an Francisco has always been and still remains one of the most diverse, enigmatic, beautiful, dynamic and popular cities in the world. And for 2007, The City by the Bay will once again host the ASA Annual Meeting. It will be the eighth time in 30 years that San Francisco has hosted the ASA Annual Meeting, with each of those meetings posting a record or near record attendance. What makes this city so popular with Annual Meeting attendees and, indeed, much of the world? All one need do is ask the average visitor: More than 80 percent of people visiting San Francisco are on return visits.

Colorful Past
The renowned San Francisco Bay has been home to large and sophisticated cultures since humans have inhabited the area. A thriving population of Native Americans who lived here as early as 3,000 B.C. gave way to scores of European immigrants and explorers, who then were joined by waves of Asian immigrants (among many others) and finally American entrepreneurs, all seeking riches, fame or simply a better way of life. Many found it, and all added yet another layer of richness to a bountiful land and increasingly dynamic culture.

Tech Future
Today, San Francisco’s population sits at just under 800,000 and is the second most densely populated city in the United States. The gold rush of 1848 saw the city’s population balloon from 1,000 to 25,000 in just one year. Although the gold boom didn’t last long, it set in motion an entrepreneurial spirit that led to San Francisco becoming one of the most important commerce hubs in the country and a leading center for banking and finance. Today, San Francisco is in the center of Silicon Valley and is becoming a leader in biotechnology and biomedical research.

A Nice Place to Visit
Notorious for being a prohibitively expensive place to live, San Francisco is, however, one of the most popular tourist and convention destinations in the world. More than 15 million visitors came to the city in 2005. As if those numbers are not convincing enough, in 2006 the readers of Condé Nast Traveler voted San Francisco the number-one travel destination in the United States, naming it the “Best City in the U.S.” for the 14th consecutive year. The famous Pier 39 by itself has been listed as the third most popular tourist destination in the country.

The Great Quake
The 1906 San Francisco earthquake is considered the first large-scale natural disaster to have been documented in photographs. The quake, which killed anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 people and almost completely leveled the city, also initiated scientific study that led to the elastic rebound theory — the first accepted explanation as to why earthquakes occur.

Stereograph of a photographer and assistant setting up a camera on California Street on Nob Hill after the San Francisco earthquake in 1906.

Water Under the Bridge
As if this structure needs any introduction. Eleven people died in the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. At that time, however, this number represented a new safety record. Bridge planners had expected 35 people to die in the construction! A safety net under the project saved 19 men from death. This group was given the macabre designation “Half Way to Hell Club.”

Bank on It
San Francisco has long been known as a leading center for finance. After the stock market crash of 1929, not one bank based in San Francisco folded.

Rolling in Dough
One of the enduring icons of San Francisco, sourdough bread, has a rich tradition here. Although not introduced in San Francisco, it most certainly was made famous here. Sourdough was an important staple during the California gold rush. It was so common that the term sourdough was given to prospectors at the time. Sourdough bread has been in continuous production in San Francisco for more than 150 years. In honor of the characteristic yeast used to make the bread common to the area, it was dubbed Lactobacillus sanfrancisco.

San Francisco Treats
With more than 4,500 restaurants, San Francisco has one of the highest restaurant-per-capita percentages in the nation. It’s also home to many “food firsts,” one especially notable one being the fortune cookie. Although its origins are still hotly debated, it’s generally accepted now that the fortune cookie was invented in San Francisco by Japanese immigrant Makoto Hagiwara, who also designed the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. Quintessentially American, the fortune cookie is almost unheard of in Chinese restaurants outside of the United States.

You Never Really Leave
Perhaps the following quote from writer John Steinbeck best sums up San Francisco’s hold on people: “You know what it is? [San Francisco] is a golden handcuff with the key thrown away.” Tony Bennett famously had his heart stolen here, too, and countless millions have been similarly ensnared by the city’s charms. In the truest sense, there is something for everyone here. This epicenter of business and commerce was also the birthplace of the 1960s counterculture. Its breathtaking steel and glass skyline is rivaled only by the natural brilliance of the sea and hills that surround it. San Francisco is in the very best way a city of contrasts and contradictions.

When you come here for the 2007 Annual Meeting, no matter who you are, you’ll find something to love. And just like John Steinbeck, you’re bound to be back.