| The San Francisco Bay Area, popularly known as | | | | fence in the land area. Spring casts mild and |
| the 'Bay Area' to local residents, is a diverse and | | | | cloudless days, summer is cool and overcast, and |
| thriving metropolitan region that encompasses San | | | | fall weather is warm, hot and sunny, with mild and |
| Francisco Bay in the northern part of California. | | | | clear nights, while winter brings in the most humid |
| San Francisco, North Bay, East Bay, South Bay, | | | | rainy days, alternating with clear and sunny |
| Peninsula and Santa Cruz make up the Bay Area | | | | skies.The diverse geography is broken up into |
| regions. They are divided into nine counties: San | | | | prime residential and industrial spaces, covering |
| Francisco, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, | | | | villages, towns and cities, parks in the national, |
| Santa Cruz, Alameda, Napa, Solano and | | | | state and regional levels, as well as airports and |
| Sonoma.Although San Francisco City is identified | | | | military bases. All these are connected by a |
| as the cultural and traditional center of the Bay | | | | modern and efficient transport system composed |
| Area, it is not the largest or most populated city | | | | mostly of trains (commuter rail and railroads), |
| within the area. Historically, the Bay Area traces | | | | highways and roads.Considered as one of the |
| its roots from Spanish explorers who first set | | | | most affluent regions in America, the San |
| foot in the region and founded a Catholic church in | | | | Francisco Bay Area boasts having the most |
| 1776.Bay Area is distributed over a population of | | | | median income per household, across the nation. |
| nearly seven million residents (as of the latest | | | | Six out of the 10 best Californian areas that have |
| count in 2006). People are scattered over a | | | | the most income per capita (Belvedere, Diablo, |
| number of suburban and urban centers, hence, | | | | Atherton, Woodside and Portal Valley) are all in |
| the general area name. Its generic name is | | | | the Bay Area. The popular Alameda, Contra |
| derived from the various regional natures of the | | | | Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa |
| area, with no specific reference to a city.Studies | | | | Clara counties in Bay Area are also part of the |
| place the population of San Francisco Bay Area | | | | top 100 income per capita counties in the States. |
| among the best in the country for overall | | | | As a result, the Bay Area real estate appreciated |
| education placement, competing with Washington | | | | to the level of the 'most expensive zip code' |
| D.C. and Boston. East Bay is known for being the | | | | league. In 2005, Forbes Magazine listed Atherton, |
| home of famous seminaries and universities, | | | | Diablo, Ross, Nicasio, Los Altos, Tiburon, Los |
| namely Berkeley or the University of California | | | | Gatos, Portal Valley and San Francisco as one of |
| and Stanford University.Weather is generally | | | | the top 50 most expensive places to live in. |
| agreeable but unpredictable, as bodies of water | | | | |