San Francisco and Los Angeles love to pretend they’re nothing alike, but like rival siblings, they share more DNA than either would admit. L.A. swears by sunshine, screens, and freeways; San Francisco insists on fog, tech, and hills.
Put the two instincts side by side, and suddenly what feels second nature in one city looks downright bizarre in the other. Here are 25 San Francisco quirks that leave Angelenos scratching their heads.
25. The fog has a name
In San Francisco, the fog isn’t just weather—it’s “Karl the Fog”, complete with social media accounts and a local fan base. For Angelenos, who are used to endless blue skies, giving mist a personality feels unnecessary and more than a little eccentric.
24. Rent that feels like Monopoly money
L.A. rent is steep, but San Francisco’s makes Hollywood bungalows look affordable by comparison. A modest apartment can cost as much as a Los Angeles home with a pool and a driveway, which feels impossible to justify.
23. Sidewalks that double as StairMasters
Los Angeles spreads wide and flat, designed for cars more than feet. San Francisco, meanwhile, turns a walk to the corner store into a quad-burning challenge, leaving visitors winded after a few blocks.
22. Coffee as a spiritual practice
In L.A., coffee is a quick fix before the gym or work. In San Francisco, it’s a ritual that involves pour-overs, tasting notes, and conversations about beans like they’re fine wine.
21. Microclimates as daily drama
Los Angeles weather is a predictable postcard of sun and warmth. San Francisco packs multiple climates into a single afternoon, requiring a jacket in one neighborhood and sunglasses in the next.
20. Earthquakes as background noise
Both cities shake, but San Franciscans often treat earthquakes as just another part of the landscape. Where Angelenos swap stories and post about tremors, San Francisco residents barely pause their meal.
19. Burritos that are bigger than your head
The Mission burrito is practically a food group in San Francisco, a rice-filled giant wrapped tight. For Angelenos used to tacos and lighter bites, the size and weight of it is both impressive and overwhelming.
18. Tech bros as wildlife
Los Angeles sidewalks are filled with actors, models, and influencers chasing their break. San Francisco’s everyday scene, by contrast, is dominated by tech workers pitching apps over brunch while wearing fleece vests.
17. The rent-a-scooter rodeo
Cars define the rhythm of Los Angeles life. In San Francisco, scooters scatter across sidewalks and zip downhill like a video game, adding a new layer of chaos to city streets.
16. Wearing jackets in July
Summer in Los Angeles means tank tops, shorts, and beach days. In San Francisco, it means fog, wind, and layers of clothing, leaving visitors baffled by the chilly July air.
15. Public transit pride
Los Angeles treats public transit as an afterthought at best. San Francisco, on the other hand, takes pride in its BART trains and Muni buses, even when they’re noisy or running late.
14. Protest as a pastime
Marches and demonstrations in San Francisco are a weekly occurrence, covering everything from climate change to housing. Civic activism is part of the city’s identity, woven into everyday life rather than treated as a rarity.
13. Houses painted like Easter eggs
Los Angeles favors muted stucco and palm-shaded ranch homes. San Francisco bursts with Victorians painted in pastels and jewel tones, as if the neighborhoods decided beige was banned.
12. The cult of compost
Recycling is casual in Los Angeles, but in San Francisco, composting is practically a civic duty. Visitors quickly learn that putting food scraps in the wrong bin is the fastest way to earn a neighbor’s glare.
11. The Golden Gate as commute scenery
Freeways and red brake lights define the Los Angeles commute. In San Francisco, people cross one of the world’s most famous bridges just to get to work, turning the daily grind into a scenic postcard.
10. Staircases as neighborhood shortcuts
San Francisco hides entire networks of staircases that connect steep streets and backyards like secret passageways. For Angelenos used to driving every block, the idea of climbing hidden steps to reach a new neighborhood feels almost magical—and slightly exhausting.
9. Restaurants that ban tipping
Some San Francisco restaurants have abandoned tipping altogether, replacing it with service charges. For outsiders, the system feels unfamiliar and takes some getting used to.
8. Bike lanes as battlegrounds
Los Angeles roads are built with cars in mind, and cyclists remain scarce. In San Francisco, bike lanes are everywhere and heavily used, with riders claiming them as confidently as drivers use freeways.
7. Fog horns as lullabies
At night, Los Angeles hums with helicopters and freeways. San Francisco’s soundtrack is the low call of fog horns drifting across the Bay, a hauntingly calm backdrop for sleep.
6. Farmers’ markets as lifestyle
Farmers’ markets in Los Angeles are weekend events for produce and people-watching. In San Francisco, they’re a way of life, supplying the city with kale, mushrooms, and artisanal honey rain or shine.
5. Earthy wealth vs. flashy wealth
Wealth in Los Angeles often announces itself with designer cars and Beverly Hills mansions. In San Francisco, it hides in fleece jackets, start-up stock, and Teslas parked outside Victorian walk-ups.
4. Sports loyalty confusion
Los Angeles spreads its loyalties across a long roster of teams. San Francisco rallies fiercely behind the Giants and 49ers, with devotion that shapes entire social calendars.
3. Renting without parking
A lease without parking in Los Angeles is unthinkable. In San Francisco, apartments without driveways are common, and circling for street parking becomes part of daily life.
2. Pride in tiny backyards
Los Angeles boasts sprawling yards, swimming pools, and space to spare. San Francisco celebrates small patios and postage-stamp gardens, treating them like prized sanctuaries in a dense city.
1. Loving a city that makes it hard
San Francisco demands effort—climbing steep hills, braving microclimates, and paying steep prices. Yet locals embrace these challenges with pride, convinced the city’s beauty and quirks are worth it.
