SF was where the Dirty Harry movies were shot. By the standards of the time, SF was gritty and lawless. The movies poke at the luxury beliefs of the elites and what that was doing to SF. However, it got turned around to some extent so that by the early 2000s it was a top place to visit. Many conventions chose it as a destination.

I recall going with a group to Java One and we were all excited to get to SF and the conference.

But it's been on a decidedly downward trend since then, under one party rule. There's no way I'd go to a conference there now, or for any other reason.