Warning Please read this BEFORE you think about moving here! (San Jose: hardwood floors, apartment)

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thanks!

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

Your math is fine -- 7 square miles... but your spelling and grammar are atrocious!

No, actually, the OP's math wasn't fine. SF is actually 49 square miles, roughly 7x7.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

No, actually, the OP's math wasn't fine. SF is actually 49 square miles, roughly 7x7.

This is going to be like explaining magnetic north to me, but I'm going to ask -- How am I wrong?

I'm not disputing that I am (because it's math -- and I always have to double check and find out where I screwed up) but isn't 7 square miles 49 miles?

By the way, the last person that tried to explain magnetic north and how compasses work made me cry.

[rah]

^SF is roughly 7 miles wide, and 7 miles long. One square mile is an area that's one mile in width and length (or the equivalent land area in some other shape of course). So, SF is about 49 square miles, as 7 times 7 is 49. There you go

maybe you're getting "7 square miles" (about 2.63 miles by 2.63 miles = 7 square miles) confused with "7 miles squared" (7 miles by 7 miles = 49 square miles...or "7 miles squared")

[batransplant]

When I moved to SF from LA, initially I will have to admit, I was really disappointed. I did have preconceived notions of what it would be like to live in a walkable city, but I thought it was going to be more like "sex in the city" with a california attitude, lots of nightlife, shopping, late night dining, beautiful, interesting, intelligent, fun people, cool little theaters and galleries, chic and hip people, hustle and bustle.

Instead, I discovered SF is not fashionable, chic, late night or much of a nightlife city. It initially came across to me like a cluster small, midwestern towns with little areas of a couple blocks of old, dusty shops selling things like crafty jewelry, used books, or cheese, surrounded by victorian housing, with people who were sort of "out of it", and still living in "summer of love meets the angry civil rights protesters" and looked like they literally hadn't changed their clothing styles, shaved or gotten a haircut since 1974....and everything slowed wayyyy down. It was really challenging for me to turn off my LA energy and "go go go" and getting dressed up to go everywhere. I had to learn to dress down. I truly had no idea SF identity was mainly the whole hippie, liberal, organic, progressive thing. I would just kind of wander the streets going "why didnt anyone tell me it was like this before we moved here???" There really isn't much of a scene beyond that unless you are gay or chinese or another immigrant.

Oh...and the neighborhood I secretly sort of liked initially (the marina) because of the mediterranean architecture, cleanliness,shopping areas, and beautiful views of the bay and ggb, everybody bitched about and said it was like LA and sucked ass...and you would be instantly labeled Marina person, which is not good. FWIW, The Marina is really like OC, not LA...but that is a moot point.

After the initial shock and disappointment of the city not meeting my preconceived expectations, I was like...well we are stuck here on a pretty permanent career relocation and basically we cant leave so I have to make the best of it. I can breathe the air, my allergies went away, the food kicks ass, and being 1 hour from Napa aint too shabby....plus there is absolutely no pressure in the bay area for women to look attractive in a stereotypical manner and the men don't seem to care. Very refreshing. It is naturally very beautiful if you are into natural scenery. There is a lot of it. The drive through the 92 to half moon bay is absolutely gorgeous....and shocking that natural beauty exists emerging from a suburban community like San Mateo. Things like these discoveries makes the area grow on me each day.

[skyway31]

The Marina is only unpopular among "non-Marina" people. People who live in the Marina generally love it.

[rjca]

My brief SF excursion a few months ago had me staying in the Marina. I didn't know until I got back that it is looked down on... I'm actually from Orange County, but the Marina is not OC.... I can't even describe how beautiful it is and what a great time I had down there. It would just sound cheesy. I'll just say that I was walking the streets my jaw was practically on the ground beneath me.... and being from OC, it's not like I don't know "beach" cities.

As of now, that happens to be the part of SF I'm most familiar with, I plan to return and explore the other neighborhoods soon, but I don't know how the hell you could not like that area, unless you were jaded.

From the jaded perspectives I've heard, Marina is only nice because rich people live there, and all the other neighborhoods are a dump. Or, all the other parts of SF are "real", but the Marina doesn't count, because rich people live there, and they're all phonies. Choose your jaded perspective.

[batransplant]

[quote=rjca;11778218]M I'm actually from Orange County, but the Marina is not OC.... I can't even describe how beautiful it is and what a great time I had down there. It would just sound cheesy. I'll just say that I was walking the streets my jaw was practically on the ground beneath me.... and being from OC, it's not like I don't know "beach" cities.

Really? I lived in Newport Beach for 5 years, and I think the part of the Marina overlooking the bay (I thnk it is bay st) that main drag looks just like Corona Del Mar overlooking the tide pools. Its totally gorgeous. Plus Chrissy Field and Baker Beach looking out to the GGB. I have no idea why the local SFers hate on that area. Its the only really somewhat clean part of the city w/ few to no aggressive homeless people or drug needles everywhere. I also feel safer there. The people also remind me a little of Newport people...the types who went to USC and are in Junior League etc. Maybe where the stereotypes come in. Who knows? Being from out of town, and living there for a short period, I always felt good hanging in the Marina area.

[clongirl]

It is/was well known to San Franciscans that the only people that actually hang out in the Marina on the weekends are actually from Marin (or outside the City).

One of my old roommates and all of his friends (all born/bred San Franciscan and quite the playboys in their time) would only be spotted in the local bars when he wanted to EASILY bring home a well dressed rich girl from the "other side" who was looking for a genuine city boy. Perhaps things have changed over the years though?

[rjca]

I went on a weeknight, wandered into some bar right off of Chestnut and had some amazing conversations with a small group of people there about a wide variety of topics, it was great. I felt instantly "at home" there. Some rich older guy was talking about how he couldn't decide on London or Paris for quick vacation, but even he got into the conversation.