Daly City vs. San Francisco

Some tech company was thinking of moving to Daly City but then the employees revolted or something and it was big news. So, in a guest post for Valleywag, Daly City resident Bob Calhoun explains why Daly City is cool:

Daly City IS the dumping ground for things banned, or at least greatly curtailed, within San Francisco’s rarefied borders. Big box stores, used car lots and every fast-food chain you can think of will meet you in Daly City as you cross the San Mateo county line going southbound on Mission Street. Daly City boasts not just one Home Depot, but two Home Depots. And if that isn’t enough, there are also two Targets (if you count the one in nearby Colma)—one on either side of Highway 280. How’s that for convenience?

Now you can look at all of this seeming suburban blight and call my town a pit, but let me tell you about the tree in front of my single-family home. Every so often, a city truck towing a water tank drives up to that tree and waters it. Sometimes the city workers prune the tree as well. And you know why Daly City can afford to take such good care of these trees that line the sidewalks in front of her “ticky-tacky” houses (as Malvina Reynolds put it in the snobbiest folk hit of all time)? Because people from San Francisco take their Ubers and Zipcars up here and buy crap at our big box stores. That’s why. And we also have some pretty good libraries, parks and rec centers as a result of this exodus of sales tax revenue out of San Francisco.

Oremus mentions the Cow Palace, saying it “plays periodic host to rodeos and gun shows.” While this is true, he forgets to mention that the Moo House is also the place where Evel Knievel punched out some Hells Angels before jumping over a row of muscle cars, and The Who had to pull some guy out of the audience to play drums because Keith Moon had passed out. While the monster truck pulls and the annual Dickens Faire may only echo Daly City’s former glory, you can bet that nothing this cool will ever happen again in San Francisco. All you’re going to get there are yacht races, Oracle World, and several other monuments to Larry Ellison’s sad male ego that have a way of wasting tax payer money and tying up traffic.

Cool! Let’s rock:

Also, Daly City has In-N-Out.

Read on for more.

[Photo by Waymarking]

16 Responses to “Daly City vs. San Francisco”

  1. daliy says:

    There’s actually three Home Depots.

  2. Schlomo says:

    The last “cool thing” I’ve done in Daly City, other than shop at that place that is not Ranch 99, is seeing Nirvana at the Cow Palace when I was in college.

  3. D Kirkpatrick says:

    be thankful DC or your rents will increase your ass out and all your fav old school spots will shutter for new reclaimed wood, mixology bars trying their best to look old school.

  4. MrEricSir says:

    It’s rather telling that the best thing about Daly City is a venue that’s partially in San Francisco.

  5. tia farga says:

    The best thing about Daly City aside from all the people keeping real and chill – is Tani’s Kitchen (but order one of the entrees with macaroni salad, not sushi!). Second best thing about DC are the parties down by the horse ranch on the beach.

  6. Truth says:

    I’m honestly surprised Daly City and South SF aren’t blowing up like Oakland is, considering how they provide decent access to anyone commuting to SF or the Peninsula . . . I think it’s only a matter of time.

  7. wurple says:

    Lots of SFers do their shopping in Daly City.

  8. Spartico says:

    Born and raised in the Mission and then moved to Daly City in the 70s. I live exactly 4 blocks from San Francisco and 1 block from Brisbane. Have all the benefits of San Francisco but none of it’s politics. Life is so much easier here.

  9. sheel says:

    Just a reminder (because I often forget) – we have an In-N-out in San Francisco proper too (a reason to go to Fishermans Wharf!)

    • troll says:

      Eh, for most of the people who live in the vicinity this blog reports on, Daly City’s a much faster trip

  10. marla says:

    I think the main reason DC, SSF, Pacifica, Colma are unattractive places to live is because of the fog. It’s not the romantic kind of fog. It’s like Silent Hill fog. Very depressing to most.

    • Pacific Standard Simon says:

      Trust me — fog is an old person thing. I hated it when I was young in the Richmond District, but distrust any neighborhood that doesn’t have it now, when I am old.