San Francisco is one of the most iconic cities in the country, known for phenomenal food, a world-renowned tech industry, and an “accept everyone” attitude. Visitors from around the world flock to the California city, mixing with locals on the tiny 7 mile-by-7-mile peninsula. It has everything I should love about a city, yet there are things I hate about San Francisco. Specifically, four things.

I realize I’m in the minority here. With more than 25 million tourists in 2017 and 800,000 locals paying the highest rent in the country, people obviously love San Francisco. So let me explain myself.

4 Things I Hate About San Francisco (and 4 Things I Love)

A History of Hating San Francisco

It all started when I was a kid and my family used to vacation in San Francisco. My dad lead the family around, hiking up ridiculously steep hills, and would happily exclaim, “Isn’t this the best city in the world*?!” I’d be struggling to keep up with everyone on the hike-like walks while wearing wedges and think, Don’t they have cabs around here?!

(*For the record, my dad has since proclaimed my city of Chicago the best city he’s been to. :)

A decade later my then-boyfriend moved to San Francisco. In an attempt to salvage our relationship, I visited the Bay Area every month. I really, really wanted to love it. But I just couldn’t. It was cold when it was supposed to be hot (aka, summer). It was hot when it was supposed to be cool (aka, fall). It was dirty and covered in graffiti and the only reason worth going was lemon tarts at Tartine Bakery.

I’d completely written off San Francisco when a friend who lives there offered a challenge. “I bet I can convince you to love the city like I do,” he said one night. I hesitated. Then, the kicker: “I’ll go to the opera with you if you come visit.” Sold!

So that’s how I found myself flying to San Francisco for a weekend of opera and adventure. Which made me wonder if there are things I still hate about San Francisco.

1. I Hate that San Francisco is So Dirty.

I understand that more people in a city equals more mess, but the streets of San Francisco are covered with garbage — and worse. Once, while walking near the Tenderloin neighborhood (travel tip: don’t go to the Tenderloin neighborhood), I saw a woman go to the bathroom in the middle of the street. And I’m not talking about number one here. Apparently the city is more contaminated with drug needles, garbage, and feces than some of the world’s poorest slums. Ew.

But I Love How Well San Francisco Does Everything.

But if you look past the city’s grime (and trust me, you’ll have to), San Francisco does a lot of things really well. Most notably: the food scene. San Francisco obsesses over food, making it one of best restaurant cities in the country. The Michelin guide lists more than 315 restaurants in the city and 57 starred spots.

Take, for instance, Tartine Bakery. The bread may be $10 but the heavy loaf of chewy, crunchy bread will change your life. Likewise the seafood at Swan Oyster Depot, like uni so fresh it was moving at our table, is more than memorable. Even a dish as simple as roast chicken is mind-blowing at Zuni Café.

2. I Hate The Hills in San Francisco.

One of the iconic images of San Francisco is the cable cars clinging to steep hills or houses squished against a sharp incline. The hills are what makes San Francisco what it is. But that doesn’t mean I can’t hate them. They turn a simple walk into a hike (literally — there are actual urban hikes!) and make it impossible to wear heels. (Obviously there’s a reason I moved to the Midwest!)

But I Love that Whatever You Want, San Francisco Has it.

In between those skiably steep inclines are a hodgepodge of neighborhoods that feel completely different from one to the next. The vibe is different, the people are different, even the weather is different! Whether you want a beach, a quirky hipster neighborhood, artsy museums, or to feel like you’re in a different country, there’s a San Francisco neighborhood for it.

And spread across San Francisco’s many neighborhoods are dozens of museums, shopping spots from bargain to break-the-bank, tons of tourist traps, a giant park, and one of the best operas in the country. The San Francisco Opera is known for debuting striking renditions of classics and interesting interpretations of modern stories. We saw Tosca, and I forgot how breathtaking the San Francisco Opera performs. Swoon!

3. I Hate the Weather in San Francisco.

The microclimates in San Francisco help make each neighborhood feel completely different from one another. One neighborhood can be outright hot while the next is downright cold. The end result is a requirement of dressing in layers because you never know what temperature you’ll encounter. And somehow you always need a jacket.

Besides the microclimates, San Francisco is schizophrenic when it comes to seasons. It doesn’t have all four seasons and the ones it has are all out of whack. It’s freezing in the summer and warm in the fall, with winter and spring just a less foggy extension of summer (read: chilly).

But I Also Love the Weather in San Francisco.

But now that I live in Chicago, the weather is hardly something to hate about San Francisco. Here in Chicago, there are summer days so hot that 65 degrees sounds dreamy. And don’t even get me started about winter. Not wearing a puffy coat the size of a sleeping bag and four layers underneath? Sign me up for 60 degrees in winter!

4. I Hate that I Don’t Hate San Francisco.

I hate that I have so many negative memories of San Francisco. Maybe negative isn’t the right word… They are memories that make my heart ache, for one reason or another. And despite the dirtiness, the difficulty to get around, the hills, and even — depending on the season — the weather, it’s not that bad. Maybe those things aren’t what to hate about San Francisco, maybe they are just quirks that make the city what it is.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t hate San Francisco anymore.

And I love that I can finally admit that.

Happily I can admit that maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t mind going back. Even if it’s just for the opera. Or bread at Tartine.

Apparently my friend succeeded in convincing me to change my mind about San Francisco. I definitely don’t love the city as much as he does, but I will let him have this rare opportunity to say “I told you so.”

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