eekim.com: EEK Speaks

Thu, Jul 21, 2005

Officially A City Guy #

After nine wonderful years in the SiliconValley, I recently moved 40 miles north to SanFrancisco. It's a move I've thought about for many years, but a combination of circumstances finally made it reality. (JII)

Some initial impressions: (JIJ)

It's foggy all the time. I'm enough of a BayArea veteran to know to bring a jacket when visiting SanFrancisco in the summer, but I had seen enough glorious sunny summer days in the city -- even in the RichmondDistrict?, where I now live -- to decide that reports on the fog were greatly exaggerated. I was wrong. If two weeks is a valid sample size, then yes, it does get mighty foggy here. Makes days like today when the sky clears all the more wonderful. (JIK)
Muni does not constitute legitimate public transportation. It takes an hour for me to get from my apartment in the Outer Richmond across town to SBC Park via Muni. CalTrain from MenloPark to the ballpark also takes an hour, so there's literally no gain there. SanFrancisco badly needs some form of public transportation with more comprehensive coverage than BART, but that doesn't stop at every freakin' block like Muni. (JIL)
Of course, part of the city's charm is sharing a bus ride with its scintillating characters. The other night, a crazy fellow sat across from me and started talking to himself. Usually, this is a sign to keep your eyes averted, which is what I did. Nevertheless, he somehow managed to engage me in a one-sided conversation where he explained that everything he had feared in life had come true, and it didn't turn out as badly as he thought it would. You go, crazy guy! (JIM)
I can see SutroTower? from my apartment and thus get great television reception. Well, except for KNTV, the local NBC affiliate, which is based in SanJose. I don't even get a flicker. I won't recount the politics that led to KNTV acquiring the NBC affiliation, but I think it's an absolute travesty that I can't get a signal in SanFrancisco. The only way to get this broadcast station is via a paid service -- cable or satellite. (JIN)
My neighborhood is replete with tiny delis and markets of every ethnicity imaginable. Makes for great ambling and outstanding eating. I am going to have to befriend a Russian local to help me navigate some of these places. (JIO)

It'll take a few months before I fully acclimate to my surroundings, but sitting on my balcony on a day like this, gazing at the GoldenGateBridge and the city skyline, I can't help but be giddy about the move. (JIP)

/personal | Posted at 6:12pm

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EEK Speaks

A blog about collaboration, community-building, and the various goings-on at Blue Oxen Associates, with occasional digressions on food and other vital matters.