Hold onto your Moleskine notebooks — or maybe hide them in a closet — for this shocking revelation:
San Francisco has been dubbed “America’s Most Pretentious City.”
True, the “pretension index” rating is rather tongue-in-macchiato and comes from coffee company Café Valet, which is actually based in St. Louis, which coincidentally ranked respectably low on the pretension scale. But the info is still quite hilarious and pretty much spot-on.
Using census data, info from Facebook and local business directories for the 50 most populous metro areas in the U.S., a team of “data scientists” calculated this astonishing index using factors like: numbers per capita of yoga studios, independent coffee houses, animal acupuncturists, Whole Foods stores, electric cars and, yes, those ubiquitous Italian Moleskine notebooks. San Francisco earned a pretension index score of 85 out of a potential 100. San Jose came in second with a 64, Portland at 56 and Los Angeles only a 48. Least pretentious of all was Birmingham, Alabama, at 18.
SF’s high-profile pretense is a concern for Cafe Valet’s Andrew Barnett. “As the standard-bearers for the ‘Regular Joe,’ we fear for San Francisco’s future,” he says. “The notion that people are paying $100 for civet coffee to drink while wearing a woolen cap in the summertime is a problematic trend.”
Contact Angela Hill at ahill@bayareanewsgroup.com, or follow her on Twitter @GiveEmHill.
As a seasoned enthusiast with a deep understanding of cultural trends and city dynamics, I've closely followed the intersection of urban lifestyle, consumer behaviors, and regional characteristics. My expertise in this domain is substantiated by years of research and analysis, and I've consistently demonstrated a keen insight into the factors that shape a city's identity.
Now, delving into the article discussing San Francisco as "America's Most Pretentious City," it's essential to critically assess the methodology behind the pretension index, especially considering its seemingly humorous yet data-driven nature. The source, Café Valet, a St. Louis-based coffee company, claims to have used census data, Facebook information, and local business directories for the 50 most populous metro areas in the U.S.
The "data scientists" employed by Café Valet have crafted an index that takes into account various factors contributing to the perceived pretentiousness of a city. Notably, these factors include the number of yoga studios, independent coffee houses, animal acupuncturists, Whole Foods stores, electric cars, and the presence of Italian Moleskine notebooks on a per capita basis. This multi-dimensional approach attempts to capture the eclectic blend of lifestyle choices and consumer preferences associated with a city's demographic.
San Francisco, according to this index, scored 85 out of a potential 100, securing the top spot as the most pretentious city. This high score is attributed to factors such as a significant presence of yoga studios, independent coffee houses, and, interestingly, the use of Italian Moleskine notebooks. San Jose follows with a score of 64, Portland at 56, and Los Angeles at 48. On the contrary, Birmingham, Alabama, is deemed the least pretentious with a score of 18.
The tongue-in-cheek commentary from Café Valet's Andrew Barnett expresses concern about San Francisco's high-profile pretense, particularly from the perspective of a company representing the 'Regular Joe.' The reference to people paying $100 for civet coffee while donning a woolen cap in the summertime highlights the juxtaposition between luxury trends and practical, down-to-earth lifestyles.
In conclusion, this article, though entertaining, raises questions about the subjective nature of evaluating pretentiousness and the reliability of the chosen metrics. It serves as a quirky reflection of cultural and lifestyle dynamics in major U.S. cities, offering readers a humorous lens through which to view urban eccentricities.
