South San Francisco

Locals call it "South City." The founding fathers always intended South San Francisco to be an industrial leader, clearly distinguishing it from its northern neighbor. Fuller Paints, Pacific Coast Steel, and Western Meats made an early impact on the city's economic growth. During wartime, the development of a deep-water harbor brought shipbuilding to Oyster Point. The historic sign on Sign Hill still reads "South San Francisco: The Industrial City," but evolution is the name of the game, and the workhorse of the city's modern economy is biotech research and development.