11. San Francisco
San Francisco, the leading financial and cultural area in northern California. This city on a bay has a manageable size and a generally happy population.
What You Should Do While There: First and foremost, get brunch. There’s a multitude of cafes and restaurants to choose from. From there, head over to the Haight-Ashbury district to experience where the hippie movement was born. If nothing else, make sure you check out the Golden Gate Park. It’s breathtaking.
Potential Safety Concerns: The Mission District, while perfectly safe during the day, can be an intimidating location at night, particularly around 16th Street and east of Valencia.