"Stunning Natural Beauty, Dumpy Little... " a San Francisco Travel Page by gilescorey

I'm sorry, I know this wil not make me popular, but I think that San Francisco is a dumpy little town with little excitement compared to other large American cities. However, each successive visit, she very much grows on me. On the bright side, the natural beauty of the peninsula and adjacent recreation areas is beyond comparison. In fact, I can't think of another city to match it! ( am I redeemed?)

Going further, for a city that is so reknowned for its natural beauty, I find that it is the people of San Francisco, and their dynanism, that stand out.

San Franciscans are passionate about their city, and it spills out in many colors. Front and center is the large gay community... San Francisco is just about the gayest city on Earth. And not just The Castro; the city as a whole is littered with tight designer jeans and hair product. It's somewhat shocking, in ways, but remarkable at the same time.

That said, there are a multitude of other communities and pressing issues for San Franciscans. For instance, right now, the city is in flux from the boom and bust of the "Dot Com Revolution". Rents spiked with the high-tech industry, and there is a continuous battle between artists and yuppies. The homeless issue is a flashpoint, and visitors to the city will feel the political will of the city on every block.