Why Doesn't SF Smile? (San Jose, San Francisco: neighborhoods, gated, to live in)

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

Same poster, people. I call trolling. Stop feeding the trolls....

I honestly didn't really get that from the OP..

We all know who the trolls are around here. It's very easy to read through all posts of specific posters and easily identify the losers that serve no purpose whatsoever other than to spew nastiness because they're miserable.

[andyadhi01]

Originally Posted by clongirl

I laugh because he's the exact type of person that I was describing that move into the City from elsewhere, then cry about how negative/unfriendly/depressed people are here ...It's so ironic since most of San Francisco is now comprised of blow-ins.

Why are you so surprised by the fact that some people don't like the city much? If SF natives liked the city so much they wouldn't have moved to the suburbs. After all the city hasn't grown much in population and the only way people can move in is when natives move out! In any case, whats the big freakin deal about transplants? Every US city with a dynamic economy has high number of migrants. SF is not unique on this and the people who move here, in case you haven't noticed, tend to be wealthier and more educated than the natives. If it wasn't because of wealthy and educated transplants and Asian immigrants the bay area economy would be much bigger hole than it already is.

I guess the only ones sticking around still live in the delusion that somehow this is the best place ever or are too poor to move or dependent on govt services. Or they have personalities that fit well with rest of their unfriendly neighbors!

[yana60]

Come to Washington DC - noooooone smiles here. Ever. It may be an East Coast thing of course that people mentioned about NYC but somehow it is forgiven in NYC - no one expects one to smile. When I go to the Bay area or SF for business trips or weekends, I find it so much more friendlier and nicer all around that when I come back to DC I feel like the whole town needs some Prozac or something. Of course, maybe people are smiling a bit less because of the economy of the country being in a tank and their particular situation - that does not help with a cheery smily face. Otherwise, I find NoCa a much happier face on the surface than DC, for instance.

[guy1]

DC is serious business, baby. Of course they don't smile.

Originally Posted by yana60

Come to Washington DC - noooooone smiles here. Ever. It may be an East Coast thing of course that people mentioned about NYC but somehow it is forgiven in NYC - no one expects one to smile. When I go to the Bay area or SF for business trips or weekends, I find it so much more friendlier and nicer all around that when I come back to DC I feel like the whole town needs some Prozac or something. Of course, maybe people are smiling a bit less because of the economy of the country being in a tank and their particular situation - that does not help with a cheery smily face. Otherwise, I find NoCa a much happier face on the surface than DC, for instance.

[LexusNexus]

Originally Posted by guy1

One thing I am reluctant to mention (don't worry it's not that much of a biggie) is, I didn't have a good time during my last trip: a day trip.

Here's why: the people weren't friendly. Very simple. I spoke to a few people and they smiled. But it was a wan smile. As if, someone forced them to do it when they were having a bad day. As if their cat had just puked that morning, and they didn't know why.

Even people genuinely interested in talking to you (who would talk with you for an extended time) didn't smile.

It was like a grey cloud was hanging over their shoulder, when in fact the weather was quite nice.

California is just in a sour mood generally speaking. What's up with that?

I think you expectations are entirely unreasonable. To attribute the mood of an ENTIRE STATE merely by a few reactions to you by some strangers is absolutely absurd.

[uptown_urbanist]

I haven't found people in SF to be any less friendly on the street (or elsewhere) than any other city of similar size or density. And of course people living in SF aren't on vacation; they're out doing their daily thing, and maybe they ARE having a bad day.

Another thing to consider is that in SF, unlike many places (including even some cities), there are lots of people out walking to places for a purpose, not just for recreation. They're heading to and from work, the doctor, to pick their kid up at daycare, to the store, etc. Sometimes they are in the mood to stop and smell the roses, so to speak, and sometimes they're just in a hurry to get to where they need to go. Or, if they're like me, sometimes they get into a bit of a trance and are heading on auto-pilot home from somewhere and are just distracted. All of that is a very different experience from some of those places where people drive to do most of their daily life activities, and are walking more for pleasure or exercise. (obviously people in SF walk for pleasure, too, but the percentages are probably different)

[andyadhi01]

mod cut: quote removed

> I am offering no expertise here...Just stating observations that are obvious to everyone except those whose brains are way too foggy from living in the city too long! BTW, I always said that bay area is a great place. But the city is a over-priced, over-hyped tourist-trap not fit for living of regular productive people. If you know anything about bay area economy you probably know that the economic center is in the south bay and if you ever go to San Jose you will notice it is relatively civilized and modern place. SF is essentially a suburb of south bay if you look at commute patterns. SF has good scenery and thats where all the pros end! No wonder, nobody lives here for long time. Because most rational people see it for the tourist-trap that it is after living in delusion for some time!

FYI, I went to San Jose today! What a refreshing trip. They actually have shops and restaurants that caters to all kind of people of different ethnic backgrounds. It is so much more diverse, modern and functional.

[Gentoo]

You know, when I'm in the Bay Area something happens to me that doesn't happen often in SD. People will walk up to me and have actual real conversations. It happens to me in SD but not as often. I'm a wildlife photographer . In SD when I walk around with my camera gear, other people who aren't the same look at me as if I'm one of those people neighborhood parents warn their children about. last time I went SF, I actually made a few "friends" in Golden Gate Park. They gave me info and pointers and yes...they smiled too. People in the Bay Area and SD tend to smile a lot compared to oh...I don't know...LA. Just because they don't walk down the street looking like Ronald McDonald doesn't mean They never smile. When I lived in the Bay Area ( I grew up in Berkeley and to a lesser extent in Oakland), I thought SF wasn't that friendly. However I realize now that I was wrong in that regard. Whenever I return to SF I find most people pretty helpful. No they're not Obnoxiously friendly (fake) but they are nice if you're not stupid.

[andyadhi01]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

You know, when I'm in the Bay Area something happens to me that doesn't happen often in SD. People will walk up to me and have actual real conversations. It happens to me in SD but not as often. I'm a wildlife photographer . In SD when I walk around with my camera gear, other people who aren't the same look at me as if I'm one of those people neighborhood parents warn their children about. last time I went SF, I actually made a few "friends" in Golden Gate Park. They gave me info and pointers and yes...they smiled too.

Very strange! I assume you were not paying them to behave that way. I noticed that it is easy to elicit friendly behavior when you are buying things from them.

I am a photographer and a cyclist. I found that other cyclists don't even have the courtesy to do simple favors like help with directions (Gotta get a bike GPS). Its almost scary to approach strangers here for anything because they look like socially-isolated, angry, sad bombs that are about to explode! I guess if you belong to the 'right' demographic it helps! People over here don't seem to interact with people who don't look like them.

[guy1]

I've noticed that salespeople don't smile much, either. They are very aggressive but don't smile much.