San Francisco, California, is famous for its iconic sights like cable cars, hilly roads, the Golden Gate Bridge, the bustling Fisherman’s Wharf, and Lombard Street, known as the “crookedest street in America”.
While many people are familiar with these popular attractions, there are numerous intriguing facts about this splendid city that aren’t widely known.
Mindfully American has curated a list of 15 lesser-known facts that could spark your curiosity and showcase the city’s rich tapestry of experiences.
Let’s dive into 15 fascinating tidbits about “San Fran”:
1: Karl The Fog
San Francisco is so renowned for its foggy atmosphere that residents have given it a name: “Karl the Fog”.
This name first appeared on Twitter (now X) in 2010. As of the source’s publication, Karl the Fog had over 356,000 followers on the social media platform.
The anonymous creator was inspired by British Petroleum’s (BP) Twitter page and wanted to create something similar for locals who complained about the fog. Karl the Fog aims to show followers that fog isn’t always a bad thing.
2: The Most Coffee
While Seattle is often thought of as a coffee destination, San Francisco actually has it beat. This city is noted as having the most coffee shops per capita and square mile.
San Francisco is described as a super-caffeinated city with a strong coffee culture that takes its coffee seriously.
A famous beverage, Irish Coffee, which is made with whiskey, coffee, sugar, and cream, originated at San Francisco’s iconic Buena Vista Cafe in 1952.
3: First Electric TV
In 1927, the first electronic television was invented and patented in San Francisco. Philo Taylor Farnsworth was the inventor, developing his device at his lab.
He was known as “the genius of Green Street”. Farnsworth was 21 years old when he invented the electronic television. By the time of his passing in 1971, he had accumulated 300 U.S. and foreign patents.
4: Golden Gate Bridge Colors
The bright reddish-orange Golden Gate Bridge is a widely recognized tourist destination, leading many to wonder why it isn’t actually golden.
The truth is, the bridge was originally intended to be bright yellow and black. The U.S. Navy proposed painting it yellow with black stripes for better visibility for planes and ships.
However, architect Irving Morrow suggested its current International Orange shade, believing it would be more visible through the fog.
5: Where Jeans Were Born
Jeans were born in San Francisco. Levi Strauss, a dry goods business owner, teamed up with a tailor named Jacob Davis to receive a patent for jeans in San Francisco in 1873.
The idea came about when a client asked Davis to create sturdy work pants for her husband. Davis then added metal rivets to denim pants, which proved very successful. Following this success, he collaborated with Strauss to secure the patent.
6: The Last Official Beatles Show
The Beatles played their last planned public show in San Francisco. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison performed at Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966.
This concert was the final one of an 18-day, 19-show tour. However, the iconic band did perform one more live performance, which was a last-minute gig in London in 1969.
7: Oldest Chinatown in America
San Francisco is home to the oldest Chinatown in America. Access to this area is through an ornate gate located at Grant and Bush streets.
This expansive district covers 30 blocks and features a variety of restaurants, bars, clubs, markets, and shops.
The area was developed in the 1850s. San Francisco’s Chinatown is noted as one of the largest in the U.S., comparable in size to New York’s Chinatown.
8: The History of Bendy Straws
The invention of the bendy straw was inspired in San Francisco. Inventor Joseph B. Friedman got the idea while dining with his daughter at San Francisco’s Varsity Sweet Shop and watching her struggle to drink a milkshake through a paper straw.
Using a screw and dental floss, Friedman created a way to make the paper straw bendable. His invention, which he called the Drinking Tube, was patented in 1937.
9: Fortune Cookies in America
San Francisco was the first place in the U.S. to serve fortune cookies. Researchers have looked into their history, and it seems to trace back to Makoto Hagiwara, a landscape architect who worked on the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park.
Some historians suggest Hagiwara was the first to serve these cookies in 1908. However, it has been discovered that the first fortune cookies were actually made near Kyoto, Japan, in the late 1800s.
10: The Massive Golden Gate Park
While New York’s Central Park often gets significant publicity, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is also beloved and is notably 200 acres larger than Central Park.
Golden Gate Park covers a vast 1,017 acres of land. Although it is not the largest park in the world, it is bigger than Central Park. The park, which is 154 years old, was ranked No. 19 on USA Today’s 2024 list of the best parks.
11: The First Sourdough Bread
Sourdough bread, which became a popular provision during the pandemic, originated in San Francisco. In 1849, French baker Isadore Boudin combined flour, water, salt, and “mother dough” to bake the first loaf.
Boudin Bakery attributes the distinct flavor of their sourdough bread to a key ingredient, the “mother dough”.
This starter is described as a blend of wild yeast, lactobacillus, and other microbes that work together to create the unique flavor sourdough bread is known for.
12: Oldest, Largest Japantown
San Francisco’s Japantown is the oldest and biggest in America. It began in 1906 and grew into a large cultural hub featuring boutiques, restaurants, and more.
Located along Post and Sutter streets, it’s a popular destination for fans of Manga and Anime. It is one of only three remaining Japantowns in America, the other two being in Los Angeles and San Jose, both also in California.
13: So Many Hills
San Francisco is well-known for its seven main hills: Nob Hill, Twin Peaks, Russian Hill, Telegraph Hill, Rincon Hill, Mount Sutro, and Mount Davidson. However, the city actually has many more named hills.
San Francisco is considered one of the hilliest cities in America, with approximately 48 named hills. Due to this topography, it is advisable to use your parking brake when parking there.
14: Birthplace of the Pride Flag
San Francisco is the birthplace of the Pride Flag. In 1978, San Francisco politician Harvey Milk asked designer Gilbert Baker to create a positive symbol for the LGBTQ+ community.
Baker accepted the challenge and hand-dyed eight pieces of material in rainbow colors. Each color symbolized something different: pink for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit.
Modern Pride flags typically include six colors: red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, and violet.
15: Where Burning Man Began
The popular annual art event, Burning Man, began in San Francisco. It started in 1986 on Baker Beach, created by Larry Harvey and Jerry James.
In the 1990s, the location of Burning Man moved to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. The festival attracts approximately 80,000 people each year.
Alicia Richards