I have spent the last 4.5 years in SF as an art student at the Academy of Art College. While I grew from my time here, SF itself has left me underwhelmed.

What remains of the counter-culture the city is famous for, is more of a jaded, grungy, hippie-fallout that have lost the ideals that once were. Even in an art school, I find the energetic eccentricities to be particularly low. San Francisco is past its prime.

Haight-Ashbury has a GAP and a Ben & Jerry's on the intersection. Downtown is most notable for its abundance of smelly obnoxious bums. Everything costs more than anywhere else in the US (except perhaps NY). The metermaids are vicious to the point of rabid. Oh, and it's cold and foggy all the time.

Really the only reason the "Peace & love" monacker has stuck on SF is that it brings hordes of mulling tourists.

I have often wondered where the progressive cities are today, where the next "big thing" is coming from... I would have loved to live here in the 60's, but this place is only sliding farther from that energetic ideal.

Where are the boom towns of today? I would love to hear about any cool places anyone else knows about...

Thanks