Guest post from Transient Travels – A Picture of San Francisco

One of the first things I do when I visit a new city is make comparisons to other cities. At times, I even try to create a description comprised of a blend of cities, plucking particular characteristics from my memory to paint a mosaic-like picture of the new place I am exploring – as if someone will ask me later to explain it in that exact way, without adjectives or any real observations.

I do the same with wine. Chianti for example, is like a Pinot Noir tamed with a splash of Merlot.

It doesn’t seem fair, I know. Every city has a uniqueness all its own that cannot truly be replicated. However, I have learned that I am not the only one with this habit, particularly when it comes to San Francisco.

On more than one occasion I’ve heard people compare San Francisco to Boston, from the bar scene to the size to the overall feeling. So, when I traveled there one year ago, I expected to feel right at home. I didn’t completely but in my own fashion, I found it to be a unique blend of cities.

Lombard Street
To me, San Francisco has the height of New York except instead of skyscrapers, hills tower above. When walking the condensed streets of San Francisco, it is the steep sidewalks that open up to let in the sun shine on your path instead of a sliver of space between two towering buildings.

Painted Ladies
The Painted Ladies of San Francisco are not too unlike the Gingerbread Houses in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts on Martha’s Vineyard. There are fewer and they are much larger in scale, but they are a both a major tourist attraction nonetheless.

Haight-Ashbury

Haight-Ashbury reminded me of parts of South Street in Philadelphia. It is a fun and quirky neighborhood with hip vintage clothing stores, pubs and coffee shops scattered throughout.

Trolleys of San Francisco
Mastering the hopping on and off the trolleys of San Francisco, dodging cars and pedestrians, reminded me of being in Amsterdam, where the bicyclists kept me on my toes. And, the Trolleys of Amsterdam along with the tracks throughout the city, are definitely reminiscent of San Francisco.

Golden Gate Bridge
And then of course, there is the Golden Gate Bridge, to which nothing can compare. It truly makes San Francisco stand out all on its own.