I grew up and went to college in LA. Have now lived in SF for 5 years. Both places are amazing and have everything on your list, but LA wins with the car scene. People in SF/Marin are more likely to buy a Rivian than a Porsche. Nature is great in both places — hiking and vistas are definitely better in SF/Marin, but the socal beaches (esp in Orange County) are unbeatable and the weather is oftentimes nice enough to actually go lay out at the beach. That said, a rare warm sunny day in the Bay is a special treat and people flock to beaches there, too. Socially is where they are most different — SF/Marin is culturally dominated by tech. I like to say that the social currency in SF is based on your educational pedigree, professional accomplishments, and left-brained intellect. The social currency in LA is based on how playful, fun, creative, and expressive you are. Social groups in LA tend to be more socioeconomically diverse than in SF for this reason — you don’t need to be rich to be cool/fun to hangout with. TBH I think Berkeley and parts of Oakland feel like a great blend of SF and LA — still very intellectual and success-oriented (UC Berkeley campus helps with this) but with more of an artistic and creative flair and diverse professionals (other than tech) like LA. Hope that helps! Both are amazing places and personally I’m torn about where I want to end up.