San Francisco at night

Reasons Why I Loved San Francisco

The moment I set foot in San Francisco, I knew I would love it.  I’m no stranger to arriving at a destination with high hopes only to be let down, but this time it was different. The second I felt the crisp air on my face and heard the iconic sound of the cable car, I just knew: this is going to be a city I will love forever, a feeling that only grew stronger in the following days. San Francisco is no uncharted city by any means, it’s been well depicted in books, movies and TV shows, but somehow it still managed to surprise me and I found it different than what I was imagining. In a good way, of course. Here are all the reasons why I loved San Francisco.

Beautiful architecture

San Francisco cable car
The first photo I took in San Francisco and the moment I fell in love

Gloomy San Francisco and Painted Ladies

San Francisco and Painted Ladies

Gloomy San Francisco and Painted Ladies

Let’s address the obvious first: San Francisco is one beautiful city! Strolling along the streets surrounded by painted ladies (the Victorian houses, don’t be thinking of drag), will make you feel like you’ve been transported to a simpler time, when people weren’t blaming avocado toast for youths not buying houses. Or maybe they did, I have no idea. All I know is that I loved photographing every building and admiring all the details.

Small town feel

Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco

Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco

San Francisco Cable Car

This may sound strange, but hear me out. Wandering around Fisherman’s Wharf, I had the feeling of being in a small town, where you know the streets like the palm of your hand and everyone is friendly and familiar. Maybe that’s why I went there a few times on my trip, and despite what I’ve read, there weren’t so many tourists. I regret not seeing Noe Valley (where we had first booked an Airbnb), it seemed like a nice area full of Victorian houses.

Kind people

San Francisco at night

Compared to Los Angeles, everyone seemed friendlier and nicer in San Francisco. There were no crazy people yelling at each other on public transportation (everyone seemed to have discovered the magic of soap too) and everywhere we went, people greeted us with a smile. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather see a fake smile than an honest frown. 😂 (By the way, I know the picture above doesn’t have anything to do with the headline 😂)

Good coffee!

I’ve developed a taste for specialty coffee, and in LA that was hard to find, especially when there was a Starbucks literally around every block. In San Francisco I’ve discovered two places that were just what I needed to get up in the morning. Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters on Union Street, whose pineapple wallpaper makes for excellent Instagram photos (#basic) and Weaver’s in Castro, whose delightful smell drew me in.

Lovely parks to relax after all these hills

San Francisco Mission Dolores Park

Painted Ladies of San Francisco

If there’s something I didn’t like in San Francisco is all.these.damn.streets! Sometimes  I would look at a street where Google Maps was telling me to walk on be like “you’re joking, I’m gonna call an Uber”. But I didn’t. 😢 The good thing about San Francisco is that you have some beautiful parks to just relax and watch the clouds fly by (hopefully not bringing any rain), like the Mission Dolores Park or the Alamo Square Park.

Awesome day trip possibilities

Monterey California

17 Mile Drive California

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Carmel-by-the-Sea has got to be one of the most charming towns I’ve ever seen!

Point Bonita Lighthouse, California

Marin Headlands

Okay, this isn’t really about San Francisco, but if you want a quick escape from the city, you have a bunch of different options. Like the impressive Muir Woods, where you can see the huge redwood trees and breathe some fresh air, the enticing smell of coniferous trees surrounding you the minute you step out of the car. Or the charming cities of Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea, the latter looking like no other American town, it was straight out of a fairytale. And just across the Golden Gate bridge you can find Marin Headlands, with amazing views of the Bay Area and the bridge itself.

Do you love San Francisco as much as I do?