Looking to move to San Francisco From Chicago-a few questions from a 20-something professional (Oakland: college, living in)

[skyao]

You can look at this Heat Map for San Francisco based on yelp reviews for certain key terms..

Yelp Wordmap | Yelp

Yelp Wordmap | Yelp

Obviously just for fun....

[beb0p]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

So you're saying that the people who live in the Marina don't frequent the bars there? Where do they hang out instead? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me to live in neighborhood with bars/restaurants/gyms/nightclubs that cater to the fratty crowd when you aren't fratty yourself. I guess you should tell this to my coworker who's lived in a rent controlled apartment in the Marina for the last 10 years or so (hint: he moved to the Marina right after college to be able to walk to all the fratty bars). He's been wanting to move since he's older now, and sick and tired of loud/drunk 20 somethings waking him up in the middle of the night, but he can't afford anywhere else in the city right now. Next time he complains about someone puking on the steps to his apartment complex, I'll just remind him that only visitors have the right to complain about the fratty crowd, and that he's lucky to live in a yuppie neighborhood.

The locals do frequent the bars there, but the bars also get A LOT of outsiders. The Marina bars are NOT neighborhood bars, they cater to a lot of visitors.

Also, locals tend to avoid certain bars and restaurants. Think Las Vegas, when you go to a Benihana in Vegas you're not dining among locals.

I don't see how your co-worker's situation has anything to do with this discussion. I never said only visitors can complain about the fratty crowd and if he doesn't like it, by all means, move somewhere he can afford; that's what I did.

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[04kL4nD]

So if you live in the Marina, you'll avoid the bars in your neighborhood (even though they're local and within walking distance), because they aren't meant for "locals" or "neighborhood bars". DOES NOT COMPUTE.

Even if I were to agree with you (and I obviously don't), I can't see how this could be a selling point. "Come live in the Marina, where you can live steps from bars you'll avoid, because they are frequented by non-locals and frat types!"

Perhaps maybe when YOU lived in the Marina, you chose to avoid the fratty hotspots (why you'd willingly pay a premium to be so close by is beyond my comprehension), but suggesting that all of these popped collared, sperry wearing, frat types live somewhere else in the city and only flock to the Marina on weekends doesn't seem very realistic to me.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

Marina is a great district!

It's one of the most well-kept districts in the city. There are lots of nice restaurants and bars. The people are friendly and best of all, there are no hipsters that enjoy the smell of their own bowel movements for driving a hybrid. It's one of the few districts where a White person won't feel like a minority in the city. I'm guessing these reasons are why some people call it frat central. I have quite a bit of friends that live here, surprisingly only one of them is White though lol.

I would also add Russian Hill, Telegraph Hill and North Beach to the list of prospective districts to live.

The Marina is the whitest (and preppiest) area in SF. If you are they type who likes Connecticut, you'll love it.

I personally also find this section is where I am most likely to be stereotyped and meet the people who will treat me that way. I like to avoid it like the plague. I never meet friendly people there, and I tend to make friends everywhere.

Your mileage may vary if you aren't the same profile as me.

If you are looking for upscale places in SF, and you aren't white or asian, you will be in the minority. SF is also pretty segregate by race. Neighboring cities do not have the same vibe necessarily.

[beb0p]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

So if you live in the Marina, you'll avoid the bars in your neighborhood (even though they're local and within walking distance), because they aren't meant for "locals" or "neighborhood bars". DOES NOT COMPUTE.

Even if I were to agree with you (and I obviously don't), I can't see how this could be a selling point. "Come live in the Marina, where you can live steps from bars you'll avoid, because they are frequented by non-locals and frat types!"

Perhaps maybe when YOU lived in the Marina, you chose to avoid the fratty hotspots (why you'd willingly pay a premium to be so close by is beyond my comprehension), but suggesting that all of these popped collared, sperry wearing, frat types live somewhere else in the city and only flock to the Marina on weekends doesn't seem very realistic to me.

Everyone has bars/restaurants close to his/her living quarter that he/she has rarely set foot in. It's not just the Marina, everywhere I've lived there are places that I choose not to frequent even though it's close to my house. It's not strange, it's a part of life. You're trying to tell that you've never heard anyone say, "You know, I've lived here for a couples years but last night was the first time I step foot inside this (name of establishment close to your friend's home) and I don't know why never visited until now...."

If it doesn't compute for you, then I guess you just are not going to get it. I suggest you ask your Marina living co-worker to explain it to you if you really want to understand.
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[ambient]

From the perspective of a male, the Marina is a place where prissy cute girls are required to strictly adhere to the uniform of those tight-butt yoga pants, puffy vests, and sunglasses so big they make your head look like a type of fly. Oh, and waving some frouffy starbucks-like beverage in one hand while gabbing loudly with your girlfriend over your iphone with the other. They shoot you mean stares if you check them out too closely, but really they crave it.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by beb0p

If anything, it's much more yuppie than fratty.

Same thing, just separated by a few years.

[04kL4nD]

Nah, they're completely different. Which totally explains why beb0p thinks the Marina is yuppie instead of fratty.

I totally get it now! LOL

[beb0p]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

Same thing, just separated by a few years.

A teenager and a young adult, a yuppie and a soccer mom, A dot com boom and a dot com bust are separated by a few years too.

Not the same thing.

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[NoMoreSnowForMe]

OP? Still there? Lots of bickering on the SF/Oakland forum.

As far as your question, I agree with other posters who implied you shouldn't be trying to find Chicago in SF. Totally different beast.

If you get a job with Google, you might consider just living in Mountain View anyway. Why deal with the commute? Wait until after commute hours, then go visit SF. Commuting here is hell.

Then, get to know the city after rush hour and on weekends, and you can decide where you might want to live so badly that you're willing to do the commute from there to MV.