50 Reasons I’m Thankful To Live In San Francisco

In November, the Village Voice published 50 Reasons To Be Pretty Damn Euphoric You Live In New York City.  I’m not arguing with them – God knows I miss NYC – but I immediately started thinking about a similar list for San Francisco.  I haven’t been here too long, and my activity in the city is limited, so this is just one person’s very specific list.

(I gladly welcome input on this, especially when it comes to something I’ve left off, which will probably be because I just haven’t experienced it yet.)

50 Reasons I’m Thankful Every Day To Live In The San Francisco Bay Area

“San Francisco is 49 square miles surrounded by reality.” -Jefferson Airplane

50. Apartments come stocked with dishwashers. Not necessary, but very convenient.

49. It’s easy to avoid Starbucks and patronize independent coffee shops. (But it’s also easy to find a Starbucks if you need that peppermint white mocha.)

48. The carousel at the San Francisco Zoo.

47. There is always someone crazier than you. Always.

46. The view from the Golden Gate Bridge.

45. The many views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

44. Cable cars: the city’s moving landmarks.

43. Driving around the city and realizing you’re on the street where Full House was filmed…or Mrs. Doubtfire…or Invasion of the Body Snatchers. You know, any of your childhood favorites.

42. You don’t have to be a kid to love the Exploratorium.

41. Or, for that matter, the California Academy of Sciences.

40. That sense of superiority when you get to tell someone, “Don’t call it ‘Frisco.’”

39. Because the city is not strictly a grid, the feeling when you conquer the streets of San Francisco is one of invincibility! You are now unstoppable!

38. I’ve never seen curved escalators anywhere else besides Westfield Mall.

37. Some people are into tea. Those people love Lovejoys in Noe Valley.

36. “It’s an odd thing, but anyone who disappears is said to be seen in San Francisco. It must be a delightful city and possess all the attractions of the next world.” -Oscar Wilde

35. I’d rather have a spider or two in the corner, than a kitchen full of roaches (yuck).

34. Just south of San Francisco is Colma, where dead people outnumber the living.

33. Watching the fog creep in. You know it’s ruining the sunny day but you can’t stop watching.

32. Baker Beach (under the Golden Gate Bridge) is “frequented by clothing-optional sunbathers.” Our very own nude beach, so close to home!

31. Napa Valley and its myriad vineyards and tasting rooms are but a short car trip away.

30. The Crème Brûlée Cart: food always tastes better when you’ve had to hunt it down.

29. The other day, I saw a homeless man with a cat carrier. And he opened the door and a chicken walked out. And the chicken was on a leash and pecked in the grass while he smoked a cigarette. This was at 8:30 in the morning, and set the tone for the rest of my day: bizarre and wonderful.

28. Spending a summer afternoon browsing the boutiques. Even if you don’t spend anything.

27. There are streets, where you can look up, and even though you’re within the city limits, you’d never guess it.

26. On paper, it sounds kind of pathetic to take a number and wait in line for a half hour for an ice cream cone. Yet at Mitchell’s it’s worth it.

25. Descending into SFO through the fog and over the water…always takes my breath away for a second.

24. You gotta love friendly small talk with your Target cashier.

23. Checking out the pre-Broadway runs of shows that will be Tony winners in just a few years. Oh, to be able to say, “I saw it when.”

22. The Stairway Walks.

21. How many cities have built their own island, just for entertainment purposes?

20. The Giants winning the World Series – if you were in the city that night, you really felt like part of a 1,000,000-person family.

19. Can’t afford tickets to the SF Opera? No problem. They perform for free in Golden Gate Park, and simulcast certain operas to the big screen in AT&T Park.

18. Who needs Missed Connections? We’re not afraid to just talk to each other.

17. Visit the Dickens Faire at the Cow Palace in December, to get your 19^th-century-London fix.

16. Sourdough bread is everywhere. Often scooped out, with soup in the middle.

15. If someone says, “How are the reviews for that show?” a valid answer is, “The little man is sitting up straight and clapping.”

14. If you don’t mind battling the tourists…a hot fudge sundae at Ghirardelli Square sure hits the spot.

13. San Francisco is like a thumbnail version of all the things that are awesome about the state of California.

12. Having the choice between taking public transit or driving yourself. San Franciscans love choice. You might even say we’re pro-choice.

11. Even the homeless people are friendly. San Francisco has some of the most polite homeless people ever.

10. You gotta give this city bonus points for springing up on those crazy hills.

9. I love me some shopping in Union Square. Especially at Christmas time!

8. The BART platforms have marks on the ground where the doors will line up. Make prewalking even easier.

7. Right across the Golden Gate Bridge from the bustling city, you can visit ancient, immense sequoias in Muir Woods.

6. This week, State Sen. Mark Leno introduced legislation that would require history classes to teach LGBT history, in an effort to increase awareness and thus reduce bullying.

5. 60 degrees year round, with a week of summer and a week of winter. Just enough time to enjoy the heat or the rain, and then back to regularly scheduled programming.

4. Drinks and dancing in the Castro.

3. After the 1906 earthquake and fire, Jack London said, “San Francisco is gone.” Well, we certainly proved him wrong. We are a resilient city of tenacious people.

2. I mean…I’m here. : )

1. In fact, lots of people leave the Bay Area…but lots of people come back home. There must be a reason why. I suppose it’s because it’s awesome!