San Francisco Pier 39 Has Strongest Sales Year In History, Expects $200 Million By Year's End (PHOTOS)

Things seem to be looking up for California's economy (or at least the tourism industry), and one local landmark may be leading the charge.

According to the San Francisco Business Times, popular tourist destination Pier 39 hit $170 million in revenue in September, the highest number in the pier's 34-year history.

The figure is a 13.4 percent increase from last year alone, and the pier expects to reach $200 million in sales by the end of the year.

"It's an all-time record," pier president and CEO Taylor Stafford told the Business Times. (For details on just how Pier 39 did it, check out the story here.)

Though San Francisco was hardly spared by the recent nationwide recession, the city has arguably fared better than others.

"We've been very, very fortunate in San Francisco," said Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting about the city's real estate market, which was named the strongest in the state last year.

This year, San Francisco was named the most expensive city in America.

The recent news in the Business Times got us thinking about the sometimes-overlooked Pier 39 and a few of its lesser-known charms. Check out the slideshow below for a few of our editor's favorite stops. And congrats Pier 39! Here's to 2013.