San Francisco (SF)
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| San Francisco |
You'll get to know the famous Golden Gate Bridge. Yes, this bridge is often appeared in some Hollywood movies as an icon of the city of San Francisco. However, the city, which is often abbreviated as SF or Frisco, actually has some other interesting things that not many people know.
1. Fog City
San Francisco is also known as the City of Fog or "Fog City". Almost every day the city is shrouded in fog, even in summer. It is not uncommon for the Golden Gate Bridge to be covered in fog, causing tourists to bite their fingers for failing to take photos with the iconic bridge.
The thick fog was also the reason Irving Morrow. The architect, chose the bright color officially referred to as international orange to increase the visibility of the bridge, especially for ships passing by.
2. One of the Most Expensive Cities in the World
Based on research conducted by Zumper, SF tops cities with the most expensive accommodation prices in the United States, even far above New York. The high cost of living is also one of the factors in the high number of homeless people in the city.
The rental price of a one-bedroom apartment in the middle of SF City, for example, reaches USD 3,200 per month.
In 2018 alone, I rented a small one-bedroom apartment in the suburb for USD 2,300 per month. So, if you want to stay in SF, get ready to spend more money for the cost of housing.
If you want to save money, alternatively, you can choose a place to stay in a city that is directly adjacent to SF like in Daly City.
3. Stay Cool in Summer
San Francisco has cool temperatures in summer. That's right, I didn't write it wrong. Mark Twain, a well-known writer, even likened the hyperbole to "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."This year-round cool air occurs because SF is located on the peninsula where cold air meets from the Pacific Ocean and the heat from the California Valley.
In the summer of June-August, the temperature reaches only 12-21 degrees Celsius. That's why air conditioners don't sell in San Francisco.
During my more than two years there, I never found any houses or apartments that used air conditioning. So, if you are visiting SF, be sure to bring a jacket, though, when it is summer.
4. Home to Giants IT Company
San Francisco is located not far from Silicon Valley, home to giant IT (Information Technology) companies such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Linkedin and others. The distance from SF is about 43 km.
Other companies such as Twitter, Airbnb and Uber have offices in downtown San Francisco.
5. The city feels compact
Most existing buildings tend to be tall rather than wide; if there is a house with a yard and a wide enough area, it is usually in satellite cities around SF such as Oakland or San Jose.
6. The city is very artful
There are many art galleries as well as existing buildings that show the side of the building that is not only built 'roughly' but also pays attention to art.
7. The people are relaxed
Rarely do I at SF meet employees in a tie and suit if they don't work for the federal employee.
8. Public transportation is still reliable
So we can go around the SF City easily, especially there is a cable car that is quite historical.
9. There are many independent restaurants that are family-owned
The restaurant is owned by one family and tastes great. Restaurants like this can survive in SF because of the culture of people living in SF who tend to be 'hipster' and anti-establishment.
So people in SF are most reluctant to eat at chain restaurants; they have more sensitivity to help local eateries.
Los Angeles (LA)
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| Los Angeles |
But who would have thought that Los Angeles' full name was actually very long. The full name of Los Angeles is El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles which means the city of our women, the queen, of angels.
1. The city is very wide
Very, very spacious. And that's only within the size of the L.A. metropolitan area, excluding satellite cities around L.A. like Anaheim. By comparison, la's area is 1,302 km² and Jakarta's area is 661.5 km²[1]
2. Nearly 20 million people live in the Greater Los Angeles Metro Area
Los Angeles, Riverside, Ventura, Orange and San Bernardino Counties. It covers nearly 34,000 square miles making it the largest metropolitan area in the United States by land area.
3. More than 100 miles of beaches bordering the metro area
No wonder Los Angeles is home to the original Bay Watch television show. Los Angeles County has 75 miles of beaches, with over 42 miles in Orange County.
4. Los Angeles is the busiest container shipping port in the U.S. and one of the busiest in the world
Near Long Beach is almost as busy. Combined, they rank number 10 among the busiest ports in the world.
5. Los Angeles is not a desert
Despite what the fictional Bagby Baglion said in the movie Chinatown. While the desert gets less than 10 inches of rain per year, L.A.'s annual rainfall is 15 inches (38 cm).
6. Los Angeles traffic is the worst in the U.S.
According to US News and World Report. That's just a little more than Washington DC and San Francisco.
7. The city is very capitalist
The majority of buildings in L.A. are boring, just tall buildings and built just to maximize occupancy and profit.
8. People tend to be 'stiff'
When compared to people in SF; most employees in LA are of a relationship (except those who work near the beach)
Public transport in LA is ugly. Everybody drives in LA.
9. The air in LA is not clean
The city is a smog subscription (or a mix of smoke and fog).
Most restaurants in LA are chains that also exist in major U.S. cities. Independent restaurants are usually very expensive high-end restaurants with chefs imported from all over the world.
10. Quite Tiring tour in LA
Feeling tired of traveling in LA is because the city is so vast and public transportation is ugly. So where to take the bus, the connecting stations are far from each other. Back to the point above: everybody drives in LA.
Read Too : 10 facts of the history of the United States of America