Tracy vs San franscisco? (San Francisco, Stockton: employment, neighborhood, school)

[04kL4nD]

SF is a playground for the rich. Sure $400k + seems like a lot of money to most people, but that's solidly middle class for SF. I'd move to Tracy and be a big fish in a small pond. Plus, less techies and homeless people pooping on your doorstep. You can thank me later

[justinbro2002]

I have my doubts that this post is real because what employer is there in Tracy that would offer $430k/yr? You could live like a king in Tracy on that salary but in San Francisco that would only be upper middle class status.

[deselection]

Originally Posted by Bayarea4

San Francisco, hands down. Tracy is a bedroom community with lots of tract house subdivisions for families with children and not much else. Housing is cheap but there's zero culture and night life, and the weather is awful. I'd give it a pass if I were you.

Thanks for the answer.

I don't get what the gripe is about. If you are talking about the salary, I am an interventional radiologist, just finished my fellowship. That salary is about average for my job.

The reason for the question is because I have lived in a medium town (alexandria, VA) and would pick that over any big city.

Also, this may be temporary. I plan to live dirt-cheap this year to finish off my student debt and then graduate to a more loftier abode.

[04kL4nD]

Ah, so you did came here to brag...

E high five to you, sir! You make far more than most!

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by deselection

I have two job offers, one in Tracy for $430k and one in San francisco for $470k. Single, 33 years old, looking for good night life. Never have lived or been to the West Coast. Thoughts?

If you are looking for good night life Tracy is out. It is a small bedroom community in the San Joaquin Valley. It might be a good choice for someone with kids who was looking for a very quiet place and for someone who does not mind very hot summer weather.

I recommend Livermore if you are considering the Tracy position. It is a reverse commute on the very congested 580 freeway. It has a small downtown, it is closer to Walnut Creek nightlife and closer to SF for trips on your days off.

You have many options in SF if you do not mind spending a lot of money on rent for a small place in a crowded area. There are no dirt cheap living options within a reasonable commute of SF but if I was trying to save money I would look in the city of South San Francisco.

[DrOctagon]

If you want to live dirt cheap, you won't do it in SF. If you want medium town instead of big city, you don't want SF. I think this will be the only time I'll ever suggest someone move to Tracy, CA over San Francisco.

Good luck to you.

[artemis78]

Do you like Alexandria? If so, then what you want to do is pick SF, but live outside SF proper. (For those not familiar with it, Alexandria is a city of 150K immediately across the Potomac River from--and 10-15 minutes by Metro to--Washington, DC. It's essentially an inner streetcar suburb of DC.)

I'd go with SF, but check out the more residential neighborhoods farther out on the Muni lines (Sunset, Richmond, Noe or Cole Valleys, etc.) and also the neighborhoods across the Bay (Oakland, Berkeley) depending on where your job is. Tracy is not going to be anything remotely like Alexandria, if you were comparing size and thinking it might be. What you want, assuming you enjoyed living in Alexandria, is the same scale of neighborhood just outside or on the periphery of a larger city. That does exist in the SF area although the vibe is a bit different than the DC suburbs, and with your salary you'll fortunately have your pick of which one to live in.

[Bayarea4]

Originally Posted by deselection

Thanks for the answer.

I don't get what the gripe is about. If you are talking about the salary, I am an interventional radiologist, just finished my fellowship. That salary is about average for my job.

The reason for the question is because I have lived in a medium town (alexandria, VA) and would pick that over any big city.

Also, this may be temporary. I plan to live dirt-cheap this year to finish off my student debt and then graduate to a more loftier abode.

The reason I suggested San Francisco is that Tracy is a really boring place to live if you are single. But if you don't like big cities, you want "dirt cheap" and it's only temporary, it might work for you. Just be aware that Tracy has absolutely nothing to offer besides cheap housing.

[sonarrat]

Tracy is where working blue-collar people in the Bay Area go for cheap(ish) housing to raise their kids. They endure truly abysmal commutes over the Altamont Pass to job centers in Pleasanton, San Francisco, San Jose, etc.. burning lots of gas and wasting countless hours of their lives in search of a better home life. It's not a bad place per se, but it's where people settle for less because they can't afford the better options.

[NOLA101]

Is there like one job in Tracy that pays that kind of money? And who would live in that dump even if you made only half that?

And radiologists really make a half-million right out of school? Geez, what have I been doing wrong? I know plenty of MDs making around 100k+; I guess they should have all been radiologists in Tracy of all places...