Introduction to South San Francisco, California
South San Francisco is a city in San Mateo County, California. Located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California's Bay Area, the city lies 10 miles south of San Francisco in a broad valley formed by the San Bruno Mountains on the north and the Coast Range on the west. San Francisco International Airport is situated 4 miles to the city's south. Principal highways servicing the city include U.S. Route 101, and Interstates I-280 and I-380. Contrary to popular misconception, South San Francisco is very much a city in its own right and is not the southern part of the city of San Francisco.
South San Francisco History
South San Francisco originated in the late 19th-century as a site for the establishment of stockyards and a market place for cattle. Incorporated in 1908, the city soon experienced an influx of other industries which included a large shipbuilding industry to support the two World Wars. Since World War II, South San Francisco has supported a well-balanced mix of residential and industrial areas within its boundaries. The city today has a population which has tripled since the end of WW II, with a considerable portion of its real estate devoted to industries which include manufacturing, wholesaling, transportation facilities and utilities. Known as "The Industrial City," South San Francisco in recent years has also become an important regional center of a burgeoning biotech industry.
Attractions in South San Francisco
The history of "The Industrial City" is well-chronicled at the South San Francisco Historical Society Museum. One of the museum's major highlights is a special exhibit about the city's early families. The Plymire Schwarz Museum is housed in a 1905 edifice originally owned by the town's first doctor and which once served as the only hospital between San Francisco and San Mateo. In the basement level of the structure is another city attraction: the Center Fire Museum. One of the city's prime sites for outdoor recreation is the Oyster Point Marina & Park, whose amenities include a 300-foot long fishing pier, a 33-acre park with a hiking and jogging trail, picnic facilities and a 2.5-acre sandy beach. Other San Mateo County points of interest include the Coyote Point Museum for Environmental Education (San Mateo), the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (Moss Beach), the Sanchez Adobe (Pacifica) and the Cypress Golf Course and Learning Center (Colma). The city is also only minutes away from some of the nation's most popular tourist and sports attractions located in the city of San Francisco.