San Francisco

Baker Beach, December 2013.

Today marks 15 years for me in San Francisco.

I was initially sold (hoodwinked) on this place after spending a glorious September weekend here with some exceptionally choice weather¹—thanks again, Steph and Annie.

It’s a magnificent city…that is simultaneously a broken one², but since I have rosy retrospection (or nostalgia bias) I lean toward the positive side of the two. Because ultimately, I don’t experience SF as Forbes ranking; but rather as a mosaic of relationships and experiences with the backdrop and soundtrack and supporting cast of eccentric characters being this city:

I’ve made wonderful friends here. Lost a few dear ones. Married my best one.

Two beautiful children were born to us in this city—thank you, @CPMC.

Speaking of first-rate local healthcare practitioners, Lisa’s life was saved here in a way that may have been unlikely elsewhere. And my crazy eye problems were resolved by one of the best eye surgeons on this side of the Mississippi.

We’ve been part of two exceptional Catholic parishes: Star of the Sea and St. Dominic’s

I never tire of the splendor of the Presidio, Golden Gate Park, Grandview Park, Crissy Field, Lyon Street Steps, Twin Peaks, etc. (It’s an endless list.)

It’s a magical place for a tech enthusiast like yours truly. I have to concur with Om Malik³:

In San Francisco, technologies, new ideas, and people collide randomly in the oddest of places, at the oddest of times. Much of this has to do with the density of techies. In a way, that in itself is a self-fulling [sic] destiny

We’ve been lucky with our neighborhoods (and neighbors) in Potrero Hill, Laurel Heights, and Forest Hill.

You may not agree, but the fog (a.k.a. Karl) is the charm of San Francisco: rolling through the hills, hanging high in the eucalyptus trees, shrouding cityscapes and entire bridges, and keeping it nice ‘n’ cool for running and cycling.

So many great pubs and bistros and coffee shops and live music venues (thanks, Billy).

The freshness of the Rice-A-Roni may alone make it worth it

Q: How do you suitably mark such a milestone (especially given the uncertainty of the next multiple-of-five anniversary)?

A: You take your very first Ocean Beach plunge:

Tempus fugit,

— ᴘ. ᴍ. ʙ.

No wonder I moved to SF: it hit a blazin’ 91°F at the airport on that Friday, which I’m sure I didn’t realize was close to a record high and totally atypical. ↩
Heller, Nathan, “What Happened to San Francisco, Really?”, The New Yorker, Oct. 16, 2023. Moritz, Michael, “Even Democrats Like Me Are Fed Up With San Francisco”, New York Times, Feb. 26, 2023. Arroyo, Noah, “65% of San Franciscans say life in the city is worse now than when they moved here”, San Francisco Chronicle, Sep. 13, 2022. Gibson, Michael, “San Francisco’s Slow-Motion Suicide”, National Review, Apr. 8, 2019. ↩
Since I’ve got an example from my own life: the family organizer app we rely upon was built by our former downstairs neighbor Steve. ↩

First published: 2025-01-13 | tweet | cast