Sorry, but I've got the contrasted view. I moved to SF 2.5 years ago from the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area. Other than Alex's comments about the weather, I simply

Sorry, but I've got the contrasted view. I moved to SF 2.5 years ago from the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area. Other than Alex's comments about the weather, I simply disagree with just about everything else he's said. I've live all over the country. NY, Miami, and various parts of the Bible-belt. I've visited other cities like Chicago and Montreal. Moving out to SF was different than anywhere else I've lived. SF is not dirty. I've heard the comments before, from people who have grown up and only lived in the Bay area to those who come from big and small cities alike. NYC smells like garbage. Any time I've been there, it literally smells like week old garbage. The same thing for Miami, except much more humid. From the times I lived in the suburbs of Ft. Lauderdale to partying on South Beach and hanging out in Coconut Grove, to walking through the streets of NY and Chicago, the streets are dirty with trash and other random crap. And don't even get me started on the homeless problem in Miami. They make the homeless folk here in SF look like suburbanites. The air in SF is very, very clean. Its largely due to the constant breeze from the Pacific. Down in the valley is a bit different and gets pretty smoggy at times. Basically, there is no where else that I want to be. The culture out here is fantastic. The people ARE FRIENDLY. I live in Lower Haight and have never been mugged, robbed, or anything. Its pretty easy to stay safe here, just like anywhere. Don't be a fucking tard and walk through bad neighborhoods by yourself at 2 in the morning. Most of the problems people have, they cause themselves. It is definitely more expensive out here than back east, but the pay for tech jobs is way, way better. I am making roughly 3x the amount I was making in Florida for less work. I'm much closer to the 6 digit salary range than the low 5 digit like I used to be. I'm not sure what the problem people have with SF. This is one of the best places to live in the world, period.