It never fails. Whenever there’s a question about San Diego in comparison to the rest of California, San Diegans eagerly bash Los Angeles and San Francisco. Los Angeles has too much crime, smog, and traffic. San Francisco is full of communists and gays. Plus, it is always cold and wet.

So goes the San Diego chorus. It is not so much that these criticisms are untrue. Many of them are reasonably valid (or at least, debatable). Rather, it is the sheer venom of the invective that disturbs me.

Quite frankly, the attacks are a sure sign of insecurity. San Diego is a haven for reactionaries and right wingers in an essentially blue state, so they have no political clout in either Sacramento or Washington. They get far fewer tourists than Los Angeles and San Francisco. Their universites are not particularly prestigious (UCLA, USC, Stanford, and Berkeley are the top colleges in the state).

And so they’re reduced to selling sunshine and sand. Two commodities that they certainly have an abundance of. San Diego is a clean and pretty city. But it certainly isn’t superior to anyone in terms of innovation or creativity.

Here’s a more balanced view of San Francisco:

Pros:

– Beautiful and Atmospheric Hills
– High Density, Pedestrianized Streets
– Excellent Public Transportation
– Interesting Arthitecture and Skyscrapers
– World-Class Food
– Egalitarian, Laid-back, and Friendly Nightclubs
– Excellent Universites (Berkeley, UCSF Medical Center, and Stanford)
– Diverse Economy (with Financial Services, Law Firms, Technology Companies, and Tourism all playing an important role)
– Redwood Forests, Wine Country, and Ski Resorts Nearby

Cons:

– Homelessness is Epidemic
– Rising Crime Rate
– Corrupt Local Government
– Overcast/Rainy/Icy Winters
– Overzealous Traffic Cops
– Lack of Parking
– Earthquakes

San Diego Born and raised baby yea!Carlsbad san diego that is

i don’t but in San Fransisco you might get butt raped. lol

i would go to San Diego. it is a nicer place to be. Frisco smells in the morning and there is a lot LOT of tourists. in San Diego you will not have that problem. so if i had to chose then i would go with San Diego!!

san diego is the place to party, college wise. i should know

San Francisco is a lot colder than San Diego. San Diego is politically conservative, and San Francisco is about the most politically liberal place in the world. San Diego is right next to Mexico. San Francisco is surrounded by and full of rugged mountains.

Depends on what you are trying to study. Different universities have different goals and some are better than others. I did notice that San Diego has more of a college town feeling. Also there are a lot of college students that live there. I’d say S.F. is more of a grown up place. Not a bad thing, just different.

In all honesty, you should go to San Diego. I hate to say it because so many people want to come here anyway and its keeps getting more populated with people from out of state or city for that matter, but I’d hate to lie and tell you that San Francisco is the better choice. Don’t get me wrong, I like SF and I plan to go to college there to escape parental control. San Diego’s climate is pretty much the best in the country. (Completely biased, but its also true). People here are so laid back and fun. We know how to have a good time and its very diverse and accepting. I don’t know about doing community college out here, it’s not really the best unless you’re thinking about doing the transfer program to a UC school. One of the cons would be the outrageous price in gas, but SF wouldn’t be much better, although I’d imagine it’d be a little easier to get around if you had like a bike or something. San Diego is probably one of the best places for college students. Living in San Diego is about having a good time and enjoying life while working to get your stuff done. I couldn’t think of a better place to go to school, or live. Its amazing. I love it. I’ll never permanently leave. (Not to mention food is delicious, if you want real mexican food just hop over the border for an hour… or just ask a friend – that goes for all sorts of Asian food too. Mmmmm so good!)

Toss a coin, lol. San Diego weather is fantastic all year long, and public transportation is easier and better, you don’t have to climb a mountain to get to school or to your housing. Lived in San Diego 23 years, visited San Francisco all the time for 30 years. Of course you need to come to both places, come to both in late Sept. spend a week in both cities. Happy hunting, good luck. Your going to like them both.