Fisherman's Wharf 

Neighborhood in San Francisco, California

Fisherman's Wharf is a popular resort and a tourist attraction in San Francisco, California. From Ghirardelli Square and Van Ness Avenue east to Pier 35 and Kearny Boulevard it covers roughly the northern San Francisco waterfront district. The F Market streetcar passes through the area, the Powell-Hyde cable car lines run to Aquatic Park on the edge of Fisherman's Wharf and the Powell-Mason cable car line is only a few blocks away.

San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf derives its name and community characteristics from the city's early days from the mid-to - late 1800s when Italian immigrant fishermen came to the city to take advantage of the gold rush population influx. The North Beach village is near to the port, where most immigrant Italian fishermen have fished for local delicacies and crabs. The wharf was the hub of the fishing fleet of San Francisco from then until today. Although the area was rebuilt in the 1970s and to become a tourist attraction 1980s, there are still a number of working fishermen and their vessels.

One of the busiest and most popular tourist destinations in the United States, Fisherman's Wharf is best known for being Pier 39, Cannery Shopping Center, Ghirardelli Square, a Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum, Mécanique Museum, Fisherman's Wharf Wax Museum, and San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park.

There are plenty of seafood restaurants throughout the local area, including the floating Forbes Island restaurant at Pier 39, which serves fresh fish. For three generations the Fishermen's Grotto, Pompei's Grotto, and Alioto's are all the same family restaurants. Additional restaurants include chains including Applebee and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Local business leaders also said they would oppose any other fast food chain than In-N-Out, as they wanted to keep the flavor of the area's decades-old family-owned businesses. One thing they would usually say is that "be up in arms about a fast-food operation coming to Fisherman's Wharf," but the family-owned In-N-Out "is different."

Some of the other attractions of Fisherman's Wharf include the Hyde Street Pier (part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park), USS Pampanito, a decommissioned World War II submarine, and the nineteenth-century Balclutha cargo ship. Nearby Pier 45 holds a chapel commemorating the "Lost Fishermen" in San Francisco and Northern California.

A colony of sea lions is situated next to Pier 39. They had lived in Loma Prieta months previous to the 1989 earthquake. Lying on wooden docks were the sea lions, which were originally used to dock boats.

Fisherman's Wharf is hosting numerous events in San Francisco, including a July 4 fireworks display and the Blue Angels' Fleet Week shows.