What's It Like To Live There? - A Local's Guide For Visiting Or Moving To San Francisco

What's it like?
Well, in general, living in San Francisco is living like anywhere else. Remember that if you came here once for a vacation and decided that you wanted to move, actually living here will be a different affair altogether.

You will have to deal with paying the rent, work, commuting, doing the laundry, going grocery shopping and trying to find normal people to make friends with.

The only difference is that you'll be doing all of these things in paradise. ;)

What are the people there like?
In my experience, people in San Francisco are open and friendly. They are inordinately proud of this city, and we like to show it off to visitors. They walk through the streets keeping to themselves, a little, but ask a question and most people don't mind helping you out and chit-chatting a little.

Violent crime has never entered my life. I got my bike lifted from a garage which my landlord mistakenly left open for eight hours, but that's it.

We're not all that happy about tourist season, because things get more clogged and it takes longer than usual for us to get to certain places.

The two couples and the wise old man

Remember the principle illustrated by the following story.

Once upon a time, a couple from another area wanted to move to this village.

They sought out this village's wisest elder and asked him, "Venerable elder, we are thinking of moving here. We don't like where we live now, and we are looking for a better place with nicer people. What are the people here like?"

The elder said, "Well, in your current village, where you live now, what are the people like?" The couple replied, "Oh, they are mean-spirited and awful. They're the reason we want to move."

The old man said, "Well, I have to say, they are the same way here". The couple was disappointed and unhappy.

Later, a different couple came by to ask the same question of the wise elder. The elder asked the second couple "What are the people in your current village like?"

The second couple said, "Oh, they are the most wonderful, helpful and friendly people in the world".

The elder said, "Well, they are the same way here". The second couple smiled, and stayed.

Lifestyles
As someone once said to me, you can live this city at so many levels.

You can be the bohemian/hippy and never leave the Haight/Ashbury and experience this place as a series of underground secret little freaky cliques.

You could be a gay person who moved in from the midwest and is experiencing a sense of belonging for the first time in a long time.

You can be the Nob Hill matron who knows only the best restaurants and the best views.

You could be the family-oriented family from China, speak only Chinese and continue ancient traditions.

You could be Herb Caen (a local columnist) and continually gripe about how this city ain't what it used to be.

You could be a San Franciscan and move among all those groups.

Public manners
We love this place. Leave it better than you found it.

Be careful about making general statements that stereotype groups of people. Any group of people, along any lines, whether the majority or the minority on any issue. If that's OK to do in your town, it isn't OK here. Respect for you will immediately fall to zero.

Join in the fun. Pretend it's a giant party. Be spontaneous, and treat others like fellow guests.

Two friends of mine were walking through Golden Gate Park and accidentally came upon a wedding reception. They were well received and the celebrants turned them into instant reception guests. They got cake and everything.

Yeah, this is a friendly place.