{"id":1006,"date":"2012-09-04T18:08:40","date_gmt":"2012-09-04T23:08:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/?p=1006"},"modified":"2012-09-04T20:40:31","modified_gmt":"2012-09-05T01:40:31","slug":"san-francisco-vs-los-angeles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/2012\/09\/04\/san-francisco-vs-los-angeles.html","title":{"rendered":"Choosing between LA and SF: 9 Reasons to Head to San Francisco"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"2e5142c0289a1f785cf2dcce097231a4\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: left; margin: 10px 10px 10px 0;\">\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\r\ngoogle_ad_client = \"ca-pub-6725039255769208\";\r\n\/* Reno Hotels Leaderboard *\/\r\ngoogle_ad_slot = \"0584775893\";\r\ngoogle_ad_width = 728;\r\ngoogle_ad_height = 90;\r\n\/\/-->\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\"\r\nsrc=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/pacheights.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1028\" src=\"http:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/pacheights.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/pacheights.jpg 500w, https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/pacheights-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>So, I hear some of you are wondering whether to head to LA or San Francisco for your next family vacation. I&#8217;m not gonna say it&#8217;s a no brainer &#8212; I don&#8217;t know your life. Maybe you want to see Disneyland, in which case why not just go full throttle and head to Disney World? Maybe you have friends and family in LA. We do, and I&#8217;m not sure that&#8217;s called a &#8220;vacation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>But, if you&#8217;re still on the fence, here are 9 reasons that San Francisco might be your best choice.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. No Rental Cars Necessary<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Know what my favorite part of being on vacation is? Weaving through five lanes of traffic and sitting in traffic for hours just to drive 15 miles to get to the beach, followed by a parking situation to rival basically the road to Woodstock itself.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, wait.<\/p>\n<p>San Francisco is actually a tiny city &#8212; only 7 \u00a0by 7 miles &#8212; and between walking, <a href=\"http:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/2011\/11\/07\/muni-buses-san-francisco.html\" target=\"_blank\">cable cars, street cars, and a subway<\/a>, there&#8217;s no need to drive anywhere. If you do want a quick ride, cab fare is rarely over $15. You&#8217;re on vacation to relax and hang out, not battle road rage and a spaghetti bowl of highway interchanges.<\/p>\n<p>On a related note&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. The Chill Factor<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>People in SF are chilled out, for what\u00a0<em>ever<\/em>\u00a0reason. Don\u2019t you worry about why.<\/p>\n<p>Sure, Los Angeles is full of pretty people and glittery nightclubs and hip live theater. But\u2026that\u2019s a lot of pretty and hip to keep up with. We\u2019re on vacation here.<\/p>\n<p>In San Francisco, you go ahead and wear your beat up Keds to dinner. You won\u2019t be the only one. If it seems like too much trouble to put some mascara on before heading out for the night, rest assured that this is actually encouraged in SF. I mean, you wouldn\u2019t want to look like you\u2019re trying too hard.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/muirwoods.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1026\" src=\"http:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/muirwoods.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/muirwoods.jpg 500w, https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/muirwoods-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. The Natural Splendor<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Every San Francisco street promises an extraordinary vista of pastel Victorians and deep blue San Francisco bay.\u00a0If you want real nature, well, it&#8217;s really not too fair a comparison between LA&#8217;s Griffith Park and our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/muirwoodssanfrancisco.html\" target=\"_blank\">Muir Woods<\/a>. Don\u2019t get me wrong, Griffith Park has unbelievable views (when smog isn\u2019t in the way, see below), but it has nothing on a national landmark of old growth seaside Redwood trees, a mere 16 miles from downtown San Francisco.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Smog vs. Fog<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Fog beats smog. Every single time. Having a vista marred by sweeping fog, drifting and churning past city landmarks will always be more welcome than the sweet, musty, brown combination of nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide, and carbon monoxide.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, once you really fall in love with San Francisco, you\u2019ll also start referring to the cool evening fog as Mother Nature\u2019s Air Conditioner.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Our Hipster Neighborhood is Better than Their Hipster Neighborhood<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re on the hunt for cute boutiques, laid back coffeehouses, and house cured meats, what you want is a hipster neighborhood. In San Francisco, we have <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/missn.html\" target=\"_blank\">The Mission<\/a>. In Los Angeles, you have Silver Lake (or Silverlake, they can&#8217;t agree on how to spell it).<\/p>\n<p>A comparison:<\/p>\n<table border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"center\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"122\" height=\"50\">\n<p align=\"center\">Silverlake<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c0daeb\" width=\"172\">\n<p align=\"center\">Hipster Neighborhood<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"138\">\n<p align=\"center\">The Mission<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"122\" height=\"25\">\n<p align=\"center\">2.7 square miles<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c0daeb\" width=\"172\">\n<p align=\"center\">Size<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"138\">\n<p align=\"center\">1.85 square miles<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"122\" height=\"25\">\n<p align=\"center\">31,000<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c0daeb\" width=\"172\">\n<p align=\"center\">Population<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"138\">\n<p align=\"center\">47,000 give or take<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"122\" height=\"25\">\n<p align=\"center\">17<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c0daeb\" width=\"172\">\n<p align=\"center\">Boutiques<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"138\">\n<p align=\"center\">50<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"122\" height=\"25\">\n<p align=\"center\">207<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c0daeb\" width=\"172\">\n<p align=\"center\">Restaurants<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"138\">\n<p align=\"center\">480<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"122\" height=\"25\">\n<p align=\"center\">12<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c0daeb\" width=\"172\">\n<p align=\"center\">Vintage Stores<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"138\">\n<p align=\"center\">17<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"122\" height=\"25\">\n<p align=\"center\">1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c0daeb\" width=\"172\">\n<p align=\"center\">Fixed Gear Bike Shops<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"138\">\n<p align=\"center\">11<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"122\" height=\"25\">\n<p align=\"center\">3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#c0daeb\" width=\"172\">\n<p align=\"center\">Coffee Roasters<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"138\">\n<p align=\"center\">4<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>And I didn&#8217;t even mention SF&#8217;s house cured meats shops, cheese shops, the chocolate factories (yep), and bespoke millineries.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/fourbarrel.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1027\" src=\"http:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/fourbarrel.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/fourbarrel.jpg 500w, https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/fourbarrel-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. The Food<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I wanted to do a side by side comparison of Michelin starred restaurants in San Francisco (20), the Bay Area (26), and Los Angeles. But\u2026it turns out Michelin doesn\u2019t even review Los Angeles? Oh, that burns.<\/p>\n<p>Well, moving on, it&#8217;s not like we can all afford to eat at Michelin starred restaurants anyway. Unless you&#8217;re a serious foodie, chances are you just want a reasonably good meal, at a good price, that&#8217;s not too much of a hassle to find or get to.<\/p>\n<p>In San Francisco, you can walk a block or two to any neighborhood bistro and get exactly that. Spontaneous, relaxing good times. No time wasted searching for a good restaurant, noYelping, no mapping out directions to this one particular place, no missing your exit off the freeway, no doubling back because your husband forgot to mention that the restaurant is on the <em>other<\/em> side of the road, no slowing down miles of traffic behind you to make sure you don&#8217;t miss a driveway. And most importantly of all, no valeting.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>7. The Happy Anarchy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A healthy dose of anarchy permeates San Francisco. You are more likely to see a naked guy than a cop here. Actually, if a cop was around, even he wouldn\u2019t care about a random naked guy.<\/p>\n<p>Everything and anything goes in this city. Want to walk down the street wearing a robot costume in July? Do it. Want to recreate Michael Jackson\u2019s Thriller in the middle of 24th Street after a night of bar crawling? More people will probably join in than bat an eye.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>8. The Hour Drive Test<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Drive an hour or two outside San Francisco and you\u2019ll be sipping world class Sonoma and Napa wines on a sunny Mediterranean veranda overlooking rolling hills of bright green grapes in neat, perfect rows. Drive an hour or two in Los Angeles\u2026and you\u2019ll likely still be in Los Angeles. Or maybe Camarillo? Palm Springs if there\u2019s no traffic, I suppose. In case you wanted to do some desert mountain hiking?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>9. The Romantic Cable Car<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You pile out of Tadich Grill\u2019s brass doors into a cool summer night. Both of you are still giggling from that weird story some guy at the bar just told you about running into Al Gore at California and Broderick at 4am. Above you, fog is whipping between Victorian skyscrapers, the moon\u2019s white glow undulating and diffusing down into the streets below. You smell the sweet cable car chains underneath, with their solemn clang clang clang clang reverberating through the empty street. You only notice it for a second before entwining your fingers in his and running to catch a cab across the street.<\/p>\n<p>This\u00a0<em>this<\/em>\u00a0doesn\u2019t happen in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>by Maria\/Far Out City. Maria writes about San Francisco and urban travel over at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.faroutcity.com\">Far Out City<\/a>. All photos copyright by 2012 Far Out City.<\/em><\/p>\n<!--CusAds0-->\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; So, I hear some of you are wondering whether to head to LA or San Francisco for your next family vacation. I&#8217;m not gonna say it&#8217;s a no brainer &#8212; I don&#8217;t know your life. Maybe you want to see Disneyland, in which case why not just go full throttle and head to Disney [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,115],"tags":[307,305,375,306],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1006"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1006"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1044,"href":"https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1006\/revisions\/1044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}