What's so European about San Francisco? (Napa, Sonoma: organic, live, shops)

[sonarrat]

It means real estate is $2000 a square foot!

[Desertho]

Just got reading a travel guidebook about New York City. I think it was a Fodor's. Well, the Brit author (and most guidebooks are written by them) thinks NYC is America's most European city. In fact, it's not part of America at all she said! Of course, I think it's bull since not one Euro city looks like NYC.

SF is a book and sidewalk cafe kind of town-not the fake sidewalk cafe but genuine one where people congregate....the neighborhood farmers markets and the like are all unapologetically unamerican.

No, thats pretty American. Name me a good-sized American city that's doesn't have any of the above and I can name a Euro city that suffers equally. I've been to London and Dublin, there are no sidewalk cafes to speak of in those cities. Oxford too, despite being a university town, only has a smattering of cafes, I haven't seen one that is sidewalk. Basically, to most Americans: Paris = Europe.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by Desertho

No, thats pretty American. Name me a good-sized American city that's doesn't have any of the above and I can name a Euro city that suffers equally. I've been to London and Dublin, there are no sidewalk cafes to speak of in those cities. Oxford too, despite being a university town, only has a smattering of cafes, I haven't seen one that is sidewalk. Basically, to most Americans: Paris = Europe.

I don't know... I've been to many cities in Europe, and they do have a lot of cafes! Not as common in the UK, which I'd guess has something to do with the weather? But I saw TONS in Rome (literally lined the streets), Amsterdam and Belgium, so it does seem rather European to me. However NYC has lots of them too, so I guess it's not unique to either continent.

[skatealoneskatetogether]

i tend to disagree with this sf isnt european. ever ride muni, half the time its more like hong kong.

[ImRandy]

Originally Posted by skatealoneskatetogether

i tend to disagree with this sf isnt european. ever ride muni, half the time its more like hong kong.

Did Hong Kong get moved to Europe?

[Hobart]

What about all of the wine makers and the love of wine? That is very European. What about the local made cheese? Not many places in the USA can get beyond the factory made supermarket cheeses, let alone have ever even tried fresh Goat cheese.

Seems to me like San Francisco is the gourmet capital of the USA and is more like Europe in that they "Live to Eat" instead of "Eat to Live". Loads of organic food too, much of the European food is already organic by law, no need to say it on the label and the Europeans detest Franken food.

What about the care for the environment? That also is extremely European and San Francisco cares about that as well. What about hating George Bush's foreign policy? San Francisco and Europe shares that as well, similar political views.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by Desertho

I've been to London and Dublin, there are no sidewalk cafes to speak of in those cities.

San Francisco ranks higher than London or Dublin on most tourist polls. Correct. San Francisco does not look or feel like Northern Europe.

And while you've visited The UK, Ive lived in Italy and spent lots of time in the South of France, Spain and Portugal. This area is very reminiscient not only of San Francisco but California from SF down to the Mexican Border. Mediterrenean sun drenched summers are closer to California then pretty much anywhere.

The Wine Country here in NorCal as well as the Wine growing areas around Santa Barbara look like carbon copies of Tuscany...without the centuries old villas and quaint ancient towns.

As far as San Francisco, as I stated above, there is a certain joie-de-vivre here that doesnt exist anywhere else in the US Ive ever been to and its very reminiscient of Europe, yet at the same time its distinctly San Francisco. People in SF know how to live, eat, drink and friday nights on Columbus Av sometimes transport me back to Italia. Not entirely in the way it looks, but the way it feels.

[Ile Flottante]

Originally Posted by Hobart

What about all of the wine makers and the love of wine? .... What about the local made cheese? ...

Seems to me like San Francisco is the gourmet capital of the USA and is more like Europe in that they "Live to Eat" instead of "Eat to Live".

What about the care for the environment? .......

I was also told SF has the best macaron in US although I don't know where is.

Also any recommendation on cheese shops?

[sonarrat]

Don't forget the chocolate - my apartment in South San Francisco was right across the street from the See's Candies factory!

[rah]

I gotta say there are probably a whole lot more corner liquor stores in SF than cafes. I think of SF as an American city, not a European or Asian one.

Sure it's dense, there are tons of foreign born citizens, including asians, europeans, and people from Mexico and latin america, but the city is undeniably American. It's 90 percent made out of wood-frame houses (not much brick or stone here), and for all of SF's density, extensive public transportation and walkability, it's still car oriented just like any other US city. Almost every house in SF has a garage built into the ground floor, where there would usually be another unit in many other cities.

To tell the truth the only parts of SF that remind me of a foreign country are when I'm in the Mission or other southern parts of the city, where the densely packed light colored buildings kind of remind me of Mexico (of course I'm stretching it a bit with that comparison...). Overall, I would say SF isn't like a European city, or any other foreign city. It's an American city with a style all it's own, with certain areas where the people themselves who live there influence the feel.