San Francisco
Frisco - as the locals will hate you for calling it - is sometimes seen as a little brother to The City of Angels, more known as Los Angeles. When it comes to size, the comparison is totally appropriate. LA's population and size is more than 3X that of SF, however Nor' Cal's will jump in and point out that you should include the whole Bay Area to make a more fair analysis. If size is of no importance to you then keep reading, as I'll try to explain why this one of my favorite places ever visited.
Our little brother is often characterized as a hippie-pacifist with long beard and/or flower-stuffed hair, a description which already makes me want to buy that 11+ hours plane ride from Europe. Just to see what's going on. The city is in deed quite liberal. Coming from a Swede, visiting places where the social structure is up to date is extremely comforting. The one problem I have during my travels - when fantasizing about moving to the location - is the insurmountable backwardness of the destination. Yes, I love experiencing other cultures and yes it's difficult to really say what's right and wrong. Nevertheless, SF delivers an inclusive environment and has therefor always attracted a wide variety of people. One major group consists of techies, or technical entrepreneurs. Silicon Valley is a base for countless gigantic corporations such as Google, Facebook, Adobe, Hewlett Packard, Yahoo!, eBay and the list goes on. Providing shelter for hackers and big-thinking visionaries in the world's arguably #1 spot for startups.
The social climate is often a starting point for conversation when describing SF. Since what's really at the core of a city if not its people and one's daily interactions with others? I could go at length in naming all of the restaurants, art galleries, sport's centers and night clubs that - all by themselves - make this city worth living in. Purely esthetically though, San Francisco is nothing less than remarkable. Due to a combination of factors the city has a fascinating phenomenon known as the San Francisco Fog. Low clouds often dictate the weather conditions even on a street-by-street basis! I guess this can be frustrating if you're trying to decide what to wear (and not freeze to death - as I nearly did the first time) before going out. But still, how cool is that? (no pun intended).
Then there's the hilly landscape having strollers show such symptoms as tight quads and calfs. Tired of walking? The public transportation is definitively among the top three in the US, which again fits well with us Swedes. The tram alone made me feel nostalgic! Yes, I haven't forgotten about the Golden Gate Bridge, I'll just let my photos do the talking.
Still not convinced that you should visit SF? Sea lions have occupied Pier 39's K-Dock after an earthquake in 1989!