In February, we ran a story on the rites of passage that you must experience to become a true San Franciscan. The idea is that people born here are automatically locals, but those who move here must jump through certain hoops — from reading Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City” to eating a bacon-wrapped hot dog in the Mission — to call themselves a local.
The story was inspired by a Reddit post from earlier this year that sparked a lively discussion and received some 788 comments. After the SFGATE story ran, we actually heard from the author of the Reddit thread and he told us that he posted it as a way to get ideas for things to do.
“I recently moved to the city in July 2021 and had a bunch of newbie experiences, so I wanted to see what the hard-core San Franciscans experienced to make them genuine members of the city,” said Hayden Smith, who moved from Connecticut to the city for a job. “I hope the exposure to the Reddit thread helps more folks dig into all of the cool stuff everyone recommended on the thread.”
The SFGATE story also struck a chord with readers, and they sent in dozens of emails suggesting what it takes to become a San Franciscan.
We especially liked this email from a reader that sums up what it takes in simple terms: “Either you were born in a San Franciscan hospital … or when the time comes and you question yourself if you should leave SF because it is easier, or stay. If you decide to stay and figure out how to live here then you are truly San Franciscan and no one should question you.”
Here are more suggestions from readers that present more of the city’s delights (and a few annoyances). Of course, readers wrote in about the negative experiences you must have to fully understand the city as a sort of hazing, but as you’ll find below, we opted to focus on the positive ones. (Note: In some cases, readers’ suggestions were edited for clarity and brevity.)
-Howling when the sun sets at an Ocean Beach bonfire.
-Circumnavigating Angel Island on foot.
-Tuesday yoga class on the labyrinth inside Grace Cathedral.
-Getting lost in the Presidio.
-Getting high in Dolores Park without having to smoke.
-Going to a drag show at Oasis.
-Riding a bike over the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset.
An aerial view of Golden Gate Park and the Panhandle in San Francisco.
Steve Proehl/Getty Images
-Attending the Saint Stupid’s Day Parade on April 1. Led by the First Church of the Last Laugh, the march through the Financial District brings silliness to one of the more serious parts of the city, including an exchange of solo socks in front of the former Stock Exchange building.
-After a cold, rainy Bay To Breakers, trying to warm up your hands and get feeling back in them in the bathrooms at the Beach Chalet (hot water, hot air hand dryers on the walls).
-Getting kicked out of Pinecrest Diner at 3:00 a.m. after drinking all night at Arrow Bar.
-Stroll by the infamous Bernal Rock.
-Skating in Golden Gate Park.
-Attending an SF Mime Troupe show in Dolores Park on Fourth of July weekend.
-Soaking in the fog in the Sunset or Richmond districts. “Fog — it’s good for your skin.”
-Climbing the stairs to Coit Tower.
-Seeing a tree full of parrots.
-Eating char siu bao from Lung Fung on Clement Street.
-Getting dim sum at Yank Sing.
-Going to the Fell Street DMV. “Woah!”
-Sipping drinks at the Top of the Mark.
-Attending the Folsom Street Fair.
-Eating a buffalo burger at Tommy’s Joynt.
-Living in a condo at the Towers on King Street across the street from Oracle Park, during baseball season. When games are live on TV, you open your window, look across the street at the huge Coke bottle and mute your TV, then you listen to the sound of the game going on. No need to listen to the babbler announcers on the TV!
-Being a Realtor holding an open house in San Francisco on any “420 Day,” where the participants stream out of Golden Gate Park stoned out of their minds. Then they drop by your open house and ask, “Can we use the bathroom, man?”
-Hilarious canine cocktail hour (a gathering of dog owners and their pooches) in Huntington Park at sundown nightly.
-Observance of 1906 earthquake at Lotta’s Fountain.
-Evensong, sung by the Grace Cathedral men and boys choir, every Thursday evening. “Sublime.”
-Doing karaoke and sushi at the Mint bar.
-Getting a drink at the Endup on a Saturday morning at 6 a.m.
-Learning to drive stick shift and getting out of first gear on the hills without rolling backward.
-Moving your car from one side of the street to another to avoid street cleaning each week.
-Spending at least $1,000 in parking ticket fines.
-Riding your bike in Critical Mass on a Friday night.
-Picnicking at the Golden Gate Park band shell on a Sunday afternoon while listening to music.
-Getting Irish coffee at the Buena Vista.
-Attending the John Coltrane Church.
-Watching the till for the bartender at Specs’ bar in North Beach, while he runs out to buy stinky cheese, apples and a baguette.
-Moving to the Pacific Northwest for affordable housing but still reading SFGATE.
-Taking the day off to do a typical San Franciscan thing with a visitor (Alcatraz, cable cars, Fisherman’s Wharf, walking across the Golden Gate and so on) and realizing you’ve never done it before.
-Watching the sunrise at Twin Peaks, drinking a cup of coffee and listening to NPR on a Sunday morning and seeing the snow on Mount Tamalpais.
Source: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/what-it-takes-to-be-San-Franciscan-17002986.php