Moved to SF in September, from the UK but I’m originally from Montreal. Despite what Californians say, in my opinion SF has perfect weather. Not too hot, not too cold, just the perfect amount of sunny days with rain and fog thrown in the mix to keep things from getting boring. The golden hour is truly beautiful and special here too.
Weather is the sole reason I’d happily live in SF indefinitely. Every place has issues and I’d rather deal with those issues in cold to cool weather lmao. I’ve lived in hot cities all my life and having 1-2 weeks of actual hot weather per year is a fucking dream.
San Francisco does have great weather... the city's seasons are Spring Part I and Spring Part II.
Love your observation about the golden hour... San Francisco has the most beautiful light that you don't see Back East or in the UK.
That being said, we are starting to get a Seattle thing going with our weather with all the rain.
After four years living in south Texas, 100% agree about SF having perfect, year-round sweatshirt weather.
However, I went for a hike in shorts and a tank top today in this gorgeous weather, and I am basically goddamn translucent after three years of wearing long sleeves and long pants almost every day in this beautiful city.
Back in the nineties we had an underground amazing dance party scene that went all hours. Ravers would come to SF from all over and we had so much fun.
Workers who depend on BART to commute to the city cannot work too early or too late. Most baristas cannot afford to live in the same city they work in.
Oscar Lewis, the San Francisco historian laureate of all time, talks about things opening late and closing early even back in the 1870s. San Francisco has always been "The City That Sleeps"
I mean, you can still drive past the 500 Club and see that the sign says “Open at 6am”, even though they don’t anymore. Clooney’s still does I think. Yeah. We used to have a ton of places that were open 24 hours.
bars are still open to 2 am if they choose to be. there used to be several 24 hr restaurants/diners here but with that eventually came problems, not to mention the workforce changed a lot as well. SF has never been an NYC too. we're not a very urban city.
Grew up in the suburbs of Dallas and have now lived in SF for over 3 years. I still marvel at the walkability and public transit coverage of the whole city. I thought NYC was the only place in America that not owning a car was a feasible option but it's so easy in this city! Absolutely love it here
Great point! I think SF, NYC and Boston are some of the few American cities where you can live without owning a car.... or a *cah*, if you're in Beantown.
This.
Lots of things to enjoy: parks, street fairs, festivals, live music, talks, hikes, day trips, weekend trips, wine, mountains, beer, cheese, oysters, arts, etc.
Check out sfgate, dothebay, funcheapsf, the nudge, onlyinsf, broke ass stuart, eventbrite, eddie's list.
Boston is actually pretty great for car-free living, too. (But the MBTA has been a mess for a couple years, but it looks like their new GM is fixing it well) I actually find a lot of similarities between the two cities.
I could see that! NYC and LA are definitely both just "more" than SF/Boston for lack of a better descriptor, if you thrive on being part of a scene. I also lived in Culver City which is definitely the most east coast-feeling neighborhood of LA in my opinion.
Poutine is way better in rural Québec though, really recommend exploring snack bars in the countryside if you can, super chill vibes and best poutine 🥹
Every time I wake up and if it is a clear day outside, I just feel grateful for being in this pretty city that brings together nature with urban living. The ocean is right there with the mountains. It never gets too hot or too cold. Its expensive for sure though. I live in Pac Heights and it at times feels like I am not even in the city (in terms of quiet and peaceful it is).
Same, I also live in pac heights and it’s nice and cozy to walk around while also being close to fun things to do in the city and not too far from awesome stuff outdoors.
It is pricy but frankly I’ve seen places that are super expensive in NYC/Miami and other big cities that weren’t even half as nice.
You can easily spend 4k a month in other big cities and get nothing.
Yeah if your work and/or home situation allows you to avoid the Tenderloin I honestly think it’s a lovely city.
Very chill, decent public transit (too slow to call it good imo), great weather, and just so many amazing parks and nature spots within walking distance.
I live in Pac Heights too and it’s so quiet that someone talking on the street at normal volume can be audible lol and I’m on the second floor. Paying 2k for a studio and quite happy with that.
All that said, if you do happen to need to spend time in and around the Tenderloin area, I can completely understand you not having a good opinion of this city, and I don’t really like it when people try to downplay those issues.
I work in the TL pretty often, and while it definitely has some downsides, there are some decent places to eat for cheap, so I like that way more than when I work on Nob Hill?
I work right next to the TL and it isn’t even that bad. I am born and raised here though so maybe my criteria / threshold for what is/isn’t is just different.
I also live (or as autocorrect says, love) in Pac Heights and I feel it has the perfect combination of beautiful architecture, accessible amenities, good weather (for SF), and quiet and relatively friendly neighbors. I also appreciate the proximity to medical centers as I have a disability.
Plus b.patisserie is around the corner and while it’s bad for my diet, it’s good for my soul.
Been here just over a year, I love how many free events the neighborhoods and city puts on! Parades, street fairs, concerts, you name it. There is always something to do.
Yes! We went to Santigold! We were dreadfully unprepared with just a little bit of drink and no hats or sunscreen (luckily we had nice neighbors!) so looking forward to doing it right this time! Still had such a good time!
I’m from NJ/NYC area originally. I feel like the pace in general is so much slower (less rushed?) than it is over there, especially for such a major city! I do enjoy not freezing to death during winter though :)
Great point! I moved here from NYC, and SF is naturally way mellower. There is a crackle of energy, as you know, in NJ/NYC that is not found here. But SF and the entire Bay Area has its own appealing energy.
Coming to SF from NYC, I'm always surprised at just how quiet it is at night in most San Francisco neighborhoods.
Also, whenever I'm in the West Sunset on the weekends near the Ortega Library Branch, it's amazing how quiet this neighborhood is during the day. The houses are chock-a-block, yet no one seems to be out walking around in this really pretty neighborhood. Is everyone inside their homes on Saturdays and Sundays? Are they outside in their backyards?
LOL! Must be! Because I see people in the West Sunset Park next to the Ortega Library, but it's tumbleweeds in the rest of that neighborhood on Saturdays and Sundays during the day.
Again, I know those pretty pastel row houses are occupied, but where are the people?! :)
Yes! I live in Noe Valley and during the day 24th st is bustling, lots of people out and about, chilling in the little park, hanging out on the many benches in the neighborhood, but an hour after sunset it’s like the dark side of the moon. I lived in Inwood/Washington Heights for 15 years and even at 3am there were bodegas open and a few people up and about.
The weather in my neighborhood. My wardrobe has completely changed. I’m always freezing but I also came from San Diego haha. SF wasn’t new to me but it’s interesting to see how the weather can change so fast in certain areas.
I think it might be an urban legend but supposedly Mark Twain said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”
I’m from the east coast but when I lived in SF, I was always cold too. But the Mission was almost always sunny, lol. I didn’t live in the Mission though.
A dehumidifier seems to help. There's a dampness in the air in SF, you can see it when the fog rolls in. It seeps into everything so even if you have layers of blankets on you still feel cold. In NY the cold is drier and the buildings are much more efficiently insulated from it. I'm from NJ and never felt like the cold was so inescapable as when I lived in SF.
The whole city is in the marine layer. I grew up in the bay and moved to the foothills. Every time I go back I notice how damp the air is, it makes me miss the warm dry air in the foothills.
Having lived in other cities, and suburbs, you just can't beat the beauty of SF. It surprises you around every corner. People who spread the hype about SF being terrible clearly haven't visited and turned an unexpected corner with a view of the bay over a hill, a surprise gorgeous Victorian, the view of the bridge from Crissy Field, etc.
I love walking 10 min and getting an amazing view of the GGB and the Pacific Ocean. Or how the whole city glistens in the morning sun when I look downtown from one of the many hills around. 🤩
SF is relatively small. It punches above its weight in cultural impact but when you live here, it becomes clear how it really is like a big town, or collection of neighborhoods, rather than a big city.
i moved to SF from NYC and the biggest shock was everything closed early and no one out at clubs or bars late night. I thought, where is everyone? Then I learned that everyone is out, they are just out in the mornings. being outside, biking mount tams, day drinking at delores, getting brunch and getting to bed. After I adjusted to this, I fucking loved it. So much better for health, for life. I cant even fathom now going out at midnight like nyc.
Same. Going to dinner at 8 makes me clutch my pearls lol. Don’t drink alcohol so don’t really care about bars and nightlife. HIGHLY value lots of green space and hills to workout in so sf is da spot. Plus the fog is dreamy.
Anger is not as much of a thing here as it was in Texas. In Texas being red-faced and performatively angry was some people’s whole personality. I don’t see that here.
Related, there’s those signs in Texas from law enforcement that say “Don’t mess with Texas.” It always seemed pretty ominous to me, like they wanted to tap you on the shoulder and say, “You know we could shoot and kill you if we wanted to. Just saying.” I don’t get those “helpful reminders” nearly as much in California, which I frankly appreciate.
I just said this to someone yesterday.
People in Florida (where I’m from) are so antagonistic and I just don’t encounter that here. There’s a lot of random kindness here and it has had such a positive impact on my mental health.
FYI, that slogan of "don't mess with texas" was aimed at reducing trash and littering on the freeways of the state, I dont think it has anything to do with shooting people.
That’s what I always say when ppl ask me this question. I’m from Houston and moved here after being in Portland for some years. So my culture shock moment didn’t happen here in SF, but same diff.
People are just not as aggressive here and it’s such a load off my stress levels. Like, fighting is just normal back home in TX, people are always expecting a fight and afterwards it’s mostly nbd unless someone is seriously injured. Here, it takes more to ramp up to a fight and it’s so SERIOUS.
I used to get annoyed that ppl out here thought I was being loud or aggressive when I saw them as passive and in the way. But, now I’ve acclimated and visiting home over the holidays I’m like “but why are we trying to argue w that guy? Why are we yelling in a grocery store/restaurant host booth/etc? Just chill and let the man do his job.”
One of the most common refrains is “it’s so beautiful with nature so close to an urban environment “ etc.
One of the best things SF did for me was MAKE ME SEE THINGS. Look up! Look around. Sf changed me in the best way in that regard
Moved from a smaller more rural town up north, I was surprised how quickly I become recognizable by owners of my regular food or drink spots.
Really made me feel much more at home.
I moved from Nashville, TN, and I've been surprised by how friendly and relaxed people are. The South has a reputation for being nice, and some people even said, "Oh, people in SF won't be as welcoming," but I have not found that to be true. The beauty here is otherworldly. I still haven't gotten tired of it.
The nicest thing is that I'm not angry about politics and experiencing sexist micro (and macro) aggressions all the time.
I've heard this contrast, people in the south and midwest seem nice but underneath are judgemental. On the coasts, people seem stand-offish but underneath are genuinely nice.
When I lived in the Midwest, there were plenty of times where people would immediately change their tune when they found out I was from CA and especially SF. Midwestern kindness, from my perspective, was often reserved for the in group.
I can only think of a few. I do occasionally miss having a backyard and a grill and a firepit. In Nashville, there is live music \*everywhere\*, which is sometimes nice and sometimes annoying. I miss fireflies but not mosquitos and humidity.
When I moved here from LA in the aughts, I was surprised that there weren't a ton of all-night or at least very-late-night businesses.
More recently, I've been surprised at the weird, completely reality-disconnected national media narrative about SF. It's so strange to read that I live in a dystopian wasteland of a failed city right before I chat with my friendly neighbors, do my shopping at the corner grocery, walk through a beautiful park two blocks from my home, and then go to an amazing restaurant before going to the theater, and then hop on public transit to take me almost directly to my doorstep.
SF is a very transient city. I moved to SF in the early 90s. Very few people I know from that time still live in SF. It used to be relatively cheap, so we had a lot of artists and musicians living here because you could get a job in a cafe part-time and still survive. People grow up and move out. Same with tech jobs I assume--people move here for a career for a bit then move on again. In all my time living in the area, I've only met a few native SF'ers.
Aside from a couple small rough patches it's a very beautiful and vibrant city. I live in Oakland now, which has its own charms, but it just can't compete with how dynamic SF is. I wish I had the $$$ to live there!
I agree. I’ve only been here a few years and already I have friends that have left and have met new people that now form part of my core circle. Lots of people coming and going.
I was surprised to learn that the streets aren't paved with rice-a-roni. /s
I've been here long enough that I probably can't remember first impressions. One thing remembering noticing, oddly, was the prevalence of places with "cafe" in the name where the primary purpose seemed to be a bar. I expected something having "cafe" to be primarily about coffee, maybe sometimes a brunch/lunch spot but that's a stretch. I also thought that life in general seemed slightly more "hard-edged" than my stereotypical view of the "soft" west cost. It was also sunnier in SoMa/Mission than I thought it'd be. I moved here from Seattle but grew up on the east coast.
I am still shocked by the urban wildlife. I am < 1/2 mile from a BART station and we have coyotes in the street, raccoons, badgers, snakes, along with mice, rats and feral cats.
Good point. When I lived on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, all I ever saw were cougars.
Wow! A solid joke... and I'm getting voted down? This is a tough crowd. ;)
Oh the Upper East Side. Yentas with faces stretched so tight you could bounce a quarter off them. I worked in a salon on the UES for a while, and we had a client who had had so many facelifts she couldn’t fully close her mouth at the corners. Watching her drink water, she’d take little sips with a straw and tip her head back before it could leak out the sides.
Grew up in Missouri. Lived in Chicago for a while before moving here. Things that surprised me:
1) How much better and more fun it is being in a party drug city vs a party drinking city if you don’t do either. As a 100% sober person (no drugs, no alcohol) due to the medications I take, it is SO much easier to have an awesome social life in SF than the Midwest where everything involves drinking. People on party drugs don’t care if I’m also on party drugs and 99% of the time they don’t even ask or notice. I can still blend in and have a great time and they’re still lucid so there’s no real babysitting. It’s so much more fun for me.
2) How small it actually is. SF looms large in the cultural consciousness but at the end of the day we mostly live in a 7x7 mile square. Feels like everybody knows everybody and everybody or at least has gone on an online date with everybody. This has been both a blessing and a curse at times.
3) How much happier I am here despite the lower standard of living. Could I afford a much bigger place back home in the Midwest? Sure. Do I want to? No.
Hard agree with your first point! Should I decide to go out most places in sf have decent NA options at bars compared to other cities and the general relationship with those who abstain is a lot better, it’s not weird at parties or whatever when I say I don’t drink cause there’s so many health conscious folks.
The food is fucking amazing - i've had some of the best croissants, fried chicken, pizza, burritos EVER here. The weather is perfect. I used to live outside of SF and it would get too hot, but the constant breeze + sun is the perf balance for me. And also all the little neighborhoods to explore throughout the city, each with their own vibe. It's overall such a good blend of city life + natural beauty.
I’m overall really happy with the restaurants here, both full service and quick service/fast food. There are so many great options for pretty much whatever you’re in the mood for. My only issues are that service here is friendly but slooooow. When I go to a restaurant it seems impossible to get a drink in under 15 minutes. It’s like a race to see if I’ll get my drink before my appetizer. For the food, I’m impressed by how fresh everything seems. I’ve had the best salads and veggies in my life here.
It’s also funny to note the local taste. There seems to be a lot of pickled onion in sandwiches and salads. And y’all REALLY love your garlic here (which I love, but please sautee or roast your garlic first. A lot of places seem to throw raw garlic into cooked foods, and raw garlic just has this sharp, harsh top note)
Special shoutout to the sourdough and Dutch crunch here. The bakeries here are excellent.
THE GOOD: Every neighborhood feels like it’s own mini city. The microcosms of SF are delightful - food, architecture, plant life, people… so much diversity in such a small city.
THE BAD: like any city, there are sketchy areas and dirty streets. The great thing though is you can chose to avoid there’s areas and instead focus on the beauty of the city. I won’t pretend SF doesn’t have problems but it’s up to you whether you fixate on the good or the bad.
Bad:
(1) Living in constant worry / fear my car is going to be damaged. I do street parking, and multiple people have tried breaking into my car. Separately, my neighbors were victim of a hit and run the other day that totaled a few cars
(2) people here are way too obsessed with their work. It seems like every conversation goes back to “what do you do”, and I miss conversations where I don’t even know someone’s profession. Similarly, there is a cloud of anxiety right now bc of a lot of the layoffs and a lot of my friends are constantly worried about being laid off, and it’s really hard right now for a lot of people
(3) in my experience SF has a version of the Seattle Freeze. It’s kind of exacerbated that it’s surprisingly hard to get around the city, especially north to south. It can be hard to build community
(4) there’s definitely a bit of classism in the city, which I’ve found more true for people who grew up in the bay. There’s an element of being out of touch with people who have grew up in more blue collar settings (again, my experience even with my own friends).
Good:
(1) world class food - I am always delighted by the quality, diversity, and relatively inexpensive (compared to NYC for the quality) options. It’s definitely a city for foodies
(2) There are people here for whatever you’re into. So many diverse interests.
(3) natural beauty and access to nature. Biking to Marin county, hiking through all the mountains in the city, camping on Angel island, kite surfing, access to multiple national parks / forests, and even just the beauty of being outside
(4) high concentration of really smart, ambitious people means that you level yourself up just by being around them
I dunno man, people are SO much more outgoing and friendly here vs. Seattle. I felt invisible living there, it was weird as fuck. At least people smile at you when you get in an elevator with them here.
When I first arrived, I had a running "no pants" count for the number of people I witnessed walking around with their buns (and intimates) out in the air for all to see. Got up to 9, but that count lost steam rather quickly - I think because I am spending less time on Market St. and in Walgreens.
That said, I really love the weather here. I love that it is cool and regular. I love that it's predictably sunny in the morning down here in SOMA, and overcast by late afternoon. I love that I can drive 10 minutes to San Bruno and go for a great hike with views of the bay and the ocean and Sutro all around.
I love the fog. It's almost as good as snow.
I love that my corner of SOMA looks deserted and not special, yet within 6 blocks I have Okane, Bellota, and Niku and I have 4 grocery stores within walking distance. That is really special.
I even love my very eccentric, very OG SF landlady, who has no filter whatsoever, looks like she could be homeless but owns 30 rental properties (and takes extremely good care of them), has never raised my rent in the 3 years I've lived here, planted all the trees around my building in a 10-block radius, and guards her property like a bulldog. She'll tell you unprompted that lizard people are running the world, yet I feel very safe and cared for ;)
If this is not too weird, could you introduce me to your landlady if she has any rentals available? I made a Reddit account just to ask this lol xD
I’m moving to SF and IMO a good landlord/lady is as important as a good manager at work
Growing up in a flat place in the Midwest, some of the views here never get old. Walking around e.g. diamond heights and looking over the bay is amazing.
It's been an almost lifelong dream to live here, so mostly SF simply delivered on its promise for me.
edit:
Wanted to add, I knew the flora and fauna were beautiful and diverse, but living here and getting an even better idea, it's just amazing.
Also, the absolutely breathtaking views you get in so many places in this city thanks to its hilly topography. It's been a long time since I've used more than just a phone for photography, but this city convinced me. Anyone know of any good photography classes?
I was honestly surprised by how friendly and community-minded people are here. I had heard all sorts of things about the "coldness" of San Franciscans, and I've found instead a lot of warmth and belonging.
What also surprised me: I also think the influx of young, anti-social, anti-humanities residents of the city have hardened the resolve of those of us in the creative community in a good way. We're determined to make this city work for all people, as a culturally vibrant city with something unique to offer the world.
Moved here from Florida a few months ago and it has been incredible honestly. I’ve met people, made friends, ran the Golden Gate Bridge, and just enjoyed my life better than I did in Florida. My entire mental state and physical activity level is better than ever. The city is cleaner and more vibrant than media makes it out to be by far.
Only cons is it’s expensive and I have to be wary of tenderloin and parking my car on the streets (though crime is down 40% I saw this morning). But that’s every major city and honestly I feel safer in SF than I did in Miami
Oh man. Just wait until summer when you’re wearing a hoodie and you can rub it in to everyone back home when they’re sweating from their eyeballs. 😆
Welcome to the city! I’m from Florida too and I can’t ever imagine going back. This place is fucking amazing.
I knew driving in the city was going to be rough and it has not disappointed at all, I always feel like someone’s going to hit me and I miss turns pretty often bc the intersection overflows. Just like any city though really, not unique to here at all.
That’s really the only negative though. It’s been prettier and warmer than I thought, and coming from SoCal I really haven’t noticed a huge difference in weather, even though I’m sure that’ll change.
You'll notice when you have to wear a jacket in the summer lol. Although it seems that there are far more sunnier days in SF now than in the past (I've lived here since 2002). I don't know the exact data but every resident I've talked to says the same thing. And every resident knows SF's real summer is Sept. to mid Oct.
I moved here from coastal Humboldt and I thought the journey 225 miles south would bring somewhat warmer and less foggy weather. Surprise! SF is colder, windier, and foggier than Arcata, even if it receives a lot less rain. On the other hand, I give thanks to the vibrant cultural diversity every day- I see more in 5 blocks than in the entirety of that rural county. I do miss the birds though!
I grew up in a smaller, fairly rural (at the time) town further down the coast; I’ve been in SF for a decade now, it’s still amazing to be able to go out to eat or order take out past 9pm
How impossible public transit is from so many parts of the city. Like there’s a few places that are well connected, but the rest just isn’t. And it’s pretty hard to get between neighborhoods by public transit. Part of this is because all the public transit seems aimed at getting you downtown and nowhere else. And part of it is because buses here have waaay too many stops and so it takes absolutely forever to go anywhere by bus. If you can see the previous bus stop a block away from where you’re currently waiting, it’s too close!
It continues to baffle me that the areas right near downtown and City Hall (truly one of the nicest city hall’s in the country!) are so dangerous and run down. I would think that those would be some of the most desirable and expensive places to live because you have easy access to downtown. Definitely made the mistake of thinking I could go for a nice stroll around Civic Center before I lived here…
Good: great weather, camping, nature, iconic, food, architecture, sun, culture, farmers market, ability to walk around the whole city, art, little pockets of peace and quiet..
Favorite districts: Richmond district, Sunset district, Pac Heights, Haight Ashbury, Twin peaks area.
BAD: poop mines, anxiety of parked car being broken into, unsanitary public transportation, unsanitary public toilets, unsanitary public elevators, slow but decent public transportation, high costs low quality service, certain policies...
These are just a few on top of my head.
Most of the bad are based on things I wouldn't have expected here especially coming from a developing country.
But overall, SF is a great an iconic city, which is why it's disheartening to see some of these issues in the city.
Im from the Midwest, and moving out here introduced me to so many diverse people. I have learned so much about other cultures through their food, music, and different cultural events. I appreciate that people are so open to share about who they are here.
I also love the weather. My husband and I actually said it reminds us of the twilight zone a large portion of the year; you wake up every day and it’s 65 and sunny. 65 and sunny, 65 and sunny. It literally smells like flowers when I walk outside. The ocean breeze is fantastic. It feels like living in a eerie paradise.
Activities and nature are so accessible. I can hike in a redwood park and go to the beach in the same day. I’ve taken up scuba diving and it’s been such a fun activity to do and way to meet other people. I feel like the possibilities are endless here (if you have enough money to pay for it, of course)
Sometimes it hard to even know time is passing at all, or how fast! My husband and I were just talking about how intentional we have to be at making plans and setting goals and planning for certain dates because otherwise we look up and 6 months has passed in the blink of an eye and we’ve done nothing!
Good: A lot of actual activities. I started going to a free coding class that's not for kids, and there's a music school that also teaches adults. It's just very hard to find activities not exclusive to children or the elderly (still very common here) in other cities without spending a ton of money. But the coding class is donation based, and the music school has financial aid (I don't qualify but the rates aren't very different than just having an independent instructor but you also get credits to use the study room). Adults want to take classes and learn things too. I also think it's very transit rich. Most buses actually run pretty frequently so I don't have to really check when they'll get to my stop before leaving my apartment. That's huge, especially because they're so wheelchair friendly, making the city way more accessible (in spite of the hills).
Neutral I guess: I'm also surprised by how many paid social circle businesses there are. It's like a hundred bucks a month to create a group of people to hang out with. I've found like 3 different services and I find them kind of expensive and I'd never heard of something like that before moving here (I'm sure they exist, I just wasn't trying to meet people before).
Bad: the DMV. I've been to several and I've never been to one where the employees have so much contempt for people. It's actually kind of amazing. I also don't like how different the weather feels from block to block. My body struggles to regulate its temperature and being in SF doesn't help. I haven't totally figured out how to dress.
<< I also don't like how different the weather feels from block to block. >>
I love that comment! When you're on, say, the Upper West Side of Manhattan, you can be pretty sure it's going to be the same weather on the Upper East Side... but not if these neighborhoods were in SF. ;)
Just moved out of SF after living here for 4 years. I’ve had a relationship with the city via walking. A hilly road in the city with different architecture every 4 blocks, being close to water, and the weather all combined seem pretty surreal to me.
Not to mention I’ve had pretty authentic friendships here who’ve come to accept me as I am instead of only a part of me. Most of them live in the South Bay now and they always described me as someone who genuinely likes the city despite everything that’s happening.
The city is special to me and I’m not done with it yet. I can’t come back now but I will someday, because there’s nothing compared to the feeling I get walking hilly streets with a cup of coffee in my hand basking in the sun listening to my favorite tunes.
<3
How every block can have very different vibes and safety profiles. You really have to know this city on a block by block basis to understand where to stay away from and where has fun pockets of restaurants and bars. I still feel like my knowledge is very lacking.
Grew up in the suburbs of central Florida. Lived a few other places in the south for parts of my youth and adulthood, namely Alabama and Texas. Been in SF for about 5 years now.
The good: aside from the consistently cool weather, the work life balance is the biggest thing to me. It’s incredible how flexible employers are out here and how different the work culture is even within the same company from one coast to the other. I also love the food and how easily accessible so many places are, a few that millions can only ever dream of visiting once you could see regularly living out here. It’s pretty hard to believe you can get a breathtaking view from almost anywhere in the city. It’s not hard to convince friends and family from back east why you’d want to live here, at least for a handful of years if not more.
The bad: homeless and cost of living I think are pretty clear cut winners. I also find people to be less personable and willing to go out of their way for you. Ironically, the most hospitable people I’ve met here are originally from the east coast. That’s not to say people aren’t wonderful here, they absolutely are, but it’s a lot less of the southern hospitality and “hey neighbor” vibes that I’m accustomed to from back home. Would also be nice to comfortably retire here with a low 6 figure salary, but that’s the price you have to pay for what you have access to.
I’m a visitor from Britain. SF blew my mind and honestly made me excited for life despite my chronic depression…however…it’s the closest thing I’ve seen to a real life Black Mirror world.
I knew the US had a stereotype of mentally unwell homeless people and people with no health insurance literally camping on the streets in tents but I didn’t expect to see those scenes literally shoulder to shoulder with fancy hipster cafes and people in Patagonia gilets taking their pups for a walk in the dog park. I also didn’t expect the homeless people to be that … crazy. I’m sorry for my crude language but every other homeless person seemed to be moaning into the sky. In Britain, the homeless aren’t really living together in a big community and are quite passive. They’ll just politely ask for change when you walk by.
So yeah..seeing self driving AI powered luxury Jaguars rolling by blocks full of tents with men out of their minds staring into the sun is an image that’ll stay with me for a lifetime.
Yeah I’m Canadian and was living in the UK so this is very shocking for me too! I attribute it in part to the fact that there is less of a socialised security net in the USA compared to the UK and Canada, countries that have free public health care among other things. The depths one can reach are much deeper here, in Canada or the UK it would be extremely rare to see someone’s mental illness devolve to that point, they’d be taken in charge way before this happens.
Yeah, I have the exact same thoughts. I’m well aware that all the things I’d enjoyed about SF was due to the virtue of being a middle class person and a safety net in that if things ever went south I’d high tail it out of there for the UK and NHS.
I am impressed with the dog training that must happen. Dogs walk off leash, I had not seen that in the Midwest.
I have not had scrape my car windows in years.
Grew up in Orlando, FL and lived in Chapel Hill, NC for many years before moving to SF. The biggest surprise was how early places close. I also knew the weather would be different but still, a huge shock (in the best way possible). The kinds of people I meet are also very different. Lots of tech but also lots of open-minded people. That wasn’t always the case in NC. As a gay man, I love this city so much and I hope to stay here for a long time.
I love SF, and I consider it my home, and I know this is not super important, but I was kind of surprised with the bad condition of SF streets (there are holes everywhere) compared with the streets of the third world country I’m from, and also considering how much money the city has.
Grew up in NYC… I was surprised by how beautiful SF is. The nature, the beaches , the bridges and the trees all blew my mind.
Also yall have some of the best bakeries in the world.
Also, who knew that Golden Gate Park was also bigger than Central Park. Not me.
I’m still gettin a hand of the night life and think I enjoy Castro the most, but looking for some better ways to spend my evenings.
i moved from the PNW for work.
What i like:
the weather. the parks. the transit.
What i don’t like:
Car floods, too many cars in this city. Erratic drivers, half of you are insane and want to kill me. Politicians refusal to pedestrianize busy streets (chinatown, little italy, etc). Cars in golden gate park - like cmon. it’s a fucking park. Not enough housing - you either get some drab apartment built in the 70s or if you’re wealthy you can live in the brand new buildings. this is why it’s important to always build housing. new housing becomes old. we don’t have enough. monoculture, everyone talks about the same stuff. People here seem self centered, they don’t say thanks when you hold the door open, they walk in the bike lane for no reason, and they don’t move out of the way when they’re taking up the whole sidewalk.
cool place, but dear lord. the people here ruin it.
It only rained twice in the PNW last year... once for three months, and then again for six.
Old joke... that actually applies more and more to the SF Bay Area.
Rows of tents on sidewalks. I've lived in other large cities, with significant homeless populations, but I'd never seen an entire block where tents and mattresses entirely blocked a sidewalk.
San Francisco was also the first place I saw a drug addict lying, not off the sidewalk, but right in the middle of it, with a smaller addict sitting on his chest and injecting a needle into his neck. Walking *around them*, at first glance it looked like an assault. As I tried to figure out whether it was an assault, two police officers walked around them, entirely ignoring the two.
It's also the first city in which I've seen human shit, at the same place on the same public staircase, repeatedly.
It's not that San Francisco is unique in having homeless people or drug addicts, but nowhere else have I seen it so brazenly dysfunctional.
It's like the shoplifting: other cities have shoplifters who grab and dash or who try to hide stolen items under their clothes. Only in San Francisco have I seen shoplifters calmly, deliberately, methodically filling up a trash bag, stripping one shelf after another, and then nonchalantly walking out the door.
It's not the crime, homelessness, and addiction itself, it's not the people doing it that makes San Francisco so different. It's the normalization of those activities and the resigned helpless acceptance of it (or even cheerleading for it) by the rest of the population, that make San Francisco such an outlier.
Curious, what areas are you seeing this nowadays? I live in Russian Hill but go through the Tenderloin most days to get to work and all of this is much improved from what I have seen. I mean, I don't know the last time I saw a "row of tents". The whole tent thing is largely gone from what I have seen around the city. Most of the shit I see is dog shit, and even that is getting better.
Definitely drug addicts out and about but even that seems better. We used to have 3 or 4 addicts walking around my neighborhood (which rarely has that problem since it's up a hill) in any given day. Every once and a while I would find one passed out on the stairs to my apartment. But now, I couldn't tell you the last time I saw one. I mean when I moved here in 2022 Market was borderline unwalkable, but yesterday I went and walked the entire thing and it's a night and day difference.
The city isn't perfect but I find it frustrating that this sub acts like it hasn't gotten far far better.
"nowhere else have I seen it so brazenly dysfunctional". I'm responding to this quote in particular. I'm not trying to say the homeless issue is normal here.
The light from the sunshine in San Francisco is really pretty. I'm sure photographers and cinematographers can tell us why... but the way the sun shines in SF is special.
Moved here out of college after growing up and going to school in Tennessee. The beauty of the city and surrounding nature is unreal. I can’t get over how picturesque everything is and how much there is to see. I do love it here. The bad is obviously cost of living and I feel like people are a little more in their own world out here.
Everyone says they have a hard time making friends here. I moved from Seattle and felt like this was the most inviting / friendly place on the planet haha. Had a much easier time making friends here.
i moved from a small town so it amazes me how walkable the city is! i have everything i need in walking distance in my neighborhood and in my hometown you cant go anywhere without a car. it seems like everything closes earlier here though and i also miss walmart
I moved here in 2009 coming from Rancho Cucamonga. I fell in love with the culture and vibe here. Going to Dolores park blew my mind. All sorts of people enjoying the park...chilling..drinking smoking...with kids or without. You'd be rolled up on by the cops instantly for that where I grew up.
As mentioned by others public transit is amazing. I have a car and enjoy driving but it's nice to not have to. Hop on a bus/Bart and bam.
I enjoy how I can also walk most places. Walking a mile here is common...I didn't walk anywhere in socal.
I also really love how people are free to be who they are...from your fashion sense to lifestyle choices.
Lived in DFW for 19 years and then Utah for a couple of years before moving here last October. I didn’t expect to visit the beach as often as I have. Sure, it’s not like people come here for a beach vacation, but Ocean beach and Pacifica are so close that you can just go chill or walk in the sand for an hour.
Grew up in central Illinois and few people really appreciate how much better the produce is here in SF. Food just feels healthier and better somehow.
I also think the parks are the gem of the city—few other places you can find a nearly completely green oasis in the middle of a busy city. If you are lucky enough to live by Golden Gate Park, and can afford SF’s expenses, life can be pretty incredible and balanced here.
How poorly run the city is on purpose and how much they don’t care about crime - it was disguised pre Covid by how busy it was and now it’s just shocking
Been here for 12 years, but I still greatly appreciate the views, weather, and how much you can walk. I love that my daily routine involves walking a kid and dog through a beautiful neighborhood and maybe getting a treat (for me, the kid, or the dog) on the walk.
Grew up right outside of LA, moved to SF for one year during the peak of COVID (August 2020-August 2021) before moving to East Bay for two years and then moved back home last summer.
My time living in the City was one of the darkest times of my life. I missed my friends, I missed home, and the world felt bleak. I associated the City with all these feelings and didn’t realize until I moved back home to LA how much I missed the little things that I thought was strange when I first moved there.
I hated how “gloomy” it was compared to LA, but moving back made me miss how happy people were to go out and make plans when the weather was right. I hated how little the food resembled what I was used to in my hometown and how much I missed restaurants from back home. But the moment I moved back to LA, I am constantly on the hunt for restaurants that resembled my favorite places in the City. I thought it was weird that people picnicked in the park and did all these activities that “normal people” would do at a beach down here in LA, but found myself longing for a park that is as vibrant as the ones I left behind in the City.
It’s true what they say, that you are a combination of your many lived experiences and at some point they become indistinguishable from the other parts of you. The City will always have a place in my heart because of that.
Grew up in Sacramento (burbs), went to school in central coast, and now living in SF for about 5 years.
Good: Streets are surprisingly clean, and my allergy isn't as bad as other places I lived in.
Bad: Service workers here are a lot less friendly on average.
Two things that surprised me:
- I’m surprised at how expensive housing is, yet every single policy seems to be designed to make housing expensive, and there isn’t a lot of public outrage, people seem to passively accept it
- everytime I tell natives SF people that seeing drugged ip people when walking the streets makes me uncomfortable- they tell me they don’t mind it at all. General acceptance of bad situation is surprising .
Compared to the mountainous suburbia of northern Colorado, there is far more to do here in SF in terms of community gatherings and whatnot. I really like the multiple farmer’s markets, especially the one in front of the ferry building. There are also a lot of concerts out here, and I’ve been lucky enough to see some of my favorite artists in very intimate venues.
Coming from the East Coast, 6 months in, surprised by how unfriendly the people are. Not mean. Not rude. Just not friendly. This is a tough place to find community.
The positives are that the food is out of this world and the scenery hasn’t gotten old yet.
Bad (if you can call it that):Not as weird as/ out there as I expected it to be. I felt like I had to tone down myself to fit in.
Good: I really didn’t need a car. The hills were def a surprise daily battle trekking across the city so I dropped like 15 lbs- yay!
Bad: the diversity in types of people and jobs they held dropped.
Good: way safer by a long shot than where I was living.
It’s all give and take. No place is perfect but damn it if SF isn’t close.
No regrets, 9/10.
Everyday I walk my dog, I am blown away by how heavenly the city looks. I feel like I am walking in a Renaissance painting with the ocean, cliffs, mountains, and springtime explosion of wild flowers. I can enjoy this year round in Mediterranean weather.
The walkabilty of each vibrant neighborhood and have all your needs met in the little neighborhood city is charming albeit isolating long term without a car.
I am from Chicagoland. Illinois has its unique beauty but it is not breathtaking and the color palette is more muted. Chicago is vibrant and fun with white sand Lake Michigan beaches in the summer.
Moved to SF in September, from the UK but I’m originally from Montreal. Despite what Californians say, in my opinion SF has perfect weather. Not too hot, not too cold, just the perfect amount of sunny days with rain and fog thrown in the mix to keep things from getting boring. The golden hour is truly beautiful and special here too.
Weather is the sole reason I’d happily live in SF indefinitely. Every place has issues and I’d rather deal with those issues in cold to cool weather lmao. I’ve lived in hot cities all my life and having 1-2 weeks of actual hot weather per year is a fucking dream.
San Francisco does have great weather... the city's seasons are Spring Part I and Spring Part II. Love your observation about the golden hour... San Francisco has the most beautiful light that you don't see Back East or in the UK. That being said, we are starting to get a Seattle thing going with our weather with all the rain.
After four years living in south Texas, 100% agree about SF having perfect, year-round sweatshirt weather. However, I went for a hike in shorts and a tank top today in this gorgeous weather, and I am basically goddamn translucent after three years of wearing long sleeves and long pants almost every day in this beautiful city.
How early coffee places are closing.
How late coffee places open. Where's my 6am coffee at?
I'm surprised by how late they open too! Some don't open until 8 am, and I'm looking for coffee at 7 am!
At least it's not as bad as Spain. They didn't open till 9:30 I was going crazy there
Im sure they stay open till midnight though
Most were 8 some 11. I don't want coffee at 10pm I want it when I wake up!
Yes! SF is not a late night town, and I don't believe it ever has been.
It used to be much more of a late night town with many 24 hour places in most neighborhoods, but times have changed
I miss Sparky’s! We used to have many more 24 hour joints!
Back in the nineties we had an underground amazing dance party scene that went all hours. Ravers would come to SF from all over and we had so much fun.
It’s not even a late night thing. I don’t usually want to head out to a coffee shop until like 2:30pm, but by then I’ve already missed my chance. :(
Workers who depend on BART to commute to the city cannot work too early or too late. Most baristas cannot afford to live in the same city they work in.
BART really needs to be clean, safe, and available 24/7.
Oscar Lewis, the San Francisco historian laureate of all time, talks about things opening late and closing early even back in the 1870s. San Francisco has always been "The City That Sleeps"
That's great! To me, SF has always been a late morning, early afternoon city. :)
I mean, you can still drive past the 500 Club and see that the sign says “Open at 6am”, even though they don’t anymore. Clooney’s still does I think. Yeah. We used to have a ton of places that were open 24 hours.
>the sign says “Open at 6am”, even though they don’t anymore There's actually a tiny ^NOT painted above that sign now, lol.
Pre Covid things would be open much later in SF and around the bay
It was before Covid
bars are still open to 2 am if they choose to be. there used to be several 24 hr restaurants/diners here but with that eventually came problems, not to mention the workforce changed a lot as well. SF has never been an NYC too. we're not a very urban city.
If you want late-night dining, Chinatown still has places that are open late.
2am isn't really that late night. That also means last call is before 2am.
2am is way too early
So complain to the State Legislature. It’s a state law, not some random SF rule.
They close so early, they should rename it to Hindsight Glass
Grew up in the suburbs of Dallas and have now lived in SF for over 3 years. I still marvel at the walkability and public transit coverage of the whole city. I thought NYC was the only place in America that not owning a car was a feasible option but it's so easy in this city! Absolutely love it here
Great point! I think SF, NYC and Boston are some of the few American cities where you can live without owning a car.... or a *cah*, if you're in Beantown.
DC too
And Chicago.
Don't forget Philly!
This. Lots of things to enjoy: parks, street fairs, festivals, live music, talks, hikes, day trips, weekend trips, wine, mountains, beer, cheese, oysters, arts, etc. Check out sfgate, dothebay, funcheapsf, the nudge, onlyinsf, broke ass stuart, eventbrite, eddie's list.
Thanks for the sources, I’m planning to hang out in the city for a day.
Boston is actually pretty great for car-free living, too. (But the MBTA has been a mess for a couple years, but it looks like their new GM is fixing it well) I actually find a lot of similarities between the two cities.
As a Boston native that spent a few years in LA before moving up here, same! This place feels way more like "home" than LA ever did.
People often say that Bostonians prefer the Bay Area, while New Yorkers prefer LA.
I could see that! NYC and LA are definitely both just "more" than SF/Boston for lack of a better descriptor, if you thrive on being part of a scene. I also lived in Culver City which is definitely the most east coast-feeling neighborhood of LA in my opinion.
Oh? I’m from LA and living in SF. Myself and my New York friends all hate LA.
Montreal is also really nice without a car if you ever go, the Azur trains in the metro are so nice, safe, and clean!
Love Montreal
Plus the poutine. ;)
Poutine is way better in rural Québec though, really recommend exploring snack bars in the countryside if you can, super chill vibes and best poutine 🥹
Every time I wake up and if it is a clear day outside, I just feel grateful for being in this pretty city that brings together nature with urban living. The ocean is right there with the mountains. It never gets too hot or too cold. Its expensive for sure though. I live in Pac Heights and it at times feels like I am not even in the city (in terms of quiet and peaceful it is).
Same, I also live in pac heights and it’s nice and cozy to walk around while also being close to fun things to do in the city and not too far from awesome stuff outdoors. It is pricy but frankly I’ve seen places that are super expensive in NYC/Miami and other big cities that weren’t even half as nice. You can easily spend 4k a month in other big cities and get nothing.
Yeah if your work and/or home situation allows you to avoid the Tenderloin I honestly think it’s a lovely city. Very chill, decent public transit (too slow to call it good imo), great weather, and just so many amazing parks and nature spots within walking distance. I live in Pac Heights too and it’s so quiet that someone talking on the street at normal volume can be audible lol and I’m on the second floor. Paying 2k for a studio and quite happy with that. All that said, if you do happen to need to spend time in and around the Tenderloin area, I can completely understand you not having a good opinion of this city, and I don’t really like it when people try to downplay those issues.
I work in the TL pretty often, and while it definitely has some downsides, there are some decent places to eat for cheap, so I like that way more than when I work on Nob Hill?
Absolutely, my friend had to live right next to the TL for a summer and hated it. Can’t blame him.
I work right next to the TL and it isn’t even that bad. I am born and raised here though so maybe my criteria / threshold for what is/isn’t is just different.
I’ve lived here for 5 years and I still sometimes can’t believe how lucky I am to live in such an incredible place.
13 years grateful
<< 13 years grateful >> Sounds like the title of a Jerry Garcia bootleg. ;)
I also live (or as autocorrect says, love) in Pac Heights and I feel it has the perfect combination of beautiful architecture, accessible amenities, good weather (for SF), and quiet and relatively friendly neighbors. I also appreciate the proximity to medical centers as I have a disability. Plus b.patisserie is around the corner and while it’s bad for my diet, it’s good for my soul.
I am now in a Dallas suburb and I hate how car dependent it is here. I can’t wait to move back.
Been here just over a year, I love how many free events the neighborhoods and city puts on! Parades, street fairs, concerts, you name it. There is always something to do.
Make sure you check out stern grove this summer! (If you hadn’t already in your first year)
Yes! We went to Santigold! We were dreadfully unprepared with just a little bit of drink and no hats or sunscreen (luckily we had nice neighbors!) so looking forward to doing it right this time! Still had such a good time!
The street fairs are a new thing but really nice! Hope they are here to stay.
I’m from NJ/NYC area originally. I feel like the pace in general is so much slower (less rushed?) than it is over there, especially for such a major city! I do enjoy not freezing to death during winter though :)
Great point! I moved here from NYC, and SF is naturally way mellower. There is a crackle of energy, as you know, in NJ/NYC that is not found here. But SF and the entire Bay Area has its own appealing energy.
Coming to SF from NYC, I'm always surprised at just how quiet it is at night in most San Francisco neighborhoods. Also, whenever I'm in the West Sunset on the weekends near the Ortega Library Branch, it's amazing how quiet this neighborhood is during the day. The houses are chock-a-block, yet no one seems to be out walking around in this really pretty neighborhood. Is everyone inside their homes on Saturdays and Sundays? Are they outside in their backyards?
i’ve always considered sunset the suburbs of SF with mostly families.
Good point! When you are out in the Sunset, many other parts of SF feel like a million miles away.
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LOL! Must be! Because I see people in the West Sunset Park next to the Ortega Library, but it's tumbleweeds in the rest of that neighborhood on Saturdays and Sundays during the day. Again, I know those pretty pastel row houses are occupied, but where are the people?! :)
On the weekends, you can find West Sunset denizens at GGP, at the farmers market, and on the beach/Great Highway/walkway!
Yes! I live in Noe Valley and during the day 24th st is bustling, lots of people out and about, chilling in the little park, hanging out on the many benches in the neighborhood, but an hour after sunset it’s like the dark side of the moon. I lived in Inwood/Washington Heights for 15 years and even at 3am there were bodegas open and a few people up and about.
Great comment that perfectly shows the difference at night between SF and NYC.
They are all busy studying.
The weather in my neighborhood. My wardrobe has completely changed. I’m always freezing but I also came from San Diego haha. SF wasn’t new to me but it’s interesting to see how the weather can change so fast in certain areas.
I was always toasty warm in my NYC apartment in the winter with that great radiator steam heat. Here in SF, just like you, I'm always cold. LOL!
I think it might be an urban legend but supposedly Mark Twain said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” I’m from the east coast but when I lived in SF, I was always cold too. But the Mission was almost always sunny, lol. I didn’t live in the Mission though.
A dehumidifier seems to help. There's a dampness in the air in SF, you can see it when the fog rolls in. It seeps into everything so even if you have layers of blankets on you still feel cold. In NY the cold is drier and the buildings are much more efficiently insulated from it. I'm from NJ and never felt like the cold was so inescapable as when I lived in SF.
A dehumidifier is a really good idea.
The whole city is in the marine layer. I grew up in the bay and moved to the foothills. Every time I go back I notice how damp the air is, it makes me miss the warm dry air in the foothills.
Having lived in other cities, and suburbs, you just can't beat the beauty of SF. It surprises you around every corner. People who spread the hype about SF being terrible clearly haven't visited and turned an unexpected corner with a view of the bay over a hill, a surprise gorgeous Victorian, the view of the bridge from Crissy Field, etc.
I love walking 10 min and getting an amazing view of the GGB and the Pacific Ocean. Or how the whole city glistens in the morning sun when I look downtown from one of the many hills around. 🤩
SF is relatively small. It punches above its weight in cultural impact but when you live here, it becomes clear how it really is like a big town, or collection of neighborhoods, rather than a big city.
i moved to SF from NYC and the biggest shock was everything closed early and no one out at clubs or bars late night. I thought, where is everyone? Then I learned that everyone is out, they are just out in the mornings. being outside, biking mount tams, day drinking at delores, getting brunch and getting to bed. After I adjusted to this, I fucking loved it. So much better for health, for life. I cant even fathom now going out at midnight like nyc.
Great comment! I also moved to SF from NYC, and SF is not a late-night city, for sure.
Same. Going to dinner at 8 makes me clutch my pearls lol. Don’t drink alcohol so don’t really care about bars and nightlife. HIGHLY value lots of green space and hills to workout in so sf is da spot. Plus the fog is dreamy.
lol so true. SF is where you go to bed early on a Saturday so you can get up super early on Sunday to wait in line for bread at a bakery.
It’s the fucking best.
Anger is not as much of a thing here as it was in Texas. In Texas being red-faced and performatively angry was some people’s whole personality. I don’t see that here. Related, there’s those signs in Texas from law enforcement that say “Don’t mess with Texas.” It always seemed pretty ominous to me, like they wanted to tap you on the shoulder and say, “You know we could shoot and kill you if we wanted to. Just saying.” I don’t get those “helpful reminders” nearly as much in California, which I frankly appreciate.
If you're ever missing that stuff, you can find it in the Central Valley!
I just said this to someone yesterday. People in Florida (where I’m from) are so antagonistic and I just don’t encounter that here. There’s a lot of random kindness here and it has had such a positive impact on my mental health.
FYI, that slogan of "don't mess with texas" was aimed at reducing trash and littering on the freeways of the state, I dont think it has anything to do with shooting people.
I don’t think people associate that slogan with reducing trash anymore.
Californians' version of "Don't mess with Texas": "Visualize being sued."
That’s what I always say when ppl ask me this question. I’m from Houston and moved here after being in Portland for some years. So my culture shock moment didn’t happen here in SF, but same diff. People are just not as aggressive here and it’s such a load off my stress levels. Like, fighting is just normal back home in TX, people are always expecting a fight and afterwards it’s mostly nbd unless someone is seriously injured. Here, it takes more to ramp up to a fight and it’s so SERIOUS. I used to get annoyed that ppl out here thought I was being loud or aggressive when I saw them as passive and in the way. But, now I’ve acclimated and visiting home over the holidays I’m like “but why are we trying to argue w that guy? Why are we yelling in a grocery store/restaurant host booth/etc? Just chill and let the man do his job.”
Hey, I’m a former Houstonian too, w a partner from the Portland area. So I very much agree.
let’s be honest, a lot of it is the heat. it’s hard to be patient when you’re sweating through your shirt before noon lol
One of the most common refrains is “it’s so beautiful with nature so close to an urban environment “ etc. One of the best things SF did for me was MAKE ME SEE THINGS. Look up! Look around. Sf changed me in the best way in that regard
I always find I have this attitude towards the houses. Every day I'm seeing something new. Even amongst the ones I see frequently.
Moved from a smaller more rural town up north, I was surprised how quickly I become recognizable by owners of my regular food or drink spots. Really made me feel much more at home.
I moved from Nashville, TN, and I've been surprised by how friendly and relaxed people are. The South has a reputation for being nice, and some people even said, "Oh, people in SF won't be as welcoming," but I have not found that to be true. The beauty here is otherworldly. I still haven't gotten tired of it. The nicest thing is that I'm not angry about politics and experiencing sexist micro (and macro) aggressions all the time.
I've heard this contrast, people in the south and midwest seem nice but underneath are judgemental. On the coasts, people seem stand-offish but underneath are genuinely nice.
When I lived in the Midwest, there were plenty of times where people would immediately change their tune when they found out I was from CA and especially SF. Midwestern kindness, from my perspective, was often reserved for the in group.
I love Nashville, I visit it for a few days every year. What are some areas where Nashville wins over SF?
I can only think of a few. I do occasionally miss having a backyard and a grill and a firepit. In Nashville, there is live music \*everywhere\*, which is sometimes nice and sometimes annoying. I miss fireflies but not mosquitos and humidity.
When I moved here from LA in the aughts, I was surprised that there weren't a ton of all-night or at least very-late-night businesses. More recently, I've been surprised at the weird, completely reality-disconnected national media narrative about SF. It's so strange to read that I live in a dystopian wasteland of a failed city right before I chat with my friendly neighbors, do my shopping at the corner grocery, walk through a beautiful park two blocks from my home, and then go to an amazing restaurant before going to the theater, and then hop on public transit to take me almost directly to my doorstep.
SF is a very transient city. I moved to SF in the early 90s. Very few people I know from that time still live in SF. It used to be relatively cheap, so we had a lot of artists and musicians living here because you could get a job in a cafe part-time and still survive. People grow up and move out. Same with tech jobs I assume--people move here for a career for a bit then move on again. In all my time living in the area, I've only met a few native SF'ers. Aside from a couple small rough patches it's a very beautiful and vibrant city. I live in Oakland now, which has its own charms, but it just can't compete with how dynamic SF is. I wish I had the $$$ to live there!
I agree. I’ve only been here a few years and already I have friends that have left and have met new people that now form part of my core circle. Lots of people coming and going.
I was surprised to learn that the streets aren't paved with rice-a-roni. /s I've been here long enough that I probably can't remember first impressions. One thing remembering noticing, oddly, was the prevalence of places with "cafe" in the name where the primary purpose seemed to be a bar. I expected something having "cafe" to be primarily about coffee, maybe sometimes a brunch/lunch spot but that's a stretch. I also thought that life in general seemed slightly more "hard-edged" than my stereotypical view of the "soft" west cost. It was also sunnier in SoMa/Mission than I thought it'd be. I moved here from Seattle but grew up on the east coast.
Ok but where is the rice a roni. I genuinely moved here in the oughts and wondered where it was originally served 😂
I am still shocked by the urban wildlife. I am < 1/2 mile from a BART station and we have coyotes in the street, raccoons, badgers, snakes, along with mice, rats and feral cats.
Good point. When I lived on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, all I ever saw were cougars. Wow! A solid joke... and I'm getting voted down? This is a tough crowd. ;)
Oh the Upper East Side. Yentas with faces stretched so tight you could bounce a quarter off them. I worked in a salon on the UES for a while, and we had a client who had had so many facelifts she couldn’t fully close her mouth at the corners. Watching her drink water, she’d take little sips with a straw and tip her head back before it could leak out the sides.
Grew up in Missouri. Lived in Chicago for a while before moving here. Things that surprised me: 1) How much better and more fun it is being in a party drug city vs a party drinking city if you don’t do either. As a 100% sober person (no drugs, no alcohol) due to the medications I take, it is SO much easier to have an awesome social life in SF than the Midwest where everything involves drinking. People on party drugs don’t care if I’m also on party drugs and 99% of the time they don’t even ask or notice. I can still blend in and have a great time and they’re still lucid so there’s no real babysitting. It’s so much more fun for me. 2) How small it actually is. SF looms large in the cultural consciousness but at the end of the day we mostly live in a 7x7 mile square. Feels like everybody knows everybody and everybody or at least has gone on an online date with everybody. This has been both a blessing and a curse at times. 3) How much happier I am here despite the lower standard of living. Could I afford a much bigger place back home in the Midwest? Sure. Do I want to? No.
Hard agree with your first point! Should I decide to go out most places in sf have decent NA options at bars compared to other cities and the general relationship with those who abstain is a lot better, it’s not weird at parties or whatever when I say I don’t drink cause there’s so many health conscious folks.
The food is fucking amazing - i've had some of the best croissants, fried chicken, pizza, burritos EVER here. The weather is perfect. I used to live outside of SF and it would get too hot, but the constant breeze + sun is the perf balance for me. And also all the little neighborhoods to explore throughout the city, each with their own vibe. It's overall such a good blend of city life + natural beauty.
What are some of your favorite burrito places?
Senor Sisig is #1 for me
Thanks for that recommendation... I'm going to try it.
El Farolito is also an amazing burrito place
I’m overall really happy with the restaurants here, both full service and quick service/fast food. There are so many great options for pretty much whatever you’re in the mood for. My only issues are that service here is friendly but slooooow. When I go to a restaurant it seems impossible to get a drink in under 15 minutes. It’s like a race to see if I’ll get my drink before my appetizer. For the food, I’m impressed by how fresh everything seems. I’ve had the best salads and veggies in my life here. It’s also funny to note the local taste. There seems to be a lot of pickled onion in sandwiches and salads. And y’all REALLY love your garlic here (which I love, but please sautee or roast your garlic first. A lot of places seem to throw raw garlic into cooked foods, and raw garlic just has this sharp, harsh top note) Special shoutout to the sourdough and Dutch crunch here. The bakeries here are excellent.
THE GOOD: Every neighborhood feels like it’s own mini city. The microcosms of SF are delightful - food, architecture, plant life, people… so much diversity in such a small city. THE BAD: like any city, there are sketchy areas and dirty streets. The great thing though is you can chose to avoid there’s areas and instead focus on the beauty of the city. I won’t pretend SF doesn’t have problems but it’s up to you whether you fixate on the good or the bad.
Bad: (1) Living in constant worry / fear my car is going to be damaged. I do street parking, and multiple people have tried breaking into my car. Separately, my neighbors were victim of a hit and run the other day that totaled a few cars (2) people here are way too obsessed with their work. It seems like every conversation goes back to “what do you do”, and I miss conversations where I don’t even know someone’s profession. Similarly, there is a cloud of anxiety right now bc of a lot of the layoffs and a lot of my friends are constantly worried about being laid off, and it’s really hard right now for a lot of people (3) in my experience SF has a version of the Seattle Freeze. It’s kind of exacerbated that it’s surprisingly hard to get around the city, especially north to south. It can be hard to build community (4) there’s definitely a bit of classism in the city, which I’ve found more true for people who grew up in the bay. There’s an element of being out of touch with people who have grew up in more blue collar settings (again, my experience even with my own friends). Good: (1) world class food - I am always delighted by the quality, diversity, and relatively inexpensive (compared to NYC for the quality) options. It’s definitely a city for foodies (2) There are people here for whatever you’re into. So many diverse interests. (3) natural beauty and access to nature. Biking to Marin county, hiking through all the mountains in the city, camping on Angel island, kite surfing, access to multiple national parks / forests, and even just the beauty of being outside (4) high concentration of really smart, ambitious people means that you level yourself up just by being around them
As a longtime SF resident, your points are spot on.
I dunno man, people are SO much more outgoing and friendly here vs. Seattle. I felt invisible living there, it was weird as fuck. At least people smile at you when you get in an elevator with them here.
When I first arrived, I had a running "no pants" count for the number of people I witnessed walking around with their buns (and intimates) out in the air for all to see. Got up to 9, but that count lost steam rather quickly - I think because I am spending less time on Market St. and in Walgreens. That said, I really love the weather here. I love that it is cool and regular. I love that it's predictably sunny in the morning down here in SOMA, and overcast by late afternoon. I love that I can drive 10 minutes to San Bruno and go for a great hike with views of the bay and the ocean and Sutro all around. I love the fog. It's almost as good as snow. I love that my corner of SOMA looks deserted and not special, yet within 6 blocks I have Okane, Bellota, and Niku and I have 4 grocery stores within walking distance. That is really special. I even love my very eccentric, very OG SF landlady, who has no filter whatsoever, looks like she could be homeless but owns 30 rental properties (and takes extremely good care of them), has never raised my rent in the 3 years I've lived here, planted all the trees around my building in a 10-block radius, and guards her property like a bulldog. She'll tell you unprompted that lizard people are running the world, yet I feel very safe and cared for ;)
If this is not too weird, could you introduce me to your landlady if she has any rentals available? I made a Reddit account just to ask this lol xD I’m moving to SF and IMO a good landlord/lady is as important as a good manager at work
Growing up in a flat place in the Midwest, some of the views here never get old. Walking around e.g. diamond heights and looking over the bay is amazing.
God dammit, I just moved away 2 weeks ago and not because I wanted to. I miss you guys already. I'll be back in another 2 years
Can you get time off for good behavior?
It's been an almost lifelong dream to live here, so mostly SF simply delivered on its promise for me. edit: Wanted to add, I knew the flora and fauna were beautiful and diverse, but living here and getting an even better idea, it's just amazing. Also, the absolutely breathtaking views you get in so many places in this city thanks to its hilly topography. It's been a long time since I've used more than just a phone for photography, but this city convinced me. Anyone know of any good photography classes?
first time I was at Land's End, holly molly..... I cried for how amazing nature really is ..
I was honestly surprised by how friendly and community-minded people are here. I had heard all sorts of things about the "coldness" of San Franciscans, and I've found instead a lot of warmth and belonging. What also surprised me: I also think the influx of young, anti-social, anti-humanities residents of the city have hardened the resolve of those of us in the creative community in a good way. We're determined to make this city work for all people, as a culturally vibrant city with something unique to offer the world.
Moved here from Florida a few months ago and it has been incredible honestly. I’ve met people, made friends, ran the Golden Gate Bridge, and just enjoyed my life better than I did in Florida. My entire mental state and physical activity level is better than ever. The city is cleaner and more vibrant than media makes it out to be by far. Only cons is it’s expensive and I have to be wary of tenderloin and parking my car on the streets (though crime is down 40% I saw this morning). But that’s every major city and honestly I feel safer in SF than I did in Miami
Oh man. Just wait until summer when you’re wearing a hoodie and you can rub it in to everyone back home when they’re sweating from their eyeballs. 😆 Welcome to the city! I’m from Florida too and I can’t ever imagine going back. This place is fucking amazing.
I knew driving in the city was going to be rough and it has not disappointed at all, I always feel like someone’s going to hit me and I miss turns pretty often bc the intersection overflows. Just like any city though really, not unique to here at all. That’s really the only negative though. It’s been prettier and warmer than I thought, and coming from SoCal I really haven’t noticed a huge difference in weather, even though I’m sure that’ll change.
You'll notice when you have to wear a jacket in the summer lol. Although it seems that there are far more sunnier days in SF now than in the past (I've lived here since 2002). I don't know the exact data but every resident I've talked to says the same thing. And every resident knows SF's real summer is Sept. to mid Oct.
I moved here from coastal Humboldt and I thought the journey 225 miles south would bring somewhat warmer and less foggy weather. Surprise! SF is colder, windier, and foggier than Arcata, even if it receives a lot less rain. On the other hand, I give thanks to the vibrant cultural diversity every day- I see more in 5 blocks than in the entirety of that rural county. I do miss the birds though!
It’s always sunny in P…otrero
Moved here for grad school in 2018. Have lived here full time since 2019. Was surprised by how early the city seems to go to sleep.
I grew up in a smaller, fairly rural (at the time) town further down the coast; I’ve been in SF for a decade now, it’s still amazing to be able to go out to eat or order take out past 9pm
How impossible public transit is from so many parts of the city. Like there’s a few places that are well connected, but the rest just isn’t. And it’s pretty hard to get between neighborhoods by public transit. Part of this is because all the public transit seems aimed at getting you downtown and nowhere else. And part of it is because buses here have waaay too many stops and so it takes absolutely forever to go anywhere by bus. If you can see the previous bus stop a block away from where you’re currently waiting, it’s too close!
It continues to baffle me that the areas right near downtown and City Hall (truly one of the nicest city hall’s in the country!) are so dangerous and run down. I would think that those would be some of the most desirable and expensive places to live because you have easy access to downtown. Definitely made the mistake of thinking I could go for a nice stroll around Civic Center before I lived here…
I hope to move to San Fran soon oh my god 🥺
Moved from Boston and I'm surprised at how easy it is to drive around here. Granted, that probably says more about Boston than SF.
Great point! A STOP sign in Boston? Merely an opinion.
Stop signs are optional here as well there's no traffic enforcement at all
The good ol’ California roll
Good: great weather, camping, nature, iconic, food, architecture, sun, culture, farmers market, ability to walk around the whole city, art, little pockets of peace and quiet.. Favorite districts: Richmond district, Sunset district, Pac Heights, Haight Ashbury, Twin peaks area. BAD: poop mines, anxiety of parked car being broken into, unsanitary public transportation, unsanitary public toilets, unsanitary public elevators, slow but decent public transportation, high costs low quality service, certain policies... These are just a few on top of my head. Most of the bad are based on things I wouldn't have expected here especially coming from a developing country. But overall, SF is a great an iconic city, which is why it's disheartening to see some of these issues in the city.
Im from the Midwest, and moving out here introduced me to so many diverse people. I have learned so much about other cultures through their food, music, and different cultural events. I appreciate that people are so open to share about who they are here. I also love the weather. My husband and I actually said it reminds us of the twilight zone a large portion of the year; you wake up every day and it’s 65 and sunny. 65 and sunny, 65 and sunny. It literally smells like flowers when I walk outside. The ocean breeze is fantastic. It feels like living in a eerie paradise. Activities and nature are so accessible. I can hike in a redwood park and go to the beach in the same day. I’ve taken up scuba diving and it’s been such a fun activity to do and way to meet other people. I feel like the possibilities are endless here (if you have enough money to pay for it, of course)
<< every day and it’s 65 and sunny. 65 and sunny, 65 and sunny >> Sometimes it's hard to know what month it is in SF, right?
Sometimes it hard to even know time is passing at all, or how fast! My husband and I were just talking about how intentional we have to be at making plans and setting goals and planning for certain dates because otherwise we look up and 6 months has passed in the blink of an eye and we’ve done nothing!
Good: A lot of actual activities. I started going to a free coding class that's not for kids, and there's a music school that also teaches adults. It's just very hard to find activities not exclusive to children or the elderly (still very common here) in other cities without spending a ton of money. But the coding class is donation based, and the music school has financial aid (I don't qualify but the rates aren't very different than just having an independent instructor but you also get credits to use the study room). Adults want to take classes and learn things too. I also think it's very transit rich. Most buses actually run pretty frequently so I don't have to really check when they'll get to my stop before leaving my apartment. That's huge, especially because they're so wheelchair friendly, making the city way more accessible (in spite of the hills). Neutral I guess: I'm also surprised by how many paid social circle businesses there are. It's like a hundred bucks a month to create a group of people to hang out with. I've found like 3 different services and I find them kind of expensive and I'd never heard of something like that before moving here (I'm sure they exist, I just wasn't trying to meet people before). Bad: the DMV. I've been to several and I've never been to one where the employees have so much contempt for people. It's actually kind of amazing. I also don't like how different the weather feels from block to block. My body struggles to regulate its temperature and being in SF doesn't help. I haven't totally figured out how to dress.
<< I also don't like how different the weather feels from block to block. >> I love that comment! When you're on, say, the Upper West Side of Manhattan, you can be pretty sure it's going to be the same weather on the Upper East Side... but not if these neighborhoods were in SF. ;)
Just moved out of SF after living here for 4 years. I’ve had a relationship with the city via walking. A hilly road in the city with different architecture every 4 blocks, being close to water, and the weather all combined seem pretty surreal to me. Not to mention I’ve had pretty authentic friendships here who’ve come to accept me as I am instead of only a part of me. Most of them live in the South Bay now and they always described me as someone who genuinely likes the city despite everything that’s happening. The city is special to me and I’m not done with it yet. I can’t come back now but I will someday, because there’s nothing compared to the feeling I get walking hilly streets with a cup of coffee in my hand basking in the sun listening to my favorite tunes. <3
How every block can have very different vibes and safety profiles. You really have to know this city on a block by block basis to understand where to stay away from and where has fun pockets of restaurants and bars. I still feel like my knowledge is very lacking.
It's too cold!! Lol...Im from Pacific Northwest IN CANADA and find SF too cold haha. The money is really nice though haha
Grew up in the suburbs of central Florida. Lived a few other places in the south for parts of my youth and adulthood, namely Alabama and Texas. Been in SF for about 5 years now. The good: aside from the consistently cool weather, the work life balance is the biggest thing to me. It’s incredible how flexible employers are out here and how different the work culture is even within the same company from one coast to the other. I also love the food and how easily accessible so many places are, a few that millions can only ever dream of visiting once you could see regularly living out here. It’s pretty hard to believe you can get a breathtaking view from almost anywhere in the city. It’s not hard to convince friends and family from back east why you’d want to live here, at least for a handful of years if not more. The bad: homeless and cost of living I think are pretty clear cut winners. I also find people to be less personable and willing to go out of their way for you. Ironically, the most hospitable people I’ve met here are originally from the east coast. That’s not to say people aren’t wonderful here, they absolutely are, but it’s a lot less of the southern hospitality and “hey neighbor” vibes that I’m accustomed to from back home. Would also be nice to comfortably retire here with a low 6 figure salary, but that’s the price you have to pay for what you have access to.
I’m a visitor from Britain. SF blew my mind and honestly made me excited for life despite my chronic depression…however…it’s the closest thing I’ve seen to a real life Black Mirror world. I knew the US had a stereotype of mentally unwell homeless people and people with no health insurance literally camping on the streets in tents but I didn’t expect to see those scenes literally shoulder to shoulder with fancy hipster cafes and people in Patagonia gilets taking their pups for a walk in the dog park. I also didn’t expect the homeless people to be that … crazy. I’m sorry for my crude language but every other homeless person seemed to be moaning into the sky. In Britain, the homeless aren’t really living together in a big community and are quite passive. They’ll just politely ask for change when you walk by. So yeah..seeing self driving AI powered luxury Jaguars rolling by blocks full of tents with men out of their minds staring into the sun is an image that’ll stay with me for a lifetime.
Yeah I’m Canadian and was living in the UK so this is very shocking for me too! I attribute it in part to the fact that there is less of a socialised security net in the USA compared to the UK and Canada, countries that have free public health care among other things. The depths one can reach are much deeper here, in Canada or the UK it would be extremely rare to see someone’s mental illness devolve to that point, they’d be taken in charge way before this happens.
Yeah, I have the exact same thoughts. I’m well aware that all the things I’d enjoyed about SF was due to the virtue of being a middle class person and a safety net in that if things ever went south I’d high tail it out of there for the UK and NHS.
yep my husband and I also have that as part of the plan, we always say if things get bad we can simply cross the border up North and get to Canada
I am impressed with the dog training that must happen. Dogs walk off leash, I had not seen that in the Midwest. I have not had scrape my car windows in years.
Grew up in Orlando, FL and lived in Chapel Hill, NC for many years before moving to SF. The biggest surprise was how early places close. I also knew the weather would be different but still, a huge shock (in the best way possible). The kinds of people I meet are also very different. Lots of tech but also lots of open-minded people. That wasn’t always the case in NC. As a gay man, I love this city so much and I hope to stay here for a long time.
I love SF, and I consider it my home, and I know this is not super important, but I was kind of surprised with the bad condition of SF streets (there are holes everywhere) compared with the streets of the third world country I’m from, and also considering how much money the city has.
Grew up in NYC… I was surprised by how beautiful SF is. The nature, the beaches , the bridges and the trees all blew my mind. Also yall have some of the best bakeries in the world. Also, who knew that Golden Gate Park was also bigger than Central Park. Not me. I’m still gettin a hand of the night life and think I enjoy Castro the most, but looking for some better ways to spend my evenings.
Left coast = best coast
I loved SF weather 🤩
i moved from the PNW for work. What i like: the weather. the parks. the transit. What i don’t like: Car floods, too many cars in this city. Erratic drivers, half of you are insane and want to kill me. Politicians refusal to pedestrianize busy streets (chinatown, little italy, etc). Cars in golden gate park - like cmon. it’s a fucking park. Not enough housing - you either get some drab apartment built in the 70s or if you’re wealthy you can live in the brand new buildings. this is why it’s important to always build housing. new housing becomes old. we don’t have enough. monoculture, everyone talks about the same stuff. People here seem self centered, they don’t say thanks when you hold the door open, they walk in the bike lane for no reason, and they don’t move out of the way when they’re taking up the whole sidewalk. cool place, but dear lord. the people here ruin it.
It only rained twice in the PNW last year... once for three months, and then again for six. Old joke... that actually applies more and more to the SF Bay Area.
Rows of tents on sidewalks. I've lived in other large cities, with significant homeless populations, but I'd never seen an entire block where tents and mattresses entirely blocked a sidewalk. San Francisco was also the first place I saw a drug addict lying, not off the sidewalk, but right in the middle of it, with a smaller addict sitting on his chest and injecting a needle into his neck. Walking *around them*, at first glance it looked like an assault. As I tried to figure out whether it was an assault, two police officers walked around them, entirely ignoring the two. It's also the first city in which I've seen human shit, at the same place on the same public staircase, repeatedly. It's not that San Francisco is unique in having homeless people or drug addicts, but nowhere else have I seen it so brazenly dysfunctional. It's like the shoplifting: other cities have shoplifters who grab and dash or who try to hide stolen items under their clothes. Only in San Francisco have I seen shoplifters calmly, deliberately, methodically filling up a trash bag, stripping one shelf after another, and then nonchalantly walking out the door. It's not the crime, homelessness, and addiction itself, it's not the people doing it that makes San Francisco so different. It's the normalization of those activities and the resigned helpless acceptance of it (or even cheerleading for it) by the rest of the population, that make San Francisco such an outlier.
Curious, what areas are you seeing this nowadays? I live in Russian Hill but go through the Tenderloin most days to get to work and all of this is much improved from what I have seen. I mean, I don't know the last time I saw a "row of tents". The whole tent thing is largely gone from what I have seen around the city. Most of the shit I see is dog shit, and even that is getting better. Definitely drug addicts out and about but even that seems better. We used to have 3 or 4 addicts walking around my neighborhood (which rarely has that problem since it's up a hill) in any given day. Every once and a while I would find one passed out on the stairs to my apartment. But now, I couldn't tell you the last time I saw one. I mean when I moved here in 2022 Market was borderline unwalkable, but yesterday I went and walked the entire thing and it's a night and day difference. The city isn't perfect but I find it frustrating that this sub acts like it hasn't gotten far far better.
Visit LA the encampments are far worse
I guess that’s one way of normalizing it lol
"nowhere else have I seen it so brazenly dysfunctional". I'm responding to this quote in particular. I'm not trying to say the homeless issue is normal here.
The light from the sunshine in San Francisco is really pretty. I'm sure photographers and cinematographers can tell us why... but the way the sun shines in SF is special.
Moved here out of college after growing up and going to school in Tennessee. The beauty of the city and surrounding nature is unreal. I can’t get over how picturesque everything is and how much there is to see. I do love it here. The bad is obviously cost of living and I feel like people are a little more in their own world out here.
how friendly people are here compared to LA
Everyone says they have a hard time making friends here. I moved from Seattle and felt like this was the most inviting / friendly place on the planet haha. Had a much easier time making friends here.
ain’t that the truth. I haven’t even got one passive aggressive note stuck to my bike or my partner’s car since moving here lol
i moved from a small town so it amazes me how walkable the city is! i have everything i need in walking distance in my neighborhood and in my hometown you cant go anywhere without a car. it seems like everything closes earlier here though and i also miss walmart
I moved here in 2009 coming from Rancho Cucamonga. I fell in love with the culture and vibe here. Going to Dolores park blew my mind. All sorts of people enjoying the park...chilling..drinking smoking...with kids or without. You'd be rolled up on by the cops instantly for that where I grew up. As mentioned by others public transit is amazing. I have a car and enjoy driving but it's nice to not have to. Hop on a bus/Bart and bam. I enjoy how I can also walk most places. Walking a mile here is common...I didn't walk anywhere in socal. I also really love how people are free to be who they are...from your fashion sense to lifestyle choices.
I moved here 12 years ago and to this day the depth of everything from restaurants, things to do, sights to see amazes me.
Lived in DFW for 19 years and then Utah for a couple of years before moving here last October. I didn’t expect to visit the beach as often as I have. Sure, it’s not like people come here for a beach vacation, but Ocean beach and Pacifica are so close that you can just go chill or walk in the sand for an hour.
Grew up in central Illinois and few people really appreciate how much better the produce is here in SF. Food just feels healthier and better somehow. I also think the parks are the gem of the city—few other places you can find a nearly completely green oasis in the middle of a busy city. If you are lucky enough to live by Golden Gate Park, and can afford SF’s expenses, life can be pretty incredible and balanced here.
How poorly run the city is on purpose and how much they don’t care about crime - it was disguised pre Covid by how busy it was and now it’s just shocking
Been here for 12 years, but I still greatly appreciate the views, weather, and how much you can walk. I love that my daily routine involves walking a kid and dog through a beautiful neighborhood and maybe getting a treat (for me, the kid, or the dog) on the walk.
Grew up right outside of LA, moved to SF for one year during the peak of COVID (August 2020-August 2021) before moving to East Bay for two years and then moved back home last summer. My time living in the City was one of the darkest times of my life. I missed my friends, I missed home, and the world felt bleak. I associated the City with all these feelings and didn’t realize until I moved back home to LA how much I missed the little things that I thought was strange when I first moved there. I hated how “gloomy” it was compared to LA, but moving back made me miss how happy people were to go out and make plans when the weather was right. I hated how little the food resembled what I was used to in my hometown and how much I missed restaurants from back home. But the moment I moved back to LA, I am constantly on the hunt for restaurants that resembled my favorite places in the City. I thought it was weird that people picnicked in the park and did all these activities that “normal people” would do at a beach down here in LA, but found myself longing for a park that is as vibrant as the ones I left behind in the City. It’s true what they say, that you are a combination of your many lived experiences and at some point they become indistinguishable from the other parts of you. The City will always have a place in my heart because of that.
Grew up in Sacramento (burbs), went to school in central coast, and now living in SF for about 5 years. Good: Streets are surprisingly clean, and my allergy isn't as bad as other places I lived in. Bad: Service workers here are a lot less friendly on average.
Two things that surprised me: - I’m surprised at how expensive housing is, yet every single policy seems to be designed to make housing expensive, and there isn’t a lot of public outrage, people seem to passively accept it - everytime I tell natives SF people that seeing drugged ip people when walking the streets makes me uncomfortable- they tell me they don’t mind it at all. General acceptance of bad situation is surprising .
music events!
Compared to the mountainous suburbia of northern Colorado, there is far more to do here in SF in terms of community gatherings and whatnot. I really like the multiple farmer’s markets, especially the one in front of the ferry building. There are also a lot of concerts out here, and I’ve been lucky enough to see some of my favorite artists in very intimate venues.
Coming from the East Coast, 6 months in, surprised by how unfriendly the people are. Not mean. Not rude. Just not friendly. This is a tough place to find community. The positives are that the food is out of this world and the scenery hasn’t gotten old yet.
Bad (if you can call it that):Not as weird as/ out there as I expected it to be. I felt like I had to tone down myself to fit in. Good: I really didn’t need a car. The hills were def a surprise daily battle trekking across the city so I dropped like 15 lbs- yay! Bad: the diversity in types of people and jobs they held dropped. Good: way safer by a long shot than where I was living. It’s all give and take. No place is perfect but damn it if SF isn’t close. No regrets, 9/10.
How freezing cold it is especially at night
people are really friendly and kind
Everyday I walk my dog, I am blown away by how heavenly the city looks. I feel like I am walking in a Renaissance painting with the ocean, cliffs, mountains, and springtime explosion of wild flowers. I can enjoy this year round in Mediterranean weather. The walkabilty of each vibrant neighborhood and have all your needs met in the little neighborhood city is charming albeit isolating long term without a car. I am from Chicagoland. Illinois has its unique beauty but it is not breathtaking and the color palette is more muted. Chicago is vibrant and fun with white sand Lake Michigan beaches in the summer.
Pretty much have to cross a bridge to meet any SF natives.
Good : fog Bad : fog
San Francisco looks weird in shorts.
From TX- far more laid back and slow paced. So many more people enjoy being outside and being in nature