Favorite Bay Area Town

San Francisco - Few cities offer the culture, activity, and laid-back, friendly feel of this "adult college" town. No matter what night of the week it is, there is always something going on, whether it is a tricycle race down a windy road or a movie in the park on a chilly summer night. The only things more prevalent than the nightlife are the restaurants and the cultural diversity. Of course, being built on the water leads to stunning views from nearly every vantage point of the city, as well as a wealth of recreational activities.

Sonoma - More modest than its eastern neighbor, this food-and-wine town has as mild of a climate, filled with the same beautiful views and magnificent wineries, for half the price and a fraction of the cost of Napa.

Santa Cruz - One part Berkeley, one part redwood grove, one part Santa Monica, this classic California beach town has a friendly, laid-back college vibe that leads to a great casual nightlife scene and a generally open culture.

Palo Alto - Nearly always sunny, with a mild climate, this Silicon Valley hub is filled with beautiful homes and an intelligent mix of Stanford students and employees of many cutting-edge businesses. Downtown Palo Alto and the business district on California Avenue both offer a wealth of restaurants, rivaled only by the retail stores of Stanford Shopping Center.

Berkeley--Of course, I would have to start there since it is the city that lured me north. It is like the West Coast version of the Sorbonne. A place where you don't have explain who Heidegger or Derrida is. A place where coffee houses pack with college kids studying their brains out every night. And a place where the person sitting next to you is as likely to be from Paris, Texas as Paris, France-or Nigeria--or Vietnam--or Oakland. The motto is still true: "Excellence through diversity."

SF--Another no brainer. I think it is the most beautiful city in the country. (Only Miami I think good give it a run for its money just in terms of aesthetic grace.) It definitely should be listed among the most beautiful cities in the world. The weather is perfect for those that like a bit of fog and the highly educated and affluent populace add a lot as do the artistic set.

Santa Cruz--I definitely agree with that. I love that the UC campus there is half in the woods and that you can walk right down to the beach. The town is also pretty quiant.

San Jose--The heart of Silicon Valley also disersves some mention. They have great theaters and even better restaurants (though pretty pricey). They also have musuems and if it were not so close to SF would probably get more of its due.

You're right that San Jose kind of gets short-changed given how close it is to SF, although I think it's kind of like a werewolf or a superhero - cutting-edge and aesthetically pleasing by day, but not a place that you would want to walk around by yourself at night - at least from my experience. It certainly has the weather factor going for it, though!

I also really like all of those foothill towns - Woodside, Los Altos Hills, Saratoga, Los Gatos - there is something spectacular about those homes built in redwoods groves on the sides of mountains, and the towns all have a quaint atmosphere with a touch of the Silicon Valley progressive culture mixed in.

Here's a few more to add:

Pacifica - Understated and often foggy, but absolutely beautiful when the sun is out. It almost has a Malibu-esque feel with the modern beachside condominiums, but without the exclusivity.

Los Gatos - This beautiful hillside town gets the best of all worlds - sunshine, proximity to the beach and to Silicon Valley, shopping, nightlife, young people, beautiful scenery, and great state parks right around the corner (both Big Basin and Castle Rock are exquisite, for different reasons).

Sunol - The best East Bay town that no one has ever heard of, Sunol offers great hiking and trail running in the East Bay hills, with stunning views the entire way.