Why I Still Live in San Francisco
People ask why I’ve stayed in San Francisco since I was two years old. (Let's not start doing math, okay?)
The answer is partly The City itself. It is the neighborhoods I know by heart, the restaurants where I have celebrated milestones, and the friendships built over decades. But a lot of the answer is everything around it.
From my home in the Richmond District, I can be standing beneath redwoods in less than an hour. I can spend an afternoon tasting wine in Sonoma and still sleep in my own bed that night. On a warm day, I can cool my feet in a river, hike a coastal ridge above the Pacific, or disappear into a wilderness area that feels much farther away than it actually is.
Living here means having access to an extraordinary variety of landscapes without needing to plan a vacation.
One day might start among the towering trees of Purisima Creek Redwoods. Another could be spent wandering the trails above Rodeo Beach in the Marin Headlands, watching fog roll across the coastline. When I need a reminder of how vast California can feel, Sunol Regional Wilderness offers open hills and quiet trails that seem a world away from the urban pace of everyday life.
Then there are the places built around slowing down.
Healdsburg remains one of my favorite destinations for a leisurely afternoon. The town has an easy rhythm to it, with tasting rooms, restaurants, and shaded patios that invite you to linger a little longer than planned. The Russian River offers something completely different. On hot summer days, there is nothing quite like finding a spot near Monte Rio, sitting by the water, and letting the afternoon unfold at its own pace.
Even Del Valle Regional Park, often overlooked compared with some of the Bay Area’s better-known destinations, offers a reminder that beautiful places do not always require a long drive or a complicated itinerary.
Years of fostering rescue dogs have also shaped how I experience these places. Many of my weekends have included muddy paws, long walks, and dogs discovering new trails with far more enthusiasm than I could ever manage myself. Falkor, my old man, has logged plenty of miles on these adventures. These days I am simply trying to give him a few more.
That said, you do not need a dog to enjoy any of them.
The redwoods are just as peaceful. The river is just as refreshing. The wine tastes exactly the same.
These destinations are not special because they are hidden. Most are well known. They are special because they remain remarkably accessible from San Francisco.
Living well here is not only about what is inside the city limits. It is also about what is just beyond them.
And that may be the biggest reason I still live in San Francisco.
