San Francisco, also called the "City by the Bay," is considered the 12th most populous city in the US. It is the second-most densely inhabited city within the US, and is considered to be the financial, cultural, and transportation centre of the bigger San Francisco Bay Area area.
The city of San Francisco has a diverse cultural base, with numerous commercial corridors for the many residents and visitors to use for walking. The Performing Arts Center and the War Memorial plays host to numerous performing arts companies for individuals who love the performing arts. Another one to consider is the Herbst Theatre, that provides an electric and unique blend of music performances. The American Conservatory Theatre is one of the leading performing arts companies within Bay Area, and it regularly hosts many national touring productions of Broadway Theatre shows in a 1920's backdrop venue. For individuals who like music, there is the San Francisco Opera, which is considered to be the second biggest opera company in North America. The Filmore is a music spot located in the Western Addition, and before it staged the currently famous musicians like Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and the Janis Joplin. Ballet enthusiasts can also have a wonderful time watching the beautiful performances of the San Francisco Ballet.
Museum lovers can go to the Museum of Modern Art, that offers other contemporary and 20th century works of art. It transferred to its current building within the South Market during 1995, and ever since then, has attracted roughly 700,000 visitors every year. The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco operates the Palace of the Legion of Honors and the de Young Museum. The de Young Museum features American pieces and lots of anthropological valuables found within Africa, the Americas and Oceania, whilst The Palace of the Legion of Honor is mainly focused on holding European antiquities and works of art at its Lincoln Park building. Science lovers can visit the California Academy of Sciences, that is a museum of natural history that hosts the Morrison Planetarium and the Steinhart Aquarium. It has a structure which provides a living roof, which is an example of sustainable architecture in modern times.
The economy of San Francisco is built around tourism, and during the year 2007 alone, over sixteen million visitors arrived in the nation, adding nearly $8.2 billion into the economy. There are numerous visitors that are attracted to San Francisco City every year, and is often portrayed in popular film, music and culture. The most widely-popular tourist attraction within the area is Pier 39 in the vicinity of Fisherman's Wharf. Finance is likewise a strong player in San Francisco City, as the California Gold Rush has made the city of San Francisco the major finance and banking hub during the early 20th century. Some of the most well-known financial institutions in the place are the Wells Fargo corporate headquarters, the Bank of America, and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. There are 7 Fortune 500 companies, approximately 30 financial institutions, and a broad base for infrastructure of professional services within the city, that comprises: Public Relations, law and Architecture and Designs. The city is also one of the ten Beta World Cities, ranks 9th within the US and 18th within the world's list of cities by GDP.