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San Francisco versus Los Angeles areas: pros and cons?
Hi everyone! So, I was just curious about some of the main differences and pros and cons between living in the greater San Francisco Bay area versus the Los Angeles basin.
In your experiences, where are the people generally friendlier? (I know you can never make absolute generalizations of course, but I mean in GENERAL.) I've heard people say that they find people in the San Francisco area more educated overall, but then I've heard others say that Southern Californians tend to be more high-energy and outgoing - and I've always liked areas with a lot of enthusiasm
The Los Angleles metropolitan area is considerably larger...so I'd think that means it has 'more' as well - more to do and see, more action and more going on.
One draw about Northern California seems to be a cleaner environment with more forests (the LA basin is generally quite arid) - but SoCal has warm beaches where you can actually swim in the water, right? That's not true of anywhere in NorCal if I'm not mistaken (except MAAAAYBE Santa Cruz?)
Also, I've heard that you can see snow-capped mountains from the Los Angeles coast as much as 5 months of the year - whereas in Northern California the mountains around the Bay only get snow for maybe a few days every Winter at most, and you can't even really see the Sierras from anywhere around the Bay or nearby coasts, not until you drive several hours inland, correct?
San Francisco is the only "real" city in California. Although, with that comes a degree of pretension from people who live in S.F.
Pretty much ever other city in California is interchangeable, although, ironically, I'd rather live in those interchangeable cities than in S.F.
Water in Santa Cruz is actually quite cold, because not only do we get the arctic current, but the trench in the middle of the bay (2 miles deep) gives us colder water, and lots of fog.
Ultimately, the central coast in the middle from Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara is much nicer than S.F or L.A.
-San Francisco is compact
-Los Angeles is spread out
-San Francisco has mild/cool weather
-Los Angeles has mild/hot weather
-San Francisco has more trees
-Los Angeles has more beaches
-San Francisco has more hills
-Los Angeles has more freeways
-San Francisco has clean air
-Los Angeles has polluted air
-San Francisco has more homeless people per capita
-Los Angeles has less homeless people per capita
-San Francisco is more casual dressed
-Los Angeles is more trendy dressed
-San Francisco has good access to hiking and nature
-Los Angeles has poor access to hiking and nature
-Both have friendly and rude people
-Both have traffic
-Both have laid-back and uptight people
-Both have plenty of theaters, arts, culture, attractions
My opinion: I prefer San Francisco over Los Angeles by A LOT! However, if I had to choose between San Francisco or San Diego, it'd be tough. Overall, I'm happy in San Francisco. I could have moved anywhere in the US, but I chose this city.
San Francisco is the only "real" city in California. Although, with that comes a degree of pretension from people who live in S.F.
Pretty much ever other city in California is interchangeable, although, ironically, I'd rather live in those interchangeable cities than in S.F.
Water in Santa Cruz is actually quite cold, because not only do we get the arctic current, but the trench in the middle of the bay (2 miles deep) gives us colder water, and lots of fog.
Ultimately, the central coast in the middle from Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara is much nicer than S.F or L.A.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I have nothing against San Francisco so I wont attack it, either way LA is a real city, anyone who categorizes any other way is either a hater or someone who goes by stereotypes.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I have nothing against San Francisco so I wont attack it, either way LA is a real city, anyone who categorizes any other way is either a hater or someone who goes by stereotypes.
When I say real city, I'm referring to the layout and density.
L.A is just like any other California city (which is fine, I live in San Jose and prefer it to S.F).
My point is that when you go to S.F, it feels like a bustling east coast city, not the typical spread out city of California.
It's all a matter of personal preference. Everytime I go to SF I cringe at the cold winds, hilly terrain, narrow streets, etc. In LA I feel much less claustrophobic and have more choice of places to hang out. There are overall more people and more variety. I would be really bored in SF.
Education-wise you cannot generalize - distance from university and technology centers makes a difference.
I also would not say that Norcal is cleaner. More forests, yes... but it's not as if you don't have nice areas for hiking here in Socal.
Some people prefer Norcal for their own reasons. When I was younger I thought I'd love SF for its eclectic areas and community feel, but I ended up feeling very out of place and didn't mesh well with the natives. You'll probably have to test both out.
They are very different, but more alike than California to non-CA city.
Full disclosure, I haven't spent a ton of time in LA (but have many LA native friends).
1. Things are much farther apart in LA. You need to factor in traffic/congestion for most trips. This is only true in the Bay Area is you are leaving your "zone" East Bay, Peninsula, South Bay.
2. Transit is generally better in the Bay Area than in LA, but LA is making big improvements
3. Downtown SF is more cohesive than downtown LA. Downtown LA had been abandoned for awhile so it is up and coming. Downtown SF is more of a destination and always has been.
4. The weather is different. Especially in the summer. The winter is a bit chillier and rainier in the Bay Area. But it is a few degrees, not dramatic. You are more likely to have random hot days in the winter in LA than SF. But they do happen. SF has a very unsunny micro-climate. The rest of the bay area is dramatically sunnier.
5. People generally have different jobs. You are more likely to run into an entertainment person in LA. In SF and the greater Bay Area it is likely you will run into someone in tech, finance or sciences.
6. SF has a very small fashion scene and fashion/socialites aren't very common or prevalent vs as in LA.
7. Because you find people are in appearance industries in Socal (entertainment, fashion), people care more about "appearances." Appearances in SF is a little more subtle, and you'll see that people are more likely to judge for driving the right car, eating the right type of food, and supporting the right causes. (In SF: OMG did you actually eat at McDonald's. Gross! That's not seasonal/local/organic. LA: OMG, she looks like she just woke up and didn't bother to do her makeup)<<exaggeration
8. Cultural amenities and opportunities are very similar. If you like nightclubs, LA wins. Nightlife in the Bay is about the bars. Generally a dive or artisan cocktails sort of place. Museums etc, it is a toss up. Both places have excellent amenities
9. The Bay Area is generally more mixed. People are pretty separate by class/ethnicity/religion in LA. In the Bay Area this isn't as true. In LA you'll find Armenian, Iranian, Egyptian, Chinese, Korean, Mexican .... communities where they only talk to each other and socialize with each other. It is more segregated, especially by class, than the bay area.
6. SF has a very small fashion scene and fashion/socialites aren't very common or prevalent vs as in LA.
The old money and new money crowd in LA is more flashy for sure tho. Not saying that's good or bad, just that it is-in fact, Ive been told on more than one occasion that my taste is more in line with LA than SF which I dont mind cause I love the way Angelenos dress. LOL.
But I have found SFs social scene(as in High Society) to be larger, more multi-generational and a bit more complex than its LA equivalent, where the lines between real high society and the Hollywood elite are greatly blurred--but its not the same thing.
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