S.F. - A Diverse Place

The first thing most visitors to and new residents of San Francisco notice is the diversity. All kinds of people live here and each sub-group brings with it and maintains its own customs, culture, dining, and style.
The diversity of The City does not end with its culture. San Francisco is also socio-economically diverse. Those unfamiliar with the neighborhoods and the streets or hills that often mark the end of one neighborhood and the beginning of another are often shocked by how quickly they can go from a rich neighborhood to a poorer one. One block can often make all the difference in the world with little transition from glitz to decrepid.
For many of our international visitors, this fact has always been a topic of conversation and the biggest surprise. They come expecting the streets of America to be paved in gold and find that that is hardly the case. Those who have money flaunt it and keep a tight hold on it. "Sharing" is hardly a tenet of our economic and political policy.