Moving to SF, I am really wondering how do people afford their apartments (San Francisco: upper-class, townhouse)

[hsw]

Bus drivers and other govt workers in SF are paid >$100K/yr (IIRC, SF has ~800K people and ~8K govt workers who are paid >$100K/yr); are immune to any recession; and cannot easily be fired no matter how inept

Very few respected engineers/entrepreneurs at tech start-ups live or work in SF...that crowd lives/works in PA area and works 100hrs/wk until one earns enough money to semi-retire....and then can casually commute to PA area from a house in SF's PacHts or some new condo tower in FinDt in some new $200K commuter car on 280...a damn civilized lifestyle after one has earned bucks (and for poor, aimless non-engineers who can't afford a car or can't drive, various BigTech cos. run buses from SF to SV to truck in slackers from SF's slums)

Need to remember that most younger folks with serious money in SF worked non-stop as engineers or financiers in some mundane suburban office park in SV for first 5-10yrs post-college before acquiring all the trinkets of the life of an upscale workaholic...

[gnomatic]

Originally Posted by hsw

Need to remember that most younger folks with serious money in SF worked non-stop as engineers or financiers in some mundane suburban office park in SV for first 5-10yrs post-college before acquiring all the trinkets of the life of an upscale workaholic...

Disturbingly accurate. For engineers (not sure about the other folks), there really is not much time for anything but work. So you live close to work, go home mostly to sleep. The "scene" is irrelevant. It's amazing the amount of money you save when you don't have the time to spend it.

I got a distinct impression, those buses that runs from SF down to MV...are full of mostly non-engineers. The engineers barely leave the campus to go home and sleep (I suspect a few don't).

It should be noted, due to high office space rent in MV & PA. Startups are being lured to SF due to the low rent and low occupancy rate in SOMA.

[uptown_urbanist]

I think some of your issues may be related to differences in neighborhoods (as noted by some others, I think); we, too, have lived in both Hollywood and San Francisco, and things were definitely much cheaper in LA. LA overall is cheaper, of course, which helped, but some of it was just that some of LA's more interesting/"happening" neighborhoods are cheaper than the potentially safer and more upscale but less exciting LA neighborhoods. In SF the cheaper neighborhoods are often the less trendy places. You can also get a lot more for your money if you get rid of the car.

Essentially, though, it comes down to the fact that San Francisco is simply a more expensive city than LA. Rent is more, parking costs more, food often costs more, etc. Not to mention that it sounds like you were getting an unusually cheap place in Hollywood if you were able to keep rent and parking and utilities under $1,000. I'll echo lmk1707's comments on that. If you were willing to compromise on something in LA to get it down to that price and you're willing to do that in SF then you should be able to find something in your budget; if you have a great place in Hollywood for that price then you should consider yourself very lucky and debate whether or not the other benefits that come with living in SF are worth downgrading other aspects of your life.

[EastBayDefector]

Originally Posted by Mitoman

Right now I live right in the center of hollywood, which gives me access to the hottest clubs in walking distance, and I can afford my VIP entrance anytime I go.

I can tell by the way you are talking about Hollywood that you will not like SF. Believe me I know. Hollywood is awesome. SF is dirty.

It's hard for me to believe you can't find the same opportunities in L.A. that you say you'll have in SF. Work hard down here to find them. It is not worth moving up there. Trust me, you will be miserable, even if you are making millions up there.

The East Bay and SF culture is designed to destroy the Southern Californian soul. I wouldn't live up there if someone paid me a million bucks a day. There is literally NOTHING to do but wallow in filth, homelessness, and bad weather.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by EastBayDefector

The East Bay and SF culture is designed to destroy the Southern Californian soul. I wouldn't live up there if someone paid me a million bucks a day. There is literally NOTHING to do but wallow in filth, homelessness, and bad weather.

Your deep obsession with hating on NorCal is beyond tedious, annoying, and pointless. We get it. Keep it in the I Hate SF thread if you must keep repeating yourself, lest you really want to portray yourself as a bitter freak who somehow got his feelings hurt up north.

Funny thing is, this is exactly what many in SF are accused of in regards their neverending shyte-talking about L.A.

[Mitoman]

Originally Posted by EastBayDefector

I can tell by the way you are talking about Hollywood that you will not like SF. Believe me I know. Hollywood is awesome. SF is dirty.

It's hard for me to believe you can't find the same opportunities in L.A. that you say you'll have in SF. Work hard down here to find them. It is not worth moving up there. Trust me, you will be miserable, even if you are making millions up there.

I have my reasons, jobs in LA mostly offers me security with a good paycheck but nothing more. Jobs around SF offers me knowledge of how to do a start up and potentially make big impacts. LA is a city filled with actors and actress which that are very good looking, and I just don't have the talent to break into entertainment industry and make it big. And the biggest advantage there is that if it doesn't work out with current job offer, I can easily, easily find another job around the neighborhood.

Another thing, in SV the rent might cost the same, but the amenities are just as good as LA/OC, jacuzzi, pool are included for $1200-$1600 apartments where in SF I can get a 400 square foot studio if I am lucky. So you are getting a lot of stuff for you bucks.

Getting rid of my car isn't really an option, maybe I can convince my company to pay for the parking around the company to get rid of that cost... I will be driving to SV quiet often, just for all the events which I am driving up from LA all the time

I am just surprised at living standards in SF and wondering how can people even afford those standards. After few days of surfing craigslist, I can't even share a room with private bath for under $1800 anywhere. It doesn't really cost me any less since i can get a studio for same amount unless I want to share bathroom with somebody.

If a government worker in SF can easily make over 100k+, maybe I should really look into being a government worker in SF lol, which I don't have to do anything at work other than working on my start up, it will be hard to fire me and I get a big paycheck + health benefits... that looks like a really good option.

[alllegra]

Most people seem to have roomates.

[NorCal Dude]

I've seen people sacrafice just about anything and everything to live in the city

[gotigers123]

Originally Posted by Mitoman

I am just surprised at living standards in SF and wondering how can people even afford those standards. After few days of surfing craigslist, I can't even share a room with private bath for under $1800 anywhere. It doesn't really cost me any less since i can get a studio for same amount unless I want to share bathroom with somebody.

Yikes. I would hope someone making "almost 100k" would have better Craigslist searching skills than that.

Shared rooms start at about $600. 1BR apartments start at about $1600. Studios around $1200.

SF is more expensive than LA - get used to it. Salaries are also higher.

[Texas User]

They have bunch of people living together, very high income, temp living, vacations.