Are You Really Sure You Want To Move SF? (San Francisco: co-op, limousine)

[tikkasf]

Originally Posted by AnthonyJ34

The parking situation throughout most of SF is enough to make me not want to live there. And obviously, the rents are unbelievable, especially for what you get. Much of the housing stock is old and unkept looking, with dingy exterior colors and frayed facades; and you are lucky to get a private parking spot and even a little greenery in your 'yard'; most front yards are simply concrete, with maybe a few shrubs and maybe a tree somewhere close by. And yet you still have to pay a premium to live in such areas. It's rather depressing. And when you see all the bars on the windows and heavy security doors at the entrances of most buildings, it gives off the feeling of living in a prison. Those tenement-style buildings emit a sort of rundown ghetto vibe. So many of the entrances to many of the apartments are so drab and rundown looking and dark-- it's sort of depressing to think people are paying so much to live in such dank buildings. Not all mind you, but a large portion of SF housing stock looks down right crappy and ugly, yet it costs a premium to live in those places.

And even the nice, upscale areas are congested, have parking and traffic issues, and are always a stone's throw away of some crime-ridden area.

Majority of those apt buildings you are referring to are likely rent controlled. Tenants who have been living in the same apt for a fair number of years will be paying well under current market rates......could be 1/2 the current market rate. I know fellow who has lived in the same apt for approx 35 yrs. Apt (not a studio) is located in what many would probably consider a desirable neighborhood. I don't know what this friend is paying for rent.....I would not be surprised if it was under $1K a month.

[Perma Bear]

Originally Posted by ssmaster

Since a fair number of the men in San Francisco are not interested in dating women This may not be significant and possibly in favor of men who are interested in dating women

So pretty much every techie hipster who works at google/facebook/apple?

[grogers385]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

My favorite part of the Bay Area is the Peninsula, specifically Millbrae, Burlingame, Foster City and San Mateo. I really HATE most of the East Bay. There are some nice pockets, but there are still way too many undesirables. Driving on the freeway there is night and day to 101. How many people get shot on 880 each year? lol

Originally Posted by jaypee

I live in San Mateo and I approve of this post.

And you call Texas racist.

[SFsucks]

Wow! I'm glad this post made it to 17 pages. So far It seems like all the pro SF posters couldn't answer the simple questions that I asked on my OP. Truth is that most people agree with me that SF is one of the most overrated city in the county. SF use to be a pretty fun city before 2013. I remember when I use to visit back in 2007-2012 the bar/social/nightlife scene was better. Now the scene is very dull. I heard some people mention that even mid-town Sacramento is more fun than Bay Area these days?


In beginning of 2017 I am relocating to either Chicago, Denver, Texas (Austin, maybe Dallas/Houston?). I hear Seattle/Portland are too much like SF these days with worse weather?

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by SFsucks

Wow! I'm glad this post made it to 17 pages. So far It seems like all the pro SF posters couldn't answer the simple questions that I asked on my OP. Truth is that most people agree with me that SF is one of the most overrated city in the county. SF use to be a pretty fun city before 2013. I remember when I use to visit back in 2007-2012 the bar/social/nightlife scene was better. Now the scene is very dull. I heard some people mention that even mid-town Sacramento is more fun than Bay Area these days?


In beginning of 2017 I am relocating to either Chicago, Denver, Texas (Austin, maybe Dallas/Houston?). I hear Seattle/Portland are too much like SF these days with worse weather?

SF is still a very fun city. If you can afford it - and that's the problem. And is why I don't recommend it to people I know anymore.

That said, if you're here already (and are paying pre-2013 prices to live here - as many are), it's pretty sweet. It just really, really sucks for newcomers. And that's very unfortunate. And is a gigantic problem. I don't think you'd get much disagreement from people on these points.


Seattle and Portland have many similar qualities to the Bay Area's culture/"scene". If you like it here, you'd likely be comfortable in either metro. Both are cheaper (in some instances, significantly), but you get plenty of tradeoffs there - worse weather being one (although, coming from the Midwest and East Coast, I find Pacific NW winters to be comparatively pleasant...but that's just me, and I don't mind clouds since I find them interesting).

There are other towns that are interesting to check out - and you named a few above. I'd also add some more midsized metros that might also be interesting to look at (but maybe too small for your tastes...): Asheville, NC (and to that end, take a gander at Raleigh/Charlotte); Nashville, TN; Pittsburgh, PA; Bend, OR; Portland, ME; Boulder/Ft. Collins, CO...

Some of these might seem super random and "out of left field" - but if you give them a chance and look at each, you'll find that there are qualities in each that align pretty well with the Bay Area. Of course, they all come with sometimes-large differences and potential cons if your baseline is Bay Area QOL (although, you might find the COL advantages so significant that they make up for those downgrades).

[gnomatic]

Originally Posted by SFsucks

Wow! I'm glad this post made it to 17 pages. So far It seems like all the pro SF posters couldn't answer the simple questions that I asked on my OP.

Because your OP wasn't asking any question, but trying to bait "pro SF" posters to replied to your already established viewpoint.

Don't like living in the the bay area, fine. Don't understand those who like to live here, also fine. But don't bash people who do like it here. Not everyone could agree on everything

[Matadora]

Something smells funky in San Francisco

[marcopolo666]

Don't like it? Well, then you should leave and maybe you'll be happier elsewhere. I personally don't care if you like it or not, and I'm not going to waste my time on your rants. Have fun in Texas! (or wherever). I wish that more non-natives would move out of state! The traffic and pollution has gotten out of control these past 40-50 years.

[SFsucks]

Originally Posted by marcopolo666

Don't like it? Well, then you should leave and maybe you'll be happier elsewhere. I personally don't care if you like it or not, and I'm not going to waste my time on your rants. Have fun in Texas! (or wherever). I wish that more non-natives would move out of state! The traffic and pollution has gotten out of control these past 40-50 years.

I am planning on leaving this boring city very soon since it's New Year. Texas, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver, and even LA/SD are all looking much better.

You sound like a typical hypocrite, NIMBY, overly sensitive San Franciscan who gets butt hurt from slight criticism. Grow up and allow your little lame city to build more housing, especially high-rises. Only lame nerds want to live in SF and everyone else wants to get the hell out.

[marcopolo666]

I don't live in SF, and never have.

Honestly, I don't see why I should care if some random person on the internet is happy or not, and I really don't care about his/her rants and am rather surprised that you appear to think that I (or anybody) should care about your feelings in the matter. (I don't care at all, BTW.)

Please don't get butt hurt from this slight criticism. Have fun wherever you move. Best wishes in your future endeavors. Hope it all works out for you.