In some sense, I feel guilty about it. Having written for weeks now and not paid the city of San Francisco due diligence is a sin. After all, it is the city that serves as the blueprint and the foundation for all of our experiences. To say that we, as students and citizens of the world are lucky to live in San Francisco is a complete understatement. It is a blessing and a gift, one that we are each proud of and seek to maximize on a daily basis.
It is a daunting task; don’t think it isn’t for a moment. What could one writer possible say about “The City By The Bay” that hasn’t been said or sung? There is obviously something majestic about a place that attracts the likes of Frank Sinatra, Jack Kerouac and Mark Twain. Instead of playing into typical clichés of “The City”, I choose to offer an individual perspective about what makes San Francisco such an incredible city to live in and an ideal backdrop to study and grow from.
When I moved to San Francisco in July 2007 (the start of Cohort 27), I was a tender 22-year-old Canadian who didn’t know a soul in the city. Soon after exploring the vast variety of museums, beaches and parks of ‘Frisco, I discovered that I was not alone in being alone. One of the most unique aspects of this city’s population which peaks just over 700,000 is that most of the people inhabiting its shores are young and were actually born in a different city or country.
Currently, I live with three individuals whom I did not know before moving here. One is from North Carolina, another from North Dakota and the other Germany. My friends who live close by share a flat made up of a Southern Californian, an Alaskan and a Norwegian. These are only two households of a city filled with twenty-something young adults.
Sounds unique? Welcome to life in San Francisco; a hotbed of youth, diversity and excitement. Part of what makes the community of San Francisco so tight knit and friendly is the city’s infrastructure. As opposed to a traditional American city’s layout (from my personal experiences) of long stretches of highway divided by strips of plazas (necessitating a personal automobile), San Francisco is crammed tightly together and driven by public transportation. With every street in the city filled to the max with houses, apartments and flats, the masses almost have no choice but to live in harmony.
Additionally, the resources for culture and healthy living in this city are abundant and easy to take advantage of. There are new museums and academic centers popping up around the city constantly. A good example of this is the new California Academy of Science (http://www.calacademy.org/) which serves as the typical San Franciscan establishment – environmentally friendly, innovative and educational. (A list of the city’s museums can be found here:
http://sanfrancisco.about.com/od/museums/tp/museumsinsanfrancisco.htm
Lastly, I would like to address perhaps my favourite aspect of San Francisco – the weather. Perhaps it is my cold Ontarian roots that relish in nice weather all year long (yes, I was utterly fascinated by fog when moving here) but not having to wear a toque, gloves or jacket all year long do make a difference. There are sports leagues that play soccer, basketball and football outdoors 12 months a year! Nice weather, coupled with a city filled with bike lanes and jogging trails also means that healthy activities are carried out and socially encouraged. A small city (as previously mentioned) promotes walking to destinations that are easily attainable. It has it all.
Briefly, I have charted some of my favourite reasons for living in the city of San Francisco. Please notice I did not mention anything about Alcatraz, Cable Cars or two spectacular bridges. Don’t worry, these classic landmarks aren’t going anywhere. I was just trying to portray the aspects of San Francisco that one can fall in love with as a resident, not a visitor. I hope I have been able to offer some unique insights of San Francisco. The city and everything I love about it, made it quite easy to write.
If you have any questions/comments about San Francisco or the USF Sport Management Master’s Program, feel free to write me at
cssterling@usfca.edu
P. S - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4QkTvK2OEw
Friday, December 5, 2008
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