Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > California
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
View Poll Results: Why is the Bay area more expensive on average than So Cal?
It's because of the density of higher paying jobs, stupid 58 52.25%
The Bay area is so much nicer than So Cal, no really, I believe that 30 27.03%
So Cal is inhabited by uncivilized barbarians whereas the Bay area is not 10 9.01%
The fog is lovely in summer along the coast up this way, cool weather is nice, warm sucks 6 5.41%
People in So Cal do not even know how to read, right? 7 6.31%
Voters: 111. You may not vote on this poll

Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 03-07-2015, 02:41 PM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,052 posts, read 106,836,948 times
Reputation: 115779

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by LuvSouthOC View Post
The water issue is a red herring as it hardly goes to aesthetics.

I love the weather, food, environment, constantly blooming flowers, beaches, swimming opportunities (many days here, such as today in my pool), opportunities to hike so close to home, access to two awesome cities (LA and SD), access to Palm Springs/Rancho Mirage/Cathedral City, and to top it off, it is only 4 hours to Vegas (not ugly Reno).
OK, cool. We love having 4 seasons (on rare occasion, even snowfall!), opportunities to hike in the REDWOODS so close to home, beautiful beaches and in some locations, a rugged coastline, beautiful views of the Bay, winter skiing at TAHOE, summers at TAHOE or Yosemite, and a cool little compact jewel of a city with cable cars, museums, breathtaking views, a great park, cultural enclaves like the Russian district, Chinatown, etc., and a decent transportation system. Having Oakland and its museums, music scene and REDWOOD forest for hiking is also a draw for some people. Many of us aren't gamblers or partyers, so Reno/Vegas aren't relevant to our lives. But if that's what turns you on, go for it! Isn't it great that there are so many different environments that suit so many different people? I love diversity!

And did I mention the redwoods?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 03-07-2015, 02:45 PM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,052 posts, read 106,836,948 times
Reputation: 115779
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe View Post
There were a lot of "micro" apartments created during WW II era in the SF Bay Area, because there was a severe housing shortage due to a huge influx of soldiers and industrial jobs. Buildings were being converted to lots of tiny apartments. This was the case for the building I managed in Santa Clara. It was originally a two-story hardware store. That building has 26 apartments, 20 of which are studios. Some are bigger than others, because of how they had to work with the space they had, but most are around 250 square feet max. The owner I worked for, had a couple other buildings just like that one, around the east Bay, too - Alameda and Hayward, if I remember correctly which buildings were where.

The war changed the SF Bay Area in a huge way. This is a great article on it:

World War II created industrial, cultural revolution in Bay Area - SFGate



From the above article:

"The influx had two results - a severe housing shortage (the vacancy rate in Oakland fell to 0.06 percent at one point) and the construction of wartime housing projects.

Places like Richmond simply exploded. Richmond grew from 20,000 to 100,000 virtually overnight."


I wasn't aware of how the war changed the SF Bay Area, until I managed that building in Santa Clara, and the owners told me about it. I find it fascinating.

Though, I wouldn't be surprised if many of the old buildings have been renovated and they enlarged the apartments. The closets, for instance, in the building I managed, were microscopic - perfect for soldiers, but not for today's tenants, as a rule.
This is very interesting! Were those really to house soldiers, and if so, why didn't the military house them? Or was it for housing the labor that was drawn by the big war-effort shipbuilding and other industries? I wonder if some of those buildings or units are now being marketed to the tech crowd, as affordable mini-studios for people starting out?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-07-2015, 04:47 PM
 
Location: Pasadena, CA
9,828 posts, read 9,351,704 times
Reputation: 6288
Los Angeles has a far larger housing supply, with a larger working-class makeup (as a percentage of population) which means there is still an abundance of relatively affordable areas within the region.

For every Santa Monica (median home value: $999k) there's a Huntington Park (home value: $294k). The Bay Area has far fewer Huntington Parks percentage-wise.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-07-2015, 04:47 PM
 
Location: SF Bay Area
18,957 posts, read 32,406,811 times
Reputation: 13587
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth View Post
There was no option for "all of the above".

Bay Area-ites can't relate to LA. You'll never convince anyone who was born and raised in the area that SoCal is better. I can't even relate to that concept. Better, how? What is it you like about SoCal, OP? BTW, did you notice you're running out of water?
Some don't need convincing as they've seen it for themselves.

I suppose you didn't notice from New Mexico the entire state is running out of water and how low the reservoirs are in Northern CA, if SoCal has ran out of water than means NorCal has as well lol. A lot of areas of Northern CA have more severe water restrictions actually. San Diego is also almost done building a large desalination plant too, probably something other parts of the state might want to consider as well.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth View Post
OK, cool. We love having 4 seasons
"Indian Summer" is its own season now? Most of Northern CA has 3 seasons, although that's still one more than Southern CA.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-07-2015, 07:14 PM
 
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
1,153 posts, read 4,538,939 times
Reputation: 741
There's a lot of delusion among those born and raised in the Bay Area I think. Not a huge SoCal fan, but at least it seems superior to the South Bay/San Jose area. I only live in the Bay Area for my job; living here is like a pill I have to swallow every morning.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-07-2015, 07:26 PM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,052 posts, read 106,836,948 times
Reputation: 115779
Quote:
Originally Posted by sav858 View Post
Some don't need convincing as they've seen it for themselves.

I suppose you didn't notice from New Mexico the entire state is running out of water and how low the reservoirs are in Northern CA, if SoCal has ran out of water than means NorCal has as well lol. A lot of areas of Northern CA have more severe water restrictions actually. San Diego is also almost done building a large desalination plant too, probably something other parts of the state might want to consider as well.

"Indian Summer" is its own season now? Most of Northern CA has 3 seasons, although that's still one more than Southern CA.
The far northern parts of the state are doing ok, though their reservoirs are low.

OK, so winter is no longer an annual event. Less for the LA transplants to complain about, I guess.
But there was a spectacular snowfall a few years ago, on Mt. Diablo and Walnut Creek....
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-07-2015, 07:34 PM
 
495 posts, read 606,796 times
Reputation: 373
Northern California is more progressive, more sophisticated, more high tech, and it is real nice having a natural A/C system in summer in the bay

It is lovely and it is a matter of preference to prefer hotter air from the south. But seriously Bay Area residents don't have to travel too far outside SF to see Warmer weather ...just go to San Jose or Sunnyvale or Napa

The San Francisco scenery is no less nice than So Cal.
Also SF wins 1000 fold over LA on Public Transportation and mass transit

Both offer very different amenities so it's harsh to compare. It's like comparing the Swiss Alps to Newport Beach. And then it comes down to what are you looking for?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-07-2015, 07:41 PM
 
495 posts, read 606,796 times
Reputation: 373
Quote:
Originally Posted by NYMTman View Post
There's a lot of delusion among those born and raised in the Bay Area I think. Not a huge SoCal fan, but at least it seems superior to the South Bay/San Jose area. I only live in the Bay Area for my job; living here is like a pill I have to swallow every morning.
You haven't done a lot of walking the parks and getting scenic views? Taking in the Architecture and bike-friendly walk-friendly pedestrian passages between the Wharf and Union and Haight and the Ocean Beach? Come on get on your feet. what about the Thai food? The ice cream? The Japan town?

How can one not like SF? People pay a lot for these amenities and if you aren't even using them, you are ripping yourself off by nesting in it. I agree if you are not using SF amenities it is an awful value package. Use it or lose it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-07-2015, 09:19 PM
 
411 posts, read 717,403 times
Reputation: 460
both SoCal and NoCal have strong NIMBYism that reduce housing supply, but NoCal's NIMBYism is worse and has more natural restraints on land that can be built on. It's very difficult, complex, time-consuming, and expensive to build anything in the SF Bay Area. Most of the Bay Area is littered with offices of high tech companies employing hundreds of thousands of highly paid ppl, yet it's also nearly all 1-2 storey suburban houses sitting on large plots -- too many good jobs; too little housing supply
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-07-2015, 09:26 PM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,052 posts, read 106,836,948 times
Reputation: 115779
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ericthebean View Post
You haven't done a lot of walking the parks and getting scenic views? Taking in the Architecture and bike-friendly walk-friendly pedestrian passages between the Wharf and Union and Haight and the Ocean Beach? Come on get on your feet. what about the Thai food? The ice cream? The Japan town?

How can one not like SF? People pay a lot for these amenities and if you aren't even using them, you are ripping yourself off by nesting in it. I agree if you are not using SF amenities it is an awful value package. Use it or lose it.
The architecture in many parts of the Bay Area is something I missed when I was living in Seattle. I didn't realize how much I took for granted until I didn't have it. And all those hidden scenic walkways!

What's your favorite ice cream place? We had an ice cream thread on the Bay Area forum once, but I think you missed it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > California

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top