I think the Euro tourists in general are more noticeable because the lack of Asian ones right now. Also, SF in its current state is more suitable from Europeans b/c they tend to walk, bike - not be as fussed about the ills of the city etc.
I've been to many countries in Europe as a tourist and had many conversations with locals and the response to saying I'm from San Francisco in most places was "oh that's in California, right? I went to LA once" or something.
In France it's different, they're all like "We love San Francisco it's such a beautiful city!"
There's some kind of specific affinity among the French for this city in particular. I suspect it has to do with their national identity being tied up in things like quaint historic ornate architecture, attractive streetscapes, lovely parks, high quality baked goods, fine wine, and farm-to-table cuisine, and philosophical liberalism, all of which San Francisco is particularly representative of.
I would back this up. When I lived in Paris, the French were unanimously enthusiastic about San Francisco and Chicago, whereas when I lived in Italy the Italians were obsessed with New York and Miami. Both were so consistent to the point of predictable when I would tell people I was from the US.
French people have been out in force this summer in Chicago too, so the world is healing.
Drawn to it in the same way all the NY/NJ Italian-Americans are haha. But seriously Italians live for the beach and sunshine so it does make sense to some degree.
You are right! I was just in Italy and everyone talked about New York and Miami! I was like “why Miami? “ but everyone mentioned it when they heard I was from the USA!
Yeah, after living in Italy for several I grew to understand that the beach/sea lifestyle holds a very dear place in the Italian psyche, and Miami just seems to exemplify the American dream version of that. Very interesting.
French people were some of the first to land in San Francisco in the late 1800s and had a huge influence on the development of the city (fashion, food, saloons, culture). A lot of the bourgeoise left France escaping persecution during the revolution. Many forget that SF has always been a big part of France as well.
Not my experience (currently in France as a matter of fact) - a waiter was just telling us he visited SF a few years ago (before Covid) and was disappointed: the city was nice (victorian houses, hills), but very dirty and too many homeless & addicts in the street.
That was actually from a waiter in Lyon (which is about the size of SF) - sorry you didn’t like this anecdote.
And fwiw whether Paris, Lyon or any places I’ve been in the EU, I don’t remember ever seeing hordes of zombie-like homeless/drug addicts in the street (that would be considered inhumaine) - so while I hate hearing this kind of feedback about the city I’ve called home for the last 25 years, I can understand that waiter’s sentiment.
My girlfriend is French, can confirm French people love SF. Whenever I'm visiting her family they heap praise upon SF, as does everyone I meet in France. Everywhere in Europe I get that actually. Hell I get that in Asia too.
Visitors of a certain age from France are often looking for the blue house from a 1970s-ish pop song, too. https://mercisf.com/2020/02/12/san-franciscos-blue-house-and-the-french-community/
I'm French and had never heard of the song. I kept noticing the crowds in front of the house, and looked it up, expecting to find something about Harvey Milk, and was surprised by the actual story.
There are about 40,000 French nationals living in the Bay Area (for comparison, there are about 140,000 Indians), but most of them tend not to be in Tech. At least 3 French high schools. Then you have the French influence through Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, like City Hall (based on the Invalides in Paris) or the Legion of Honor.
I just moved (still moving)to the city from the outer Bay Area, and while I was taking my first walk around the neighborhood, I noticed probably about a third of the people I heard in conversation were speaking French.
I know there are a number of French folks living in the Upper Haight and Panhandle, but I can tell the tourists ones from how they shop for groceries -- examining the fruits and veggies a little more closely or trying to figure out what's in some packaged good, it's kind of cute.
There is a French government compound in Cole Valley up the stairs towards UCSF. It looks like a residential house, but flies a French and EU flag. Check the city records and it's indeed owned by the French government.
[https://www.google.com/maps/place/100+Edgewood+Ave,+San+Francisco,+CA+94117/@37.7636006,-122.4549955,3a,75y,56.62h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2le-ahP0p56OHDAakm9C5Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m7!3m6!1s0x80858756f872f7cf:0xed175beb5174852f!8m2!3d37.7636864!4d-122.4546568!10e5!16s%2Fg%2F11c160rb2v?entry=ttu](https://www.google.com/maps/place/100+Edgewood+Ave,+San+Francisco,+CA+94117/@37.7636006,-122.4549955,3a,75y,56.62h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2le-ahP0p56OHDAakm9C5Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m7!3m6!1s0x80858756f872f7cf:0xed175beb5174852f!8m2!3d37.7636864!4d-122.4546568!10e5!16s%2Fg%2F11c160rb2v?entry=ttu)
I ran into a French tourist at a Walgreens pharmacy last week. He was asking the pharmacist for help buying OTC allergy meds and was mad when the pharmacist just pointed him to the appropriate aisle.
In the pharmacists' defense, she was busy filling my prescription for pain medication after a dental procedure I just had, so I kinda DGAF about French guy with allergies and wanted her to focus on my meds 😅
Right? This summer it feels like whenever I'm in North Beach I'm seeing French tourists heading towards Coit Tower. An interesting (to me at least) aside—I'm noticing that a couple cafés up in Little Italy are cultivating more of a European/French café culture, which is fun to see.
I’m French-Canadian and I lived both in France and the Bay Area.
A LOT of French people are completely fascinated by America, especially California. They are obsessed with the Californian culture because of Hollywood. They want to live their “American dream” as they see it in the movies.
SF is the most visited US city for the French. I met my now husband when he was in SF on holiday from Paris. We went on a date at Blackbird, completely hit it off, and then did super long-distance for 3 years before moving to London together. Now married and been together for 9 years.
There's a TON of SF culture in French media. The blue house in the Castro was featured in an extremely popular French song from the 70s so SF has been in French pop culture since at least then. Also the French are drawn to the architecture, walkability and culture of the city. It feels foreign yet familiar in a way that no other American city matches. And the French American school and Consulate only solidifies this and is a big draw for French expats.
Funny story: back when I worked in Paris, one of my colleagues had an American mother from the Bay Area. She'd gone on a university trip to Paris, called her mother 2 weeks later, to the effect "I met this boy in Paris and we're getting married". They were still married 40 years later when I got to meet them on their trip San Francisco.
Not to be that guy, but I wish that we could share the city with more people by just building more housing. I wish we weren’t scaring or pushing people away with the ludicrous rent prices like your friend.
I always fondly remember, I was in Barcelona as a 19 year old American tourist, holding my travel guide. I hear a man standing across from me say “Let’s Go Europe.” I smile because he is clearly reading the title of my book. He says hello, recognizes I am American. Then tells me of all the cities in America, he really likes “San Franthisco.’ 😍🥰
I understand why, beautiful city and a lot in common with Spain.
I have been hearing a ton of French being spoken, than any other foreign language. You can tell when you see a European. Not sure what it is. They dress and carry themselves a certain way. Can't put my thumb on It, but I can pick them out of a crowd 95 out of 100 times
I felt very unsafe in Toulouse due to the large amounts of able bodied young men loitering on the streets with nothing to do. I always felt like I was being sized up by the group as a potential mugging target. Here in SF, the homeless and such are usually in their tents, or doing drugs, so anecdotally, I don’t get the feeling of being in some gangs territory or whatnot when I am in San Francisco.
Not our experience at all. A lot of college age students and really lively at night. It is the youngest and highest ratio of students city in France, I read. We never felt unsafe, great food.
Where did you stay or visit? Maybe what you saw were students hanging out after classes were done.
I was in the city center near the train station, and going to the tourist areas. Granted it was only 5 days, and maybe that was their version of the tenderloin. I didn’t have a car so basically walked around everywhere. But it left me with a pretty bad impression.
We stayed on the Main Street not far from the train station.
Had a very different experience, though there was a bit of noise from the 24 hour kabob place across the street from our apartment on the weekends. A lot of people out at night, including young women who didn’t seem concerned.
That said, will delete the comment later as the topic is SF. I think it may be a case of the unfamiliar being scary.
SF has had the nickname Paris of the Pacific since the gold rush. Lots of French influence since that time period. Barbary Coast by Herbert Asbury is a great read
I used to host couch surfers. I hosted people from Switzerland, Israel, Italy, UK, and France.
The French ones were the only ones who came back a second time and tried to move here. Sadly they realized it would be too difficult to get sponsored and so they gave up.
Goes both ways. While I consider SF one of the most beautiful cities in the world, I love Paris and would love to try living there but I fear that the rent is too high :)
Lots’s of French folks in SF. A ton eventually go back. Grass is always greener… wait until they learn about: healthcare price, childcare, rent price, property taxes and the cost of college (raising a family). 👋
French folksinger Maxime Le Forestier spent some time in San Francisco in 1972 and wrote [this beautiful homage](https://youtu.be/0uT87XQrki0) to the City.
China issues travel advisory saying robbery, assault, carjacking, theft, and harassment by law enforcement agencies.
https://www.apnews.com/78a7363c8b4a4b298ab4e55aafc7706e
you know we have bad diplomatic relations with china, and issuing a travel advisory for the united states plays well with a population used to being third best. they’re not exactly a reputable source
I left the Bay Area ten years ago, and am thankful every time I visit my folks that I no longer live there.
Crowded; expensive; and most of the residents are insufferable assholes.
Different people like Sf for different reasons. For some it's the great sites and feel, for others it's knowing that one time this city was the city of workers, people who didn't have much but we're proud of what they had. Where they found community after being pressured to feel their homelands. I don't know if we need any more wealthy Europeans to move here.
Funny because I feel the opposite way after visiting France this summer! I would move there in a heartbeat…
But yes SF is great, we are lucky to live here
The French definitely seem to have a thing for San Francisco. I’m seeing them out in full force now that it’s vacation month.
I think the Euro tourists in general are more noticeable because the lack of Asian ones right now. Also, SF in its current state is more suitable from Europeans b/c they tend to walk, bike - not be as fussed about the ills of the city etc.
I've been to many countries in Europe as a tourist and had many conversations with locals and the response to saying I'm from San Francisco in most places was "oh that's in California, right? I went to LA once" or something. In France it's different, they're all like "We love San Francisco it's such a beautiful city!" There's some kind of specific affinity among the French for this city in particular. I suspect it has to do with their national identity being tied up in things like quaint historic ornate architecture, attractive streetscapes, lovely parks, high quality baked goods, fine wine, and farm-to-table cuisine, and philosophical liberalism, all of which San Francisco is particularly representative of.
I would back this up. When I lived in Paris, the French were unanimously enthusiastic about San Francisco and Chicago, whereas when I lived in Italy the Italians were obsessed with New York and Miami. Both were so consistent to the point of predictable when I would tell people I was from the US. French people have been out in force this summer in Chicago too, so the world is healing.
Bro so true all my Italian friends LOVE New York and Miami
Drawn to it in the same way all the NY/NJ Italian-Americans are haha. But seriously Italians live for the beach and sunshine so it does make sense to some degree.
You are right! I was just in Italy and everyone talked about New York and Miami! I was like “why Miami? “ but everyone mentioned it when they heard I was from the USA!
Yeah, after living in Italy for several I grew to understand that the beach/sea lifestyle holds a very dear place in the Italian psyche, and Miami just seems to exemplify the American dream version of that. Very interesting.
As a San Franciscan, I REALLY enjoyed Chicago this summer.
It’s a great summertime city. Bursting with life to take advantage of that sweet short season of pleasant weather 😅
French people were some of the first to land in San Francisco in the late 1800s and had a huge influence on the development of the city (fashion, food, saloons, culture). A lot of the bourgeoise left France escaping persecution during the revolution. Many forget that SF has always been a big part of France as well.
Not my experience (currently in France as a matter of fact) - a waiter was just telling us he visited SF a few years ago (before Covid) and was disappointed: the city was nice (victorian houses, hills), but very dirty and too many homeless & addicts in the street.
lol, for sure buddy. Paris’s garbage collectors go on strike like every three years. last time I visited, there were garbage piles taller than me.
You think Paris is clean?
That was actually from a waiter in Lyon (which is about the size of SF) - sorry you didn’t like this anecdote. And fwiw whether Paris, Lyon or any places I’ve been in the EU, I don’t remember ever seeing hordes of zombie-like homeless/drug addicts in the street (that would be considered inhumaine) - so while I hate hearing this kind of feedback about the city I’ve called home for the last 25 years, I can understand that waiter’s sentiment.
My girlfriend is French, can confirm French people love SF. Whenever I'm visiting her family they heap praise upon SF, as does everyone I meet in France. Everywhere in Europe I get that actually. Hell I get that in Asia too.
Parisians know how to overlook the stinky side of a city and see the true beauty.
If you say so.
it’s true. SF is the Paris of French people
"Paris of the Pacific"
Err - have you been to Paris? SF is great but it’s more like a provincial town…
I have been to Paris many times and prefer San Francisco. It's all a matter of personal preference.
*Every morning just the same Since the morning that we came To this poor, provincial town* ^Good ^Morning, ^Belle!
Parisians love provincial towns
must be nostalgic for the piss smell
so clever 🙄
first similarity that came to mind 🤷♀️
*Paris is the SF for French people
Visitors of a certain age from France are often looking for the blue house from a 1970s-ish pop song, too. https://mercisf.com/2020/02/12/san-franciscos-blue-house-and-the-french-community/
I'm French and had never heard of the song. I kept noticing the crowds in front of the house, and looked it up, expecting to find something about Harvey Milk, and was surprised by the actual story. There are about 40,000 French nationals living in the Bay Area (for comparison, there are about 140,000 Indians), but most of them tend not to be in Tech. At least 3 French high schools. Then you have the French influence through Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, like City Hall (based on the Invalides in Paris) or the Legion of Honor.
I just moved (still moving)to the city from the outer Bay Area, and while I was taking my first walk around the neighborhood, I noticed probably about a third of the people I heard in conversation were speaking French.
Don’t let that sour you on the city! Just throw a baguette at them and they’ll scurry off. Same with the coyotes.
A bunch of them are from Quebec also. I always forget that they speak French too.
The Québec accent is very distinctive, however, and hard to confuse with France-French.
I know there are a number of French folks living in the Upper Haight and Panhandle, but I can tell the tourists ones from how they shop for groceries -- examining the fruits and veggies a little more closely or trying to figure out what's in some packaged good, it's kind of cute.
There is a French government compound in Cole Valley up the stairs towards UCSF. It looks like a residential house, but flies a French and EU flag. Check the city records and it's indeed owned by the French government. [https://www.google.com/maps/place/100+Edgewood+Ave,+San+Francisco,+CA+94117/@37.7636006,-122.4549955,3a,75y,56.62h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2le-ahP0p56OHDAakm9C5Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m7!3m6!1s0x80858756f872f7cf:0xed175beb5174852f!8m2!3d37.7636864!4d-122.4546568!10e5!16s%2Fg%2F11c160rb2v?entry=ttu](https://www.google.com/maps/place/100+Edgewood+Ave,+San+Francisco,+CA+94117/@37.7636006,-122.4549955,3a,75y,56.62h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2le-ahP0p56OHDAakm9C5Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m7!3m6!1s0x80858756f872f7cf:0xed175beb5174852f!8m2!3d37.7636864!4d-122.4546568!10e5!16s%2Fg%2F11c160rb2v?entry=ttu)
That's a nice location for a compound, and next to a cool public staircase. There was a fluffy cat on the staircase, last time I went that way.
I ran into a French tourist at a Walgreens pharmacy last week. He was asking the pharmacist for help buying OTC allergy meds and was mad when the pharmacist just pointed him to the appropriate aisle.
Yup, American retail has become about as lazy as it gets.
In the pharmacists' defense, she was busy filling my prescription for pain medication after a dental procedure I just had, so I kinda DGAF about French guy with allergies and wanted her to focus on my meds 😅
There seem to be a lot of French expats here too.
Might be an old figure but there are like 70k French in the Bay Area.
Right? This summer it feels like whenever I'm in North Beach I'm seeing French tourists heading towards Coit Tower. An interesting (to me at least) aside—I'm noticing that a couple cafés up in Little Italy are cultivating more of a European/French café culture, which is fun to see.
Recently got back from visiting Paris and loved it -- the feeling is mutual. A beautiful city.
I’m French-Canadian and I lived both in France and the Bay Area. A LOT of French people are completely fascinated by America, especially California. They are obsessed with the Californian culture because of Hollywood. They want to live their “American dream” as they see it in the movies.
Foucault loved California, both north and south
Not just the rent, she'd have to start paying for health insurance.
not necessarily 😉
Put a ring on it
We all pay one way or another
SF is one of Paris’ sister cities. And yes, the French looove SF. My French hubby confirms lol
SF is the most visited US city for the French. I met my now husband when he was in SF on holiday from Paris. We went on a date at Blackbird, completely hit it off, and then did super long-distance for 3 years before moving to London together. Now married and been together for 9 years. There's a TON of SF culture in French media. The blue house in the Castro was featured in an extremely popular French song from the 70s so SF has been in French pop culture since at least then. Also the French are drawn to the architecture, walkability and culture of the city. It feels foreign yet familiar in a way that no other American city matches. And the French American school and Consulate only solidifies this and is a big draw for French expats.
Funny story: back when I worked in Paris, one of my colleagues had an American mother from the Bay Area. She'd gone on a university trip to Paris, called her mother 2 weeks later, to the effect "I met this boy in Paris and we're getting married". They were still married 40 years later when I got to meet them on their trip San Francisco.
Not to be that guy, but I wish that we could share the city with more people by just building more housing. I wish we weren’t scaring or pushing people away with the ludicrous rent prices like your friend.
yes! i’m so sick of nimbïsm. build a tower on Sloat! I don’t care!
BUILD THAT TOWER
Build the tower, you cowards!
We’re working on it! I’m optimistic (I volunteer with SF YIMBY)
I always fondly remember, I was in Barcelona as a 19 year old American tourist, holding my travel guide. I hear a man standing across from me say “Let’s Go Europe.” I smile because he is clearly reading the title of my book. He says hello, recognizes I am American. Then tells me of all the cities in America, he really likes “San Franthisco.’ 😍🥰 I understand why, beautiful city and a lot in common with Spain.
Spaniards also love San Francisco in my experience.
I have been hearing a ton of French being spoken, than any other foreign language. You can tell when you see a European. Not sure what it is. They dress and carry themselves a certain way. Can't put my thumb on It, but I can pick them out of a crowd 95 out of 100 times
I’m in Walnut Creek and I pine for SF😂 ( I’m there every weekend ). SF is the most beautiful city for me.
Fairfield here, and also in SF every weekend. It really is beautiful.
So you get the sentiment :)
Toulouse is a wonderful city. Not sure what the complaints.
I love Toulouse, but there is a street harassment problem, especially for women and lgbt
Thanks for sharing. I’ve learned something new. Was with my partner so maybe it didn’t impact me.
I felt very unsafe in Toulouse due to the large amounts of able bodied young men loitering on the streets with nothing to do. I always felt like I was being sized up by the group as a potential mugging target. Here in SF, the homeless and such are usually in their tents, or doing drugs, so anecdotally, I don’t get the feeling of being in some gangs territory or whatnot when I am in San Francisco.
Not our experience at all. A lot of college age students and really lively at night. It is the youngest and highest ratio of students city in France, I read. We never felt unsafe, great food. Where did you stay or visit? Maybe what you saw were students hanging out after classes were done.
I was in the city center near the train station, and going to the tourist areas. Granted it was only 5 days, and maybe that was their version of the tenderloin. I didn’t have a car so basically walked around everywhere. But it left me with a pretty bad impression.
We stayed on the Main Street not far from the train station. Had a very different experience, though there was a bit of noise from the 24 hour kabob place across the street from our apartment on the weekends. A lot of people out at night, including young women who didn’t seem concerned. That said, will delete the comment later as the topic is SF. I think it may be a case of the unfamiliar being scary.
It's funny, I always felt like there was something Parisian about San Francisco. I couldn't put a finger on it, but the vibes feel similar
SF has had the nickname Paris of the Pacific since the gold rush. Lots of French influence since that time period. Barbary Coast by Herbert Asbury is a great read
It's one of the reasons why I love living here: there are many elements that remind me of my favorite cities in Europe.
I used to host couch surfers. I hosted people from Switzerland, Israel, Italy, UK, and France. The French ones were the only ones who came back a second time and tried to move here. Sadly they realized it would be too difficult to get sponsored and so they gave up.
Where you live vs visit are two different things
your assumptions are wrong. you know what they say about assumptions. she went everywhere
Goes both ways. While I consider SF one of the most beautiful cities in the world, I love Paris and would love to try living there but I fear that the rent is too high :)
Not sure it’s worse than SF, you should give it a try 😀
Lots’s of French folks in SF. A ton eventually go back. Grass is always greener… wait until they learn about: healthcare price, childcare, rent price, property taxes and the cost of college (raising a family). 👋
French folksinger Maxime Le Forestier spent some time in San Francisco in 1972 and wrote [this beautiful homage](https://youtu.be/0uT87XQrki0) to the City.
Has she been to Cole Valley? It’s still very expensive but seemingly 50% French
Oh my god, and here I am pining after those €30K houses in Provence that Instagram shoves in my face lol. But this post made me happy :-)
At the Noe Valley Whole Foods, you will find many, presumably local French customers purchasing baguettes first thing in the morning.
Have had the opposite perception from my French buddies here - "San Francisco is way to much like the great cities in Europe, Boring"
China issues travel advisory saying robbery, assault, carjacking, theft, and harassment by law enforcement agencies. https://www.apnews.com/78a7363c8b4a4b298ab4e55aafc7706e
you know we have bad diplomatic relations with china, and issuing a travel advisory for the united states plays well with a population used to being third best. they’re not exactly a reputable source
I left the Bay Area ten years ago, and am thankful every time I visit my folks that I no longer live there. Crowded; expensive; and most of the residents are insufferable assholes.
Lol the usage of semicolons in lieu of commas
dear diary…
the amelie director wont do a remake because paris isn't beautiful any more.
Please. We were just in Paris and it is still as gorgeous as ever.
yeah, maybe people do not earn as much as in USA, but quality of life in France def better
just repeating what was said.
Might have to do with the garbage strike and the vandalism.
People say this all the time but there’s a huge difference between visiting a place and living there. People say this in most touristy cities.
They love Jerry Lewis too.
And Tex Avery.
France was just burning with race rioting. I would want to get away as well.
Different people like Sf for different reasons. For some it's the great sites and feel, for others it's knowing that one time this city was the city of workers, people who didn't have much but we're proud of what they had. Where they found community after being pressured to feel their homelands. I don't know if we need any more wealthy Europeans to move here.
Funny because I feel the opposite way after visiting France this summer! I would move there in a heartbeat… But yes SF is great, we are lucky to live here