Let’s face it, while many take comfort in a well-planned suburb, there’s that special something that can only be found in an urban jungle! It is that special something which only answers to the voice within that asks if you’re adventurous enough to make it on your own in a cutthroat, cold and unconquerable world. Hidden within the labyrinth of expensive boutiques and night lounges hides a friendly metropolis awaiting to be discovered, and accommodating to any wallet – no matter how empty or full it may be!

San Francisco

The city by the bay is a veritable mix of hippie counter culture and many of Silicon Valley’s high-tech entrepreneurs, combined with the highest percentage of gay and lesbian communities in the U.S. Known for such landmarks as the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf and Chinatown (San Francisco is a minority-majority city with a majority population of Asians, namely Chinese), the city caters to both tourists and locals as a pedestrian-friendly metropolis and provides more than 200 miles of bicycle pathways. Staunch with liberal activism, there isn’t a more ideal place to carve yourself a niche than this Northern California Metropolis.

Mission District

Thanks to its geographical location, “The Mission” is insulated from the Bay area’s notorious fog and wind, thus warmer and sunnier than the rest of the city. It is a neighborhood ripe with Latino culture and a burgeoning independent arts scene. Better yet, The Mission notably attracts a large number of quarterlifers due to lower housing costs and a high percentage of restaurants and bars.

Haight-Ashbury

It is the embodiment of San Francisco – “The Haight.”  Known for its integral role in the hippie movement of the 1960s, Haight-Ashbury is still associated with its bohemian roots, offering a take-it-easy atmosphere that rages against the machine. From vintage shops to hipster dives to new age spiritualism, the Haight speaks to the modern flower child in all of us.

The Castro District

Having evolved from a working-class neighborhood through the ’60s and ’70s, what was formerly Eureka Valley became the Castro District, named for its busiest thoroughfare after a large influx of gay men snatched up prime real estate for considerably low prices. The ‘Stro has become the world’s most widely well-known gay neighborhood, and is the origin and essence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) activism and events. Although rent averages from $1-2k/month, I say if you have the means and the desire to live in The “Stro, go for it – housing costs aren’t getting any lower.