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Hmmm, well I would have to say that I consider San Fran to be most similar to NY, simply because I see San Fran as functioning as a kind of "NYC of the West Coast" if you will. Angel Island was the west coast equivalent to the Ellis Island port of entry for immigrants. It is a city built on foreign, non-English speaking immigrants from its very beginnings, just like NYC (and unlike English Puritan Boston). San Fran was possessed by a non-English speaking power (the Spanish) for a considerable length of its early history, like NYC was (the Dutch).
I would say that San Francisco compares best to Boston because they're both coastal cities with harbors, because tourism is an important part of both economies, and because they are most similar in size. New York City, of course, also is a coastal city and a tourist destination, but it's on a much larger scale and has its own unique culture that makes it hard to compare with anyplace else in the U.S. Philadelphia doesn't have the ocean setting and the hilly topography that Boston and San Francisco have, and it isn't the tourist destination that New York, Boston and San Francisco are.
Yea, I've been to Philadelphia maybe 2 hundred times and you're right; there are no tourists there. In fact, when I was there I was the only person I saw. Just me and I and no tourists. Just myself.....empty streets, bars, museums, sports arenas, etc,
San Francisco, especially prior to the 70s, was ethnically very similar to Boston in that both had very large Irish communities and Catholic identities. Those of us who are not familiar with the city's history forget that SF was not always the city it is perceived to be today.
I live in Philly and do not think it evokes SF. It is the second largest collegiate market in the nation after Boston; however Philly is drastically more affordable than Boston or SF. Philly also has a great deal of poverty and a much larger Black population, and much smaller Asian and Hispanic populations (proportionally) than most of the largest cities.
If one is to compare Philly to another city, Baltimore would be a good fit. Housing stock, demographically, post-industrially, etc.
Born and raised in Upstate NY (Albanyish), and have been to SF more than Boston.
None of the comparisons make sense to me. Boston and SF similarities are like Chicago and NYC similarities. Ambiguous and suggest a whole lot of nothing.
I would say that Boston is closest to SF. They aren't really THAT similar, but you only gave us three choices, and NYC and Philly feel even less similar to SF than Boston.
I personally find the most similarities to NYC. The similarities between Boston and SF are economic and "size" in nature, but it really stops there. I don't see a lot of similarities to Philly. I do see a lot of similarities to NYC in terms of people and vibe. SF to me is like the NYC of the west coast and has a lot of the same offerings, on a smaller scale. There are some similarities in layout and setup, too, and I can even find a few architecturally (moreso than to the other two cities).
^^^Economically. Boston = #1 biotech center in the world and SF = close #2, and #1 by VC with larger Boston based firms/US divisions based in Boston often acquiring SF based firms once there is a breakthrough, pre-IPO.
But beyond economies (both are also major financial centers) and general size/scope, focus on education, etc, Boston and SF have almost zero similarities. Completely different people. Different looks and feels. Different everything, imo. When it comes to the people, I find the most similarities to New Yorkers. When it comes to nightlife and cultural offerings, again, similar to New York. Architecturally more similar to New York.
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