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Oakland also has an MLB team as well: the Oakland Athletics of the American League. Originally the Philadelphia As, the team’s history in Oakland includes four World Series wins, including the 1989 series played against San Francisco Giants just a short way across the bay. The Athletics play their home games at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (also known as the O.co Coliseum).
— Football
The San Francisco 49ers are a National Football League (NFL) team in the NFC West that holds the distinction of being the first team to win five Super Bowl Championships (XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV and XXIX) and most recently went to the Super Bowl in 2013, losing narrowly to the Baltimore Ravens. The home venue of the 49ers is Candlestick Park, but the team broke ground in April 2012 on the new 49ers stadium in nearby Santa Clara that is set to open for the 2014 NFL season.
The Bay Area’s second NFL team is based in Oakland. The Oakland Raiders, part of the AFC West, has produced 19 Hall of Famers and has won three Super Bowls (XI, XV and XVIII). The Oakland Raiders are housed at the O.co Coliseum, which they share with MLB’s Oakland Athletics.
— Basketball
The Bay Area’s National Basketball Association (NBA) team is also based out of Oakland. The Golden State Warriors play their home games at the Oracle Arena, the oldest venue used by the NBA. The Golden State Warriors, one of only three remaining original charter members of the NBA, have won the NBA Championship three times. The Warriors have had 15 Hall of Famers and have the reputation of discovering and cultivating some of the best young basketball talent in the country; no other team has produced more Rookie-of-the-Year winners.
— Hockey
The National Hockey League (NHL) also has a presence in the Bay Area in the form of the San Jose Sharks. Although never a Stanley Cup winner, the Sharks have won a total of six division championships and are known for their signature home-game antics. Hockey fans can see the Sharks play at the HP Pavilion in San Jose.
Nearby Stockton also has had a minor-league hockey presence since 2005 with the ECHL (originally the East Coast Hockey League) in the Stockton Thunder. Considered a training ground for the NHL, the ECHL’s Thunder are affiliated with the San Jose Sharks.
— Soccer
The San Jose Earthquakes are the local Major League Soccer (MLS) team that plays at Santa Clara University’s Buck Shaw Stadium. The Earthquakes recently resumed playing in 2008 after a two-year hiatus in which the team moved to Houston and played as the Houston Dynamo. The return of an MLS team to San Jose has been a notable success.
MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS AND HISTORIC SITES
New residents of San Francisco often are amazed at the rich historic landscape of their new city. There’s always something to see and do, and most importantly, to learn. Unlike in other major cities, one can live a lifetime in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area and never experience everything it has to offer. The following are just a few highlights of San Francisco’s iconic attractions that new residents surely will love.
Alcatraz Island, also known as “The Rock,” is the site of the infamous federal penitentiary of the same name that housed some of the most high-profile criminals of the 20th century. The penitentiary closed in the early 1960s, and the island was first opened to the public in 1973. Every year, an estimated 1.5 million people visit Alcatraz Island. Tours are available that take visitors around the island by boat and also give them an inside glimpse into the main building. The brilliant flowers on the island are also a significant draw for the area’s gardening aficionados. In 1976, Alcatraz Island was named to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Golden Gate Bridge is the single most iconic monument in the Bay Area that has become synonymous with the city of San Francisco. Completed in 1937, the structure spans 4,200 feet and was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time. In addition to the car traffic, pedestrians and bicyclists can cross the bridge during the day using the available sidewalks. A gift shop and café are located on the southeast side of the bridge, perfect for a full day of outdoor activities and leisurely excursions against one of the world’s most beautiful backdrops. If there’s no need to drive across it, the bridge can be enjoyed from the water by using the Larkspur and Sausalito ferries.
Pier 39 at Fisherman’s Wharf is one of San Francisco’s many family-friendly areas, featuring great food, amazing shopping opportunities and beautiful bayside scenery that are enjoyable entertainment for residents of all ages. Pier 39 features 110 boutique shops and 14 top-tier restaurants that are particularly well known for their seafood fare.
The Musée Mécanique on Fisherman’s Wharf is devoted to the private collection of Edward Galland Zelinsky, a fifth-generation San Franciscan whose extensive body of mechanically operated arcade machines and musical instruments is easily one of the most interesting destinations on the wharf. Some of the penny arcade machines are more than 100 years old, and many of the exhibitions can be played for 25 or 50 cents.
— Football
The San Francisco 49ers are a National Football League (NFL) team in the NFC West that holds the distinction of being the first team to win five Super Bowl Championships (XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV and XXIX) and most recently went to the Super Bowl in 2013, losing narrowly to the Baltimore Ravens. The home venue of the 49ers is Candlestick Park, but the team broke ground in April 2012 on the new 49ers stadium in nearby Santa Clara that is set to open for the 2014 NFL season.
The Bay Area’s second NFL team is based in Oakland. The Oakland Raiders, part of the AFC West, has produced 19 Hall of Famers and has won three Super Bowls (XI, XV and XVIII). The Oakland Raiders are housed at the O.co Coliseum, which they share with MLB’s Oakland Athletics.
— Basketball
The Bay Area’s National Basketball Association (NBA) team is also based out of Oakland. The Golden State Warriors play their home games at the Oracle Arena, the oldest venue used by the NBA. The Golden State Warriors, one of only three remaining original charter members of the NBA, have won the NBA Championship three times. The Warriors have had 15 Hall of Famers and have the reputation of discovering and cultivating some of the best young basketball talent in the country; no other team has produced more Rookie-of-the-Year winners.
— Hockey
The National Hockey League (NHL) also has a presence in the Bay Area in the form of the San Jose Sharks. Although never a Stanley Cup winner, the Sharks have won a total of six division championships and are known for their signature home-game antics. Hockey fans can see the Sharks play at the HP Pavilion in San Jose.
Nearby Stockton also has had a minor-league hockey presence since 2005 with the ECHL (originally the East Coast Hockey League) in the Stockton Thunder. Considered a training ground for the NHL, the ECHL’s Thunder are affiliated with the San Jose Sharks.
— Soccer
The San Jose Earthquakes are the local Major League Soccer (MLS) team that plays at Santa Clara University’s Buck Shaw Stadium. The Earthquakes recently resumed playing in 2008 after a two-year hiatus in which the team moved to Houston and played as the Houston Dynamo. The return of an MLS team to San Jose has been a notable success.
MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS AND HISTORIC SITES
New residents of San Francisco often are amazed at the rich historic landscape of their new city. There’s always something to see and do, and most importantly, to learn. Unlike in other major cities, one can live a lifetime in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area and never experience everything it has to offer. The following are just a few highlights of San Francisco’s iconic attractions that new residents surely will love.
Alcatraz Island, also known as “The Rock,” is the site of the infamous federal penitentiary of the same name that housed some of the most high-profile criminals of the 20th century. The penitentiary closed in the early 1960s, and the island was first opened to the public in 1973. Every year, an estimated 1.5 million people visit Alcatraz Island. Tours are available that take visitors around the island by boat and also give them an inside glimpse into the main building. The brilliant flowers on the island are also a significant draw for the area’s gardening aficionados. In 1976, Alcatraz Island was named to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Golden Gate Bridge is the single most iconic monument in the Bay Area that has become synonymous with the city of San Francisco. Completed in 1937, the structure spans 4,200 feet and was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time. In addition to the car traffic, pedestrians and bicyclists can cross the bridge during the day using the available sidewalks. A gift shop and café are located on the southeast side of the bridge, perfect for a full day of outdoor activities and leisurely excursions against one of the world’s most beautiful backdrops. If there’s no need to drive across it, the bridge can be enjoyed from the water by using the Larkspur and Sausalito ferries.
Pier 39 at Fisherman’s Wharf is one of San Francisco’s many family-friendly areas, featuring great food, amazing shopping opportunities and beautiful bayside scenery that are enjoyable entertainment for residents of all ages. Pier 39 features 110 boutique shops and 14 top-tier restaurants that are particularly well known for their seafood fare.
The Musée Mécanique on Fisherman’s Wharf is devoted to the private collection of Edward Galland Zelinsky, a fifth-generation San Franciscan whose extensive body of mechanically operated arcade machines and musical instruments is easily one of the most interesting destinations on the wharf. Some of the penny arcade machines are more than 100 years old, and many of the exhibitions can be played for 25 or 50 cents.
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