"San Francisco 1999: It W ..." a San Francisco Travel Page by gerblunk

San Francisco is definately one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There's a lot going on here.

I visited San Francisco in the early summer of 1999, in the midst of the dot-com boom that turned the city into a playground for under-30 millionaires. I cannot say that San Francisco is one of my favorite cities because of this. My time in the City was essentially spent outside closed doors that were open only to those with cash. Those attractions that were open and accessible to everyone were mostly touristy as hell, and unbelievably lame. The genuine local color and flavor that I love about great cities with a great street culture was sorely lacking from my San Francisco experience.

Probably the last straw for me was when my companion and I went to the Mission District seeking some of the vibrant street culture that I seek out in cities. What I found was a bunch of white yuppies driving Jeep Cherokees past the beautiful Spanish churches representing the neighborhood's past. Not that I have anything against white yuppies per se, but I don't have to travel very far from home to hang out with them. When I get on a plane and go to a new city, I'm looking for something more. I did not find it in San Francisco.