The real Bay Area lifestyle (San Francisco, Oakland: house, job market, quality of life)

[dalparadise]

I've notice a lot of negativity about living in the Bay Area by those who lament that it's unaffordable or restrictively Liberal in its politics. But, what about the rest of us? What about those of us who are good at what we do for a living, and as such, came to the Bay Area to find a vibrant job market full of opportunity, expensive yet affordable housing, and quality of life indices that are off the chart?

For instance, I woke up today and felt kind of lazy. I watched the Giants game (10:30 start, because it was an away game), while I ate a sandwich made at a place on my block, which I walked to get. It was grilled Petaluma chicken, avocado, local bacon, etc. on Acme bread. I drank a local IPA with the sandwich. At the end of the game, my wife and I decided to go over to Treasure Island (admittedly random idea) to do some wine tasting-- there are 5-6 good wineries there. It took us 20 minutes to get to the island. We spent nearly two hours tasting wine and chatting with the winemakers who showed us around their property and explained the subtleties of the six wines they were sampling.

We then took in the view from Yerba Buena for awhile and headed back to the City, across the Bay Bridge. There was a good chop on the Bay and a lot of sailboats were out. I had the sunroof open and could smell eucalyptus in the salt air. The fog was pouring over Twin Peaks and wrapping itself around Sutro Tower. Alcatraz was fully socked in, but the sky was clear over the City and the sun was golden. It was picture-perfect, with lots of activity on the street, cable cars clanging, and tourists snapping shots of stuff I take for granted. We went the long way home, up through Chinatown and Nob Hill. Our soundtrack was acoustic singer/songwriters singing the virtues of California. It was impossible to disagree at this point.

Polk street was busy. We went 5MPH all the way from Pacific to Union. Lots of people were dining at sidewalk eateries, shopping at stores, or just walking. We parked in the basement of our building. Walked upstairs and cracked a bottle of old vine Zinfandel we picked up a few weeks ago in the Russian River Valley. We thought it would go well with the leftover Paxti's deep-dish pie with the fresh ricotta we had from last night.

While heating that up, the sun started setting through the fog advancing over the Presidio. The fog horns were already blaring from the Golden Gate Bridge out my open window. The air smelled like a flower shop. I put on some Miles.

Life was good.

Say what you want about how overpriced or crazy Liberal California is. If it suits your place in the world, there's nothing like a California lifestyle. My above description is the kind of thing people would plan for weeks for their vacation. We did it on a whim without even thinking.

Do I miss my 3000 square foot house in Texas? Not in the slightest.

[Ruth4Truth]

YEAH! That's one thing I've always loved about much of the Bay Area, and it's what I always miss when I live elsewhere: the walkability. The great grocery stores, the fab locally-made specialty breads, the VIEWS, and for sure--the cable cars in SF! And don't forget the redwoods, in the east Bay, as well as north and south Bay, and the eucalyptus.

Outdoor concerts in Stern Grove!

Glad you're enjoying yourself in Baghdad-by-the-Bay. Great thread!

[NorCal Dude]

Gotta love the hubris and classism under the guise of a cheerleading thread.

From a transplant.

Would be concerned, if it were not so cliche at this point.

I don't know if you need a hobby, a spouse, or a bible (maybe all three), but try humility next time. Much less off-putting.

[ccm123]

I am a Bay Area native, but did live for more than 20+ years in Southern California, before returning back "home". The great job market (I work in technology sales) and the presence of my family and the general weather and culture of the Bay Area is what keeps my family and I here. It is expensive, but I believe that an environment with a good quality life will be expensive.

[dalparadise]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

Gotta love the hubris and classism under the guise of a cheerleading thread.

From a transplant.

Would be concerned, if it were not so cliche at this point.

I don't know if you need a hobby, a spouse, or a bible (maybe all three), but try humility next time. Much less off-putting.

I have hobbies and a spouse (both noted in my post), but no need for a bible. What about a simple trip half-way across the Bay Bridge lacks humility in your estimation? Please make a point if you are able...

Surely your best criticism of me isn't the fact that I wasn't born here. That's an awfully pretentious, stereotypical San Francisco position. Especially coming from the distant Oakland suburbs.

[Ruth4Truth]

I had no idea there were wineries on TI! Thanks for posting, dal.

[NorCal Dude]

Originally Posted by dalparadise

I have hobbies and a spouse (both noted in my post), but no need for a bible. What about a simple trip half-way across the Bay Bridge lacks humility in your estimation? Please make a point if you are able...

I believe I have made my point already. Your lifestyle is no more the real life style than the eldery retiree who struggles to put on socks and pour a cup of coffee.

You are no better than the ditch digger who works their hardest and struggles to make ends meet.

I don't know what rest of us, you refer to. Well I do, but I don't have good opinions of people who are only concerned about 'the rest of us'.

At the very least, the irony of your post in which you dismiss detractors of liberalism yet display classism, should not be lost.


Try humility instead of hubris.

[Ruth4Truth]

His "lifestyle"? He walked down the block for a sandwich, and took a Sunday drive around town. And somebody has a problem with that??

[dalparadise]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

I had no idea there were wineries on TI! Thanks for posting, dal.

They are of fairly good quality, but are relatively expensive for tastings. Oh well...

The trade-off is the attention you get from the wine makers. It's a lot of fun and lacks all the pretense of many of the Wine Country tasting rooms.

Just hanging out on the island is a nice getaway. It's quiet and the views are incredible. Worth a trip, for sure.

[Pietro25]

Originally Posted by dalparadise

Life was good.

Indeed it is. Don't know why people give you grief for loving your life in a very, very beautiful place. I for one am tired of people bitching about SF on this forum. If it was as bad as the people on this forum make it out to be, no one would live here.

I spent Saturday hanging out with my grandchildren in Douglas Park in Noe Valley. Lots of beautiful parents and kids out there.