Our Home: San Francisco

I feel weird being all "our city" because I kinda feel like it's not REALLY our city.

We aren't natives, born here.
And those who ARE San Francisco natives are a little territorial.
Rightly so...for they are a rare breed.
San Francisco is an incredibly transient city.  People don't stick around all that long.
But then...I do have ONE SF native in our house...Mr. Jack.  So, I'm claiming it!  It's OUR city. 
For now.  :)

So, you know how sometimes you are just so used to something that you don't realize that the situation you are in is actually a pretty neat one.  That's how San Francisco is for me.  We have lived here almost 4 years.  Sometimes I forget that.  There is a huge part of me that feels like we just got here.  But nope, we are pretty rooted.  :)

So, I thought that I would do a couple of posts on this here city that we reside in.
So you ready?

Let's start with TEN things that make living in S.F. a unique experience (how's THAT for a title, ha).

1) We almost pay HALF of our income in rent.  Yeah.  Crazy.  This place is unbelievably expensive.  We pay half our income in rent for an incredibly SMALL place.  About 550 sq feet.  How do ya like 'dem apples?  BUT...we have a backyard with a garden...and a washer and dryer...and TWO bedrooms...AND a place to store our things.  So really...it's a pretty great place to live.

Itty bitty kitchen

Our garden at it's best :)

2) I don't drive.  I mean, sometimes I do to buy large loads of groceries.  Otherwise, I strap the baby on to my front and we hop on Muni.  Honestly...I LOVE it.  I can't tell you how many people I have met and how many awesome interactions I've had using public trans.  And the best part...I don't have to find parking!

3) Every part of the city is it's own separate little 'hood.  As in almost everyone has a drug store, library, grocery store, coffee shop and etc. that is pretty much within walking distance.  I love this about city life.

4) The diversity blows my mind.  In my neighborhood alone I know people who are Chinese, Russian, Japanese...and these are just the people who I've interacted with.  It's a BIT different from the town that I'm from haha.  ;)

5) This place is SUCH a hippie-enviro town.  They FORCE you to compost.  Like for real.  As in we got a note on our trash can bin that was a "warning" from the trash police when we first moved here.  Because I thought that composting was gross and didn't want to do it.  Ahem.  Yeah.  They are now on their way to banning the sale of plastic water bottles.  Crazy.

6) It's really funny to me to live in a place with SO many tourists.  I mean...TONS of them.  And they all seem to wear shorts in the summer.  I guess they didn't know that our summer is actually our winter.  :)

 7) There really are endless amounts of things to do here.  Especially if you have endless amounts of money haha.  But really...there is a LOT of good, cheap food.  All the museums have free days.  There are tons of parks, coffee shops, and quaint shops to peruse.  The outdoors isn't all that far away either.  Though we certainly wouldn't mind it being a little bit closer.  :)

8) My husband works in downtown San Francisco, as in the BIG downtown part.  I meet him down there sometimes and this is when it really sets in...we are NOT in our little town anymore.  That place is bustling.  Tons of people, tons of homeless (like legit, sick homeless...not lazy college age hippies who are just choosing not to work), tons of noise.  This is when I look down at Jack and think...is this going to be your norm?  Is this what "home" will be for you?  So strange.

9) Pedestrians don't have the right away...well, they do LEGALLY, but don't in actuality.  Basically you better be on guard because people get hit...and killed far too often in this city.  We are up to 6 pedestrian fatalities already.  It's only March.  I always get thrown off when we go home to SLO and cars stop and wave me on to walk.  haha.

10) Other fun things:  the tap water is seriously delicious, I am now in love with dumplings...if you've never had a legit Chinese dumpling you have not lived, I have gone to Starbucks maybe three times while living in the city these 4 years...WHY ever would we go to Starbucks when we have places like Phils, Blue Bottle, Thorough Bread, Devils Teeth, and the like?  Beware of the spit, our local burrito joint loves our baby quite possibly as much as we do, always ALWAYS bring a jacket, and don't fret if a complete stranger kisses your baby...or sings him to sleep on Muni by singing a Russian lullaby.  :)

We love you San Francisco!!!! 

Next up...Top 10 places you must see/eat at in San Francisco.