An aspiring YouTube creator named Tom Dehnel has just put out a new video called “What San Francisco is Really Like”. Considering the dude has only lived here for a year, my first reaction was…well, I didn’t actually react. He messaged me on twitter and I forgot about it. But

Living in San Francisco means being torn apart. It means having people you love get evicted. Seeing cultural institutions replaced by trendy cocktail bars. Moving to this city for a job in technology and getting vilified for being the reason for higher rents, even though you can barely afford your own.

As 2024 winds down, we’re reflecting on another incredible year of sharing the stories, art, culture, and nightlife that make the Bay Area so unique. BrokeAssStuart.com wouldn’t be what it is without you—our community of readers, supporters, and believers in independent media. This year, instead of asking you to join Patreon

This piece was the first thing I did that ever went viral. I originally wrote it for The Bold Italic. SF has changed a lot since I first put this out. Illustrations by the incredible Wendy MacNaughton, Design by the brilliant Wes Mitchell. This originally appeared in May, 2011 LIVING IN SAN