The Bay Area is one of the most materialistic areas in the nation (Oakland: sales, price)

[Senno]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Well, I did in the mid-70s when I was assigned to the Pentagon. Loved it there!

Please tell me you actually carried the football Curmy?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by cardinal2007

There are a lot of lobbyists, NGOs, and government contractors though that also end up getting money indirectly from the government.

Most NGO's don't make enough money to pay people to live the way you describe, though. Lobbyists and contractors, sure. Gov't security agency and other agency staff, some of 'em could.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by chessgeek

You might make an exception for Almaden Valley and Willow Glen and some people in the relatively new Silver Creek Country Club area. That still leaves about 80% of the city that you describe fairly accurately. I find it refreshing that there are still some down to earth people.

Good points. The problem with today's Berkeley is that the new residents (I mean everyone who's been there under 20 years) look at their neighboring cities with a certain snootiness if you will. Bigger than Albany so it has more. Didn't have to completely sell out to the big box retailers like Emeryville. Doesn't have the crime issues like Oakland. At least not the same ones as abundantly. I've actually heard people say some of these things more or less. There are still some down to earth people in the not flashy sense. However what Berkeley used to be like seems to have shifted down toward Temescal and some parts of Rockridge.

[ssmaster]

My opinion housing prices are so high most people in the bay area do not have as much disposable to buy expensive luxury cars. For example median family income in San Francisco is around $90,000 while medium single family homes are$700,000+
When people are struggling to find reasonably priced apartments not a lot of money left over for an Audi R8

[DocGoldstein]

Originally Posted by ssmaster

My opinion housing prices are so high most people in the bay area do not have as much disposable to buy expensive luxury cars. For example median family income in San Francisco is around $90,000 while medium single family homes are$700,000+
When people are struggling to find reasonably priced apartments not a lot of money left over for an Audi R8

Exactly. Healthy median income, even with these low rates is around 4x income, MAX.

People who are spending 5x and 6x their income on a house? Looking for trouble.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by ssmaster

My opinion housing prices are so high most people in the bay area do not have as much disposable to buy expensive luxury cars. For example median family income in San Francisco is around $90,000 while medium single family homes are$700,000+
When people are struggling to find reasonably priced apartments not a lot of money left over for an Audi R8

$90,000 isn't much for a family, or even a couple. The people buying "luxury" cars are making more than that, usually. And everyone has a different definition of "luxury car". Those Audi's someone mentioned are ugly! Many upper-crusters drive a non-descript BMW or a generic Volvo ("lawyer cars", I call them, because they're so boring and conservative-looking). Not everyone buys to flaunt. In my town, the cool car to have is the Toyota Prius.

[TVC15]

Originally Posted by ketch89

Honestly, I would argue that the bay area is second only to Portland in anti-materialism. People pay a premium to live here because of the non-material benefits: the perfect weather, the spectacular access to nature, and the open-minded culture.

Materialists choose to live in places like Texas, where they can afford to buy better cars, bigger homes, and more consumer products...

Purely an incorrect speculation. The large Texas Cities have no more materialist folks than any other large US city. You don't seem to understand that the housing costs in TX for a comparable house in CA are miles apart in cost. What a middle income family in a large TX city can afford to purchase equates to a much bigger house than what a middle income earner in a large CA city can purchase...it has nothing to do with materialism. It just boils down to how far your money goes in CA vs. a low COL state.

Also I see no difference in the types of cars driven here than what I see in Houston, Dallas or Austin.

Now to address the other BS you wrote. There are plenty of materialistic folks here in the Bay Area. Just hang around Palo Alto and Woodside just for instance. I have seen just as much snobbery there than I have seen in River Oaks in Houston...no difference.

Not sure what you mean when you claim "the open-minded culture". There are plenty of closed minded people here. You should get out more. But keep in mind there are very open-mind cultures in many large US cities...and there are closed minded folks all over this planet no matter where their city is located...big, small, international, etc.

[ssmaster]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

$90,000 isn't much for a family, or even a couple. The people buying "luxury" cars are making more than that, usually. And everyone has a different definition of "luxury car". Those Audi's someone mentioned are ugly! Many upper-crusters drive a non-descript BMW or a generic Volvo ("lawyer cars", I call them, because they're so boring and conservative-looking). Not everyone buys to flaunt. In my town, the cool car to have is the Toyota Prius.

according to the US census HALF of the families in san francisco make less than $85,775
this is not a bad income in pheonix ,houston or richmond ,virginia but not here.

the reality is housing prices are too high for the vast majority of people to buy luxury cars.
a lot of my neighbors had prius but not anymore human nature and keeping up with the joneses is going to rear it's ugly head if people can afford it.

now i see :
lexus hybrids $60,000+
tesla S Perfomance $97000+
or my personal favorite the guy with the bmw 7 series hybrid $115,000+

i don't see that as any difference in the S Performance or the 7 series hybrid than buying a 911 or r8
they are all luxury cars'and all cost the same .
except...wait...people who are uninformed about cars won't get jealous and key your car. it's all clear now.

Bay Area Census -- San Francisco City and County

[Ruth4Truth]

I'd buy the Tesla, if some money fell on me. Let's talk about Tesla--the person and the cars.

[TVC15]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

I'd buy the Tesla, if some money fell on me. Let's talk about Tesla--the person and the cars.

I test drove a model they stopped making (Roadster) and it was all plastic and very cheaply made on the interior...not worth over 100K! It looked cool but cheap quality.