Is there anyone here who actually loves living in San Francisco?! (Richmond: lawyer, house)

[Mach50]

I have a 10-1 Positive to Negative ratio here in the Bay. That's not bad, considering In NYC I had about 3-1, and in SoCal I had a dismal rate of 1-100000....

[NorCal Dude]

No, no one loves living in San Fransisco. People don't love it to the point that they will pay what ever the price to live here. Former natives are not mad because they can't afford the neighborhoods they grew up in. Oh wait... I mean really what kind of a question is this? Of course people like living in SF. Do you think it happens to be a city of 700k where everyone is sad? Because this would be quite a psychological and scientific phenomena.

[Tiger Beer]

I loved living in San Francisco as well.

But, the COSTS of living there means you can't really enjoy it. Otherwise, it is an amazing city, I can't think of anything I don't like except the costs.

[NorCal Dude]

Correction, the cost of living meant you could not enjoy it. There are plenty o' wealthy and plenty of middle class people, and even plenty of homeless who enjoy SF.

[jbunniii]

I loved living in the Inner Sunset at $1450/month for a 2-bedroom apartment. I doubt I would love what I would have to pay to move back now, and I would really dislike the commute to the South Bay where I now work.

[Boompa]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

No, no one loves living in San Fransisco. People don't love it to the point that they will pay what ever the price to live here. Former natives are not mad because they can't afford the neighborhoods they grew up in. Oh wait... I mean really what kind of a question is this? Of course people like living in SF. Do you think it happens to be a city of 700k where everyone is sad? Because this would be quite a psychological and scientific phenomena.

You sound positively upset that so many people don't agree with you. I loved living in San Francisco, just as most of the people who have responded. When I retired I guess I could have stayed but there were other considerations. Most people I know there wouldn't go anywhere else.

[NorCal Dude]

How do equate jovial sarcasm to being upset? I'm just of the belief that more people are happy in SF vs transplants who got spit up and chewed out and are bitter and natives who can't afford to live here. If people were not happy here there would not be waiting lists for craigslist studios. People would not be outbidding each other for 700k bungalows in the midst of a real estate crash that has CRIPPLED the rest of the state.

I mean come on, its SF, of course people love it. And if it were more affordable it would be as packed as manhattan.

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

How do equate jovial sarcasm to being upset? I'm just of the belief that more people are happy in SF vs transplants who got spit up and chewed out and are bitter and natives who can't afford to live here. If people were not happy here there would not be waiting lists for craigslist studios. People would not be outbidding each other for 700k bungalows in the midst of a real estate crash that has CRIPPLED the rest of the state.

I mean come on, its SF, of course people love it. And if it were more affordable it would be as packed as manhattan.

Don't worry..I'm pretty sure everyone else got that you were being sarcastic.

[mdwstrnkid]

Originally Posted by destroycreate

All the complainers, pessimists, and debbie downers. It's getting old. It seems like the only people on this forum bash SF relentlessly and only focus on the cities shortcomings.

So who actually loves living in San Francisco, and why? What makes it, in your opinion, one of the better cities in the US to live in? Do you think the negatives of SF are grossly overexaggerated?

My wife and I love living in San Francisco. This is coming from a guy who grew up in the Midwest and never envisioned living in the city. We love the fact that there are so many different things to do in the City (and the fact that we can walk to many of these things). We are both foodies and the restaurant scene here is pretty amazing. We love the diversity of the City and the Bay Area in general.

Of course, the big downside is cost. The bump in income here relative to other metro areas is usually not enough to offset the increased cost of living. Certainly many of the things that we like to do involve some cost, which we are fortunately able to afford with two incomes (and no kids - not yet at least)

[Tallysmom]

I don't love it, but I don't hate it. We're getting older and our priorities and likes and dislikes are changing. We no longer shop and shop, our house is full. A lot of the fun cool places we liked to shop at are gone. And have been for years.

Eating out is something we do when I don't want to cook, as I've become a pretty good cook and since our income is up and we no longer spend vicariously on stuff we have more money for food. (Yesterday was homemade chicken noodle soup, and today is bacon wrapped scallops in a bourbon Dijon marinade. There may be maple syrup in there, too -- I can't remember the recipe.)

We like hanging around the house, and shopping online and being together and working our business together.... and we can do the same thing anywhere else.

And if that's the case, why not be closer to family?

That's why when we retire in a few years, we're very likely leaving here, and heading back east.

And it's not a slam against the Bay Area -- when I was young, this place was cool. But it does remind me of a college music teacher I had years ago. He told me in no uncertain terms I would outgrow Gershwin. I told him he was full of crap. I never did outgrow Gershwin... but I think I have outgrown the Bay Area.