Picking up and moving to SF without any plans.. (condo, home)

[mdwstrnkid]

Just to give you some perspective on difficult it can be to land a job. A restaurant recently advertised a part-time server position and asked people to show up between 1 and 3pm - 327 people showed up.

Eater SF: Times Like These

[Bunjee]

Yikes. I don't suppose I can dissuade you, can I? I mean, you can be a writer anywhere. Imagination shouldn't depend on your environment; in fact, any environment that you completely understand will ignite it. Even boredom is a state of thought that's worthy of curiosity. San Francisco's a fun place but it won't create creativity in anyone. That's a sometimes unrecognized fact that frankly leads to bad art.

That said, if you're gonna do this then it's do-able, I guess. There are warehouse situations, and you will be living like a dog, but you need to know someone. It's super easy to meet people though it's pure blind luck to find the really open ones over the very common clique-y type. You might find better luck in Oakland, but BARTing across the bay into SF on a regular basis can get expensive if you're living like a dog in the first place.

Find a menial trade for work, some kind of good skill like custom framing or upholstery. Start collecting a skill set one by one. Sorry, but learn office work like Excel and Word. If you feel above it, too bad. Write an essay about how much you despise the pink collar, but put it on anyway. Tough. I say this with the deepest affection. That is, good luck to you.

[uptown_urbanist]

I, too, usually have a very "go for it" kind of attitude, but this sounds like a recipe for disaster. "Living cheap" in SF is tough, and there are not many jobs right now, even of the "simple" kind.

Be aware also that you shouldn't depend on any writing income for a long time - even if you manage to sell your work (sounds like you're an aspiring novelist?) the publishing industry moves slowly, doesn't usually pay that well, is extremely competitive, and while it's great to have making a living as an author as a long-term goal you're going to have a tough time paying rent with that in the short-term.

I would consider other cities as well, maybe in states with better job markets and more affordable costs of living, or, if you decide that you want to risk SF right now, then do make sure you have enough money to return home or to move on somewhere else if things don't work out. I wish you the best, but the reality is that you'll want a safety net, just in case. This is about the worse time possible to make this kind of move.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by lalablahblah

How feasible/possible is it to simply move to San Francisco with nothing but maybe some cash to pay for a couple nights at a motel and the food and water? Is it too hard these days(Or any other day) to come into the city, find a simple job(Flipping burgers,etc.) and live cheap off of that for a while?

Very simply, right now is not the time to do that. Times are very tight, jobs of all kinds are scarce and our rents are high. Our food is high.

If you had someone to crash with for a while till you land on your feet that's one thing, but right now, I'm afraid the one poster is right -- you'll end up homeless.

[redwoodlvr]

Originally Posted by lalablahblah

How feasible/possible is it to simply move to San Francisco with nothing but maybe some cash to pay for a couple nights at a motel and the food and water? Is it too hard these days(Or any other day) to come into the city, find a simple job(Flipping burgers,etc.) and live cheap off of that for a while?

I admire your free spiritedness, but I would not land in SF without a very solid game plan or a job or a good friend's guaranteed use of their couch for at least 6 months. I don't even think Jack Kerouac would've made a move like this now.

[watcheronthewall]

No. You'll end up homeless in a week. It's way too expensive here to do this. How much cash do you have? You could rent a room for awhile in a dump if that sounds appealing to you.

[Jonotastic]

No...that's like saying, if I was given a 10,000 sq foot house, could I live in it working at Burger King.

[mr bolo]

only if you had relatives you could stay with

NO WAY!

[Aylalou]

I was talking to a hair stylist last year who did just that. She and her b/f spent some nights sleeping in their car or getting a hotel room in the Mission district that was really disgusting. They were forced to come back but were glad they tried it out.

[sarakp]

please do not do this! you will seriously regret it. i came here with no job but had interviews lined up & family to live with.