The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it. The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
Today’s question:
QUESTION: We all have a favorite city we visit, so which one is your favorite in the United States?
Talk about it.
San Francisco
I can think of a few small towns that I like, but I don’t have a favorite city anymore. It used
to be San Francisco when it was a beautiful and safe city. Now most of the beauty is gone,
with the rise of illegal invaders, homelessness, and crime. Even Fisherman’s Wharf is
closed, and the restaurants boarded up their windows. Growing up in San Francisco,
most attractions were free. The zoo, and museums were free, and there was a lot less
traffic and plenty of free parking. It was a safe city back then too, just the other day my
sister and I were talking about how safe it was. She was telling me about how she could
walk at night and not worry about anything. And guess who the mayor was back then, it
was George Christopher, a Republican. He was mayor until 1964, and if you haven’t
noticed, it was right after 1964 when the City began to decline.
When I moved to California in 1975 my ex husband and I lived in the City for almost 2 years, before buying a house in Marinwood. I felt safe walking in the City, but then I had lived in New York City for 4 years. Later my ex-husband moved to Foster City, and I stayed there after my divorce. When I got divorced I started to go to the City a lot, often meeting friends at Perry’s or Harringtons. Lily’s and The Holding Company the Embarcadero was a fun places, Lily’s often had live music Friday nights. Other favorite places to go with friends or a date, The Holding Company, Silouette’s, Savoy Tivoli’s, and Washington Bar and Grill all in North Beach. Several family style restaurants in North Beach were great for good food and good prices. South of Market we like Hamburger Mary’s and a small place that played jazz I think it was called The Spot. The Cadillac Bar right off Mission was great, met someone very special there, that I dated for some time and after that we stayed friends.
So from my perspective the City was still great in the eighties into the early nineties, I felt safe walking around at night, even if I was alone, usually North Beach and Union Street were always busy, lots of people on the streets. Other than bars another favorite place to hang out was “The City Light Bookstore” they were open late at night. When my friends visited from Denmark in 2014 I took them there after we had dinner in North Beach. they were very impressed. Their view of Americans were somewhat limited and they didn’t think we had intellectual bookstores like that. Their visit to SF changed their minds.
Loved SF in the 70’s “I was a kid”, watched the trains along the wharf switch cars in and out of the piers “I was fascinated” and was there when pier 39 opened to the public (78). Not the same anymore….”I know that is how life is”. The city isn’t the same and it is not for the better. I don’t go there anymore as it is not fun and the risk of stupidity is too high. Stand a cop on every corner “only the guilty would be offended” maybe it would be fun again?
The 70s was one of the best decades to experience San Francisco. Although a couple
of neighborhoods started to become unsafe in the late 60s, most of the city was still
pretty safe. The late 90s and early 2000s is when it started to become unsafe.
What’s unique about the City is there are so many neighborhoods, and some of them
haven’t declined too much and are still pretty safe. My old neighborhood was mostly
Italians and Maltese, now it’s mostly Asians, but it’s still a pretty safe neighborhood.
San Diego, my hometown. I lived there as a kid and an adult and will always miss it.
Monterey
Bullhead Arizona!
For Cali ….. Bodega Bay – but 40 yrs ago.
Lawen Oregon.
Lawen is a tiny, unincorporated settlement with fewer than 20 residents. Surrounded by expansive sagebrush plains, this small community offers a glimpse into isolated rural life. Visitors can enjoy birdwatching in the nearby wetlands, which serve as a sanctuary for various waterfowl and wildlife. The primary industries in Lawen are agriculture and ranching, reflecting the town’s deep connection to the land. Its seclusion is marked by the vast open spaces that stretch in every direction, creating a peaceful retreat far removed from the urban hustle.
Lubbock Texas. Also Susanville California, though isn’t a city.
Bend Oregon too.
Hell I don’t know.
I would have to say Oahu. I have been there only one time, and I loved it. Did not want to come back home.
Westport Ct, where I spent 2 years as a Danish au pair and had the time of my life, it was the late sixties and life were good. The town is located on the Long Island sound, so in the summer we were at the beach a lot. Next New York City, where I moved to from Westport. After a few years I met my ex-husband and he got a job in New Orleans, didn’t care much for New Orleans, other than the food, we moved back to NYC and lived there for almost 2 years, a quick stop (5 month) my then husband was transferred to San Francisco, and as you can read in my response to Dawg I have had a good time here. The variety of food the easy acces to the Wine Country, Mountains, Yosemite makes it a great place to live, and the weather is a bonus as well.
Other than Clayton: Charleston SC. It’s a beautiful city that we’ve been to twice, with great food and southern charm. It is spectacular in the spring when everything is in bloom, but does get very hot and humid in the summer though.