[luckystarmom]

I live in the South Bay, and I've been to SF plenty of times. I prefer Los Gatos, Saratoga, Palo Alto, and Monterrey over SF. They are much cleaner and have great places to shop and eat.

As far as museums for children are concerned, I prefer the Tech Museum and the Children's Discovery Museum.

In SF, there are always traffic problems, no parking, and lots of bums. It's not very clean compared to other parts of the Bay Area.

I don't think my perceptions are too skewed.

[buwaya]

They are also on average much wealthier per capita.

They also don't have 750,000 people.

And if you cross the freeway in Palo Alto, you are in a suburban slum, as bad as any in SF.

I'll grant you Saratoga and Los Gatos, and raise you Pacific Heights and St. Francis Wood. That is the sort of comparison you are making.

Name a real city, with a substantial population, not some specialized enclave.