The streets of San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge

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RILEY�asked what must be seen and done in San Francisco. The AnswerBank decided to pull this question out for a detailed response .

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San Francisco has the atmosphere of genteel chic mixed with offbeat innovation; not as brassy as New York; not as plastic as Los Angeles.

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But what does the city have to offer and what are its highs and lows

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One of the USA's most attractive cities, San Franciso's steep hilly streets provide some gorgeous views of the beautiful San Francisco Bay.

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With over 6.5 million residents, the streets are literally buzzing with people. There's the colour of Chinatown, the gentrifying calm of the Mission, the gay Castro area, hippy Haight-Ashbury and North Beach.

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The city itself is at the tip of a 30-mile peninsula in Northern California with the Pacific Ocean to the west and San Francisco Bay to the east. Close by are the cities of Berkeley, Oakland and San Jose.

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San Francisco�made its name in the flower-power love era of the Sixties and there's still a huge alternative movement on the streets today.

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Most tourists check out Van Ness Avenue, Market Street and the Embarcadero, Union Square and the Financial District, the classy Civic Center and the visitors' favourite, Fisherman's Wharf.

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Hang out in the upmarket neighbourhoods of the Marina and Pacific Heights and the ethnically diverse zones such as Richmond and the Sunset district.

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You've just missed one the city's best highlight of the year, the Chinese New Year, which is always huge, but there's the Cherry Blossom Festival in April, which is celebrated in Japantown with martial arts demonstrations, tea ceremonies and traditional Japanese events.

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The US's oldest film festival, the San Francisco Film festival, takes place at the end of April and June culminates in the city's Gay March.

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The city boasts a cable car ride, which you can catch from Union Square and there's a mishmash of glitzy and inexpensive hotels in this area if you're looking for somewhere to stay.

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Don't miss the breathtaking Golden Gate Bridge, which was built in 1937, and spans the mouth of the bay.

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Alcatraz Prison on Alcatraz Island, was one time home to Al Capone, 'Machine Gun' Kelly and Robert Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz. Take a boat trip out from Fisherman's Wharf to explore this historical prison.

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For further details, check out http://www.lonelyplanet.co.uk or www.roughguide.co. uk