If you can afford it, the SF Bay Area is the greatest place in the world (to live, cities)

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by goonzy

IMO the Bay is this sleepy little metropolitan area at the edge of western civilization where everyone is in bed by 2am

Jajaja people in Spain have time to stay up late because the unemployment rate is over 20%
Unemployment in Spain: a life without hope? | euronews, reporter

The unemployment rate in SF is about 4%.

with a little bit of the wild wild west atmoshphere with your occasional shoot outs in the streets.

And people in Madrid and Barcelona routinely riot because they DONT want their govt to spend within their means.

Also high homelessness that makes any european cringe on sight on the barbarity of your society.

Haha have you been to suburban Paris, Amsterdam, London lately??? Filthy, graffiti everywhere, junkees, etc. Spare me the snobbiness, Im not impressed.

Also Spain and Italy and France all have highspeed rail while California has nothing!

Yawns. California would have a higher HDI than all 3-easily.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by NewbieHere

Less distraction, unlike LA. I'm sure other places are too, but I'm not French nor Spanish so why would I go there. This is from a Californian's point of view.

Sorry, I misread your post. I agree with your initial post completely.

[04kL4nD]

On a good note, at least SF and the Bay Area are being compared to awesome places like Barcelona, Madrid and Paris. That sad San Jose thread brings up places like Charlotte and Phoenix

[Mordin]

Originally Posted by no place

Here's the world according to someone from the bay...

LA: superficial and fake... a total cesspool.
NYC: the only city in the US that almost stands to compare to SF
Texas: racist, backwards, rednecks
Oklahoma... the south... everywhere between here and NYC?... see Texas, above.
SF: best place on Earth

I take exception to that good sir. I was born/raised in SF and although I still reside in the Bay Area (south bay, and plan to vacate the Bay Area altogether in the near future), I certainly do not consider the region the "Best Place on Earth". That statement is absolute rubbish.

[ramedud]

If you love seeing a guy whipping out his wang and urinating in a cup right next to Union Square, then yes SF is the best place in the world. When it comes to getting a lovely waft of stale urine in your nostrils accept no substitutes, SF is the place to be.

Did I mention I hate this rich-people playground?

[ramedud]

Originally Posted by Mordin

I take exception to that good sir. I was born/raised in SF and although I still reside in the Bay Area (south bay, and plan to vacate the Bay Area altogether in the near future), I certainly do not consider the region the "Best Place on Earth". That statement is absolute rubbish.

I agree, that particular statement sounds a lot like a fantastical claim made by Disneyland... oh wait nvm. Bay Areans (pun intended) who think they are better than everyone need to get their heads out of their rear end. Definitely tired of this "farting in wine glass because it don't stink" snobbery so prevalent in the Entitlement State.

[josef13]

PHILADELPHIA IS THE CULTURAL CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES yes it has all the major problems of any big city it has more colleges and universities than anyother city in the UNITED STATES more museums and cultural institutions CENTER CITY philadelphia doesnt go to bed after 5pm it is a vibrant and beautiful city apparently so many people dont visit philadelphia they go to new york city boston washington dc they also dont go to baltimore if you like fun food/junk food no place can compare to philadelpia LISTEN AND READ CLOSELY IT IS THE THIRD LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES BY DENSITY PER SQUARE MILE 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE IN 128 SQUARE MILES PEOPLE REALLY LIVE CLOSE IN PHILADELPHIA SAN FRANSICO AROUND 800,000 50 SQUARE MILES ALOT OF PEOPLE ALSO but san fransico doesnt have row homes other parts of country call them town houses we call town houses glorified row homes all the best do yourself a favor and visit HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA IT IS ALSO THE ONLY CITY IN THE UNITED STATES THAT HAS ARCHITECTURE FROM EVERY CENTURY FROM THE 17TH TO THE 21ST CENTURY NO OTHER CITY IN THE UNITED STATES CAN MAKE THAT CLAIM

[ny789987]

Originally Posted by ramedud

If you love seeing a guy whipping out his wang and urinating in a cup right next to Union Square, then yes SF is the best place in the world. When it comes to getting a lovely waft of stale urine in your nostrils accept no substitutes, SF is the place to be.

Did I mention I hate this rich-people playground?

SF does a good job of keeping the riff raff away from the gated homes and the really wealthy neighborhoods. You aren't going to see Nancy Pelosi hanging out in Union Square or riding the BART. I doubt the truly 1% encounter any homeless people if ever at all. If I was truly the top 1% of course I would live in SF. If I was middle class, I'd rather live in Charlotte or Phoenix any day. SF (the part worth living in) has become a top 1% gated community like the Hamptons, Aspen, or Malibu. The rest of it is becoming 3rd world. Tale of Two Cities.

[bmw335xi]

If I could afford a 3,000 square foot house or condo anywhere in the world... it wouldn't be San Francisco... too dirty, too many homeless, everything shuts down early. I would probably say somewhere like NYC or one of the mega Asian cities like Tokyo.

[steiconi]

I went to college in San Francisco, which makes it my nostalgic ideal.
Then I lived in the East Bay for 20+ years, so I know SF doesn't match my memories. I'll never move to the area again.

I've spent the last decade in Hawaii, and am looking for something new. Maybe the Coastal South, just to get a little humidity...