Great write up on SF. Despite being a pretty right-wing individual in most respects, I'm NorCal for life, and the weirdness is kind of what I love the most. To me, it feels like California is alive in ways that other places aren't, even the worst parts somehow, and other places are drab or like they're trying too hard.
Black Bear is pretty polarizing. About half of my family, for instance, hates it, and the other half loves it. I'm in the second camp, but I will admit that the quality can vary a lot from location to location, or even from visit to visit somehow. I eat there most often when I'm at Mt. Shasta, where my family vacations most years. That's where Black Bear is originally from, and honestly the quality varies just as much there as anywhere. The consistently best Black Bear I've ever been to was in Long Beach. The worst was in Tracy.
When I was little, my family would go to Disneyland every year, and while I still have very fond memories (my favorite 'ride' back then was the monorail, which I think still smokes most of the park), it's no longer high on my list of favorite places. That said, the Incredicoaster (regardless of its kind of forced and tacky branding; I have no idea why they made it Incredibles-themed, and vastly preferred it aesthetically when it was just California Screamin') is a pretty top-tier roller coaster, not that I'm any kind of expert. Though I did grow up in Santa Cruz, which has some shockingly legit coasters at the Boardwalk.
Actually, most of California Adventure is super cool, and I highly recommend the monstrously expensive hotel (which I stayed at only once, the year it opened, but is still my favorite hotel experience of all time).
Great read ... We really don't deserve the Mexicans, they're the kindest most generous people you can ever meet. You really want to get invited to one of their parties ... which isn't hard. You'll get invited to a birthday party for a cousin of someone you've just met. Bring a nice gender neutral gift, some pack of soda and go. Their parties are huge potlucks and you'll get to enjoy real Mexican food.
I went to a Mexican Christmas party last time I visited Mexico. It was great, although there were literally only two other people there who spoke English.
Glad you enjoyed your visit to SF! Hit me up next time you're around, we have a guest room which I imagine makes a much nicer lodging experience than that hotel.
I'm always surprised by people's diversity of experiences of people in SF shouting at/following them--I've lived here for a year now and haven't really been shouted at, and have never been followed, despite a lot of walking around. I mean, it's tragic to see so many people in the state they're in, but I have yet to feel genuinely unsafe. It does sound like you stayed in a rough area--a lot of the way that visitors enjoy the city is that they have some friend who lives in a group home in a super gorgeous old house in a nice neighborhood, and the group house has a guest room that they periodically sublet for way less than a hotel. (See Austin's comment, for example--lots of houses like this.)
Great read! Brought here by Scott Alexander, apparently just to inform you paying at the register is the norm on the east coast (mid-atlantic) anywhere that calls itself a diner or a luncheonette. Possibly less common in New England. But that's likely the tradition Black Bear picked up.
Black Bear has a whole club thing where you get perks for having visited more of the individual locations. My spouse and I make a point to try to visit new ones whenever we take a road trip around the Western US... I'm just shy of 30.
Re: Point 13, there was a NYTimes travelling reporter named Johnny Apple, who at one point wrote an essay about the city, which begins: The problem with San Francisco is that it is the most beautiful city in America, and everyone who lives there knows it.
Is the homelessness, drug use and crime really inescapable in San Francisco? Or is it more like you notice it if you walk around enough but most blocks, parks etc. are relatively nice?
Former SF resident here. The problem with SF as it appears to visitors is that the drug- and crime-infested parts of the city also happen to be closest to the places that tourists/travelers are most likely to go (downtown, Union Square, Tenderloin, SoMa). This gives the impression that the whole city is a disaster.
While things like car break-ins are a problem everywhere, there are all sorts of neighborhoods throughout the city that are gorgeous, neighborly, and mostly safe (provided you use common sense).
I lived there for 8 years, and while I suffered 1 car break-in, otherwise I experienced no criminal acts directed at me. Though obviously I bore witness to all sorts of criminal behavior (mostly drugs) on the streets.
I recently walked several miles across SF and only saw one homeless person the entire time. I've never seen poop or needles on the sidewalk at all. I think Patrick's explanation is accurate.
Wow. Very astute observations coming out of a very short visit. I have been in S.F./Bay Area for about 20 years and the last 10 have been visiting LA as a result of marriage. (In laws visits). The note about the coffee is so true about SF, but amazingly true about LA too. The number of coffee shops that competently roast their own beans is shocking.
While SF may be socially flat. The number of social clubs in LA is counter intuitive. The running clubs are incredibly welcoming.
Great write up on SF. Despite being a pretty right-wing individual in most respects, I'm NorCal for life, and the weirdness is kind of what I love the most. To me, it feels like California is alive in ways that other places aren't, even the worst parts somehow, and other places are drab or like they're trying too hard.
Black Bear is pretty polarizing. About half of my family, for instance, hates it, and the other half loves it. I'm in the second camp, but I will admit that the quality can vary a lot from location to location, or even from visit to visit somehow. I eat there most often when I'm at Mt. Shasta, where my family vacations most years. That's where Black Bear is originally from, and honestly the quality varies just as much there as anywhere. The consistently best Black Bear I've ever been to was in Long Beach. The worst was in Tracy.
When I was little, my family would go to Disneyland every year, and while I still have very fond memories (my favorite 'ride' back then was the monorail, which I think still smokes most of the park), it's no longer high on my list of favorite places. That said, the Incredicoaster (regardless of its kind of forced and tacky branding; I have no idea why they made it Incredibles-themed, and vastly preferred it aesthetically when it was just California Screamin') is a pretty top-tier roller coaster, not that I'm any kind of expert. Though I did grow up in Santa Cruz, which has some shockingly legit coasters at the Boardwalk.
Actually, most of California Adventure is super cool, and I highly recommend the monstrously expensive hotel (which I stayed at only once, the year it opened, but is still my favorite hotel experience of all time).
Great read ... We really don't deserve the Mexicans, they're the kindest most generous people you can ever meet. You really want to get invited to one of their parties ... which isn't hard. You'll get invited to a birthday party for a cousin of someone you've just met. Bring a nice gender neutral gift, some pack of soda and go. Their parties are huge potlucks and you'll get to enjoy real Mexican food.
I went to a Mexican Christmas party last time I visited Mexico. It was great, although there were literally only two other people there who spoke English.
Glad you enjoyed your visit to SF! Hit me up next time you're around, we have a guest room which I imagine makes a much nicer lodging experience than that hotel.
Hilarious review of LA.
I'm always surprised by people's diversity of experiences of people in SF shouting at/following them--I've lived here for a year now and haven't really been shouted at, and have never been followed, despite a lot of walking around. I mean, it's tragic to see so many people in the state they're in, but I have yet to feel genuinely unsafe. It does sound like you stayed in a rough area--a lot of the way that visitors enjoy the city is that they have some friend who lives in a group home in a super gorgeous old house in a nice neighborhood, and the group house has a guest room that they periodically sublet for way less than a hotel. (See Austin's comment, for example--lots of houses like this.)
Not that you'll be back in Anaheim again, but next time try Huckleberry's instead of Black Bear Diner.
>> SF social scene is incredibly flat and open in the best way.
it really is! people don't believe you hen you say this but you can really just send a good cold email and make friends
Great read! Brought here by Scott Alexander, apparently just to inform you paying at the register is the norm on the east coast (mid-atlantic) anywhere that calls itself a diner or a luncheonette. Possibly less common in New England. But that's likely the tradition Black Bear picked up.
Yeah, definitely not common in New England. Also, can't remember the last time I saw a place that called itself a luncheonette.
Enjoyed reading this!
Black Bear has a whole club thing where you get perks for having visited more of the individual locations. My spouse and I make a point to try to visit new ones whenever we take a road trip around the Western US... I'm just shy of 30.
Re: Point 13, there was a NYTimes travelling reporter named Johnny Apple, who at one point wrote an essay about the city, which begins: The problem with San Francisco is that it is the most beautiful city in America, and everyone who lives there knows it.
Is the homelessness, drug use and crime really inescapable in San Francisco? Or is it more like you notice it if you walk around enough but most blocks, parks etc. are relatively nice?
Former SF resident here. The problem with SF as it appears to visitors is that the drug- and crime-infested parts of the city also happen to be closest to the places that tourists/travelers are most likely to go (downtown, Union Square, Tenderloin, SoMa). This gives the impression that the whole city is a disaster.
While things like car break-ins are a problem everywhere, there are all sorts of neighborhoods throughout the city that are gorgeous, neighborly, and mostly safe (provided you use common sense).
I lived there for 8 years, and while I suffered 1 car break-in, otherwise I experienced no criminal acts directed at me. Though obviously I bore witness to all sorts of criminal behavior (mostly drugs) on the streets.
I recently walked several miles across SF and only saw one homeless person the entire time. I've never seen poop or needles on the sidewalk at all. I think Patrick's explanation is accurate.
Wow. Very astute observations coming out of a very short visit. I have been in S.F./Bay Area for about 20 years and the last 10 have been visiting LA as a result of marriage. (In laws visits). The note about the coffee is so true about SF, but amazingly true about LA too. The number of coffee shops that competently roast their own beans is shocking.
While SF may be socially flat. The number of social clubs in LA is counter intuitive. The running clubs are incredibly welcoming.