States has accelerated the exodus of business from the downtown core of San Francisco. Location Adjacent to the Financial District to the west is the Union Square shopping district. To the northwest is Chinatown, and to the north is North Beach and Jackson Square. To the east lies the Embarcadero waterfront and the Ferry Building. To the south lies Market Street and the South of Market district. The Financial District is served by more than two dozen Muni bus and rail lines, including one cable car line, as well as Montgomery Street Station and Embarcadero Station in the BART system. The nickname "FiDi" is occasionally employed, analogous to nearby SoMa. The area is commonly referred to as "Downtown" as well, although "Downtown" may include the broader Union Square, Chinatown, Tenderloin, and SoMa districts as well. Characteristics The District is home to numerous corporate headquarters, including all six San Francisco Fortune 500 companies—McKesson Corporation, Wells Fargo, PG&E, Gap, Charles Schwab, and Salesforce.com— as well as Bechtel, the Union Bank of California, Levi Strauss & Co., Blue Shield, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, URS Corporation, and Bank of the West among others; and formerly Bank of America, Pacific Bell, Crocker Bank, Transamerica Corporation, Chevron Corporation, and Visa among others. The headquarters of the 12th district of the United States Federal Reserve is located in the area as well. Prior to their disestablishment, AirTouch, South Pacific Air Lines, Pegasus Aviation Finance Company, and the Pacific Exchange all had their headquarters in the Financial District. There are several shopping malls in the area, including the Crocker Galleria, the Embarcadero Center, the Ferry Building Marketplace, and the Rincon Center complex. Parks and plazas located there include Sue Biermann Park; Justin Herman Plaza, which is the current location of the city's New Year's festivities, and Transamerica Redwood Park. St. Mary's Square and Portsmouth Square are near the borders of the district, but are usually considered as part of Chinatown. Diplomatic missions Several consulates are located in the financial district. Countries with consulates in the Financial District include France, Brazil, Guatemala, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Ireland, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office is located in the Financial District. See also 49-Mile Scenic Drive History of the west coast of North America List of tallest buildings in San Francisco References External links Downtown San Francisco