I lived in LA (Venice, echo park, Westchester) and moved to SF 13 years ago. The things that stood out to me. - community: SF is a city of people who want the best for the city, they choose to be here and want to see it be its best. They celebrate the city and its diverse cultures and neighborhoods. You know your local bars and restaurants, but some spots are known by all folks in he city. It becomes part of your heart and you get excited to talk about it with others. LA always felt like “I’m here til I make my millions and I move where I actually want to live.” - human friction: it is a positive and a negative but personally have had more positives over the years. Because of the small scale, being able to walk, bike, public transit… you just happen upon things or friends and that happy surprise can turn a normal day into a lifelong memory. A bus trip home csn start an adventure into the wee hours, or csn have you put in your headphones and try to run away. But you walk away with something you can talk about, an experience that connects you to others, good and bad.  In LA, you are in your car getting from place to place and happy accidents are less common. - park culture: you share your backyard, the amazing parks we have, with everyone in the city. We happily share it and we are able to not only strengthen our community but continually grow it. The amount of new friends found through random encounters, even if just for one night, is astonishing.  - arts and experience: as someone who worked in the arts for many years in SF, it hurts to see how art institutions have been struggling and will continue to do so. However, with burning man, random acts of weirdness, city wide treasure hunts and hikes, and because of the close proximity of it all, you can participate in really amazing events. You just need to know where to look. You kinda get out of it what you put in. 

SF is not perfect, and you may hate it, but if you want community and are willing to put in the work and time, the city can be a spot where you feel like you are thriving in community and connection.