Do San Franciscan's Really Hate Kids?

[batransplant]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

batransplant, I understand what you're saying. I'd say that in both LA and in SF it's been, generally speaking, people from other countries, who seem to be both the most tolerant of kids and who seem to not find it odd to have children in the city.

Thanks for getting what I mean. You explained it well.

Maybe that's partly why I really enjoyed the Richmond. It's a non-trendy neighborhood with a diverse population, lots of immigrants, lots of kids. I think it had that right balance of people (with and without kids) who acknowledged kids were part of the overall community, and parents who in turn raised their children to be responsible and polite members of the community.

This is where LA is different. You see tons of families IN the trendy neighborhoods like West Hollywoods grove/farmers market, Santa Monicas 3rd St. Promenade etc. mixing in right along the yuppie dinks, hipsters etc. You just don't see this in places like the trendy shopping/dining districts of the Mission, Union St., Hayes Valley, or Fillmore/Pac Heights areas, with the exception of the random dink couple who decided to tough it out with their first kid before getting squeezed out of the city after 2-3 years of living in condemnation from their so called community.

I actually had a random woman on Fillmore st. tell me to take my child to eat lunch at Elite Cafe, and definitely not to take her to Harrys grill across the street because they didn't want children there..even though the food would be more to the liking of a child, along with the outdoor seating.

Maybe Union Square to a degree, but it is telling there is no toy store, children clothing store, or child oriented store in Union Square anywhere! Even the Disney store closed! There are probably more homeless and drug addicts walking around Union Sq. than children, and people in SF are probably more tolerant of a druggie shooting up or taking a dump on the sidewalk than a child who is being pushed in a stroller on the same sidewalk.

Oh...this is my recent favorite example: they build a Disney family museum that doesn't allow strollers inside. They also emphasize that there is really nothing of interest for children at the museum on their website. LOL Ok. I see why they built the museum in childless SF vs. anyplace else in the country. The funny thing is...I think they didn't get the attendance they expected due to the anti family rules they had pre-opening, so now I noticed they started offering childrens workshops on the weekends. It doesn't surprise me that SF would get the only anti-kid Disney attraction in the world.

[rah]

Originally Posted by batransplant

There are probably more homeless and drug addicts walking around Union Sq. than children, and people in SF are probably more tolerant of a druggie shooting up or taking a dump on the sidewalk than a child who is being pushed in a stroller on the same sidewalk.
.

As an SF native who has also worked in Union Square, i will tell you that you are wrong. Once again.

[mini_cute]

relevant piece on the sf gate:

Michael Bauer: Between Meals : How children affect a restaurant's bottom line (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/mbauer/detail?entry_id=58056 - broken link)

[sailordave]

Originally Posted by mini_cute

relevant piece on the sf gate:

Michael Bauer: Between Meals : How children affect a restaurant's bottom line (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/mbauer/detail?entry_id=58056 - broken link)

No, what's really eye opening are the comments under the article. Very telling of their hatred of children in general.

[uptown_urbanist]

Originally Posted by sailordave

No, what's really eye opening are the comments under the article. Very telling of their hatred of children in general.

Comments on a newspaper site don't necessarily reflect general attitudes, though. I would agree that the open dislike of kids and the willingness to throw around terms like "breeders" is greater in SF than in many places, but wouldn't think for a moment that the people who comment in the paper can be used as any really useful barometer of the city as a whole's attitude.