[varapetra]

The Bay Area is a great place to birdwatch. Telegraph hill in the north beach has a beautiful flock of parrots living around it, like M2Jackie mentioned. "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill" was a documentary about feral parrots living in that area. They’re actually a regular sight, like those 19th century painted houses. Golden Gate Park is one of the best urban parks in the country, and if you drive there’s very quick access to beautiful locations like Monterey Bay. Then there’s Napa, in case you’re more up for boozing than birding, haha.

But before you sign on you should know that the San Francisco area has some of the highest real estate prices in the country, something like 4x the national avg. It can also get pretty cold. Last year SF was the coldest city in the country. Coastal climate and constant wind can drive up maintenance costs to unfeasible levels, esp. if you’re budgeting. My sister just couldn’t shoulder hers, and had such a tough time selling her own timeshare that she needed a bailout from timeshare relief as a last resort. She told me later that she was sad not having a place in the city, but was happier about being in the black. I have to say I agree with that sentiment.