I know that title sounds really odd but…I’m actually in the midst of moving home and since I’m scouring new properties online, I also decided to go old school and walk up and down streets, house hunting in San Francisco. Maybe there’s a new home just being renovated and not ready to be listed so I can get first dibs? So from the past few days of doing this, I’ve actually walked up and down every street in a 3 mile radius. Yes, every single street.

What’s really interesting is that I’ve seen more unique ‘attractions’ in the past 2 weeks than I have in the past 6 years of living here. I’ve seen cars decorated fully with flowers, full denim jeans used as flowerpots and  alleyways that can only be exited if you are 3 inches wide! I’m a big walker but maybe I spend too much time on my cell to actually see what’s around me. Believe me, I thought I was an observant person but obviously I’m not. I’ve trotted up and down the famous Lyon Street steps, trudged up Lombard Street to see the infamous crookedest street in the world, galloped down towards China Town in the rain to shelter in the first ‘claimed’ Fortune Cookie-Making store and trundled up and down Alta Plaza Park to see the north and south views of the city at its finest (aka not a foggy day). I’ve walked through Clement Street to see the amazing acupuncture stores and sniffed at herbal teas that I can’t even pronounce the names of (too many consonants).

My walks have taken me to Telegraph Hill, Nob Hill, Russian Hill and Coit Tower (yes, another hill). My highest feat was a trek up Twin Peaks and wandering past incredible homes (a few of which I sneaked through the alleyways to view The Bay Bridge. Yes, homes that are that high up have outstanding views reaching Oakland and Berkeley). I veered back through the famous Upper Haight and relived hippy days of the 70’s (not mine though, I was only a wee child then) and back through the enormous Golden Gate Park to yet more Avenues and the Irish district. Wandering through the flatlands of Cow Hollow and the Marina led me to Chrissy Fields where, if I span left to right really quickly, I can view Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz in one sweep, while a disco dancing rollerblading runner (true, believe me) exercised.

For such a small city (7miles x 7 miles yet with 1/3 of this covered by the Park and Presidio), San Francisco is truly a melting pot of every culture. It’s the only city I know that smashes extreme wealth and poverty together and yes, I’ve seen a homeless man push his shopping cart past a $30million home on Billionaire’s Row. It’s also a crowd-cluster of religions and cultures from LGBT to a thriving Mexican community within a ½ mile radius of each other to Jews and Italians huddled together in North Beach. San Francisco heavily promotes local businesses more than major retailers so when you pop into a store, you know you’re keeping this city’s local business alive. With a kicking Financial district steps away from an ever increasing tech community, who have moved back north from Silicon Valley, movers and shakers run downtown. So even though I’m still new-home hunting, I’ve absolutely fallen in love with San Francisco all over again.

I suggest anyone who’s ever got the travel bug yet for various reasons, can’t take a vacation, pretend you’re house hunting and walk your city from top to bottom. It beats long airport lines and losing passports any day of the week!