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San Francisco is a much smaller city in terms of land areas, so it's really more comparable to larger edge cities in LA County such as Long Beach or Pasadena, for example.
You can't really compare SF to all of LA County or even all of LA city proper; it's just too small by comparison.
However, I truly believe that the nicer areas of LA are much nicer than anywhere in SF.
Yes, SF has better public transportation, prettier scenery and cooler weather (lots of people in CA seem to prefer cooler weather as opposed to warmer weather, for some odd reason), but at the end of the day, LA has a lot more going for it than SF, IMO.
Relative to SF, LA has:
-Warmer weather and ocean temps
-Less rain and fog (God, I hate rain and fog)
-Accessible, snow-capped mountains
-More attractive, well-dressed locals
-A friendlier, warmer, more approachable culture
-A more positive, upbeat vibe
-Greater diversity in people, food, viewpoints, ideologies, etc.
-More balanced politics thanks to conservative suburban areas nearby
-More family-oriented neighborhoods and attractions
-An economy that's less dependent on one particular sector (i.e., tech in SF)
-Cleaner, better-manicured and maintained upscale areas (e.g., West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, etc.)
-More favorable growing conditions for lots of plants, vegetables, fruit-bearing trees, etc. (I'm an avid gardener)
-More affordable real estate
The list goes on and on.
What I find most unappealing about San Francisco is the sheer vileness of the urbanscape.
The architecture is incredibly hideous. Every street and alleyway is littered with trash. Homeless people swarm every street corner, alleyway, building entrance, city park, etc. There is barely any greenery in the city away from the parks (no tree-lined streets, no lawns, etc.). Many neighborhoods in the city reek of marijuana, urine and fecal matter. The entire is freezing cold throughout the year.
That's not to mention that people in SF are generally smug, unfriendly and not particularly attractive or well-dressed. And in the gay scene at least, no one will pay you any mind if you're not hipster-looking.
Oh, yeah - and the food sucks in SF, too.
No, thanks.
Whether SF or LA is better than the other is purely subjective. And saying that warm weather is a positive or a plus is, as well, purely subjective. People vary considerably in what they like and don't like.
Couldn't be more true. I have family in the Bay Area and they're always talking smack about LA. When I travel I often run into someone from the Bay Area talking smack about LA. I don't get it. No one actually IN LA seems to care about the rest of the planet, let alone SF, so you would think a lack of reciprocation would wear away at those anti-LA conversations. Pointless drama.
I'm an SF native, and I never said anything negative about people from LA nor have I met any other SF natives who talked smack about LA. The only people I hear talk smack about LA have been the insecure variety of transplants who try too hard to get noticed, usually people from NYC. Look at the sfist news website (the sister website of NYC's gothamist news website) and you'll clearly see that annoying behavior. All so often they're either boasting about stuff in the San Francisco Bay Area or NYC and making stupid comparisons between the two.
The only people I can't stand are those annoying people from NYC. I have been a laidback person who doesn't like to generalize, but so many of the transplants who relocated here to SF from NYC manage to rub me the wrong way with their insensitive mouths and inconsiderate behavior. I resorted to smoking weed this year to reduce my stress of having to deal with them daily.
Thinking of moving to Los Angeles. I like Los Angeles better than San Francisco nowadays people seem less smug and friendlier in la.I don't feel at home in San Francisco anymore. I grew up in sf and the bay area but its become so gentrified and ive found a lot of the new transplants to be obnoxious and to me dont rep what sf is supposed to be about. I am an artist/ painter/ photographer type who works in an office. I feel like alot of the art scene in sf is moving away because we cant afford it. Dont get me wrong San francisco is a more beautiful city , but it is to expensive and not as interesting anymore. When i go to la i feel i meet more interesting people than sf, people at cafes, restaurants and at clubs want to be social. In san francisco people are very into their own groups and i have felt very isolated after my friends moved and i tried to go out and meet people. Ive had more succsess with getting laid in la and being social with women, in sf and the bay area you have to be an overachieving guy who works in tech, or finance and make a certain amount of money to be succsefful with women. I am a healthy outdoor person i love the la beaches, so many places to run, hike yes sf has great hikes, love marin and gg park, but la has more. I am a vegaterian and excercise a lot, while i understand la gets a lot of crap for having that superficial element, i do like taking care of myself, and for some reason in sf thats superficial and judgemental. I like ocean beach in sf and have many fond memories, and yes sf beaches are more beautiful than la beaches from a visual standpoint, but i love swimming in warmer water. Also its nice that you can see a national leauge mlb team and its affordable. Everytime i go down to la i love it and feel happy, weather is great and people are social and unfurtunatly when i come back to sf i feel isolated , alone, out of place and that im an alien to my once home.
A lot of the East coast transplants (particularly the competitive, uber-materialistic type) here in SF these days are obnoxious, cliquish, unfriendly, rude and inconsiderate. We can "thank" the tech corporations and Ed Lee for making this city attractive to that type.
Though, I have to disagree with your opinion that vegetarianism and the focus on physical fitness is frowned on and considered "superficial and judgmental". A lot of people here--natives, long-term transplants and recent transplants--are into special diets and physical fitness (myself included; I'm vegan and a daily bicyclist).
If LA isn't also filled with obnoxious NYC transplants these days, I'd visit LA and consider joining you in moving there if it weren't for the hot weather in LA. I'm so used to the weather of SF, I suffer in hot weather above 75F.
The air quality report from 2015 that I referenced included San Joaquin County in the overall report for Bay Area air quality. And even with that inclusion, San Francisco proper received a combined 'B' rating; 'A' for ozone, 'C' for particulate matter.
That may very well be true , but San Francisco still has ( Air Pollution ) and San Joaquin County , still is not part of the San Francisco Bay Area.
San Francisco has Lesser Air Pollution than Los Angeles is believed by pretty much Everyone.
Now I guess that I will have to read your report to verify what you reported to the forum......when you give us at this city data forum thread your internet Link.......
With all due respect to Los Angels (yes, angels - ha), Los Angeles (in my opinion) is a sprawling, overcrowded, overrated mess. Its lack of public transportation, good schools and poor infrastructure (compared to SF) is concerning and really a disgrace. I personally think Los Angeles is the worst big city in America. From the never-ending highways, to the extreme gang culture, to the constant development of more housing subdivisions. It's a mess, simply put.
In addition, while San Francisco has its negatives, I think overall it is a real city. San Francisco (proper) is just as cosmopolitan and cultured as Manhattan, and also as expensive (probably a little less expensive). Its people are authentic like New Yorkers, and many have stuck around for generations. In Los Angeles, you constantly have people moving in and out. Also, San Francisco has a superb subway system and transport system in general (absolutely don't need a car if you live in the proper city), its schools are far better than LA (even around the Bay Area), jobs remain plentiful and high-paying, architecture is unique and areas have character unlike LA, and people generally aren't as snobby and materialistic as they are in LA.
In comparison to San Francisco, I'd say Los Angeles is bloody rubbish.
A lot of the East coast transplants (particularly the competitive, uber-materialistic type) here in SF these days are obnoxious, cliquish, unfriendly, rude and inconsiderate. We can "thank" the tech corporations and Ed Lee for making this city attractive to that type.
Though, I have to disagree with your opinion that vegetarianism and the focus on physical fitness is frowned on and considered "superficial and judgmental". A lot of people here--natives, long-term transplants and recent transplants--are into special diets and physical fitness (myself included; I'm vegan and a daily bicyclist).
If LA isn't also filled with obnoxious NYC transplants these days, I'd visit LA and consider joining you in moving there if it weren't for the hot weather in LA. I'm so used to the weather of SF, I suffer in hot weather above 75F.
Humorous aside ... a T-shirt these days, shows an "etching" style sketch of the Hollywood Hills where the sign is but the sign says "New York" ....
With all due respect to Los Angels (yes, angels - ha), Los Angeles (in my opinion) is a sprawling, overcrowded, overrated mess. Its lack of public transportation, good schools and poor infrastructure (compared to SF) is concerning and really a disgrace. I personally think Los Angeles is the worst big city in America. From the never-ending highways, to the extreme gang culture, to the constant development of more housing subdivisions. It's a mess, simply put.
In addition, while San Francisco has its negatives, I think overall it is a real city. San Francisco (proper) is just as cosmopolitan and cultured as Manhattan, and also as expensive (probably a little less expensive). Its people are authentic like New Yorkers, and many have stuck around for generations. In Los Angeles, you constantly have people moving in and out. Also, San Francisco has a superb subway system and transport system in general (absolutely don't need a car if you live in the proper city), its schools are far better than LA (even around the Bay Area), jobs remain plentiful and high-paying, architecture is unique and areas have character unlike LA, and people generally aren't as snobby and materialistic as they are in LA.
In comparison to San Francisco, I'd say Los Angeles is bloody rubbish.
With all due respect to Los Angels (yes, angels - ha), Los Angeles (in my opinion) is a sprawling, overcrowded, overrated mess. Its lack of public transportation, good schools and poor infrastructure (compared to SF) is concerning and really a disgrace. I personally think Los Angeles is the worst big city in America. From the never-ending highways, to the extreme gang culture, to the constant development of more housing subdivisions. It's a mess, simply put.
In addition, while San Francisco has its negatives, I think overall it is a real city. San Francisco (proper) is just as cosmopolitan and cultured as Manhattan, and also as expensive (probably a little less expensive). Its people are authentic like New Yorkers, and many have stuck around for generations. In Los Angeles, you constantly have people moving in and out. Also, San Francisco has a superb subway system and transport system in general (absolutely don't need a car if you live in the proper city), its schools are far better than LA (even around the Bay Area), jobs remain plentiful and high-paying, architecture is unique and areas have character unlike LA, and people generally aren't as snobby and materialistic as they are in LA.
In comparison to San Francisco, I'd say Los Angeles is bloody rubbish.
Sprawling and overcrowded ? Wouldn't density cause more overcrowding ?
One of the big complaints of la is that it's not dense , therefore there are parts of it that aren't overcrowded.. At least at certain parts of the day .
Also LA has had a subway for decades and just opened many more stations to the Westside/ Santa Monica
Extreme gang culture ? Sure there are gang members that cause problems but you have the same thing all over the country . Even the Midwest has neighborhoods with gang problems too .
How is San Francisco or NYC more cultured or cosmopolitan than LA ? Based on what ?
As others have said it doesn't seem you know LA and are basing things on what you have " heard "
There is as much or more architectural variety in L.A as in SF, we have Victorian homes here too .. Along with tons of other styles , much more variety than SF or NYC in terms of architecture .
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