I hate when people say "SF is a small city" (Los Angeles: employment, earthquake)

[krudmonk]

Originally Posted by CFL_City

I'd recommend reading up on some urban theory. San Jose and Silicon Valley would never have happened if it weren't for San Francisco. Period.

Heh, okay. Tell us more about California.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

I usually agree with 95% of what you post, but this whole natives vs. transplants false dichotomy you're creating rubs me the wrong way. SF has pretty much ALWAYS been a transient town filled with "blow ins" as you like to call them. Native SFers aren't inherently better than anyone else just because they were fortunate enough to grow up there. They are LUCKY to possess some history and life experiences that newcomers will never have because their parents raised them there, but SF is a place that's constantly changing. I'm pretty sure your relatives were "blow ins" that decided to stay because they liked it. Are they 'better' than the recent newcomers simply because they did it first?

I don't necessarily think clongirl is saying natives are "better" overall for any reason but it's just kind of weird how some transplants have these hangups about what SF and the Bay Area are "suppose" to be or be about, many of which are largely based on stereotypes.

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by sav858

I don't necessarily think clongirl is saying natives are "better" overall for any reason but it's just kind of weird how some transplants have these hangups about what SF and the Bay Area are "suppose" to be or be about, many of which are largely based on stereotypes.

That's exactly what I meant....and you put it in a much better way than I did. I'm sorry that it sounded so bad, guys. I don't think I'm superior because I'm from here at all...and yes, my family were newcomers too at one time.

I just think it's a little weird nowadays when people move here and then start making up stuff about how one should act, what one should/shouldn't say, how there's some set standard of a San Francisco attitude or rules about living here, behaving a specific way, or becoming part of a stereotype after they arrive. I don't know if this is specific to San Francisco or if it happens when people move to any new place.

[rkwalton]

Originally Posted by clongirl

I hate it when people that aren't from here "get offended" over every little things...like calling the City, "Frisco", or "ess-eff"...or having the nerve to call San Francisco, "small". From my experiences I've not had had anyone from her take issue with any of it.

This is exactly what contributes to the dooshbaggery...snarky, anti-child, pro-a-hole, my dog is my life, I'm into anything/everything (but only 'cause it's the thing to do) culture... I know I sound a bit snooty---but people from the general Bay Area and San Francisco don't really tend to care as much about this sort of thing as blow-ins that take issue with anything/everything...trying to define the City by what stereotypes they've conjured in their head or the vibe/opinion from some other blow- ins happen to have.

I guess that I personally see the City as "small". But I am thinking in terms of size/population/running into people I know all the time, rather than its impact on culture, business, fashion (or not!) etc. For a "small" city is has a huge footprint on the rest of the world! It attracts, smart,educated people that are generally up for risk taking and good ideas from other parts of the country/world.

The problem from my perspective is that it doesn't KEEP people for very long anymore....this is where things have gone wrong, imo.

There was a recent article on the"lowrider" culture in the city/pro 49er culture in the sfgate (most likely native, middle class locals of Mexican heritage down in the Mission) that were big into their cars...lowriders. I think it's fantastic (I grew up with it and thought it was pretty cool even back then). Never had any bad feelings or bad experiences.

The majority of people posting were completely ragging on the culture...talking about them like they were all criminals...very racist sounding...disrespectful of the way things used to actually be! I couldn't believe that there was this entire population of newbies that looked down on a culture that was such a part of San Francisco/Bay Area. history. Maybe it's just the way it is now? A generational thing?? I dunno...it's a little strange to me thinking the history of the City is absolutely rich and wonderful and people move here and don't care? Don't appreciate? Don't know how the City actually used to be?

I can't claim native status but I agree with this post and a "me too" on the underlined part.

[04kL4nD]

Originally Posted by clongirl

That's exactly what I meant....and you put it in a much better way than I did. I'm sorry that it sounded so bad, guys. I don't think I'm superior because I'm from here at all...and yes, my family were newcomers too at one time.

I just think it's a little weird nowadays when people move here and then start making up stuff about how one should act, what one should/shouldn't say, how there's some set standard of a San Francisco attitude or rules about living here, behaving a specific way, or becoming part of a stereotype after they arrive. I don't know if this is specific to San Francisco or if it happens when people move to any new place.

Not sure if this is just an 'SF transplant' problem, or an 'annoying human being' problem. I've met people who did the EXACT same thing when they moved to SD, DC, Raleigh, etc. Insecure/pretentious people usually aren't well liked, regardless of where they're from, which is probably why they try their luck in other cities.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by happycrow

Chimerique,

Don't get me wrong. I like SF, and have family who are native to the city going way back. Like my brother, I'd probably still live in the Bay if it were economically rational for me to do so. But the goalposts have gotten a bit moved here. I routinely see SF folks who compare The City to Chicago and NYC as if they're on an equal cultural foooting. That's simply not the case.

There's nothing insulting to the city with saying that SF is a small city that tends to punch far above its weight class in some areas, and isn't really relevant in a number of others.

There has always been an East Coast bias, and there always will be. It really depends on what you're talking about, high art and museums, yes, NYC and Chicago have the edge. Broadway type shows, NYC's got the edge but thats not saying much -- You've seen one Broadway show you've seem them all. I'll take London theater over NYC any day. The BAY has NYC and Chicago beat when it comes to Tech. Google, Facebook, Apple, Intel, to name just a few, have changed the world and "The Center of the Universe" is on the SF Peninsula and Silicon Valley not NYC.

SF has always marched along to it's own beat from the original Gold Rush-49er days until now; it started out as a BIG TOWN and will always be BIG in the hearts of San Franciscans, so it really doesn't matter to us what outsiders think. "Who's got it better than us?" NOBODY (It's all about the attitude, of course, I know what people from NYC mean when they say San Francisco is small).

[Harrier]

San Jose is actually larger than San Francisco?

San Jose is the 10th largest city in the United States.

[Harrier]

Originally Posted by athleticsfan72737489

Who the heck said anything about Oakland in this thread?

Well, the OP said:

Originally Posted by destroycreate

The Bay Area = SF.

Are you claiming that Oakland is not part of the Bay Area?

[Harrier]

The only thing "big" about SF is the nickname of its baseball team.

[Harrier]

Originally Posted by nmnita

How many cities in Ca are larger than San Francisco? ...

Three.

Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose.