The Cultural Side of San Francisco

Posted by Reshav Singh on November 15th, 2015

San Francisco is one of the most populous in California. Since the California Gold Rush and the city's establishment as a centre for finance and commerce, biotechnology firms and micro-businesses have come to be founded in the area - with Silicon Valley just a stones throw away. Despite this, the driving force behind San Francisco's economy is tourism, made up of millions of visitors a year who want to visit the place that is the subject of so many songs, movies, books, and other forms of popular culture. With European airlines offering cheap flights to San Francisco, 2009 makes this city of culture more accessible than it has ever been.

The Golden Gate Bridge is often regarded as the definitive structural icon of San Francisco. Construction took four years from 1833 to 1937, and when it was completed it was the longest bridge of its kind in the world. It has since been surpassed in length, but still remains a uniquely breathtaking attraction. Additionally, there are many other architectural and structural sights in the City, such as the quaint "Painted Ladies" Victorian houses, and the city's very own cable car system.

For those eager to delve for a little more deeper history than what is on the surface, there are many museums to be visited. The Museum of the Africa Diaspora and the Contemporaray Jewish museum offer an interesting insight into the culturally diverse background of the city. There are also many more underground attractions that have developed from the city's inherent liberal politics, such as The Antique Vibrator Museum, and the UFO, Bigfoot and Loch Ness Monster Museum.

Additionally, there are many art galleries displaying local and international art. The Museum of Modern Art is no doubt the most popular. Opened in 1935 and situated on Third Street, the museums is dedicated solely to 20th Century art and includes work by Jackson Pollock and Marcel Duchamp. The M. H. de Young Memorial Museum and the Asian Art Museum both display more historical works from other corners of the globe, with exhibitions including Egyptian and Chinese artefacts respectively.

San Francisco is also know as a centre for music and festivals. Aside from being the subject of many famous popular songs such as I Left My Heart in San Francisco and San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear flowers in Your Hair), music is very much ingrained within the soul of the city and the area has pioneered many sounds and given rise to many pioneering artists, such as Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Dead Kennedys, and Faith No More. The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival is a free music festival held in the Golden Gate Park every year since 2001.