A pyramid, uneven ground and a long suspension span.
San Francisco is hills plus a pyramid plus a long suspension span. The Transamerica Pyramid is a steep, almost triangular tower that reads as a single pointed peak in the downtown cluster. The Golden Gate Bridge, when included, adds two tall portals and a dipping cable line that can look like twin peaks if the cables fill in. The rest of the skyline is modest compared with New York: fewer supertalls, more stepped mid-rises riding uneven ground. If the outline feels hilly rather than a flat street wall, and one tower is a pure pyramid instead of a stepped Art Deco stack, choose San Francisco over Los Angeles or Seattle.