Attendees at America's Credit Union Conference at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square June 30 through July 3 will find themselves in the midst of one of the nation's most picturesque cities. San Franciso is also a favorite among those who enjoy walking tours.
The Financial District traces its history, of course, back to the days of the Gold Rush in the mid 1800s. Today, it's still a money powerhouse, home to numerous financial institutions, big name law firms and more, including all six of the city's Fortune 500 companies: Wells Fargo, Charles Schwab, URS Corp., PG&E Corp., McKesson and Gap.
For those hoofing it, California Street is the home to many of those iconic buildings, as is Montgomery Street, billed as the "Wall Street of the West."
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The FiDi, as it's also sometimes known, is also adjacent to Union Square, the conference site, as well as the Embarcadero (and Fisherman's Wharf) and the Jackson Square Historic District.
A Google search of "San Francisco walking tours" will give you the lowdown in granular fashion, but to whet your appetite, here are some photos of sights that you can get to easily from ACUC.
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The birdman's not there but the old prison still is. Alcatraz Island is a scenic ferry trip away from downtown, and besides the sight of the historic prison itself, the trip offers great views of the downtown skyline, Marin County on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge, sea gulls and a brisk wind.
See more: San Francisco's most famous sight …
Perhaps the most iconic image of San Francisco is the Golden Gate Bridge. Here's a photo of that landmark structure with the city skyline in the background.
See more: Catch a ride up those steep hills …
This photo's a two-fer. It's a cable car in Union Square, an activity and a place visitors must experience while in San Francisco. There's the square itself, plus all the shopping, theaters and restaurants in the surrounding blocks.
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The sea lions are a reliable sight at Pier 39 near Fisherman's Wharf, and there are a lot of them just hanging around and doing sea lion things.
See more: Eastern influence …
Famous in film and a cultural icon all of its own, San Francisco's Chinatown is full of history and mystery and color. And it's near the Financial District.
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Here is a night scene of California Street, one of the main thoroughfares of the Financial District in San Francisco.
See more: What a trip, man …
Considered a birthplace of America's counterculture, the Haight Ashbury neighborhood still retains a certain charm.
See more: The Fed …
The Old Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco on Battery Street is now known as the Bentley Reserve. It was the headquarters of the Fed in the city on the bay for nearly 60 years.
See more: Beaux-Arts monument …
San Francisco's City Hall is worth taking the time to see and it's open to the public from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays.
See more: American pyramid …
The Transamerica Pyramid and Columbus Tower are two of the more iconic buildings in downtown San Francisco. The Columbus Tower has a colorful history. Finished in 1907 soon after the devastating earthquake of 1906, the building's early tenants included the restaurant Caesar's, credited with creating the salad of the same name. Prohibition closed it down and the building was later home to the Kingston Trio and their recording studio, and is now owned by director Francis Ford Coppola and home to his American Zoetrope Studios.
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