A plea to the tech industry: Please leave our fair city alone (San Francisco: sale, home)

[LexusNexus]

The lifestyles of "techie" and techies themselves are harmless. The racism and ageism so prevalent in the industry is what we can do without. It should be confined to silicon valley IMO.

[DjRey]

Originally Posted by EdJS

Not only is this issue not unique to San Francisco, but SF doesn't even have it nearly as bad as some other places. The most expensive real estate in North America is in Vancouver, BC. Because every Chinese person who can afford it is buying a second home in that city.

You are wrong on this.. SF has the HIGHEST COL in the country. Yes, higher than Manhattan(And all 5 boroughs)!! SF surpassed them in 2013. I go back to NYC at least 4 times a year, SF is definitely higher. Cost of Food, Clothing, Transportation, etc.. I was born In San Francisco in 1976, my father also grew up here in the Mission in the 60-70's. Even back in 1998' you could get a 1 bedroom Apt in the Mission for 850-1000 bucks. Now? I've seen prices in between 2700-3200 for a 1 bedroom? But hey, that's the reality in 2014.

[04kL4nD]

Vancouver, BC is in Canada. It's a different country than the United States of America, but it is still located in North America.

[Sovetsky Medved]

O4Kl4ND:Why do you have such hatred towards Phoenix, Did you visit there or try to live there and couldn't make it?
Yeah we may have a dumpy side of town "Maryvale" But So does San Francisco, Ive seen the Tenderloin and heard about Visitacion and hunters point, So you have some pretty trailer trash areas as well.
I live in a sort of "Alternative" Hipsterish type of neighborhood, There are No Trailers here.
You need to see the Phoenix of Today! It's not like it was 10 years ago.
And what is this Sophistication you keep harping about, San Francisco is nice as a tourist destination, You get to see the Ocean and the Fog, a laid back sort of vibe.
you got some history, but most cities have there own history.
Look at My old Hometown for example "Were The Rock Music capital of the world"
and there was a lot of Financial history there at one time.
in fact Cleveland was once The number 5 city in the USA in the 1920's
San Francisco only made it as far as number 8 and that was like in 1880.
right now your city is number 14.
and you can't include other cities like oakland or san jose, they are there own cities.
you don't see cleveland taking in Akron and canton and youngstown to make itself appear bigger.
And if your looking for sophistication, you should turn to Los Angeles, Or New York.
the number 1 and 2 cities in our nation.
Sorry to bust your bubble. but your just a nice city with a big Tech industry some financial and marketing, with a cool moist climate.
what makes that "Sophisticated"???
You need to grow on what your city is Today and not live on it's past.
That's the mistake my hometown made and now there stuck.
Don't be a living Museum. if you look at San francisco it's feeling like a Huge city museum.
You have the Hippie counterculture museum in the Haight, the Gay Museum in Castro. and the Asian Museum in Chinatown, more museums than actual living neighborhoods.
none of the regular people that started those neighborhoods can even afford to live there anymore.
What is Haight street now other than a tourist trap, yeah, you can stand on the corner and have ice cream at ben & Jerry's thats sophistication Mmm Hmm!

[18Montclair]

Oh blah blah blah.

And LOFL at bringing up NY and LA cause they are both far more 'working class' than SF overall as well. Phoenix is an after thought next to NY, LA or SF btw.

SF is too highly educated, too affluent and too cosmopolitan and has far too many high caliber amenities such as world class universities, world class arts institutions, world class dining, shopping, attractions, for a place like Phoenix to even come close to comparing

I think some people watch Real Housewives and confuse that with sophistication.

[Sovetsky Medved]

18Montclair:
if your talking about college and education.
Cleveland has a lot of higher learning.
just to name a few
Case Western Reserve University - One of the nation's top universities and the best college in Ohio
John Carroll University
Baldwin Wallace University
Cleveland State University | Engaged Learning
And those are just the ones in the city.
there are numerous ones in outlying areas.
as well as many technical and vocational schools.
and many many community colleges.
So San Francisco isn,t the only educated place to be.
and I never mentioned anything about Phoenix and education.
We do have
Arizona State University | A top ranked research university | ASU
And some community colleges, but thats not what makes Phoenix a great city.
But we are Number 6th in the nation and probably going to be Number 5 eventually.
I think the problem with San francisco is there Number 14 and they are envious to be Number 1.
And according to this list of world cities San Francisco isn't Top dog.
it might be an important World city, but it's in the same boat as places like Toronto and Seoul,Korea.
Chicago even ranks higher.
and I see my old hometown is considered a world city under the Beta- list with others like San Diego and Osaka and Geneva, not bad to be on a list like that, even if it has to include "Detroit" Shudder!
and even little old 6th biggest city in the USA Phoenix gets to be on the Gamma list of world cities with Co-Horts like St.Petersburg Hmm is that the one in russia or the florida one? and Rotterdam.
Even Pittsburgh and and Tampa are on our list.
http://www.spottedbylocals.com/blog/...-gamma-cities/
So See there's greatness in lots of cities and were all considered "World Class"
and you have to be Happy where you live and Im very Happy being right where I am.
Living in a city that Doesn't OverCharge me for living expenses, let's me enjoy more of the good life, Where I can travel where I want and consume the great life experiences at hand.
I don't care How Sophisticated you claim to be, Your overpriced for what you are.
The Rent is To Dam High

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg5SwyTvAHw

[HappyinCali]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

Oh blah blah blah.

And LOFL at bringing up NY and LA cause they are both far more 'working class' than SF overall as well. Phoenix is an after thought next to NY, LA or SF btw.

SF is too highly educated, too affluent and too cosmopolitan and has far too many high caliber amenities such as world class universities, world class arts institutions, world class dining, shopping, attractions, for a place like Phoenix to even come close to comparing

I think some people watch Real Housewives and confuse that with sophistication.

I agree with your sentiment, but it doesn't really have world class universities. UCSF is a medical school and Hastings is only law school. There are no world class comprehensive universities in the city borders. Bay area - obviously yes.

[18Montclair]

Yeah, I didnt read past the first few lines and certainly didnt watch the vid. **Yawns**

Why you continue to blather on about plain and forgettable Cleveland and Phoenix versus a lofty Olympus such as SF is by comparison, is beyond me.

I mean, I dont know which new chain store opened up there that has you feeling all uppity but you should probably take a chill pill cause your not changing anyone's mind in this thread.

Fyi.

[Deezus]

Originally Posted by HappyinCali

Only in San Francisco do people think that first mover advantage results in some massive entitlement. Sorry, it doesn't. Just because you were born here by luck, or happened to move here earlier, doesn't mean you are more deserving than me

That's not something that happens only in San Francisco, you'll find that in any place that's desirable.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by HappyinCali

I agree with your sentiment, but it doesn't really have world class universities. UCSF is a medical school and Hastings is only law school. There are no world class comprehensive universities in the city borders. Bay area - obviously yes.

Yeah and I can live with that. Cal is a 15 minute subway ride to downtown SF.

Oh, anfd UCSF ranks 18th in the Academic Ranking of World Universities
Academic Ranking of World Universities - 2013| Top 500 universities | Shanghai Ranking - 2013 | World University Ranking - 2013

In fact, the Bay Area is home to 2nd place Stanford, 3rd place Berkeley and 18th place UCSF. In the world.