SF is kind of neither though. If you spend any time in the city, it definitely feels overstuffed. The houses may be cute and small but they are stuffed with roommates. The city is stuck in nostalgia and ignoring that it's bursting at the seams. It's like wearing clothes that are too small and pretending you are still skinny.
Kinda makes you wish there was a massive earthquake while everyone was safely tucked away at a Beyonce concert in an earthquake-proof stadium.