Another "New Yorker" looking to move w/o a job. (Oakland: sublet, apartments)

[conflictedgirl2011]

I've been considering SF for about 2 years now but realize the only way I can make it happen is to quit my job and move without anything lined up. There's no way to find a job from across the country.

The conundrum is leaving my job here to move to a new city where everything is unknown but that's for me to sort out in my head.

I'm a bit surprised by the average rent for rooms. I'm one of the lucky few who live in a Manhattan rent controlled apartment ($850 a month, a steal) so I wonder if my cost of living would really increase that much. Can I find a room to sublet for under $1000 in an area with easy commute to the downtown area?

What is the job market really like? I'm a sociable late 20s female with 5 years experience in online marketing/SEO/social media. I work for a pretty big company right now. I don't make that much money ($66k) but I would imagine I'd get paid around the same in SF. I have zero debt, no school loans, no kids, no financial obligations other than rent, utilities, cell, subway pass and food. My total expenses here in NYC are about $1500 and I've been roughly saving the same amount each month in preparation for this life change. I dont have hobbies that cost money other than going to the gym and I live quite frugally.

I'm looking to move after the new year and hope to have around $7500 saved up. Is this a reasonable amount to live off of while I job hunt? Has anyone else moved this way without a job and such low savings?

I'm so confused about leaving the stability I have here but what's it worth if I'm really unhappy? I've tried so hard to try to like living in NYC but at the end of the day I know it's run it's course and I want to move out west. I know it's not smart to do during these times but how else do I do it? This was probably more of a vent than anything so thanks for reading. I know it's crazy to move without a job so save yourself the trouble. I know! But I don't know how else to move. I'm still thinking about it so lets see. If anyone that has done this can respond, I'd appreciate your feedback.

[mayorhaggar]

Well I moved to SF with about $18 in my bank account but that was in 2004. When the economy is good here then it's easy to find a job, I imagine NYC is similar. Right now it sucks. Tech is kind of having a boom but I wouldn't bank on finding a job right away. If you are all that marketable then you should be able to garner some interest from the other side of the US, or you could try and schedule a bunch of interviews and then come here for a week or two to do them.

SF is not Manhattan expensive, I'd say it's the nice parts of Brooklyn expensive. $7200 is a lot to bring but you'd burn through it. You can definitely live with roommates in SF for around $600 to 900 a month depending on how big your room is and whether it's out in the foggy Sunset District or not.

Sounds to me like you have a good job and are living the dream in NYC with a cheap place in Manhattan, I'd kill for that. If you can't get any interviews out here I'd stick tight and wait and see what happens with the economy. I'd love to move to NYC some day but as long as the economy is crappy I'm not going to take a chance on doing what I did when I moved here back in the day. Plus eventually you'd probably get tired of SF and California, and as soon as you arrive here you'd probably be one of "those" New Yorkers who keeps comparing SF to NYC and can't figure out why SF isn't NYC...

[workerant]

I would like to do the same as you - find a job in SF and I am having the same concerns of how to accomplish it. I lived in NYC for many years, pre- 911, (100yr old Cold Water Flat in Chelsea,$300 mo. bathtub in kitchen, private toilet in the hall!), but developed burn out,(you can see why)!. Since ten years is the shelf life for most NY'ers, and the local economy was dead, I had made the decision to go. I moved to South Miami Beach and the local economy there was booming at that time. Its always better to relocate to a good economy than a bad one.

Now after another 10 years I want to go again. The economy here sucks and I want to move to a larger city, more diverse with more to do. Unfortunately it costs big bucks to live in big cities. Due to the economy across the country, (I am in the construction/historic restoration field), I prefer to sit tight until I find the right job,(who knows how long that will be), before I blow all my savings and gamble on a long shot in a bad economy. I hear you should have a local address and phone# but it just depends. I hear employers won't take a chance on out- of- towners for fear they will not stay and they will have to spend more to find another candidate. Maybe this is true but I continue to peruse a cross country job search and so should you. Just sayin'

[Tallysmom]

In my opinion 7500 isn't enough -- double that, or better yet triple it. Unemployment is bad out here. You'll be out of work for at least 6 months to a year.

But the question you have to ask youself is why are you unhappy? Is it something fixable? Is moving the answer, or is it just something you can focus on to escape the unhappiness?

It's just that I've know some people that were unhappy and moved.... and where they were wasn't the problem. Once they settled in again... they were unhappy again.

[chup76]

Yeah 7500 isn't enough. Should get a job lined up before moving over otherwise you'll burn through your savings in less than 6 months. Why risk it? as the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

[gone down south]

$7500 is 3 or 4 months rent and living expenses, that's not much of a cushion.

[conflictedgirl2011]

hi all.

Thanks for your feedback. When I moved to NYC it was incredibly challenging to convince employers to interview me as they had a million local options even though I was living just 2 hours away. I'm sending out my resume to SF positions but i'm still mid level in my career so it's not like I'm super senior with many years work experience for them to overlook my residency.

I don't like living here for many reasons. I dislike the winter very much for starters. I like being outside and being involved in fitness and health activities and I know the west coast is big on the outdoors and being active. The winters here are just are miserable. It's also dirty, cramped, too congested and a transient place. Alot of people are flaky and many of the friends I've made have moved away! Not many people i've met since moving stayed for a long time. Obviously there are flaky people everywhere but I think many people just come here to have fun and when they get bored they leave or have gotten married and left. NYC has many great benefits which I enjoy but it's just too fast and too hostile. I'm looking for a more low key but still happening city where I can feel more involved in, not live in a shoebox apartment, find good stable people to surround myself with and be out and about and not trek through blizzards half the year. And there are many other reasons why I want to leave but the most important one is that I'm ready for a change and I know SF would suit me better.

In regards to the $$ saved, I realize that that's not enough but I wouldnt blow my life savings on this gamble. That's how much I've saved for this purpose and wouldnt tap into other savings. However, it's a ton of money to just "waste" so that' why i'm so confused. I know people move with less and things work out but its still a risk. A risk I'm not so ready for yet.

[mayorhaggar]

Do what you want, and if you do get a job then living here is extremely easy, but you might find it's not paradise.

a) winters are definitely milder than anywhere in the Northeast, but they still suck here. In SF it's around 40-50 every day in winter with a few patches where it dips down to more like 35 even in mid-day. It's not 0F but it's not 70F either. Housing here is very rarely insulated well and usually have crappy heaters so most apartments are pretty miserable from around December to March. The worst part is that it rains a LOT in winter. It's cold rain and it gets into everything so not only are you cold, you're also wet. It's still better than snow and ice but it is a pain in the ass.

b) people here are flaky but I find it's more of an urban thing than a California thing. It's hard to find people who want to go out and do anything spontaneously, people like to schedule everything (then back out at the last minute) and lots of people work so much and have such long commutes that they never want to do anything.

c) apartments are pretty small here, not Manhattan small but still small for what you pay. Pretty much anywhere you go in SF is crowded, especially if you're shopping or riding public transit.

[Natural510]

You may be happier in Oakland; the Lake area is very active with joggers, and the apartments both larger and cheaper, with good walkability to transit, restaurants, Farmers Markets, etc. Weather is also better than windy/foggy SF.
I agree you may be resorting to credit card debt if you don't find something right away, but if you're truly not happy the move may be worth it. People are pretty "flaky" in the Bay Area, also...

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by conflictedgirl2011

hi all.

Thanks for your feedback. When I moved to NYC it was incredibly challenging to convince employers to interview me as they had a million local options even though I was living just 2 hours away. I'm sending out my resume to SF positions but i'm still mid level in my career so it's not like I'm super senior with many years work experience for them to overlook my residency.

I don't like living here for many reasons. I dislike the winter very much for starters. I like being outside and being involved in fitness and health activities and I know the west coast is big on the outdoors and being active. The winters here are just are miserable. It's also dirty, cramped, too congested and a transient place. Alot of people are flaky and many of the friends I've made have moved away! Not many people i've met since moving stayed for a long time. Obviously there are flaky people everywhere but I think many people just come here to have fun and when they get bored they leave or have gotten married and left. NYC has many great benefits which I enjoy but it's just too fast and too hostile. I'm looking for a more low key but still happening city where I can feel more involved in, not live in a shoebox apartment, find good stable people to surround myself with and be out and about and not trek through blizzards half the year. And there are many other reasons why I want to leave but the most important one is that I'm ready for a change and I know SF would suit me better.

In regards to the $$ saved, I realize that that's not enough but I wouldnt blow my life savings on this gamble. That's how much I've saved for this purpose and wouldnt tap into other savings. However, it's a ton of money to just "waste" so that' why i'm so confused. I know people move with less and things work out but its still a risk. A risk I'm not so ready for yet.

Not sure if you've thought of or tried this, but you may find that the outer Boroughs or even the outright burbs where you are may be a good fit. Especially in the outdoor activities department. My finding has been the people in the inner Boroughs are often quite unfamiliar with their "near abroad" - it's an entirely different world.