Okay, well, maybe not everyone — I mean, we only have 49 square miles to work with. And that’s part of what makes San Francisco so great — its quaintness. Oh, yeah, and its incredible natural beauty, its culinary scene, its weather, its weirdness, its wildness, its acceptance of every freak and geek around. Here are 15 reasons to live in San Francisco, but honestly, this list could be endless.
- The great outdoors are always beckoning.
Flickr/Christian Arballo There’s absolutely no reason to stay inside when you’ve got a veritable urban playground in nearly every direction, from the Presidio to Golden Gate Park to Dolores Park and beyond.
- There are incredible views. Everywhere. All the time.
Flickr/Daniel Hoherd No matter how long you’ve lived here, you’ll still be blown away by the winding streets, the sea, the mountains, and the great Golden Gate.
- It’s only 7x7 miles, which means you can walk pretty much everywhere.
Flickr/Giuseppe Milo Sure, you can Uber or Lyft it, but what’s the fun in that? And you’ll likely miss out on some cool scenery along the way.
- There’s always a reason to celebrate.
Flickr/Andrew Mager You can’t go a weekend without a street festival, fair, or party going on somewhere.
- The weather is almost always perfect.
Flickr/Texas Tongs Yes, even when it’s foggy.
- There’s even more ridiculous beauty within a short drive/bike/ferry ride away.
Flickr/Aftab Uzzaman Go hiking in Marin. Drink it up in Napa and Sonoma. Or go further to Tahoe, Carmel/Monterey/Big Sur, Yosemite, etc.
- You can eat your way around the world (even via food trucks, if you’d like).
Flickr/David McSpadden The city boasts some of the world’s most renowned chefs specializing in every type of cuisine imaginable. You’ll be satisfied whether you’re dying for a burrito, a burger, a banh mi, a beignet… you get it.
- You’ll get a killer butt.
Flickr/Curtis Cronn The hills are alive… or at least your glutes are.
- The weird, wild, and wacky history still shines through.
Flickr/David Yu From the Gold Rush to the Summer of Love, San Francisco has always attracted the weirdest and the wildest, as well as some of the most revolutionary and innovative souls.
- Every neighborhood has its own distinct charm.
Flickr/Thomas Hawk Ah, the Mission hipsters, the Marina bros, the Seacliff celebrities. You gotta love ’em all.
- You’re always encouraged to let your freak flag fly.
Flickr/David Yu Exhibit A.
- The wine is constantly flowing.
The Barrel Room You’ll be a wine connoisseur in no time…
- The artisanal coffee scene is ridiculous.
Blue Bottle Coffee You can also quickly become a coffee snob, with Four Barrel, Ritual, Sightglass, Philz, Blue Bottle, Contraband, etc. etc.
- There seems to be a new chocolate shop opening monthly.
Dandelion Chocolate San Francisco has been a hub for the bittersweet stuff since Ghirardelli opened back in 1852. Now, there’s a wide range of bean-to-bar makers, artisanal chocolatiers, and impressive chocolate curators (yes, that’s a thing).
- Yes, you can find free stuff! You just need to look. Because you’ll need it if you pay rent here.
Flickr/Scott Jungling Watch for free days at museums, free food (tip: go to a farmers market), free entertainment (see #4). Good luck with that free parking, though.
There are many more reasons to live in San Francisco. What do you love about living in the great City by the Bay? Let us know!
Flickr/Christian Arballo
There’s absolutely no reason to stay inside when you’ve got a veritable urban playground in nearly every direction, from the Presidio to Golden Gate Park to Dolores Park and beyond.
Flickr/Daniel Hoherd
No matter how long you’ve lived here, you’ll still be blown away by the winding streets, the sea, the mountains, and the great Golden Gate.
Flickr/Giuseppe Milo
Sure, you can Uber or Lyft it, but what’s the fun in that? And you’ll likely miss out on some cool scenery along the way.
Flickr/Andrew Mager
You can’t go a weekend without a street festival, fair, or party going on somewhere.
Flickr/Texas Tongs
Yes, even when it’s foggy.
Flickr/Aftab Uzzaman
Go hiking in Marin. Drink it up in Napa and Sonoma. Or go further to Tahoe, Carmel/Monterey/Big Sur, Yosemite, etc.
Flickr/David McSpadden
The city boasts some of the world’s most renowned chefs specializing in every type of cuisine imaginable. You’ll be satisfied whether you’re dying for a burrito, a burger, a banh mi, a beignet… you get it.
Flickr/Curtis Cronn
The hills are alive… or at least your glutes are.
Flickr/David Yu
From the Gold Rush to the Summer of Love, San Francisco has always attracted the weirdest and the wildest, as well as some of the most revolutionary and innovative souls.
Flickr/Thomas Hawk
Ah, the Mission hipsters, the Marina bros, the Seacliff celebrities. You gotta love ’em all.
Exhibit A.
The Barrel Room
You’ll be a wine connoisseur in no time…
Blue Bottle Coffee
You can also quickly become a coffee snob, with Four Barrel, Ritual, Sightglass, Philz, Blue Bottle, Contraband, etc. etc.
Dandelion Chocolate
San Francisco has been a hub for the bittersweet stuff since Ghirardelli opened back in 1852. Now, there’s a wide range of bean-to-bar makers, artisanal chocolatiers, and impressive chocolate curators (yes, that’s a thing).
Flickr/Scott Jungling
Watch for free days at museums, free food (tip: go to a farmers market), free entertainment (see #4). Good luck with that free parking, though.
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