That's when you need to seek out an urban oasis, like a park or a green space, and go have a picnic or something. Here in Montreal, I spend half my summer evenings in Parc Lafontaine near my house. In fall and winter, I like to go snowshoeing or hiking on Mont-Royal. On a nice weekend day I'll go biking along the Lachine Canal. And all of that is within a 10-minute walk of my apartment. Most cities have lots of places where you can take a break without having to become a shut-in.

Rent a cabin at a local state park for a weekend and get away. Sometimes it's nice to change the scenery and recharge your batteries.

"The floor is made of lava!" Love this game. Good suggestions, too.

Parks. Central or Riverside for me -- you have Golden Gate.

And in winter, I visualize having to shovel the driveway to my childhood home in Mass, then getting in my dad's cold VW. Suddenly the subway is warm and cozy!

Girl, I feel ya.
I work in Manhattan and live in Brooklyn, and there's two ways I handle "urban exhaustion".

First, if it's the sheer "citiness" that's getting me down, I put on my sneakers and go for a walk/jog around a more residential neighborhood in brooklyn, somewhere with no bodegas, book stores, or pizza shops. I stay away from all public transportation for a minute, if I need to get somewhere far I'll call a car service.

Sometimes it's nice to go back to the parts of your city that originally had you head over heels. For me, going down to the waterfront in my neighborhood, or going to my favorite shop/restaurant where the staff recognizes me and greets me accordingly, is one way to feel like I can still count on SOMETHING to remain just the way I like it, even when my commute feels unthinkably long or when every store clerk seems to be stubbornly unhelpful and rude.

And lastly, I think about the people out there who WISH they could have the access to things that I have, and remind myself that the grass is always greener!

Move.

I lived in the Bay Area for most of my life, as far south as Gilroy (if that counts), as far north as Cotati (Sonoma County), and smack in the middle of SF. At one point I lived in Emeryville on 45th @ San Pablo, just a few blocks from Pixar. In the last six months that I lived in CA, a prostitute was murdered and her body left in the back doorway of my Harrison St., San Francisco office; a crack-addict lit up in the front doorway; violent transients camped around my car and prevented me from accessing it; I found myself caught in three incidents of gunshots on my block in six months; and we were robbed once.

I finally said goodbye! I miss SF, but I don't miss the stress that comes with living so close to that kind of violence.

I go for hikes on the weekend to escape the city. I pack the dog and a few snacks into the car, and we hit the trails. The fresh air and quiet sounds of nature really help clear my head. In winter I bring my x-country skis. Thankfully there are plenty of amazing hiking trails in my area so I don't have to go far (under 20 minutes!).

If I can't even muster the energy for hiking, but still need some down time, I throw a book in my purse and hit up my favourite coffee shop. At least I'm out of the house, and surrounded by like-minded people.

Can we do a post on craziest bus stories ever please?

I recently traveled for work to a weekend workshop/ retreat, where I was presenting to the "retreaters." I soon found myself so immersed in retreating myself that I almost couldn't bear to go home to the city. Memories of sitting on the log cabin porch, looking up at the mountains at twilight, and hearing the cows on my early morning walk help me get through the tough times in the city. I'll keep those memories close, and I'm already planning my next woodsy getaway! :)

San Francisco is too much fun, that's the problem! this city knows how to party, and we all have to work hard in order to keep up with the high costs....so....

i get this urban exhaustion all the time, i tend to set aside one night a week where I go straight home from work and park it with a book and movie and have some much need quality, solo bed time.

and then at least once a month get out of the city and go for a full day hike in Marin, or long bike ride in the East Bay.

as much as I love San Francisco, a little r& r goes along way with the ebb and flow of city lofe.

thanks for taking this topic on, sometimes I feel I am the only getting tired!

Once in a while thing or a prevalent recurring feeling?

If it's once in awhile perhaps creating something, like a piece of art or knitting a sweater--buy your yarn or paints from a local shop--just go thru the process and express your frustration in a positive way.

If you find yourself feeling more than a little crispy you may wish to change your life and start planning a move to a less crowded locale. I too, like urbancricket, used to live in the Bay Area; thought I could never leave the culture and refinement or the ocean but I couldn't stand the issues that come with an overcrowded place...I've been happy in Austin for over 10 years; I visit friends and get my urban "fix" every so often.

Miss Tess, if you're posting this you may wish to re-evaluate.

YOGA
YOGA
YOGA

(or any type of physical activity)

All of the suggestions are good...and I use all of them.

Additionally, I'm lucky enough to come from a "rural" countryside area, where my family still lives. So when I've absolutely had enough and must escape the city life, I "go home" for the weekend and recharge.

This is why I've kept a car the whole 12 years I've lived in NYC. It's not cheap, but my sanity is worth it. I've lived in SF, too, and you definitely have some great assets nearby, like Ocean Beach, Baker Beach, or GG Park. When the parks here in NY aren't enough, I drive up the Hudson to one of the river towns or up to the Catskills. Part of staying sane in the city is having the ability to escape it.

Prepare for a weekend of not leaving home. Get some good wine, a book you've been meaning to read, a couple of eye-candy magazines, rent a black-and-white movie, and pull on your old college sweatshirt.

Screen you phone calls and do NOT open your laptop.

aaaaahhhh...

My remedy for city stress is to escape the city by taking my car or motorcycle on a 1/2 or full day trip outside of it. Pick a small town and/or scenic drive (Skyline Blvd. to Half Moon Bay or Santa Cruz) and go explore. The fresh air, change of scenery, and relaxed atmosphere are a perfect remedy. Bring your camera and photograph some of what you saw, then frame the pictures on your walls at home and work as a memory of a great day and the beautiful world outside the city.

Since you're in San Francisco, getting out of the city shouldn't be difficult or expensive. If you don't have access to a car, a ferry ride to a Marin County destination with a bicycle gives you access to a multitude of scenic trails.

San Francisco, ha. People go on vacation there! (I have.)

Not only do I live in Baltimore, but I work in one of the most depressed areas of the city. You still see people who make you smile, you just have to look.

I do have an escape though, and that is my horse. He lives a mere 25 minutes from my house, in a truly rural area, where I can see plenty of green space, deer, foxes, all the seasonal weather changes. I get to experience lots of peace and quiet, and my treasured solitude.

These tips are great no matter where you live. I live in a small town inside of a suburban mess inside of a megalopolis. There are days that I love it and there are days where I feel stranded in the middle of nowhere that's also in the middle of everywhere. Everyone can take advantage of reminding themselves why they love where they live.

When I used to feel this way, I really just needed to get out of the city. I'd go visit a friend in the suburbs, go camping/hiking, take a drive to Amish country, visit more rural antique shops, etc. If that's not an option, next best thing was to visit the prettiest parts of my city--old town, or the lakeside, or whatever it happened to be--places that manage to feel clean and serene despite being urban. Ultimately, I moved to a smaller city, with much more green space (parks, woods, and yards), human-scale architecture, and less overall craziness. Still urban, but much more comfortable--I recommend it.

After living in a rather dangerous neighborhood of Washington, DC for many years, I just gave up and moved to a small town in Colorado. The only traffic jam happens when a cowboy decides to ride a horse down Main St. It's drastic, but sometimes just getting OUT is the answer.

I deal by spending as much time as possible at my boyfriend's house. I live and work in Baltimore City, on two very busy streets and I have to deal with street/sidewalk construction and a new highrise is going up next door to my office and there's constantly some sort of beeping or banging or clanging. I have been attacked by crazy people, kept awake at night from screamers on the street, and stressed by the city's horrendous public transit (no car, no choice unfortunately). I generally love the excitement of city living but now I look forward to weekends that I can spend in a quiet subdivision in the 'burbs.

@pixiedust03: I've vacationed in Hong Kong, Chicago & NYC, am I to assume that because people vacation & see the best parts of a city- there aren't grimy parts? I'm sure the worst SF, NYC, Chicago or definately Hong Kong has to offer is euqal or more to what Baltimore has.

I live in sf, in a realitively chill hood, but where my husband works there have been mid-day shootings, needles stuffed in drains & he once had to call the cops for a woman who was stabbed in the stomach (this was at 7 am!). We've had friends pick off the street & half beaten to death b/c of gang initiations. Every city has it's share of crap. When i feel urban exhausted, I usually walk to Baker Beach or stay at a hotel downtown (to feel like a tourist). There are waay more positive interaction in my day to day than bad ones, so I try to focus on that.

1) Leave the city for a weekend. 2) Feel like you're going to die of boredom. 3) Return.

I go somewhere really boring like my hometown for a weekend. At first it's relaxing, but then you get a healthy dose of small down claustrophobia. Drive back home, feel relieved to feel the excitement of anonymous hustle and bustle!

When I lived in NYC, I joined a hiking club. About every other weekend, I'd get up in the morning, meet up with the other hikers, and carpool out to one of the many state or national parks in the neighboring area. A long day hiking out in the wilderness, surrounded only by trees and streams and nature, was an incredible break. Driving back into the city at the end of that day always felt like a rediscovery.

I lived in Manhattan for a year once. It was great, been there, done that. Now I'm happy living in small-town Ohio. When I need a big-city fix, I VISIT. So...a big THANK-YOU to all the people who live in NYC and keep it up and running while I'm away.

Oh, I was joking, but I'm pretty sure there are more murders per capita in Baltimore than San Francisco, not that it's a statistic I want to win. ACK. I get mad when people rag on Baltimore, so I shouldn't do it myself. San Francisco is a beautiful city; I had a hard time finding blocks and blocks of boarded up houses like there are here.

I love Baltimore and don't intend to leave, but it can wear on me. I think the trash bothers me the most. People can just throw it on the ground like it's nothing.

What I like? No hour-long commutes for me, cheap real estate, cool and interesting, down-to-earth people, crab cakes, Baltimore club music, John Waters, Laura Lippman, David Simon, interesting architecture, good arts scene, "smalltimore," not feeling like you have to keep up with the "Joneses," and an easy-to-take train my boyfriend to take to get to his job in D.C. AND, like I said earlier, it's easy to get out of town, lickity-split.

In Brooklyn I usually head for the waterfront. There's green stuff around, dogs, kids, but really, it's the water that attracts me.
When it's cold though, I hole up and do crafts, have friends over, or head to a cool exhibition that I can only see because I live in NYC.

"(the floor is made of lava!)"

haha, i love it !

I second the "urban oasis" comment. One of my favorite things about Los Angeles is all of the mountain ranges practically in the middle of the city. It's easy to escape to the wilderness for an afternoon, and the views in the evening are breathtaking.

I date my netflix for a whole day or go on a loooong bike ride in more peaceful parts of the city. I live in Chicago and definitely have a love/hate relationship with city life. It's become more hate lately and my husband and I are planning an exodus to a small town in Colorado. Can't wait!

Sometimes the overwhelming city feeling is not actually coming from outside but within. Learn how to calm yourself and not get tweaked by all the stimulus. Whether that is wearing sunglasses and listening to your ipod on the subway, going to a park for some nature, or just sitting at home and enjoying take out and lighting some candles. Sometimes you'll find the over-stimulation is more about your reaction to it than the actual commotion / energy-sapper. Meditate, relax, exercise, enjoy nature, and only do the city things you want to do. Just because the world is at your doorstep doesn't mean you have to do it all!

If you know the city well enough to identify which neighborhoods might be unsafe at ANY time of day or night, then I would say steer clear of those and spend some time outside at sunrise. (I know that could be tough, but you could always nap later in the day!) Most big cities never really "sleep," but I pretty much guarantee that you'll have a little more room to breathe at that time of day.

One more thing to consider: after living in the heart of Manhattan for over a decade, we finally made a bold step and moved to an outer borough that gave us more quiet and space. While not for everyone, it was an awesome choice for us and how we wanted to live for the longterm.

Thanks for all the amazing suggestions- and I'm sure there are many more to come! You've got me thinking of a couple more:
-Plan for/save for activities that would be hard to find in a more peaceful rural/small-town setting: the Little Mermaid Sing-Along, tickets to the ballet, a make-your-own waffle iron class at the Crucible, or a visit to MoAD followed by a fabulous cocktail at the St. Regis.
-I remind myself that, as the "Stone Mountain" episode of 30 Rock taught us, people are the same everywhere. The reason cities are so fun, fabulous, delicious, and stressful is that there is such a concentration of people. No matter where I might live, there will be both wonderful & terrible people, doing wonderful & terrible things.

Also residing in one of the busier parts of San Francisco,

my preferred method is retreat to the quiet of Marin County. Or even farther north! There are plenty of price-friendly places hiding among the quiet, touristy towns.

This reads like Aseop's fable- country mouse, city mouse. Tried the city I am definitely a country mouse. If I want noise I can find it or I can make it. I can barely handle trying to sleep in a hotel in NYC but the change of coyotes for screaming people @ 3 am and big ass trucks that shake the building from 4 am to 7 am is .....unique!

I've lived in a lot of cities (including 3 months this past spring in SF), and every city feels different and has a different flavor. The bus rides in SF are definitely WAY crazier than bus rides in Chicago, Houston, or Portland. It's much harder to get around SF in a lot of ways, but there are a lot of advantages to that lovely city. Sometimes even a change of neighborhood/commute routine can help.

And I play a similar game, called "my couch is an island."

I'm from a small town in Newfoundland but live in Toronto. I traveling frequently to Japan for my job, i'll stay there for 2-3 months at a time. I've always been a big city girl (living in Newfoundland you're either the person who never wants to leave or craves to flee to the big city) I was the latter.

Toronto is not so crazy as Tokyo so it almost feels peaceful when I go back to it after working. I don't know how people can live in Tokyo though, I would never be able to do it. Especially being caucasian, not to sound rude or anything but it's real annoying after a while being the caucasian girl in a city full of japanese. You will always stand out no matter what, even when you want to just go for a quiet walk around.. maybe it's just me but I always feel there are eyes on me, the japanese are just so intrigued by westerners. So it's pretty hard to find a decent getaway.

My cure for urban exhaustion is going back to my home :Newfoundland, it's unlike anywhere else in the world. Such simple life, the ocean, the smell, the people.. and if I can't get back home I will retreat from the world by daydreaming, yoga, reading books, watching movies/documentaries etc.

I hear you. Luckily here in SF, we can easily and quickly get to quiet green spots outside of the city in any direction, north, south, or east. My husband and I try to get our kids out of the city at least once a weekend.

If we don't have time to get out of the city, we go for a walk in Glen Canyon Park. If you haven't been, you should check it out.