Golden Bears.

Related Topics:
University of San Francisco - Stanford Cardinals - San Jose Spartans - California Golden Bears

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The city is also the home of the annual Bay to Breakers footrace, which holds the world records for greatest number of participants in a footrace (110K in 1986) as well as longest consecutively running footrace (annually since 1912). Records aside, the race is best known for its colorful costumes and celebratory community spirit (it was initiated after the disastrous 1906 earthquake as a way to boost the city's spirits).

Related Topics:
Bay to Breakers - Footrace - World record - 1986

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The city is also home to some famous golf courses, including the Harding Park Golf Course and the courses of the Olympic Club.

Related Topics:
Harding Park Golf Course - Olympic Club

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