Should I move from Chicago to the east bay? (San Francisco: real estate, renting)

[artsy1]

Has anyone here relocated from a colder, cheaper city to live somewhere in the bay area? If so, do you have any regrets? If you want to know why I'm asking, read on...

I feel like I've been dreaming of moving to the Bay Area off and on since I was a teenager, but I've always told myself it's too expensive. Now, my partner and I are in our mid '30s and I'm starting to reconsider what life in California would be worth to me. We're overeducated DINKs who have always lived below our means and saved a lot. We've been living in Chicago for seven years and the winters are really starting to get to me. My partner doesn't mind the weather, but says he'd be open to moving if it's what I really want.

I'm from the South originally, and I always wanted to live in a big, walkable, cosmopolitan city with great public transit, and I absolutely love that about Chicago. So, now that I've kinda made peace with the cost of living in Chicago and have a clearer sense of what I want in a city, I'm wondering if SF would be worth the price. My partner and I have been to SF several times and on our last trip in February, we visited a friend in Berkeley and liked the small part we saw. I keep dreaming of buying a little house in the hills around Berkeley or Oakland, buying a little moped to scoot around town, and spending the weekends doing outdoorsy things or just sitting on my porch reading a book or taking a nap. The houses I love are usually around $700,000 to $800,000, which is a lot more expensive than Chicago, but not completely out of reach if we keep saving and move in a few years.

Feel free to tell me all the reasons you love or hate the bay area. If you moved from somewhere else, I'd love to know if it still feels like the right decision. Thanks!

[artsy1]

Also, feel free to chime in even if you've lived in the bay area your whole life. Any general comments on bay area benefits vs costs are welcome!

[bmw335xi]

I've lived in 7 different cities besides San Francisco and I can say I love it here, but it does have flaws.

The Bay Area is expensive when it comes to real estate and the government seems to continually increase taxes. There is a high population of homeless people throughout the Bay Area, but especially in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley (the most urban parts). The best thing about the Bay Area is having urban living next to beautiful nature. It sounds funny, but I love the trees here compared to anywhere else I have ever lived. The main question a person must ask themselves is... "am I willing to pay more for less when it comes to my home?" You can use redfin.com to search for homes, so you can get an idea on pricing. If you are willing to make that sacrifice than I think the Bay Area would be a great match. You could get away without a car in San Francisco. However, you need a car in East Bay. You will feel trapped eventually without one.

[Ruth4Truth]

Move from Chicago to the Bay? idk, should you move from Siberia to Paris? That's a tough one. hmm... Pros and cons of Siberia... (cogitate, calculate), Pros and cons of Paris (ponder, dream, *sigh*) We may have to call in the crystal ball brigade to figure this one out, gang....

You'd love a house in the hills. There's a big regional park in the hills above Berkeley, with lots of running/walking paths, horseback riding, and grand views of the Bay. Imagine waking up every morning, and looking out your window to a view of the blue Bay, blue sky, and the city beyond! (with occasional fog in the morning). Gourmet Ghetto is just down the hill from your place, after you pass the rose garden, and is full of great restaurants, shopping, and a bus or train to take you to the City. You're surrounded by beautiful architecture, tree-lined streets, and a world-class university. Downtown Berkeley is a little dodgy, but ONLY downtown is that way. Downtown is also full of ethnic restaurants of all kinds: Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, Thai, Mexican, soda shoppes, and more. The University owns a huge expanse of botanical gardens and canyons in the hills, some of which is open to the public.

Berkeley is the quintessential walking town, full of neighborhoods with intriguing, locally-owned shops (outside corporate chain stores not allowed). You can spend hours strolling the streets and window-shopping, or enjoying the view while walking under the shade trees in the residential areas. Great entertainment venues in town, a marina on the Bay with a large park. What's not to like?

I can't think of a single reason not to live in Berkeley. As you can tell, I'm a fan.

[Mack Knife]

Why not schedule a long vacation and check things for yourself? Get one of those airbnb deals for a month and just live in the Bay Area. Just remember the weather changes like anywhere else.

After a month you'll know.

[mayorhaggar]

I don't see why not if you want to, so long as you can get jobs lined up and can afford a house or are ok with renting. I used to live in Chicago and later in San Francisco and Oakland, imo Oakland is kind of similar to Chicago in layout and in terms of its vibe, it's a bit more laid back than SF which is more crowded and nervy and exciting. Also the weather's definitely better. The bus system in Oakland is pretty lame compared with the CTA or SF's Muni, but BART is pretty decent. Oakland is way better for biking than SF or Chicago though, mainly I'd just ride my bike around town instead of waiting for a bus.

[zitsky]

OP, what part of Chicago do you live in now, and what part of the Bay Area would be your first choice? You mention wanting to move to San Francisco, but you seem to prefer Berkeley and Oakland. Do you live in the suburbs now? Are you OK with driving everywhere? I lived in Chicago for about 7 years and absolutely loved it. Then I lived on the peninsula in Mountain View. It was OK but I've missed Chicago ever since I've left it.

You will find that San Francisco is nothing like Chicago. It's not my favorite city but it has it's charms. Being close to the ocean is great if you enjoy that. There are so many activities in the area and places to see. There are wineries north and south, more cities to visit than you can imagine. San Francisco *does not* have great public transit, not by a long shot. There are several mass transit systems, BART, Caltrain, light rail on the peninsula, but none match the convenience of the Chicago transit system. You will almost certainly need a car here.

Keep in mind that the weather is not always warm here. Depending on where you live you may get fog. There are plenty of places in the Bay Area that get great weather most of the time.

[Ruth4Truth]

Fog is good! Don't you think that in the middle of a sweltering Chicago summer, the OP wouldn't be grateful for some nice cool fog? Leave the swelter behind, OP, and come on out to the Bay. Leave the winter behind, too. This is a great place to take up gardening. Almost anything will grow and flourish.

I'm a moped fan, myself.

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by artsy1

and spending the weekends doing outdoorsy things or just sitting on my porch reading a book or taking a nap. The houses I love are usually around $700,000 to $800,000

One can do outdoorsy things and read a book on their porch in a $70,000 house in Tennessee that is probably nicer than the 700k Bay area one. Unless one is specifically coming for a very high paying tech job/biotech type job, the disadvantages far outweigh the advantage of mild weather.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by capoeira

One can do outdoorsy things and read a book on their porch in a $70,000 house in Tennessee that is probably nicer than the 700k Bay area one. Unless one is specifically coming for a very high paying tech job/biotech type job, the disadvantages far outweigh the advantage of mild weather.

While I think there are many better alternatives than TN, I agree with your point. You can find many other wonderful cities that are a fraction of the price. San Francisco is very unique and to some this is worth the bill. However, other Bay Area cities aren't worth the price tag unless you have a great job lined up.