Why do all the other cities in America suck compared to San Francisco?

I've been to a lot of places in the country. I've lived in a few of them. I've never found anywhere else that has the same level of quality that San Francisco does. Los Angeles is the closest, and it's still pretty crummy. I've lived in Portland and Seattle and Austin, and they are all basically unlivable slums in comparison.<br><br>This is the only place I've ever felt like I can be myself, and not be judged for it. I'm an Orthodox Christian, and I wear the traditional clothes of my faith. I almost never run into anyone in the streets who has never seen someone dressed the way I am. I don't get weird looks, people don't bring it up unprompted, people don't play the "I'm not racist, but..." game. I feel completely at home.<br><br>I'm not a dollars and cents kind of guy. I don't really care about that stuff. I care about being able to live life the way I see fit. And I don't feel that way when I'm in other cities. Here, I have access to all of the amenities I need to live a contented, happy life, and I can do it without worrying about what other people think of me.<br><br>But, it does come at a rather steep price. I had to abandon my teaching career because the pay was nowhere near enough to live here. I had to abandon my dream of being a Marine because the pay was nowhere near enough to live here. I have to work insane hours for a large corporation just to break even, and I'll never be able to live comfortably.<br><br>It's a pretty crappy deal, if you ask me.