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Old 04-22-2016, 10:42 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drive carephilly View Post
I've heard that bit from lots of europeans as well (French, Germans, and Dutch mostly) - that SF is the most European city in America. I don't get it. In terms of architecture, urban form, and day-to-day life Boston, NYC, Philly, and DC are far more "european" than SF.

Maybe in terms of topography and climate the Bay Area resembles some parts of the south of Spain and Italy (but southern Europe has far warmer summers than the Bay Area).
People also think about the sidewalk tables in North Beach, the myriad restaurants/cafes/bars, and the historicity of much of the architecture. And the churches, which wouldn't be out of place in a European city.
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Old 04-22-2016, 11:55 AM
 
Location: SW King County, WA
6,416 posts, read 8,273,283 times
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I'd argue the three most European cities in America are SF, Boston, and New Orleans. Culturally, the Bay Area is very similar to the parts of Spain, Italy, and France I've visited- especially when you get out to Wine Country. SF proper has European-like density and a very strong cafe culture. Boston reminds me a bit of Ireland and England, and New Orleans has a very strong French influence. I could see the argument for Philly as well.
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Old 04-22-2016, 01:35 PM
 
483 posts, read 841,918 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drive carephilly View Post
Maybe in terms of topography and climate the Bay Area resembles some parts of the south of Spain and Italy (but southern Europe has far warmer summers than the Bay Area).
I think the relatively lighter color of buildings in SF compared to the other dense cities of the Northeast/Midwest (which are more brick and darker) has a more Mediterranean look. I've always felt that from hills, SF has an almost white look to it like you see in a lot of Spain, Italy, and other southern European areas.
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Old 04-22-2016, 05:52 PM
 
Location: London
12,275 posts, read 7,133,491 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drive carephilly View Post
I've heard that bit from lots of europeans as well (French, Germans, and Dutch mostly) - that SF is the most European city in America. I don't get it. In terms of architecture, urban form, and day-to-day life Boston, NYC, Philly, and DC are far more "european" than SF.

Maybe in terms of topography and climate the Bay Area resembles some parts of the south of Spain and Italy (but southern Europe has far warmer summers than the Bay Area).
I don't know about that. The way outskirt boonies like Walnut Creek and Danville are Middle East/North Africa Sahara desert level hot from May through October, I'm talking triple digits every day, 90 degree nights for half the year. I lived there last year and had to move back to SF because I practically died every day in the summer.
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Old 04-22-2016, 07:39 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ohhwanderlust View Post
I don't know about that. The way outskirt boonies like Walnut Creek and Danville are Middle East/North Africa Sahara desert level hot from May through October, I'm talking triple digits every day, 90 degree nights for half the year. I lived there last year and had to move back to SF because I practically died every day in the summer.
Sahara desert? Common if anything those areas are closer to places like Tuscany and Andulucia geographically and climate wise.

SF has a unique climate that does not exist in Europe. It has mild Summers and fog like the British Isles but rainfall levels similar to the Mediteranean.

Demographically Walnut Creek and Danville after Marin are the most European parts of the Bay Area but Architecture wise they are very all American.

Architecture wise SF, Sausalito, Tiburon, Napa, and Sonoma and the most European.
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Old 04-22-2016, 07:40 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rca215 View Post
I think the relatively lighter color of buildings in SF compared to the other dense cities of the Northeast/Midwest (which are more brick and darker) has a more Mediterranean look. I've always felt that from hills, SF has an almost white look to it like you see in a lot of Spain, Italy, and other southern European areas.
Parts of London especially Notting Hill reminded me a lot of SF. Also Union Square reminds me of the area around Piccidilly Circus.
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Old 04-30-2016, 05:46 PM
 
4,031 posts, read 4,458,634 times
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The Bay Area has one of the largest diasporas of racial and ethnic groups in the world. Meaning they arent confined to 'ethnic enclaves'-which is fine too, but our people are extremely integrated well beyond the City. We have far flung burbs that are actually more diverse than SF itself-which is unheard of in 99% of US Metro Areas and even more rare outside of the US.

Anyway, here is a look at the diaspora of European Immigrants in the Bay Area. I'll do other parts of the world and post them soon.

You never know where people live.

2005-2009 American Factfinder.

Born In England
San Francisco 1,951
San Jose 1,559
Oakland 688
San Rafael 376
Fremont 347
Santa Rosa 342
Palo Alto 333
Pleasanton 307
Walnut Creek 301
Novato 294
Berkeley 283
Santa Cruz 264
San Mateo 254
Santa Clara 244
Redwood City 239
Fairfield 236
Mountain View 221
Antioch 198
Mill Valley 196
Menlo Park 192
Moraga 192
Concord 190
Livermore 190
Sausalito 179
Belmont 178
Napa 170
Alameda 168
Danville 163
Benicia 162
Saratoga 161
Sunnyvale 157
Clayton 153
Petaluma 151
San Leandro 144
Pleasant Hill 135
Vallejo 135
Richmond 133
Cupertino 131
Castro Valley 124
Pacifica 124
Vacaville 119
Montara 117
Larkspur 116
Tiburon 111
Los Altos 106
San Carlos 105
Martinez 102
Los Gatos 100

Born in Scotland
San Jose 459
San Francisco 435
Mountain View 221
Vacaville 120

Born in France
San Francisco 2,932
San Jose 969
Palo Alto 819
Berkeley 550
Oakland 543
Mountain View 484
Sunnyvale 309
Los Gatos 273
Fremont 237
South San Francisco 220
Livermore 202
Los Altos 158
Redwood City 151
San Rafael 134
Santa Clara 129
Albany 123
Novato 114
San Carlos 111
Santa Cruz 104

Born in Germany
San Francisco 3,290
San Jose 2,155
Sunnyvale 761
Oakland 716
Mountain View 702
Berkeley 657
Palo Alto 560
Santa Rosa 528
San Mateo 518
Novato 466
San Rafael 450
Fremont 418
Walnut Creek 397
Redwood City 336
Santa Cruz 304
Hayward 283
Vacaville 268
Fairfield 264
Corte Madera 254
Santa Clara 249
San Ramon 235
Half Moon Bay 227
Larkspur 214
Castro Valley 213
Albany 211
Pleasant Hill 211
San Leandro 210
Foster City 207
Alameda 205
San Carlos 205
Daly City 202
Danville 196
Concord 184
Lafayette 177
Saratoga 174
El Cerrito 172
Menlo Park 170
Petaluma 170
Antioch 169
Pleasanton 169
Brentwood 166
San Anselmo 162
Los Altos 160
Napa 160
Pittsburg 159
Benicia 154
Milpitas 153
Vallejo 150
Calistoga 149
Tamalpais-Homestead 148
Livermore 146
Richmond 143
Burlingame 140
Pacifica 139
Dublin 136
Belmont 132
Los Gatos 122
Montara 117
Corte Madera 116
Morgan Hill 112
Sebastopol 110
Suisun City 107
Union City 106
San Bruno 104

Born in the Netherlands
San Jose 542
San Francisco 394
Walnut Creek 141
Los Altos 113
San Mateo 107
Oakland 105
Born in Switzerland
San Francisco 467
San Jose 198
Redwood City 155
Stanford 137
Mountain View 131
Oakland 124
Born in Greece
San Francisco 524
San Jose 265
Oakland 249
Belmont 124
San Mateo 122

Born in Italy
San Francisco 1,902
San Jose 810
San Mateo 445
Berkeley 281
Oakland 266
Concord 239
Cupertino 233
Santa Clara 218
South San Francisco 217
Redwood City 216
Sunnyale 149
Palo Alto 147
Millbrae 146
San Leandro 128
Tamalpais-Homestead 119
Mountain View 117
Daly City 111
Petaluma 108
Fremont 103
Walnut Creek 103

Born in Portugal
San Jose 3,468
San Leandro 925
Santa Clara 852
Newark 422
Fremont 395
San Francisco 298
Brentwood 262
Watsonville 197
Oakland 183
Hayward 178
Castro Valley 160
Petaluma 156
Dublin 155
Cherryland 146
Gilroy 145
San Lorenzo 128
Vallejo 119
Sunnyvale 102

Born in Spain
San Francisco 653
Alameda 534
Oakland 302
Berkeley 252
San Jose 237
Palo Alto 148
Stanford 117
Sunnyvale 117

Born in Poland
San Francisco 986
San Jose 688
Concord 264
San Mateo 242
Oakland 205
Sunnyvale 190
San Leandro 172
Berkeley 167
Walnut Creek 123
Redwood City 119
Emeryville 112
Hayward 112
Alameda 106
Menlo Park 101
Albany 100

Born in Russia
San Francisco 4,776
San Jose 2,482
Concord 764
Mountain View 760
Palo Alto 716
Sunnyvale 681
Fremont 648
Walnut Creek 556
Santa Clara 542
Oakland 443
Foster City 414
Berkeley 411
Cupertino 411
San Mateo 388
Campbell 343
San Bruno 334
Pleasanton 288
Daly City 284
Pleasant Hill 249
Novato 235
Los Gatos 234
Burlingame 230
Belmont 268
Redwood City 175
Castro Valley 173
Moraga 165
San Rafael 160
San Ramon 143
Danville 132
Livermore 121
Martinez 119
Saratoga 113
San Carlos 108
Morgan Hill 105
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Old 04-30-2016, 09:04 PM
 
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
732 posts, read 968,128 times
Reputation: 942
Years ago (almost a decade ago), someone from Wales told me San Francisco was comparable to Swansea in weather and being a port city, but he said it gets warmer here in San Francisco.
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Old 05-01-2016, 02:33 PM
 
2,007 posts, read 1,274,162 times
Reputation: 1858
Quote:
Originally Posted by wealthtrader View Post
I hear many people refer the San Francisco as a very European city. I am wondering what this means.

Thanks in advance
San Francisco is the little American city that said it could be .................European.

This euro ex-pat can see the great efforts made my many here to replicate the European way. Although, for the most part successful, there is one aspect that is somewhat lost and may never really be fully appreciated nor understood : natural sense of humor and socializing in the free and easy way that defines Europeans. We always mentioned how guarded and well protected Americans are when engaging in even random chit chat. Sorry, but there will always be a falseness or lack of sincerity (why is sincerity seen as weakness in the United States?) to even casual interactions in San Francisco. Then touch upon the eco crusader clique here and all bets of sincerity, true individualism, any sense of humor go the way of perfectly rehearsed sound bites about "sustainability, renewables and eco efforts" etc. People in San Francisco, should realize they can be themselves, the laughing and enjoying life as you like it mindset, and still espouse environmental causes.

Great strides have been made here for many to have the confidence to truly be oneself . The safe cookie cutter "individual" is becoming a thing of the past in this city.
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