Does anyone want to move FROM the Bay Area? (San Diego: apartments, to rent)
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Yes there are the pros everyone talks about with regard to living here: proximity to the ocean, the mountains, the forests, etc. The practically perfect weather we experience, with a temperature span of 55-85 degrees. Lots of diverse nightlife in San Francisco. But what else?
The cost of living here is depressing; I currently spend half a month's salary on rent and utilities alone. I'd like to be a homeowner one day (I'm in my early 30's) but just don't believe a 1 BR condo should cost $450,000. And I'm single (making it harder to live when you're not sharing costs). I don't find people to be as friendly as tourists believe us to be; I've had difficulty making true friendships here. The conjestion irritates me and I'm a moderate in most of my viewpoints which makes it more of a challenge to find people with common ground.
I've lived all over the country but grew up here in the Bay Area which is why I returned. Continuing to live here feels like an addiction to a incredibly powerful drug - I know it's bad for me in the long term, but something about it makes it difficult to kick the addiction and stop.
I'm just wondering if anyone else shares similar sentiments and if so, where are people considering for relocation possibilities?
Continuing to live here feels like an addiction to a incredibly powerful drug - I know it's bad for me in the long term, but something about it makes it difficult to kick the addiction and stop.
I've been comparing living in SF with being in a bad relationship. There's enough good to keep me here, but I know in the long run it's not good for me.
Where are you finding 1BR apartments for $450K? I can't find any decent 1BR apartments for under $600K. Really depressing.
I moved here from Australia when I was in my 20s because of the liberalism and because it's so gay tolerant. I don't believe the gay tolerance is limited to SF anymore, so it's lost that edge. The Castro used to be a nice neighborhood. Now it feels lifeless and full of bars and tourists taking photos of all the bears outside the Starbucks on 18th. Depressing.
I honestly believe SF is a great place to experience, but it's not a life-long living solution. I'm in my 30s too and want to buy a house I am happy to live in. I don't want to pay $2000 for a 1BR apartment where I'm freezing all the time because of poor insulation, where I can hear my upstairs neighbor use the toilet, where I have to drive 30 mins every night to find parking, where I find syringes or have to call police to move the gang of pot-smokers off my back steps (btw, I live in Noe Valley, one of the better hoods of the city.)
Anyway, enough venom. My partner and I are heading to Seattle and Portland to check them out. Most of my friends - fairly liberal, well-educated, down-to-earth good people that I moved here for - have left SF. Some went to Portland and love it, some moved back East and don't love it so much.
I hope you don't feel bad for wanting to leave SF. Sometimes I feel like a loser for wanting to leave. I have to remind myself that I love this city and it has amazing things about it, but my needs have changed and I should try living somewhere else rather than stay here and moan about it.
I've also thought about moving back to Australia, but I'm not that desperate yet. What other areas are you thinking of? Minneapolis and parts of Colorado have also appealed to me.
Yes there are the pros everyone talks about with regard to living here: proximity to the ocean, the mountains, the forests, etc. The practically perfect weather we experience, with a temperature span of 55-85 degrees. Lots of diverse nightlife in San Francisco. But what else?
The cost of living here is depressing; I currently spend half a month's salary on rent and utilities alone. I'd like to be a homeowner one day (I'm in my early 30's) but just don't believe a 1 BR condo should cost $450,000. And I'm single (making it harder to live when you're not sharing costs). I don't find people to be as friendly as tourists believe us to be; I've had difficulty making true friendships here. The conjestion irritates me and I'm a moderate in most of my viewpoints which makes it more of a challenge to find people with common ground.
I've lived all over the country but grew up here in the Bay Area which is why I returned. Continuing to live here feels like an addiction to a incredibly powerful drug - I know it's bad for me in the long term, but something about it makes it difficult to kick the addiction and stop.
I'm just wondering if anyone else shares similar sentiments and if so, where are people considering for relocation possibilities?
I feel you pain man! I moved outta there to Las Vegas for the exact same reasons your going thru. I have to add the insane amount of taxes I use to pay because of not being able to write off a mortgage. Its a nice place to live, but Its just not worth the price you have to pay. Las Vegas is not for everyone, but I have found a good niche here in the type of business I'm in. I have no regrets and love living here. When I wanna visit the bay, Its just an hour away.
I have been deliberating this question for three years. I finally thought I got it out of my system last year but it's popped up again for me. Why are we still here? I think my main fear is if we moved and we found the other city less than desirable, we'd never be able to afford to move back.
We actually own a house here and lucked out when we bought in SF 10 years ago. So housing isn't really an issue for us, except if you consider living in a single family home where you can still hear your next door neighbor flush their toilet normal. We do know we could find a nicer home elsewhere but we'd insist on living in the city proper and not many compare to that.
Weather is a big one for me. After living in SF (foggy west side) the fog is really getting to me. I'm fine in the winter, I don't mind the rainy days but the fog happening when it's summer everywhere else, really bugs me! My 3 YO however, begs for the fog to come back whenever the sun is out, talk about a warped upbringing! I'd like to wear a short sleeve shirt more than 3 days of the year. Seriously!
Speaking of kids, most people leave once they have their second kid because they can't afford to send both of them to private schools here in the city. We're only planning one child so also not an issue but do I really want to send my kid to some elite school and have her grow up knowing a different reality than most other kids? I'm not so sure.
The people ... hmmm. Love em and hate em. Love the diversity hate the lack of diversity that's creeping in quickly. This is becoming an upper middle class city and everyone else is being pushed out. I feel it's a tad snooty sometimes and it's really getting to me. I think there is a class thing going on but it's very, very understated until you accidentally hit up against it and am shocked by how silly it all is.
Bad Drivers and bad transit! Are all the staff at the DMV asleep at work or something? SF has the WORST drivers I've ever seen! Every day I risk our lives venturing out. this morning my own close friend actually honked at me from behind and flipped me off before she figured out it was me . Meanwhile, I was patiently waiting for the pedestrians to cross legally before I made my left turn with my signal on. if that doesn't say bad, what does!
Places I'm looking? paris, ha ha. dream on. Seattle, Portland, Boston (very unlikely), and if anyone else wants to make a suggestion, I'd love to hear it!
Yep. We are on a time line for retiring early. It may not be exactly at 50, may be 51 or 52, but we will cash out and move. (Oh, yeah -- houses have to be selling again, too )
I'm tired tired tired of small postage stamp patches of dirt. Tired of hearing traffic, tired of cars being stolen (not ours -- because they are nicely maintained engines and interiors but beater outsides), boom boom music, gang tagging, tagging tagging, junkies in the street -- did I mention we didn't buy in a very nice area? Just a lot of theft -- no murders -- yet. My next door neighbor told us his friend put in sod and the next morning he went out to water it and it was GONE.
We figured the area was ripe for a turn around.... and that was 20 years ago.
Even though we've made a nice return on our house, we won't be able to sell it and buy nicer house out here in a better neighborhood without really cashing in all our retirement funds to do so. And still have a big mortgage.
Not gonna do it -- at 48, it's too late. If we were 30 or so -- in a heartbeat.
I can sell my home, invest the proceeds, put a nice down on a 200K house in PA (where we're from, and where I hope we'll end up again) and go from 1005 square feet two bed/1 bath to 2000-2500 square feet with 3 bed/3 bath on a a couple of acres -- with a finished basement...
No more hearing my neighbor sing in the shower as I eat breakfast. No more homeless people ringing my doorbell asking for "treasures" (junk) my husband has on the back of the truck... (Oh -- yeah -- my homeless people ask nicely if they can have stuff! I guess that's a plus!)
The only question is how do I get all the cats there....
Wow, You guys share all my burden because I have the same experience all of you guys went through. I would not recommend living or staying here in the long run. I in my early 30s too however am not able to afford anything in the city or would want to. I am planning to get some house in Daly city. That too is costly and have really lousy weather. I am planning to relocate my both our parents are in the city and baby sit them. I looking toward, San Ramon, Dublin, or Fremont where there is bigger Asian population. SF bay area depressing city because of the living standard . People have to have work like my dad work 7 day a week to keep up with the living standard.
As I write I am staring at my moving boxes. I am as of tommorrow a former Walnut Creek resident and forever say good bye to the bay area. The cost of living only soaks up my earnings and then some, leaving me to wonder why didn't I leave sooner. Perhaps the quiet and serene lifestyle with very little if any crime. Sure "Shangrila" Walnut Creek may be, but my wallet and credit cards say otherwise. I have purchased a 1600 square foot condo in Las Vegas for under $99,000 across from the Desert Shores Lake. That is a far cry from the $500,000 outrageous price tag for a condo in Walnut Creek. Folks run while you can, whether it is Walnut Creek, Concord or any other bay area community, the cost of living is out of control and an absolute maddening situation unless you earn $250,000 which for some of us is never going to happen unless you plan to become a marketing executive for a drug cartel. Which answers my question as to how those youngsters in Walnut Creek can afford to drive fresh from the dealer "Bentley's" and Porsches. Yes I am leaving the bay area because common sense tells me it's the bay area economy stupid! Las Vegas is still an incredible bargain when it comes to renting or buying, you will not be forced to give up your wallet. Take my good bay area friends and may the sun shine as we embark on our journey wherever it is that we move to. Good-bye!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by PurpleDSM
Yes there are the pros everyone talks about with regard to living here: proximity to the ocean, the mountains, the forests, etc. The practically perfect weather we experience, with a temperature span of 55-85 degrees. Lots of diverse nightlife in San Francisco. But what else?
The cost of living here is depressing; I currently spend half a month's salary on rent and utilities alone. I'd like to be a homeowner one day (I'm in my early 30's) but just don't believe a 1 BR condo should cost $450,000. And I'm single (making it harder to live when you're not sharing costs). I don't find people to be as friendly as tourists believe us to be; I've had difficulty making true friendships here. The conjestion irritates me and I'm a moderate in most of my viewpoints which makes it more of a challenge to find people with common ground.
I've lived all over the country but grew up here in the Bay Area which is why I returned. Continuing to live here feels like an addiction to a incredibly powerful drug - I know it's bad for me in the long term, but something about it makes it difficult to kick the addiction and stop.
I'm just wondering if anyone else shares similar sentiments and if so, where are people considering for relocation possibilities?
As I write I am staring at my moving boxes. I am as of tommorrow a former Walnut Creek resident and forever say good bye to the bay area. The cost of living only soaks up my earnings and then some, leaving me to wonder why didn't I leave sooner. Perhaps the quiet and serene lifestyle with very little if any crime. Sure "Shangrila" Walnut Creek may be, but my wallet and credit cards say otherwise. I have purchased a 1600 square foot condo in Las Vegas for under $99,000 across from the Desert Shores Lake. That is a far cry from the $500,000 outrageous price tag for a condo in Walnut Creek. Folks run while you can, whether it is Walnut Creek, Concord or any other bay area community, the cost of living is out of control and an absolute maddening situation unless you earn $250,000 which for some of us is never going to happen unless you plan to become a marketing executive for a drug cartel. Which answers my question as to how those youngsters in Walnut Creek can afford to drive fresh from the dealer "Bentley's" and Porsches. Yes I am leaving the bay area because common sense tells me it's the bay area economy stupid! Las Vegas is still an incredible bargain when it comes to renting or buying, you will not be forced to give up your wallet. Take my good bay area friends and may the sun shine as we embark on our journey wherever it is that we move to. Good-bye!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by PurpleDSM
Yes there are the pros everyone talks about with regard to living here: proximity to the ocean, the mountains, the forests, etc. The practically perfect weather we experience, with a temperature span of 55-85 degrees. Lots of diverse nightlife in San Francisco. But what else?
The cost of living here is depressing; I currently spend half a month's salary on rent and utilities alone. I'd like to be a homeowner one day (I'm in my early 30's) but just don't believe a 1 BR condo should cost $450,000. And I'm single (making it harder to live when you're not sharing costs). I don't find people to be as friendly as tourists believe us to be; I've had difficulty making true friendships here. The conjestion irritates me and I'm a moderate in most of my viewpoints which makes it more of a challenge to find people with common ground.
I've lived all over the country but grew up here in the Bay Area which is why I returned. Continuing to live here feels like an addiction to a incredibly powerful drug - I know it's bad for me in the long term, but something about it makes it difficult to kick the addiction and stop.
I'm just wondering if anyone else shares similar sentiments and if so, where are people considering for relocation possibilities?
Yes there are the pros everyone talks about with regard to living here: proximity to the ocean, the mountains, the forests, etc. The practically perfect weather we experience, with a temperature span of 55-85 degrees. Lots of diverse nightlife in San Francisco. But what else?
Honestly, I think the main reason people say these things over and over again is to justify and rationalize the expense and hassle of living here. Yeah, sure, there are nice things. Definitely. I'd say this is probably one of the better *cities* I've lived in.
But it's nuts.
Me, I'd move back to San Diego in a heartbeat, but due to work commitments and whatnot we'll likely be here for the next 3 years, and possibly after. We'll see.
Not that SD is perfect--it's expensive down there, too. But it ain't *this* expensive. And hey, at least you live in a beautiful setting with (some) culture and amazing year-round vacation weather.
Oh well, whatcha gonna do.
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. Meanwhile, I was patiently waiting for the pedestrians to cross legally before I made my left turn with my signal on. if that doesn't say bad, what does!
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