San Francisco, famed for its Golden Gate Bridge, Union Square, and Fisherman's Wharf, is one of America’s most liberal, liveable and cosmopolitan cities. The city has a distinctly international flavor, with some 39% of its population foreign born. San Francisco’s vibrant, colorful history really kicked off in the 1950’s with the arrival of the Beat Generation writers and artists, who made the city an epicenter for liberal activism, paving the way for its thriving LBGT community. The city is now renowned for its culturally vibrant streetscapes and ‘mixed-use’ neighborhoods that blend residential areas with small businesses, boutiques, restaurants, bars and clubs. Its enormous urban appeal is evident in its property values and household incomes, which are now among the nation’s highest. You’ll be hard pushed to find fast food in San Francisco. The city prides itself on having everything from slow food, farm-to-table, stir-fried, simmered, hip or haute; but the greasy spoons and burger joints rank very, very low on the radar here. Fashionistas will revel in the plethora of small, chic and way out boutiques. Meanwhile, the city’s arts scene is second-to-none, guaranteed to satiate the most rapacious cultural appetite.