SFO sits at the eastern edge of San Bruno and the city's life is shaped by its 24-hour operation: hotel shuttles, restaurant trade, and the ambient drone of jet engines on the western approach. For travellers it is one of the more pleasant U.S. airports, with rotating museum-quality exhibitions throughout the terminals (curated by the SFO Museum, an accredited institution in its own right) and direct BART service to downtown San Francisco in 30 minutes.
Even if you are not flying, the airport is worth a wander. Terminal 2 has Janet Echelman's "Every Beating Second," a vast hanging net sculpture that ripples in coloured light overhead — visible before security. The interterminal AirTrain (free) loops past dramatic views of the bay and the runways, and the Aviation Museum & Library in Terminal A houses an art-deco recreation of the original 1937 passenger lounge with rotating displays of vintage uniforms, model planes, and historic photographs.