Info on San Francisco... (Los Angeles, Richmond: real estate, rental market, sex offenders)
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Hi guys,
I'm a new member to city-data.com, and I gotta say, it's good to be a part of a website I've used for months.
So anyway, San Francisco is a city that I've always wanted to go to. I've heard great things about the city, and I wanted some personal answers from people who live in or have visited SF.
My questions:
-Is French taught at the schools?
-Are any Asian languages taught?
-What are some main attractions there? (Besides the Bay Bridge)
-Is crime percentage above or below other cities of similar populations?
-I hear SF is a very cultured city. Which cultures would I be able to experience the most of? (I'm a culture-freak. Haha!)
-Are there any nice parks or forest areas where I could take walks in with my dog?
-Finally, I also hear that the people are very nice and have much pride in their city. (Which would be a nice change from where I live.) Is this true?
We have 1.7 Million Asians...there are asian-language schools.
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What are some main attractions there?
I recommend looking at yelp.com
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Is crime percentage above or below other cities of similar populations?
Crime varies based on where you are. As in any other urban environment just be aware of your surroundings and youll be fine. Dont let the issue of crime preoccupy you too much-this is a relatively safe place.
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I hear SF is a very cultured city. Which cultures would I be able to experience the most of? (I'm a culture-freak. Haha!)
The Bay Area is one of the most international places in the world with diversity similar to New York and Los Angeles. I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised.
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Are there any nice parks or forest areas where I could take walks in with my dog?
Yes, San Francisco has parks specifically for dogs.
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Finally, I also hear that the people are very nice and have much pride in their city. (Which would be a nice change from where I live.) Is this true?
The people really embrace people from other countries, which is why 50% of the entire Bay Area(roughly 3.8 Million People) live in households headed by a foreign born person. Since most of us are closely tied to someone that is a new American, we have an empathy for newcomers that I dont see anywhere else. Our native born population, those who arent related to anyone foreigh born tend to be very well educated, travelled and open minded.
We have much pride in San Francisco. Sometimes to a fault but its a dazzling place and I am so grateful that my parents immigrated here.
As far as a place to live, it all depends on what your looking for and what your budget is.
-Is French taught at the schools?
yes, taught in most high schools all the way up to Advanced Placement level. there is also Lycee Francais, a French language high school
-Are any Asian languages taught?
Yes, most popular are Chinese and Japanese and many high schools have these classes. In addition, there are a few elementary schools that have Chinese immersion program where ALL the students learn Chinese. My cousing went to an elementary school where the 5th grade graduation speech was given in Cantonese by an African American boy... where else would you find this but San Francisco. There are also weekend language schools specifically for Chinese or Japanese.
-What are some main attractions there? (Besides the Bay Bridge)
Depends upon what you want to do... There are parks (like Golden Gate Park), hiking (my favorite is to Land's End), museums, different ethnic foods.
As the others have mentioned, yes the schools do teach French... and in addition to the school "TwinMom" named, there's also French-American International in San Francisco, where one of my friends went - French American International School (http://www.frenchamericansf.org/pk12/ - broken link)
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-What are some main attractions there? (Besides the Bay Bridge)
Oh, where to start? There's something for just about anyone here, both in San Francisco itself & the surrounding areas... within a 3-hour drive you'll find hiking, skiing, beaches, camping, museums, fabulous restaurants, theaters, parks, zoos, and so forth. What are some of your interests? Btw, I wouldn't really call the Bay Bridge an "attraction" - more like a sight, and not nearly as beautiful as the Golden Gate bridge. If you want to know what tourists do here, I can list some of the popular attractions... but my recommendations from a local's perspective are much different! Just depends on what you're into...
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-Is crime percentage above or below other cities of similar populations?
-I hear SF is a very cultured city. Which cultures would I beable to experience the most of? (I'm a culture-freak. Haha!)
You can find just about every culture represented here! Just in SF itself, there's a Chinatown, Japantown, "Little Italy" (North Beach), Little Saigon, a Russian-Jewish neighborhood (inner Richmond), Indian neighborhood, Hispanic (Mission), and so forth. As for which you'd experience the MOST of, I'd have to say Chinese... approx. 30% of our total population is Chinese, and many are not American-born. I used to work at a library in a heavily Chinese/immigrant area, and found myself picking up the language after a few months. And if you're looking for non-ethnic "cultures," you can also get your share of that... from the GLBTQ community to the hippies, we certainly have a unique and diverse population.
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-Are there any nice parks or forest areas where I could take walks in with my dog?
Oh yes! I have a dog, and while the realty/rental market is very dog-UNfriendly, the city is rather dog-FRIENDLY. Our personal favorite spot is McLaren Park in Visitacion Valley, a lesser-known park, even though it's the second-largest in SF... most of the park is off-leash approved, and find the reservoir past Jerry Garcia Amphitheater if your dog likes swimming & hiking. It can get rather windy & foggy up there, so bring a warm coat; and leave quickly once it starts to get dark, because shady people like to hang there at night.
Other great doggy spots include Ocean Beach, Esplanade Beach in Pacifica, Golden Gate Park, Mission-Dolores Park (keep a leash on him/her though, since it's not secure from a busy street), Crissy Field, Fort Funston, 2 dog-parks in Bernal Heights, and many others around the city.
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-Finally, I also hear that the people are very nice and have much pride in their city. (Which would be a nice change from where I live.) Is this true?
Any answers would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I'd like to think we're nice, but of course not everyone is... And yes, we are generally very proud of our city, probably because it's such a unique place - and so many aren't actually born here, which means we (or our parents) CHOSE to be in this great city. My family came here in 1983, when I was almost 7 years old, because of my dad's job. He had a choice between a number of great cities (NYC, LA, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, etc.), and fell in love with SF when he came to visit their office... we've been here ever since, and while I left for about 8 years in my 20's, I'm really glad I returned.
To gizmo,now when you say 'Indian neighborhood', do you mean Native Americans or Indians from India? Either culture would be great to see, though I am a small percentage Native American, so I could identify with that.
To gizmo,now when you say 'Indian neighborhood', do you mean Native Americans or Indians from India? Either culture would be great to see, though I am a small percentage Native American, so I could identify with that.
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Originally Posted by ImRandy
"Indian" when used in San Francisco pretty much always means "dot not feather".
Rather crude (though amusing) way to put it, but yes, I meant Indian from the country of India... we have a huge Indian population in the Bay Area now, partly due to the tech industry. The south bay has the highest concentration, but San Francisco does have a few Indian neighborhoods as well - Tenderloin is one apparently, which I just found out recently. As for Native Americans, we don't have a ton up here, and therefore I don't know of any neighborhoods... I dated a N.A. (1/2 Tlingit) for a few years, and people always assumed he was Samoan or Tongan, since they're a more common sight in the Bay Area.
-What are some main attractions there? (Besides the Bay Bridge)
ocean beach, coit tower, the presidio, embarcadero, union square and downtown, chinatown, golden gate park, fisherman's wharf, fort funston, crissy field, twin peaks, etc, etc...pretty much every neighborhood is worth checking out too.
-Is crime percentage above or below other cities of similar populations?
Crime rate is pretty much identical to Boston.
-I hear SF is a very cultured city. Which cultures would I be able to experience the most of? (I'm a culture-freak. Haha!)
Well, there will probably be something here no matter what you're into. The biggest ones for SF in my opinion would be Chinese and Mexican, as well as other asian and latino cultures.
-Are there any nice parks or forest areas where I could take walks in with my dog?
there's Golden Gate park, McLaren park (which is almost unknown to most people, and which can be a little sketchy, but it's the second biggest park in the city). Also, there's mount San Bruno just south of SF, fort Funston and the Presidio, and Marin, North of SF, across the Golden Gate Bridge.
-Finally, I also hear that the people are very nice and have much pride in their city. (Which would be a nice change from where I live.) Is this true?
I certainly have lots of pride in my city most people I know do too, and I'd like to think we're mostly pretty nice...
I really need to check out San Bruno Mountain park... I just took a walk through Edgewood Park today in Redwood City and it had a pretty spectacular bay view, including an aerial of the Dumbarton Bridge (which looks much nicer from high up!). Plus there was a view of the mountains to the west side, but no different than what you can see just driving on 280..
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Info on San Francisco...
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There's something for just about anyone here, both in San Francisco itself & the surrounding areas... within a 3-hour drive you'll find hiking, skiing, beaches, camping, museums, fabulous restaurants, theaters, parks, zoos, and so forth. What are some of your interests? Btw, I wouldn't really call the Bay Bridge an "attraction" - more like a sight, and not nearly as beautiful as the Golden Gate bridge. If you want to know what tourists do here, I can list some of the popular attractions... but my recommendations from a local's perspective are much different! Just depends on what you're into...
It's certainly not the most dangerous large city, and probably is on the safer end compared to others of comparable size... we have our share of bad neighborhoods, but the majority of SF is relatively safe. Go here for the stats: 
And if you're looking for non-ethnic "cultures," you can also get your share of that... from the GLBTQ community to the hippies, we certainly have a unique and diverse population.
