is SF really a hippie city? (San Francisco, Oakland: condo, racist, money)

[iTsLiKeAnEgG]

Originally Posted by City Boy

So what? You can see that downtown, 3rd Street is not the same and all the way until you get close to Bay View it's fine and full of white yuppies and nice condos'.

I was actually talking about Bayview. I'm completely happy with what they are doing to 3rd street, I just hope they can clean up more of the surrounding area.

[rah]

Originally Posted by City Boy

So what? You can see that downtown, 3rd Street is not the same and all the way until you get close to Bay View it's fine and full of white yuppies and nice condos'.

No its not the same...but it's not full of white yuppies either. Maybe you're thinking of Mission bay/Dogpatch, which is still pretty far from hunters Point. And maybe a couple yuppies live in HP here and there these days, but it's still definitely the hood dude.

Originally Posted by City Boy

What does that have to do with them being a certain skin color like you mentioned? Most tourist are too scared to take the bus and take the cable car. I actually Never even heard of tourists taking the city bus.

uhh..take it from a city resident without a car, who rides the bus to get anywhere and everywhere in the city, every day...tourists do ride the bus.

Look, a Russian tourist even wrote an account of when he accidentally got on the 9 San Bruno, and how he was terrified when he went through Visitacion valley and the Sunnydale projects. He was confused and thought the bus was going to the city of San Bruno, not down San Bruno Avenue.

Visitacion Valley - It's Frightening (Part I) and other San Francisco, CA Warning Or Danger Tips - VirtualTourist.com

Also, a few years ago a tourist couple from Seattle driving back to SF from a day trip to SJ accidentally got off the freeway in HP, and while they were at a stoplight someone sprayed their car with bullets, killing the wife. HP is no joke (and it's also not as bad a it was 10, 20, or 30 years ago either, of course)...light rail, newly painted crosswalks and palm trees are cosmetic changes, but not much else.

[flypnay704]

Originally Posted by City Boy

What does that have to do with them being a certain skin color like you mentioned? Most tourist are too scared to take the bus and take the cable car. I actually Never even heard of tourists taking the city bus.

LOL what planet do you live on? The city buses are WIDELY used by tourists because it's affordable and because most lines run 24 hours a day. The lines stretch all the way across the city & most buses are accessible from downtown (which is where tourists usually migrate to whether or not they are actually staying in that area). I'm not talking about the ritzy tourists that come in and stay at the top hotels that cost $300+ a night...I'm talking about the REGULAR tourists who actually walk and bus it to certain places and do not want to pay for a cab everywhere they go and don't want to pay for a rental car b/c it costs upwards of $25 to $30 PER NIGHT to park your car at the hotel you're staying at in the city? You have NEVER even HEARD of tourists taking the city bus? LOL...dude - now you're making stuff up.

[xGrendelx]

Originally Posted by jaxie020

LOL I'm having the impression that SF in America is being considered as one of the major cities most hated in the US. I'm not American but based on what I'm seeing on all of the boards SF isn't doing that well

Actually, according to a study by Travel + Leisure, SF was named one of America's favorite cities last year. In fact, only Boston beat it out. Here's the link:

Travel + Leisure

[flypnay704]

Originally Posted by City Boy

It means it's better than it was and in 10 years it's going to be a gentrified yuppified white out.

Just because it's better than it was 10 years ago, doesn't mean crime isn't still happening at a higher rate than all other areas in SF. LOL. be realistic my friend. They're still talking about putting security cameras up on street corners...would they do that in Pac Heights? I think not.

[14thandYou]

Originally Posted by flypnay704

LOL what planet do you live on? The city buses are WIDELY used by tourists because it's affordable and because most lines run 24 hours a day.

When my wife and I were in San Fran a few years ago, we took the bus several times, and it seemed that we were far from the only tourists doing so. In other words, I agree--it seemed to be a pretty common form of transit for tourists.

We took a cable car too, but that was more for the fun quotient rather than any legitimate travel need.

[flypnay704]

Originally Posted by 14thandYou

When my wife and I were in San Fran a few years ago, we took the bus several times, and it seemed that we were far from the only tourists doing so. In other words, I agree--it seemed to be a pretty common form of transit for tourists.

We took a cable car too, but that was more for the fun quotient rather than any legitimate travel need.

I live in the Financial District of San Francisco - I also work in the Financial District of SF. Walk downtown in the summer or on major holidays and probably close to half (if not more) of the people in the immediate Market & Powell vicinity are tourists. Even in North Beach - I get tourists asking me which bus to take or which direction to walk probably every other day - and even moreso on the weekends. Most of these tourists use the bus and others walk.

You're right, 14thandYou the Cable Car is a form of transportation, however at $5/person/ride (ONE WAY), it is VERY expensive, and they don't even stretch to the other side of the city. It mostly runs in the immediate downtown, Chinatown area. It is not really used by locals as a form of transportation unless you live right by a Cable Car line & it takes you directly to your place of employment.

There is absolutely no reason for tourists not to take public transportation. I've done it in EVERY city I've traveled to, including overseas. A place like San Francisco has a great public transportation setup - don't translate this into "SF's public transportation is always on time and reliable". What I mean by great, is what I mentioned before (most lines run 24 hours/day, it's affordable, and the SF MUNI reaches to just about every far corner in SF). If tourists didn't take public transportation, tell me why they have programs like CITY PASSES where tourists can purchase ticket packages for various points of interest (Steinhardt's Aquarium, Legion of Honor, SF Zoo) and those packages will include bus passes? Oh...and tell me why SF Muni has outfitted most of their buses to announce points of interest at that particular stop. For example the 5 Fulton will stop in the vicinity of GG Park and say "Next stop, Steinhardt's Aquarium, Children's Playground and the Japanese Tea Garden"??? Hmmm...maybe for the locals who live in SF and don't have a clue as to where these places of interest are? EHHHHHH - wrong.

[rah]

Originally Posted by flypnay704

Just because it's better than it was 10 years ago, doesn't mean crime isn't still happening at a higher rate than all other areas in SF. LOL. be realistic my friend. They're still talking about putting security cameras up on street corners...would they do that in Pac Heights? I think not.

Not to mention the gunshot detectors they put up a year ago. But I guess they put them up because of all those yuppies shooting their guns.

[flypnay704]

Originally Posted by rah

Not to mention the gunshot detectors they put up a year ago. But I guess they put them up because of all those yuppies shooting their guns.

hahah - yeah with their "Asian girlfriends" riding shotgun bumpin' "All I need in this life of sin...is me and mah girlfriend..."

Riiiiiight.

[iTsLiKeAnEgG]

^^

LOL. You guys (and girls) are hilarious.