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I agree with this. Everyone has pride in where they are from, but the places with the strongest home pride that i've been to tend to be the places that dont often get highlighted in media and pop-culture. OKC, Grand Rapids, and Des Moines stick out as shameless self promoters.
Detroiters have a lot of pride but tend to be a little timid about speaking up because of the huge volume of negativity that precedes it.
On the flip side, mid sized to smaller rust belt cities tend to have the biggest inferiority complexes - Scranton, Erie, Toledo, and Utica are all places that come to mind.
Native San Franciscans are very proud and in a completely different way than transplants. Different experiences really.
As an SF native I agree. However, many SF natives have a chip on our shoulders because of the strong stereotypes of our city. People who know nothing about SF think they know everything about the city because of the same old tired stereotypes that only apply to certain segments of SF's population. It can be infuriating. When we try to explain the native culture of our city to outsiders, people don't believe us because the culture of many subgroups of SF natives has never been exposed, let alone romanticized, in the mainstream media. When most people outside of California who aren't well-travelled think of SF, they think of one thing: gay people. Thousands and thousands of people believe the entire city of San Francisco is solely made up of flamingly homosexual men.
Other than that, people think of hippies and stuck-up rich white people or fobby Asians when SF is mentioned. Most stereotypes of SF are not flattering. Its like people in America feel like SF needs to be knocked down a peg. People look at SF differently than other big cities because of the stereotypes. Many people refuse to believe SF has high crime ghetto areas that are just as bad as the worst areas in cities like Baltimore, Oakland and New Orleans. This has been statistically proven time and time again on this site. Ironically, ghetto areas in SF have been very influential in urban culture nationwide in setting trends in urban slang and music despite the fact that the mainstream national news and entertainment media acts entire districts like Hunter's Point don't even exist.
The gay/stuck-up/rich/sheltered stereotypes of SF are so larger than life that it often overshadows the city's uniqueness and spectacular beauty. Actually, SF isn't really gayer than any other big city in America, but being gay has always been a highly recognized and documented political affiliation in SF more so than any other major American city. I think cities like DC and Atlanta are much gayer than SF, in terms of the culture of the whole city. SF is more about waving the rainbow flag as a political affiliation as opposed to being the actual gayest city. America and much of the world is so blatantly homophobic that a huge percentage of America's population knows nothing of SF's spectacular beauty, unique climate and year round mild weather. It gets to the point where mostly only SF natives and sometimes Bay Area natives, in general, have the best appreciation for SF because they have the most accurate authentic perspective of the city from the past to the present that hasn't been tainted by media perpetuated stereotypes.
Last edited by LunaticVillage; 05-21-2014 at 08:48 PM..
As an SF native I agree. However, many SF natives have a chip on our shoulders because of the strong stereotypes of our city. People who know nothing about SF think they know everything about the city because of the same old tired stereotypes that only apply to certain segments of SF's population. It can be infuriating. When we try to explain the native culture of our city to outsiders, people don't believe us because the culture of many subgroups of SF natives has never been exposed, let alone romanticized, in the mainstream media. When most people outside of California who aren't well-travelled think of SF, they think of one thing: gay people. Thousands and thousands of people believe the entire city of San Francisco is solely made up of flamingly homosexual men.
Other than that, people think of hippies and stuck-up rich white people or fobby Asians when SF is mentioned. Most stereotypes of SF are not flattering. Its like people in America feel like SF needs to be knocked down a peg. People look at SF differently than other big cities because of the stereotypes. Many people refuse to believe SF has high crime ghetto areas that are just as bad as the worst areas in cities like Baltimore, Oakland and New Orleans. This has been statistically proven time and time again on this site. Ironically, ghetto areas in SF have been very influential in urban culture nationwide in setting trends in urban slang and music despite the fact that the mainstream national news and entertainment media acts entire districts like Hunter's Point don't even exist.
The gay/stuck-up/rich/sheltered stereotypes of SF are so larger than life that it often overshadows the city's uniqueness and spectacular beauty. Actually, SF isn't really gayer than any other big city in America, but being gay has always been a highly recognized and documented political affiliation in SF more so than any other major American city. I think cities like DC and Atlanta are much gayer than SF, in terms of the culture of the whole city. SF is more about waving the rainbow flag as a political affiliation as opposed to being the actual gayest city. America and much of the world is so blatantly homophobic that a huge percentage of America's population knows nothing of SF's spectacular beauty, unique climate and year round mild weather. It gets to the point where mostly only SF natives and sometimes Bay Area natives, in general, have the best appreciation for SF because they have the most accurate authentic perspective of the city from the past to the present that hasn't been tainted by media perpetuated stereotypes.
I agree with where you started, but disagree with where you ended up as this seems true of most cities. Maybe worse for SF since it's famous/has plenty of stereotypes because of it, or maybe worse for other cities since at least quite a good amount of people have visited SF, not sure... Maybe a good thread idea... I know what you mean though, someone was saying recently that SF has basically 0 git...
Just left SF again on Tuesday and I already miss it...
Sacramentans tend to have an inferiority complex. Now it has gotten better over the last few years as more young professionals and college educated folks return home from other places, but the majority still have this small minded mentality they can not escape.
As an SF native I agree. However, many SF natives have a chip on our shoulders because of the strong stereotypes of our city. People who know nothing about SF think they know everything about the city because of the same old tired stereotypes that only apply to certain segments of SF's population. It can be infuriating. When we try to explain the native culture of our city to outsiders, people don't believe us because the culture of many subgroups of SF natives has never been exposed, let alone romanticized, in the mainstream media. When most people outside of California who aren't well-travelled think of SF, they think of one thing: gay people. Thousands and thousands of people believe the entire city of San Francisco is solely made up of flamingly homosexual men.
Other than that, people think of hippies and stuck-up rich white people or fobby Asians when SF is mentioned. Most stereotypes of SF are not flattering. Its like people in America feel like SF needs to be knocked down a peg. People look at SF differently than other big cities because of the stereotypes. Many people refuse to believe SF has high crime ghetto areas that are just as bad as the worst areas in cities like Baltimore, Oakland and New Orleans. This has been statistically proven time and time again on this site. Ironically, ghetto areas in SF have been very influential in urban culture nationwide in setting trends in urban slang and music despite the fact that the mainstream national news and entertainment media acts entire districts like Hunter's Point don't even exist.
The gay/stuck-up/rich/sheltered stereotypes of SF are so larger than life that it often overshadows the city's uniqueness and spectacular beauty. Actually, SF isn't really gayer than any other big city in America, but being gay has always been a highly recognized and documented political affiliation in SF more so than any other major American city. I think cities like DC and Atlanta are much gayer than SF, in terms of the culture of the whole city. SF is more about waving the rainbow flag as a political affiliation as opposed to being the actual gayest city. America and much of the world is so blatantly homophobic that a huge percentage of America's population knows nothing of SF's spectacular beauty, unique climate and year round mild weather. It gets to the point where mostly only SF natives and sometimes Bay Area natives, in general, have the best appreciation for SF because they have the most accurate authentic perspective of the city from the past to the present that hasn't been tainted by media perpetuated stereotypes.
I'm going a little off your topic (and the thread's), but I've said a few times on this forum in threads that are about cities that are the most gay friendly that many SF natives almost seem to overcompensate their heterosexuality in a direction towards homophobia strictly because of the reaction people have when you tell them you are from SF (SF being 'gay' is what more times than not the other person's identifier of SF will be). Places like the Sunset & Richmond District and other west side areas which are largely a native population almost act like fake homophobes in some warped attempt to like create more of a balance or something, despite how they truly feel. Kind of sad really. But I actually feel like that attitude from outsiders in this regard has somewhat gone away since the time when I was growing up (late 80s and the 90s).
The problem on this forum is a different one though. It's full of people saying the tech sector has wiped out the city's 'character' and what not and is now nothing but a playground for the 'snobby elite'.
Last edited by RadicalAtheist; 05-22-2014 at 04:34 AM..
many SF natives have a chip on our shoulders because of the strong stereotypes of our city. People who know nothing about SF think they know everything about the city because of the same old tired stereotypes that only apply to certain segments of SF's population. It can be infuriating. When we try to explain the native culture of our city to outsiders, people don't believe us because the culture of many subgroups of SF natives has never been exposed, let alone romanticized, in the mainstream media.
I appreciate your thoughts. And in the most genuine way, without a sardonic tone, welcome to Philadelphia.
Looks like someone has never been to the Seattle forums. I'll definitely say Atlanta is up there. there are a lot of transplants there, and you coukd get by bashing ATL and not encounter many fist fights. The multigenerational natives are definitely proud, but they're pretty rare in ATL. my hometown KC is full of natives, and you don't hear a ton of KC pride either. But I woukdnt say theyre the least proud. I think Birmingham may be up there. I never heard too much San Jose pride. Certain parts like East San Jose has proud people, but the rest of the city is hardly like that.
Most definatly Seattle or anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. It never ends when talking to these folks and you had better run for your life if you disagree that one single thing is not the best in the world. My biggest problem with these folks is their non stop California bashing. I am not from California but you would think there is a war going on between the two states.
For Texas, its not a city thing as much as a state pride thing, partly because for 9 years, Texas was its own country and also because of its western heritage.
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