Would you leave the Bay Area if you could?

[04kL4nD]

Exactly. People don't seem to realize that cutting your salary in half to live in place that costs less doesn't automatically mean your standard of living remains the same. If anything, it's often a HUGE downgrade, other than living in a bigger place, which doesn't matter very much to people who don't have children. If I lived anywhere else, I'd probably be making 40k MAX. Sure my rent would be a lot lower, but that's also way less money to spend on traveling/entertainment/etc. Personally, I think it's way easier to live on a larger salary in high cost of living area, than to live on a low salary in a low cost area. What happens if you get sick? Your car breaks down? You have to catch an emergency flight somewhere? Not as easy as when you make a lot more money and have more disposable income.

Now, if I had several kids to take care of, the Bay Area would be a really poor choice, unless I grew up in the area and was lucky enough to buy a house decades ago.

[Tallysmom]

It really is a numbers game. Back when I worked at the bank, I had a number of clients who were lured here by big pay raises... only to find out the pay raise wasn't commensurate with the costs. It was a pay cut. (This was many years ago)

Now it sounds like the worm has turned and the powers that be are paying very well.... and if you choose to leave the area, you need to take a look at everything -- not just housing. Cost of living vs cost of living well.

Sites like City Data can be helpful because you can see what's what in other parts of the country. It's weird to me to go back home and not be able to buy beer or wine in the grocery store. But where I want to live, I can go over state lines and smuggle booze back....but at the rate I drink, I can't imagine the state would be bothered at losing 3 bucks a year in taxes!

[fluffythewondercat]

Originally Posted by Cruithne

Here's my personal litmus test...when you leave the Bay Area for some reason, maybe vacation or whatever, when you come back - are you glad to be back or not?

Coming across the Dumbarton or San Mateo Bridge, the views are striking. I suppose if I commuted across the Bay every day I wouldn't notice that. But I live on the Peninsula and work from home.

However, I'm not happy to return to a place where so many other people want to tell me how to live and where more personal freedoms are curtailed every year. You want to stay where the inmates are running the asylum, feel free. Just don't move to where I'm going and try to change it into California.

Yes, we're leaving. Timeframe ~two years.

If you are not glad to be back then you are in the wrong place. Life is too short to be be miserable.
There's a whole world out there.

Indeed there is. I can't wait to get out.

[tialex]

I feel like the bay area looks great on paper, but you are either the creator of Facebook or you live in Section 8. Everyone else is just "getting by"... I can't wait to leave this place.

[shooting4life]

Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat

Coming across the Dumbarton or San Mateo Bridge, the views are striking. I suppose if I commuted across the Bay every day I wouldn't notice that. But I live on the Peninsula and work from home.

However, I'm not happy to return to a place where so many other people want to tell me how to live and where more personal freedoms are curtailed every year. You want to stay where the inmates are running the asylum, feel free. Just don't move to where I'm going and try to change it into California.

Yes, we're leaving. Timeframe ~two years.



Indeed there is. I can't wait to get out.

You get to enjoy the view for a long time, since you will be stuck in traffic the entire time.