[etrautmann]

having just moved from SF to NYC, I think the trash bags in NYC are much worse than the majority of SF. Union Square and the Tenderloin are another phenomenon entirely though with feces and urine everywhere. This appears to be less common in NYC.

[fnord77]

I think SF gets that concentrated urine stench because it doesn't rain 2/3rds out of the year so the sidewalks never get cleansed.

NYC would stink just as bad if it didn't rain all summer. Maybe worse because of the higher population density.

[Roritharr]

And then people here wonder why some desperately don't want to live in a big city.

[IfOnlyYouKnew]

It's not like the smell of feces, albeit of animal origin, isn't one of the most salient features of rural living.

And any meat processing facilities within a five mile radius will quickly make you pay attention to wind direction forecasts.

[adrianN]

You say that as if keeping cities clean was impossible. Check out some Japanese cities.