Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco

Fisherman’s Wharf – A Famous Tourist Site in San Francisco

Fisherman’s Wharf, a neighbourhood as well as a famous tourist site in San Francisco, California includes the northern waterfront area of San Francisco from Ghirardelli Squares or Van Ness Avenue which is east to Pier 35 or the Kearny Street. Fisherman’s Wharf has a wide range of land, sea as well as air activities to offer.

Running through the area, we have the F Market streetcar, Powell-Hyde cable car lines that run to Aquatic Park and at the edge of the Wharf with the Powell-Mason cable car line which runs a few blocks away. The Wharf has got its name and neighbourhood characteristics during the early of the mid to later part of 1800s when Italian immigrant fishermen had come to the city by the bay for the purpose of influx of population due to the gold rush.

An Anchille Paladini was successful in wholesaling local fish and became the owner of Paladini Fish Company which was known as the `Fish King’. Several of the Italian immigrant fishermen thereafter settled in North Beach territory which was close to the wharf and fished for the local delicacies which is presently the famed Dungeness crab.

Home Base of San Francisco’s Fishing Fleet

Since then till present times, it remained the home base of San Francisco’s fishing fleetwherein inspite of its redevelopments in converting it into a tourist attraction during the 1970s and 1980s this location remains to be the home to several fishermen together with their fleets.

A development plan costing $15,000,000 was proposed in 2010 by the city officials with the intention of revitalizing its appearance for the tourists and to change its downward trend in its popularity with the residents of San Francisco who had avoided the locale for years.

Fisherman’s Wharf, is considered as one of the most well-known tourist attractions as well as the busiest in western United States and is best known for being the location of Pier 39 which is the Cannery Shopping Centre, Ghirardelli Square, a Ripley’s Believe it or not Museum, Wax Museum and the Musee Mecanique at Fisherman’s Wharf as well as the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

One will find seafood restaurants in plenty in this location which include the floating Forbes Island restaurant at Pier 39 which serves fresh seafood especially Dungeness crab together with clam chowder which is served in a sourdough bread bowl.

World Class Fireworks Display

Restaurants like Fishermen’s Grotto, Pompei’s Grotto and Aliotos’ which has a three generation family ownership provides some of the most appetizing menus to the tourist while other restaurants comprises of chains like Joe’s Crab Shack and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Fisherman’s Wharf also hosts several San Francisco event which comprises of world-class fireworks which are displayed on 4th July with some of the best displays of the Fleet Week Air shows that feature the Blue Angels.

The city’s most famous figure is a controversial and harmless resident of Fisherman’s Wharf known as the World Famous Bushman who is a local street performer sitting behind some branches, startling people who tend to walk in that area and has been a permanent entertainer at the Fisherman’s Wharf for the past 39 years. Many tourist as well as locals has been warned about him taking people by surprise.