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| Quality of Life |
Golden Gate Park is the largest park in the city at 1,017 acres, and it has the distinction of being larger in area than New York City’s famed Central Park. The park features an abundance of flowers and ample space for a variety of outdoor recreational activities, including several key areas not to miss: the Conservatory of Flowers, the Koret Children’s Corner, the National AIDS Memorial Grove, the Music Concourse, the Japanese Tea Garden, Stow Lake, the Dutch Windmill and Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden and the Bison Paddock.
The Presidio of San Francisco, also the site of the Palace of Fine Arts, is located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area that features trails along the coastline. Pioneer Park is located at the top of Telegraph Hill and has Coit Tower and a bronze Christopher Columbus sculpture as its most prominent features. Washington Square Park in North Beach is a popular place to lounge and enjoy the sun; it is most frequented by dog walkers and young people eager to play games with friends.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA BEACHES
San Francisco’s bayside location means that the city is home to a plethora of pristine beaches, perfect for family outings and weekend gatherings. The Bay Area is lined with these picturesque environments, making it an ideal place for sun and water lovers. Following are brief descriptions of some of the local beaches you can explore.
Año Nuevo State Reserve is located 55 miles south of San Francisco and is the site of the largest mainland breeding colony in the world for the northern elephant seal. People who hope to see the seals during the winter breeding season, as the males battle for mates on the beaches and the females give birth to their pups on the dunes, are urged to get their reservations early. During the breeding season, December through March, daily access to the reserve is available through guided walks only. During the spring and summer months, the elephant seals return to Año Nuevo’s beaches to molt and can be observed through a permit system.
Baker Beach stretches a mile below the rugged cliffs on The Presidio’s western shoreline. From here, you can see spectacular views of the Gold Gate Bridge and the Marin as well as harbor porpoises that like to frolic in the surf.
China Beach, named for the Chinese fishermen who once anchored here and camped on the beach, is in a tiny cove tucked between Lands End and Baker Beach in the Sea Cliff neighborhood of San Francisco and features picnic areas and spectacular views.
Montara State Beach, 20 miles south of San Francisco, is a popular location for visitors who can explore the beach’s tide pools or go surf fishing. The beach is bounded by low hills to the north and south, and restaurants and a grocery store are nearby. Point Montara also has a lighthouse that offers overnight accommodations.
Ocean Beach runs the entire west side of San Francisco and is the city’s largest beach. It offers a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and approximately 3.5 miles of surf and sand with few tourists and no view-blocking high-rises.
Pacifica State Beach is a wide crescent-shaped beach that marks the northern gateway to the coastline that stretches south of San Francisco. It’s located off Highway 1 in downtown Pacifica.
Pescadero State Beach is located 14.5 miles south of Half Moon Bay on Highway 1. The beach has a mile-long shoreline with sandy coves, rocky cliffs, tide pools, fishing spots and picnic facilities. Across the highway is Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve, a popular spot for bird watchers and other naturalists as it is a refuge for blue heron, kites, deer, raccoons, foxes and skunks.
Point Reyes National Seashore offers expansive sand beaches, forests, marshes, open grasslands, brushy hillsides and forested ridges that create a place where visitors can discover more than 1,500 species of plants and animals. Here people enjoy camping, hiking, kayaking and biking.
San Gregorio State Beach is 10.5 miles south of Half Moon Bay on Highway 1. The area includes a protected, driftwood-strewn estuary at the back of a wide, sandy beach with grassy bluffs along the coast. The estuary is home to many birds and small animals.
Stinson Beach, just north of San Francisco, has 3.5 miles of white-sand coastline that provides plenty of access to swimmers, surfers and sunbathers. The 51-acre park adjacent to the beach offers more than 100 picnic tables (some with grills and all available on a first-come basis). A snack bar is open April through September, and the park is open until sunset.
Tomales Bay State Park is situated on the eastern edge of Point Reyes Peninsula and is a popular destination for a day of picnicking, hiking or water-oriented activities. The beaches and east-facing slopes of this 2,000-acre park are protected from the prevailing winds by the high backbone of the Point Reyes Peninsula. The park is located 40 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, close to Inverness, Point Reyes Station and the Point Reyes National Seashore.
For more information about San Francisco Bay Area beaches, visit www.parks.ca.gov.
WELCOME TO YOUR NEW CITY BY THE BAY!
San Francisco is a city like no other on the West Coast with so much to offer new residents in terms of attractions, entertainment and culture. As a sustainable city, San Francisco is perfect for just about every type of newcomer, from entire family units to corporate power couples to young 20-somethings striking out on their own for the first time. The team at Relocating to San Francisco welcomes you to your new city, wherever you are in life, with the hope that you are able to use this guide to your advantage as you navigate your way through the Bay Area.
The Presidio of San Francisco, also the site of the Palace of Fine Arts, is located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area that features trails along the coastline. Pioneer Park is located at the top of Telegraph Hill and has Coit Tower and a bronze Christopher Columbus sculpture as its most prominent features. Washington Square Park in North Beach is a popular place to lounge and enjoy the sun; it is most frequented by dog walkers and young people eager to play games with friends.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA BEACHES
San Francisco’s bayside location means that the city is home to a plethora of pristine beaches, perfect for family outings and weekend gatherings. The Bay Area is lined with these picturesque environments, making it an ideal place for sun and water lovers. Following are brief descriptions of some of the local beaches you can explore.
Año Nuevo State Reserve is located 55 miles south of San Francisco and is the site of the largest mainland breeding colony in the world for the northern elephant seal. People who hope to see the seals during the winter breeding season, as the males battle for mates on the beaches and the females give birth to their pups on the dunes, are urged to get their reservations early. During the breeding season, December through March, daily access to the reserve is available through guided walks only. During the spring and summer months, the elephant seals return to Año Nuevo’s beaches to molt and can be observed through a permit system.
Baker Beach stretches a mile below the rugged cliffs on The Presidio’s western shoreline. From here, you can see spectacular views of the Gold Gate Bridge and the Marin as well as harbor porpoises that like to frolic in the surf.
China Beach, named for the Chinese fishermen who once anchored here and camped on the beach, is in a tiny cove tucked between Lands End and Baker Beach in the Sea Cliff neighborhood of San Francisco and features picnic areas and spectacular views.
Montara State Beach, 20 miles south of San Francisco, is a popular location for visitors who can explore the beach’s tide pools or go surf fishing. The beach is bounded by low hills to the north and south, and restaurants and a grocery store are nearby. Point Montara also has a lighthouse that offers overnight accommodations.
Ocean Beach runs the entire west side of San Francisco and is the city’s largest beach. It offers a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and approximately 3.5 miles of surf and sand with few tourists and no view-blocking high-rises.
Pacifica State Beach is a wide crescent-shaped beach that marks the northern gateway to the coastline that stretches south of San Francisco. It’s located off Highway 1 in downtown Pacifica.
Pescadero State Beach is located 14.5 miles south of Half Moon Bay on Highway 1. The beach has a mile-long shoreline with sandy coves, rocky cliffs, tide pools, fishing spots and picnic facilities. Across the highway is Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve, a popular spot for bird watchers and other naturalists as it is a refuge for blue heron, kites, deer, raccoons, foxes and skunks.
Point Reyes National Seashore offers expansive sand beaches, forests, marshes, open grasslands, brushy hillsides and forested ridges that create a place where visitors can discover more than 1,500 species of plants and animals. Here people enjoy camping, hiking, kayaking and biking.
San Gregorio State Beach is 10.5 miles south of Half Moon Bay on Highway 1. The area includes a protected, driftwood-strewn estuary at the back of a wide, sandy beach with grassy bluffs along the coast. The estuary is home to many birds and small animals.
Stinson Beach, just north of San Francisco, has 3.5 miles of white-sand coastline that provides plenty of access to swimmers, surfers and sunbathers. The 51-acre park adjacent to the beach offers more than 100 picnic tables (some with grills and all available on a first-come basis). A snack bar is open April through September, and the park is open until sunset.
Tomales Bay State Park is situated on the eastern edge of Point Reyes Peninsula and is a popular destination for a day of picnicking, hiking or water-oriented activities. The beaches and east-facing slopes of this 2,000-acre park are protected from the prevailing winds by the high backbone of the Point Reyes Peninsula. The park is located 40 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, close to Inverness, Point Reyes Station and the Point Reyes National Seashore.
For more information about San Francisco Bay Area beaches, visit www.parks.ca.gov.
WELCOME TO YOUR NEW CITY BY THE BAY!
San Francisco is a city like no other on the West Coast with so much to offer new residents in terms of attractions, entertainment and culture. As a sustainable city, San Francisco is perfect for just about every type of newcomer, from entire family units to corporate power couples to young 20-somethings striking out on their own for the first time. The team at Relocating to San Francisco welcomes you to your new city, wherever you are in life, with the hope that you are able to use this guide to your advantage as you navigate your way through the Bay Area.
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