San Francisco is a eclectically storied city brimming with interesting tidbits and peculiar history from every inch of our seven mile diameter. Whether you're a longtime local or a curious tourist, these fun facts about our city are sure to intrigue and surprise you!
See also: Is There A San Francisco Accent?
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The Golden Gate Bridge is recognized globally thanks to its defining vibrant "International Orange" hue, but it almost narrowly wasn't that way. In fact, the original color scheme was intended to be a bumblebee pattern with black and gold stripes by the U.S. Navy. However, once the bridge's primer coat was applied, architect Irving Morrow noticed its remarkably reddish tint that just could not be covered up. After some devoted convincing, the color remained, contrasting beautifully with the surrounding blue Bay waters and green hills that are just as essential to SF as our fiery radiant bridge.
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The city wasn't called San Francisco until 1876, as all the years prior the early settlement first established in what is now Chinatown was referred to as Yerba Buena, meaning "good herb" in Spanish because of all the lovely mint that flourished in the area. While we can't imagine another name that rolls quite as smooth off the tongue, Yerba Buena remains as the name of one of our most popular and lushly green park, tucked away right outside of the SFMOMA!
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San Francisco and New York are the two coastal hubs that seem to share some fun rivalry. While New York may dwarf us in size, our city's Golden Gate Park is actually much larger than their Central Park! The Big Apple's bucolic green space stretches 778 acres, while our bison and windmill-filled park spans a whopping 1017 acres. We guarantee you get your steps in here.
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Alcatraz is known as the daunting and ruthless former federal penitentiary that once housed the most notorious criminals. It was so brutal that they were the only prison that offered hot-water showers. Confused? Well this steamy method was so that the prisoners wouldn't become acclimated to the frigid waters of the surrounding bay in case they wanted to escape.
View this post on Instagram
While New York may hold the status of being an influential fashionhub, one essential garment was pioneered right here in our city- the classic blue denim jeans. Levi Strauss, an immigrant from Bavaria, first patented the revolutionary closet staple we see everywhere today on May 20, 1873 thoughtfully as a protective and durable apparel for the Gold Rush miners thriving in the city at the time.
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Fortune Cookies are a fun addition to every Chinese meal, but did you know they were not invented in China, nor even by someone of Chinese descent? The crispy sweet treat was first crafted by Japanese immigrant Makoto Hagiwara, which were popularly demanded at the Japanese Tea Garden in the early 1900s. Today you can still get an inside look into history by watching them be traditionally and meticulously made in-person at Chinatown's iconic Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory.
View this post on Instagram
San Francisco is such a dog-friendly metropolitan that we actually have more pups than kids here! In 2016 it was surveyed that the city had 115,000 children under 18, while the San Francisco Animal Care and Control reported as much as 150,000 dogs all around our 7x7. That's a tail-wagging fact that goes naturally goes well with all of our countless dog parks!
See also: San Francisco's Most Fun And Scenic Dog Parks
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Even San Francisco wasn't safe from the British Invasion, and we grandly closed it out as the graciously chosed setting for the Beatles' last concert. 25,000 tickets were sold in 1966 to see the Fab Four rock our former Candlestick Park, though they were all unaware this would be the ultimate last show they would ever do together.
View this post on Instagram
Tourists and locals alike love to ride our signature and cute cable cars, but few know that they're actually sitting right on top of national monuments! Our cable cars are America's only mobile National Historical Monument, dedicatedly speeding through our hills to timely get you to your destination at a swift 9.5 MPH.
View this post on Instagram
Lastly, just over the bridge is Oakland's sweet contribution to confectionary history as the location to first invent Rocky Road Ice Cream. Though there is a famously ongoing debate on its true origins, whether it was crafted by William Dreyer or Fenton's Creamery (both with slight nut variations), it remains as a favorite highly irresistable by both children and adults for its unique contrast of textures and divine flavor combinations.
Which fact surprised you the most?
See also: What Exactly Is Sutro Tower?
Photography by: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
San Francisco is a eclectically storied city brimming with interesting tidbits and peculiar history from every inch of our seven mile diameter. Whether you're a longtime local or a curious tourist, these fun facts about our city are sure to intrigue and surprise you!
See also: Is There A San Francisco Accent?
View this post on Instagram
The Golden Gate Bridge is recognized globally thanks to its defining vibrant "International Orange" hue, but it almost narrowly wasn't that way. In fact, the original color scheme was intended to be a bumblebee pattern with black and gold stripes by the U.S. Navy. However, once the bridge's primer coat was applied, architect Irving Morrow noticed its remarkably reddish tint that just could not be covered up. After some devoted convincing, the color remained, contrasting beautifully with the surrounding blue Bay waters and green hills that are just as essential to SF as our fiery radiant bridge.
View this post on Instagram
The city wasn't called San Francisco until 1876, as all the years prior the early settlement first established in what is now Chinatown was referred to as Yerba Buena, meaning "good herb" in Spanish because of all the lovely mint that flourished in the area. While we can't imagine another name that rolls quite as smooth off the tongue, Yerba Buena remains as the name of one of our most popular and lushly green park, tucked away right outside of the SFMOMA!
View this post on Instagram
San Francisco and New York are the two coastal hubs that seem to share some fun rivalry. While New York may dwarf us in size, our city's Golden Gate Park is actually much larger than their Central Park! The Big Apple's bucolic green space stretches 778 acres, while our bison and windmill-filled park spans a whopping 1017 acres. We guarantee you get your steps in here.
View this post on Instagram
Alcatraz is known as the daunting and ruthless former federal penitentiary that once housed the most notorious criminals. It was so brutal that they were the only prison that offered hot-water showers. Confused? Well this steamy method was so that the prisoners wouldn't become acclimated to the frigid waters of the surrounding bay in case they wanted to escape.
View this post on Instagram
While New York may hold the status of being an influential fashionhub, one essential garment was pioneered right here in our city- the classic blue denim jeans. Levi Strauss, an immigrant from Bavaria, first patented the revolutionary closet staple we see everywhere today on May 20, 1873 thoughtfully as a protective and durable apparel for the Gold Rush miners thriving in the city at the time.
View this post on Instagram
Fortune Cookies are a fun addition to every Chinese meal, but did you know they were not invented in China, nor even by someone of Chinese descent? The crispy sweet treat was first crafted by Japanese immigrant Makoto Hagiwara, which were popularly demanded at the Japanese Tea Garden in the early 1900s. Today you can still get an inside look into history by watching them be traditionally and meticulously made in-person at Chinatown's iconic Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory.
View this post on Instagram
San Francisco is such a dog-friendly metropolitan that we actually have more pups than kids here! In 2016 it was surveyed that the city had 115,000 children under 18, while the San Francisco Animal Care and Control reported as much as 150,000 dogs all around our 7x7. That's a tail-wagging fact that goes naturally goes well with all of our countless dog parks!
See also: San Francisco's Most Fun And Scenic Dog Parks
View this post on Instagram
Even San Francisco wasn't safe from the British Invasion, and we grandly closed it out as the graciously chosed setting for the Beatles' last concert. 25,000 tickets were sold in 1966 to see the Fab Four rock our former Candlestick Park, though they were all unaware this would be the ultimate last show they would ever do together.
View this post on Instagram
Tourists and locals alike love to ride our signature and cute cable cars, but few know that they're actually sitting right on top of national monuments! Our cable cars are America's only mobile National Historical Monument, dedicatedly speeding through our hills to timely get you to your destination at a swift 9.5 MPH.
View this post on Instagram
Lastly, just over the bridge is Oakland's sweet contribution to confectionary history as the location to first invent Rocky Road Ice Cream. Though there is a famously ongoing debate on its true origins, whether it was crafted by William Dreyer or Fenton's Creamery (both with slight nut variations), it remains as a favorite highly irresistable by both children and adults for its unique contrast of textures and divine flavor combinations.
Which fact surprised you the most?
See also: What Exactly Is Sutro Tower?
Photography by: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
