City by the Bay

San Francisco is a storied West Coast city perhaps best known for its architectural landmarks, cable cars and hilly streets, but it’s also been a focal point throughout modern history for several social and economic movements that have helped shape the world. Liberal attitudes in the city fostered “hippie” and counterculture groups, as well as the gay rights movement.

With the intellectual and technical curiosity taking place at Berkeley and Stanford, came the tech and internet revolutions: companies like Hewlett-Packard and Apple early on, and later virtually all the big players in the field: Facebook, Twitter, Google, Uber, Ebay, Youtube – you name it, all founded and headquartered in the Bay Area.

Historically, San Francisco is a place where people don’t simply follow the way the rest of the world does things. It’s a place of innovation and experimentation. It shows up in the eclectic neighborhoods and forward-thinking city planning. It’s the land of the “startup” – and you’ll likely have more than one stranger tell you with a straight face that they are starting their own company. It’s a city that swings for the fences but somehow still feels humble and friendly. So while it’s a place known for rolling fog, painted bridges, and a famous old prison, it’s really a mecca of the unconventional, a city outside the box.

It’s been 11 years since I’ve been to this city. We were lucky enough to get crisp sunny days – and none of that trademark Bay Area fog this time.

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