Reality check: Is San Francisco a friendly place? (Oakland: metro area, area)

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by clongirl

Neither you or Curmudgeon are actually San Franciscans...

Something for which I will be eternally grateful!

::::smooches::::

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Something for which I will be eternally grateful!

::::smooches::::

Ah, okay Curm...but you're the one posting on the San Francisco boards.

My thought is that people that are "grateful" for not being from/born here or even living here would be more at peace with their decisions to not be here.

You spend too much time "hating" on the place/people/politics you left behind and not enough time enjoying your life wherever you moved to. Sounds like the Ozarks are quite dull since you're so drawn, like moths to a flame, to the Bay Area day after day.

Happiness and gratitude ultimately don't have anything to do with where people happened to be raised.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by clongirl

Ah, okay Curm...but you're the one posting on the San Francisco boards.

My thought is that people that are "grateful" for not being from/born here or even living here would be more at peace with their decisions to not be here.

You spend too much time "hating" on the place/people/politics you left behind and not enough time enjoying your life wherever you moved to. Sounds like the Ozarks are quite dull since you're so drawn, like moths to a flame, to the Bay Area day after day.

Happiness and gratitude ultimately don't have anything to do with where people happened to be raised.

Quite correct, Clon, but for the Ozarks being being dull part. It's simply sane by comparison. But as as native who spent the bulk of his 65 years there, worked for California for 25 of them, was professionally involved in the state's politics and have three children, two stepchildren and six grandchildren still there plus numerous friends, I decidedly don't hate it. I will likely be eternally interested in what happens in and to it and am unashamedly and decidedly bemused by it. Sorry!

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by BVitamin

Being good looking helps with 'friendliness' from strangers, just the nature of things.

Or it might engender jealousy, in which case not so friendly.

[415_s2k]

Originally Posted by BayDude

Thats pretty much anywhere in the Bay Area outside of contra costa county and maybe parts of SV. They are not respected at all.

Yeah, in cities like Castro Valley and Walnut Creek and Concord, they're just positively aching to jeer and boo our uniformed service members

[415_s2k]

In terms of people "getting friendlier as you go up the coast:"

People in Socal are less polite, but plenty friendly.

People in the Bay Area are more polite and about as friendly.

People in Portland are about the same in terms of politeness/friendliness.

People in Seattle are even more polite, but less friendly.

My experience.

[EclecticEars]

I didn't find SFans to be that friendly overall. In fact, I did encounter a first-class jerk in a Starbucks near the Embarcadero. (My native Southern "I'll teach you some manners, boy" just about came out.) However, I did still meet plenty of friendly people that, in retrospect, I had a pretty good experience there. I would even live in the Bay Area given the right job offer.

I found California altogether to be a friendly place. In a state of 38 million (probably 40+ mill. when you count illegals) residents, you can't expect the whole place to be like small towns in the South, so one can't just go and expect that.

I can promise this: they were no less friendly than the people I've met in some Midwest cities, i.e.: Louisville, Cincinnati, Dayton, or even some Southern cities like Lexington (KY) or Nashville.

[415_s2k]

Originally Posted by EclecticEars

I didn't find SFans to be that friendly overall. In fact, I did encounter a first-class jerk in a Starbucks near the Embarcadero. (My native Southern "I'll teach you some manners, boy" just about came out.) However, I did still meet plenty of friendly people that, in retrospect, I had a pretty good experience there. I would even live in the Bay Area given the right job offer.

In all fairness, you can find a first-class d-bag in any Starbucks in any city's financial hub...

I found California altogether to be a friendly place. In a state of 38 million (probably 40+ mill. when you count illegals) residents, you can't expect the whole place to be like small towns in the South, so one can't just go and expect that.

I can promise this: they were no less friendly than the people I've met in some Midwest cities, i.e.: Louisville, Cincinnati, Dayton, or even some Southern cities like Lexington (KY) or Nashville.

That's been my experience. I think that people often mistake a lot of the stereotypical behaviours you see in Californians - unsolicited chatting, enthusiasm, etc - as ficticious and dishonest. Back in New England, the only time you generally see this is when someone is either

a) trying to get you to go to their church
b) mentally retarded
c) messing with you

No, that's just how people are here in CA.

[EclecticEars]

Originally Posted by 415_s2k

In all fairness, you can find a first-class d-bag in any Starbucks in any city's financial hub...


That's been my experience. I think that people often mistake a lot of the stereotypical behaviours you see in Californians - unsolicited chatting, enthusiasm, etc - as ficticious and dishonest. Back in New England, the only time you generally see this is when someone is either

a) trying to get you to go to their church
b) mentally retarded
c) messing with you

No, that's just how people are here in CA.

There's no doubt that I could have encountered a first-class jerk in Downtown Manhattan, the Chicago Loop, even Center City Charlotte, Buckhead in Atlanta, or Downtown Houston. This particular occurrence in SF was, however, on the Saturday morning before Labor Day, so it's not like it was during the heart of the busy work week.

In the South, especially rural South, people chat just to chat. I really like that myself, actually, even if it's just about the weather, church, or the food on the menu; while I don't notice and experience it as much in Kentucky, Alabama or Tennessee, I have experienced it in North Carolina and Texas (which is in the South but not of it, so to speak).

I find Southern cities to have a lot of friendly folks overall, but there are some general exceptions like Lexington, Nashville and Birmingham.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by 415_s2k

In terms of people "getting friendlier as you go up the coast:"

People in Socal are less polite, but plenty friendly.

People in the Bay Area are more polite and about as friendly.

People in Portland are about the same in terms of politeness/friendliness.

People in Seattle are even more polite, but less friendly.

My experience.

That actually makes more sense. There's a difference between polite and friendly for sure and I think I was meshing the two together.