The best unique sights and experiences that San Francisco has to offer.

By plane, train or car, all you need to know about getting to San Francisco.

Out of 1,000's of possible choices here are our top ones for tourists.

Don't skip this section - it is filled with important tips for a smooth trip.

San Francisco can be a kid-friendly place if you know where to go .

This section is a guide for making sense of SF's entertainment options.

Hotel rooms are not cheap. Here is how to be sure you don't overpay.

Here is a guide to SF's main boutique shopping and dinning districts .

Once in the city, you will need to get around. Here is how.

 

SF Population: 808,976

Bay Area Population: 7.4 million

 

Median age: 38

Males: 50.8%

Females: 49.2%

 

Government workers: 12%

 

Major ethnic groups:

• White 44.73%
• Asian 31.23%
• Hispanic Origin 13.52%
• Black 7.13%

 

 

Miles of streets: 1,088

 

Longest street (Mission): 7.29 miles

 

Narrowest (De Forest Way): 4.5 feet

 

Daily commuters: 320,300

 

Mean travel time to work: 30 minutes

 

Number of taxis: 1,431

 

Annual Bay Bridge crossings: 39,555,251

 

Annual Golden Gate Bridge crossings: 39,315.596

 

Annual Muni railway passengers: 220,000,000

 

Current number of vacant on street parking spaces citywide: 4

 

 

Steepest streets:

 

• 31% grade, Filbert between Hyde and Leavenworth
• 31% grade, 22nd Street between Church and Vicksburg
• 29% grade, Jones between Union and Filbert
• 27.9 % grade, Duboce between Buena Vista and Alpine

 

 

Total annual visitors: 16.5 million

 

First time visitors: 17.5%

 

Average daily spending per visitor: $175

 

Average daily spending per hotel/motel guest: $256

 

Number of hotel rooms: 33,372

 

Hotel occupancy: 79%

 

Average room rate $190: (you can easily beat that)

 

Average length of stay: 4.6 nights

 

 

Total housing units: 346,527

 

Zillow index (2010): $701,700

 

Most expensive neighborhood: Seacliff

 

Zillow Seacliff index (2010): $ 2,156,000

 

Typical home price per square foot: $500

 

Housing units in multi-unit structures: 67.7%

 

Median gross rent: $1,262

 

Rental vacancy rate: 2.5%

 

Home ownership rate: 35%

 

Median home age: 63

 

 

Median household income (2008): $73,727

 

Per capita income: $47,420

 

Average wage per job (2003): $58,544

 

Cost of living index: 180.2 (US average: 100)

 

Poverty rate: 11%

 

Median household size:

• San Francisco: 2.3
• California: 2.9

 

Family households :

• San Francisco: 44%
• California: 69%

 

Household with unmarried partners:

• San Francisco: 7.5%
• California: 5.9%

 

Self reported homosexual households:

• Lesbian: 0.7%
• Gay men : 2%

 

 

 

From the 2008 FBI Uniform Crime Report. Rate means how many crimes occur per 100,000 inhabitants. US totals are given for comparison.

 

Murders: 98

Rate: US 5.4, SF 12.3

 

Rapes: 166

Rate: US 29, SF 21

 

Theft: 25,142

Rate: US 2,167, SF 3,150

 

Robberies*: 4,108

Rate: US 146, SF 514

 

Assaults: 2,372,

Rate: US 275, SF 297

 

Auto Theft: 5,758,

Rate: US 2,167, SF 721

 

* Despite the common misunderstanding that robbery and theft mean the same thing, they don't. Robbery means theft with the use or threat of violence. The above detail from a Coit Tower mural shows a robbery in progress.