It’s nice to be back in San Francisco in March. The wet, creeping chill of Seattle, where my fingers and toes grow cold and creaky while I sit and type, despite my wearing a heavy wool coat in the house, is mercifully absent. The skies are sunny to mildly overcast, and there’s usually a nice breeze coming off the sea to keep it all comfortably cool.
In Chinese, San Francisco is known as Jiu Jin Shan, which translates to “Old Gold Mountain,” and that isn’t too far off the mark today. The city is awash in wealth. So much so that the happy-go-lucky homeless make an easy living digging through trash, unlike my damp, dripping, left-fascist hometown, where we have a more desperate, angry and severe sort of street poverty. I chatted with a couple street folks outside a liquor store (surprisingly friendly sorts), and one little fellow who looked like a gay leprechaun told me he found $2,500 after rummaging through a bag that flew out of a limousine window. I had no reason to suspect him of deliberate exaggeration, but it’s possible his math was off by at least one zero (or maybe not).
It may surprise some readers, but San Francisco isn’t really that “gay.” Or perhaps it is, but it isn’t quite so militant about it as Seattle. It has a live and let live attitude that is both refreshing and liberating. It’s like, “whatever you say, man…”
Culturally speaking, San Francisco is the top city on the West Coast of North America. Perhaps on the West Coast of all of the Americas, actually. People from all over the Americas, Europe and Asia fit right in. For me, it’s a playground of sorts. Excellent Chinese restaurants that serve a half day’s worth of food for $5, Slavic delis with the best sausage you’ll find west of Chicago, laid back Irish pubs — you name it. Of course, I’d like most of America to stay downhome American, but a few port cities like San Francisco are a great addition to our country, and aren’t much of a threat to the wider culture as opposed to, say, mass importation of peons for cheap labor.
The city is also a great place to take kids. The cable cars, trolleys, ferries, bridges and other infrastructure are lots of fun for little boys and girls. The people themselves can also be quite entertaining. Even the fat sea lions down at the wharf put on a show for the kids.
Other differences from the Northwest include the size of the people (they are smaller and thinner in San Francisco), the looks of the women (better), and the real philosophical tolerance that is lacking further north.
There’s a very different quality to the leftism one finds in places like San Francisco. It isn’t based so much on forcing compliance as it is in more northerly climes, where it takes on notes of Puritanism. Instead, there’s more of a lackadaisical approach to life, and an easygoing attitude that accommodates more people. It is liberal in the true sense of the word, which isn’t to say it’s perfect, but it is far more tolerable than the stifling, narrow and totalitarian forms of leftism that prevail in the northern power centers of the United States.
I think this is a distinction men must make. There’s liberalism, and then there’s left-fascism. The former is far, far preferable to the latter. So, when criticizing (real) liberals, keep in mind that in many cases they are the lesser evil, including when compared to some forms of misandrist conservatism.
That said, I’m perfectly happy to recommend San Francisco to men with the time and money to take a trip there. It’s easy for me, because I have family in SF and a place to stay for free, but lodging can be quite pricey. That’s really the only serious drawback to the city for visitors.
I’d suggest men take a tour of the ethnic neighborhoods, including little Russia on Geary (very impressive Russian Orthodox cathedral on 25th and Geary), the North Beach Italian neighborhood, and Chinatown. Chinatown can be a little intimidating for many non-Chinese, because it’s a lot like being in China proper, but if you think of it that way and don’t expect it to be anything like a typical American town it’s a lot of fun.
For those who want to meet local girls, I wouldn’t discourage them as San Francisco girls are pretty, thin and feminine by American standards, but if you want to mingle with the hot ones you’re going to have to go to bars that charge $15 per drink (that’s how the filter works in big cities), so be prepared for some cash outlay simply for the privilege of being in their vicinity.
