SAN FRANCISCO — With Sutro Tower looming above and Golden Gate Park in the background, the 49ers took the field Wednesday at Kezar Stadium — their home from 1946-1970 — in front of an excited group of faithful fans.

What should have been a fun, albeit gimmicky, trip down memory lane was instead a reminder that the modern-day 49ers have everything to do with Santa Clara and nothing to do with San Francisco.

The 49ers haven’t held a practice at Kezar since 2004 and haven’t played at Candlestick Park since 2013, so this was a rare field trip to The City.

The magnitude of the occasion, even if it was nothing more than a regular day of training camp, was not lost on the fans. There was an excited energy on the corner of Stanyan and Frederick that seemed illogical for a rebuilding team that’s dreaming of an 8-8 season. That’s because the 49ers were back where they belong: San Francisco, an iconic city deserving of an iconic football franchise.

This isn’t a knock on Santa Clara. But with all due respect, Santa Clara is no San Francisco. This also isn’t an attempt to dredge up what went down between the 49ers and the city’s politicians; the ship that took the 49ers 50 miles to the south has long since sailed. All that said, it’s hard to ignore the obvious: Wednesday’s “event” — a more fitting title than practice considering all the pomp and circumstance — served as a cruel reminder of how disconnected the city of San Francisco is from the team that brought so much joy to its population in years past.

The feeling that was palpable Wednesday — that of being in a place with a rich history — is impossible to recreate. It will be decades before Levi’s Stadium can grow into something that invokes sentimentality and while Candlestick Park provided that feeling in spades, it’s hard to tap into those memories when the site is turning into a shopping center and housing complex.

Back in 2000, when the Giants opened Pacific Bell Park, one local journalist said that with the tall task of building the ballpark complete, all that was left to do was fill it with memories. Fifteen years and three World Series titles later, the Giants’ home is a San Francisco staple. But even if Jed York finally delivers a Lombardi Trophy and the 49ers develop another dynasty, there will still be something missing. That’s because the move to Santa Clara created a troubling disconnect. The York-run 49ers essentially started with a clean slate, even if their new home has a much-publicized team museum. That’s why the vibe at Kezar stood out so much. The 49ers found a way to tap back into their rich history Wednesday; the problem is it only lasted a few hours.

York and the team behind Levi’s Stadium can’t acknowledge any regret over leaving San Francisco because that would imply that there’s something wrong with the billion-dollar project. And on paper, there isn’t. The only thing that’s disconcerting is the feel: less crowd noise, more Silicon Valley branding, a sterile and stodgy design. And since York’s critics believe he cares more about business than football, the move to Santa Clara can be considered a success in many ways. The team is still raking in a small fortune, despite a lackluster on-field product lately.

Money doesn’t buy happiness, though, and the Candlestick-to-Levi’s move provides a perfect example. Candlestick was an undeniable dump; Levi’s is a clean, modern marvel. But to not factor in history and sentimentality into the equation was a mistake. The franchise should still call San Francisco home and the ghosts of Kezar would agree. The 49ers currently live 50 monumental miles from their birthplace. Wednesday’s practice at Kezar Stadium felt like a child who’s been away at college for a few years finally returning home to spend the holidays with family.

If Levi’s Stadium struggles with attendance issues over the coming years, it’s not preposterous to think that York — or whoever owns the team at the time — will attempt a move back to San Francisco a few decades down the line. Stadium construction protocol is trending towards a ridiculous pace. Franchises used to have a reasonable expectation for the lifespan of their homes. Now, teams like the Texas Rangers are holding their cities hostage for huge sums of money and tax breaks to get a new stadium built when there’s truly no need for one. The 49ers don’t fall into that category as Candlestick was certainly antiquated. And a return to the city wouldn’t be worthy of scorn either (assuming it’s predominantly privately financed), since fans would understand the sentimentality behind the decision. After all, you can’t put a price on history.