Last Updated on August 23, 2024
Famous for its Golden Gate Bridge, the Tanner Family and its house, a booming tech industry, and so much more, San Francisco is both an interesting place to live and visit. So, whether you live in San Fran, plan to move to The City, or are passing through on vacation, here are six quick things you need to know about San Francisco
1. San Francisco has an interesting culture
To put it bluntly, San Francisco is a place where you can let your freak flag fly, with a long history of tolerance that began with the hippie movement in the 60s. You can checkout Haight Ashbury for more on hippie culture or celebrate the city’s LGTBQ community in the Castro.
Nudity is also pretty common (and legal) in some areas as well, and it’ll be a rare treat if you can get through a parade or festival without seeing someone naked.
2. More on San Francisco’s neighborhoods
As with any city large or small, certain neighborhoods offer its residents different flavors of the city. For instance, the Marina District is knowing for upbeat bars and restaurants, and you’ll likely see people wearing flip-flops, cargo shorts, and a polo. Meanwhile, South of Market—commonly referred to as SoMA—is for those billionaire entrepreneurs who struck it big in the tech industry. Checkout more on San Francisco’s neighborhoods to learn of what area sounds most like you.
3. The weathers of San Francisco
Yeah, you read that line right. The weathers of San Francisco are worth pointing out because oftentimes newcomers get the image of a warm, sunny golden city. However, due to proximity to the water and winds coming from inland, San Francisco has many microclimates. This means you could be walking one side of the city in a fog worthy of a scifi horror film with a hoodie—though locals do enjoy Karl—just to have to remove it a few blocks down the road due to the sun and heat.
4. The City isn’t as big as you think
That walk we mentioned earlier, it’s worth noting San Francisco is only seven miles long by seven miles wide. But this makes for some great community as well as some interesting observations both on the transition of community vibes and those shifting weather patterns.
5. About the names of San Francisco
Outside of the city, you’ll hear San Francisco as San Fran or even Frisco. It’s worth knowing that locals don’t like this and you may get some funny looks at best to some outright rebukes at worst. Locals will simply call it by its name as well as SF or simply The City
6. Everything is expensive in San Francisco
This last one isn’t a joke nor is trying to sugar coat anything. The culture, the weather, the way of life so many enjoy do come at a high cost. Not only does California have some of the highest individual income tax burdens, life in San Francisco costs more than double the national average according to BestPlaces.net.
While things like groceries, transportation, and other costs are higher in The City, San Francisco’s single biggest cost is housing, which is nearly six times greater than the national average. For reference, the median home cost in San Francisco is more than $1.3 million, while the nations is only $231,200. Plus, a one bedroom apartment in SF is more than $2,600 a month, nearly three times more the $930 of the national average.
Thankfully, we can help with this last point. Whether you’re looking to move to the city or need to get more space for less money, click here to check out how San Francisco storage facilities can help.
