Why is Starfleet HQ in San Fransisco?
- Thread starter neozeks
- Start date
) or talked about by the writers or the producers but - why did they choose SF as SF HQ? (hehe, that looks funny 
If I remember correctly, didn't the original dedication plaque for TOS enterprise mention San Francisco? Although, even that wouldn't necessarily mean that's where the SF HQ is. That's all I can think of.
Maybe someone just thought it would make a neat looking matte painting.
Maybe someone just thought it would make a neat looking matte painting.
probably because there's a big ass naval base there...
The UFP draws obvious comparision to today's United Nations. San Francisco was the first home of the U.N. before the headquarters was moved to New York.
The co-location of Starfleet may simply be part that general homage.
The co-location of Starfleet may simply be part that general homage.
This is partially correct. San Francisco was the city in which the United Nations was founded. However, it was never techinically housed there. Once the Charter was signed in San Francisco on 24 October 1945, its temporary home was established in London before moving to New York in 1951.
The creators of Trek always saw the Federation as a futuristic version of the UN (which is why the early UFP logos had the polar grid over a starfield). This is also why at the time of TNG's creation in 1987, the Federation's membership was stated to be about 150 worlds (since the UN membership was 150 countries).
hellsgate
Commodore
I'm *guessing* that San Francisco was one of the few communities on Earth that survived World War 3 / The Nuclear Horror (relatively) intact, & was capable of administrating day to day affairs until The U.S. Government was able to get its act together, (water / food,) and resume a consistant chain of command, establish and enforce laws pertaining to voting, etc.
So what you're saying is, San Francisco was protected by a gay shield?
Give the volume of Trek slash on the internet, I think you may be onto something there.
I bet the Academy is located in the Castro District.
Judging from the angle and location of the GG Bridge, the Academy is sitting on top of the crumbled ruins of Lucasfilm's HQ.
Yeah, i figured it had to something with the founding of the UN... Plus, Golden Gate is a cool background 
Mwahahaha, I knew we would win in the end!
Judging from the angle and location of the GG Bridge, the Academy is sitting on top of the crumbled ruins of Lucasfilm's HQ.I bet the Academy is located in the Castro District.
Mwahahaha, I knew we would win in the end!
In-universe, no explanation has ever been offered. United Earth Minister Nathan Samuels mentions that San Francisco was where the nations of the world gathered after World War II to found the United Nations in "Demons"/"Terra Prime." It's possible that San Francisco was made the capital of the United Earth government because of that, and that the United Earth Starfleet was headquartered there in consequence. The Federation Starfleet could then have inherited the UE Starfleet's facilities once it was established with the Federation.
Out-universe, it's in SanFran as an allusion to San Francisco being where the United Nations Charter was signed.
Out-universe, it's in SanFran as an allusion to San Francisco being where the United Nations Charter was signed.
It's the parties and proximity to excellent wine.
Duh.
Duh.
I always wondered about that.
The response directly above mine makes as much sense as anything, I suppose.
The response directly above mine makes as much sense as anything, I suppose.
To my knowledge there's never been an in-universe explanation. I like that it's not a predictable city like New York or Washington DC. I'd bet they wanted it to be clear that the heirarchy of Starfleet and the Federation was different than current government, and it's a little tough to have that separation if they're housed right next to the Washington Monument.
I think I heard or read somewhere that Gene wanted it in SF because its is a open and tolerant community, and he wanted to recognize that seeing as it fit in with what ST is about. Now, I have no idea if this is true or if SF was as 'progressive' in the 60s as it is now.
It's a city that people think is beautiful (quite rightly) and that they already have strong images of, and this is the case even for people who have never been there. I imagine that helped. Sydney, Australia, has similar appeal, IMO, but I don't know if that many people in the U.S. had a strong image of Sydney during the 1960s.
I don't think touristic value should be a determinant in setting one's HQ.
