South San Francisco sits just south of San Francisco in a broad valley cupped between the San Bruno Mountains to the north and the Coast Range to the west. It is known worldwide as the "Industrial City" — the words are spelled out in enormous letters on the hillside above town — and that identity still holds. This is where Genentech was founded in 1976, making it one of the birthplaces of the modern biotech industry.
The setting is more appealing than its industrial reputation suggests. The valley opens toward San Francisco Bay, offering wide water views from the higher streets. Winters are mild and summers cooler and less foggy than San Francisco itself, sheltered as it is by the hills to the west.
South San Francisco is a working city, not a tourist destination. Most visitors are here for business — the biotech corridor along East Grand Avenue is one of the densest concentrations of life-science companies in the world. But it sits conveniently close to San Francisco International Airport and is well connected by BART, making it a practical base if you want lower prices than the city proper.