Is the SF Bay Area overrated? (San Jose, San Francisco: taxi, taxes, standard of living)

[JJonesIII]

Originally Posted by Nae5150

Perhaps try living in other places, not just vacationing. It will give you a better perspective and a more realistic comparison. I was born and raised in the Philippines for the first 14 years, 7 years in Toronto, 3 years in New York, and 9 years here in Redwood City. Moved to Dallas for 2 years, and came back here to the Bay Area. I have lived (not just visited) in a 3rd world country, and let me tell you, SF is nothing like a 3rd world country.

Although, we do own a house here in RWC we bought during the crash, I know our experience may be different from the rest. In here, there is diversity, perfect weather, nature is readily accessible etc. SF Bay is huge. I guess your experience may be different depending where you are at.

Did someone say it was?

[Nae5150]

“Run down freeways/highways, excessive dirtiness. I almost view the SF Bay Area (and probably California in general, excluding San Diego) as a diverse rich region meshed with a third world/developing country feel.”

That’s what the original post said. But visiting a 3rd world and actually having lived in it are 2 different “feels.”

[WizardOfRadical]

3rd World Country is just code speak for "poor, brown, immigrant".

The subtle implication being, they bring their problems with them.

[DeanoSF]

I've only been here as a resident for a very short time. So far, I love it, flaws and all. I hope to be a contributing member of the community as I plant my roots here to stay.

I moved with eyes wide open. I knew there were problems, but I believed (and believe) tht not only is the Bay Area "worth it," but that if any place can rise to meet its challenges, this place is it.

The one thing I wasn't prepared for is the expression of genuine animosity here on City Data directed at anyone who dares say he likes it here, identifies positively with the politics, enjoys the weather or amenities like the food scene, etc. How dare we actually like it here, in one of the most desirable places in the country to live...

[JJonesIII]

Originally Posted by DeanoSF

The one thing I wasn't prepared for is the expression of genuine animosity here on City Data directed at anyone who dares say he likes it here

LOL

Ever hear the saying "those that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones"? Look in the mirror.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by JJonesIII

Did someone say it was?

The original post did. Which of course is ridiculous, the rantings of someone who hasn't travelled much. The only place inside the U.S. borders that maybe could be compared to third world countries, in terms of poverty and lack of infrastructure (and it's a stretch at that) would be some of the Indian reservations in New Mexico, such as the Navajo reservation.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by MrJester

The West Coast, in general, is overrated. Underrated cities (true gems) would be Phoenix and Houston.

Sure, BART is the 5th busiest subway in the nation (after NYC, Boston, Chicago, and D.C.). Never been to NYC, but from pictures the BART makes the NYC subway look spanking clean. I went on the Paris Metro, though, and I have to say the BART is at least alot faster than the Paris Metro, and newer, if not cleaner.

You have a point when you say BART stations are not very accessible by walking. It's definitely a park-and-ride system in the suburbs. Ironically, while the Bay Area's mountainous terrain makes it more dense and compact, it also makes it less, not more, transit-friendly than it would be if it were both flat and compact, like NYC. With so many mountains, you can hardly afford to build a more extensive subway, so subways are fewer and more far in between.

Even the Bay Area weather/scenery is overrated. Other than the hurricanes and flooding, Florida and the Gulf Coast have summer weather and scenery far better than the Bay Area, or Fresno, or most places in California. Bay Area's too cold in the summer. Fresno's too hot in the summer. Florida and the Gulf Coast are just right--hot, but not horribly hot like Fresno, Bakersfield, or San Bernardino.

I went to Bodega Bay recently and was very unimpressed. Heck, even the worst beaches on the Gulf Coast (like Biloxi, Mississippi) blow Bodega Bay out of the water.

Where are you from? BART isn't a subway. A better comparison is the transit train serving the greater Washington DC area. And "mountains" (do you mean the East Bay hills?) weren't an obstacle to the light-rail Key system commuter trains the Bay Area had in the middle of the last century. The routes went up into the hills, to serve the professionals who commuted to SF.

Florida has better scenery? A lot of people can't live with that heat and humidity, that's why so many are drawn to coastal CA. And of course, people from harsh winter weather areas are drawn to the milder weather, plus the lack of East Coast humidity. Where else can you live, that has a redwood forest in town, like Oakland, or Mill Valley? Nearly everything you say communicates, that you're a transplant. You just don't "get" NorCal and the Bay Area.

Which is fine. You're free to move to Biloxi, if that's what turns you on. I'm not sure what's stopping you...?

[Nae5150]

Originally Posted by WizardOfRadical

3rd World Country is just code speak for "poor, brown, immigrant".

The subtle implication being, they bring their problems with them.

“My parents are immigrants to this country, so I am grateful for having had the opportunity to grow up in such a diverse region, but I think it is severely overrated”

OP is 2nd gen immigrant and there’s a big chance he’s brown. I hope my son (4yrs old now) would one day never take forgranted living in this amazing country and vibrant city. Because I’ve lived in many places, and I am so grateful to be able to live here and raise my family here.. world class universities, many available jobs, diversity, readily accessible beaches and parks, amazing sceneries!

In the Philippines (3rd world), a country I also love, a BA educated person will be competing with 100 BA educated people for a supermarket cashier job. When you hit 40 and decide to change jobs, you will be unemployable bec thereyno such thing as age discrimination. And if you want to enjoy a decent beach like in Cebu, prepare to spend hundreds of pesos (a lot for a local) just for entrance fees bec islands/ beaches are privatized.

In Dallas, too hot or cold. Very flat. You have to drive 3 hrs to see a body of water. Their park has a dried up reservoir, with unmainaintained restrooms and trails. Texas has a minimum wage of $7+, and Dallas has property taxes of 2.8%,, so if you want to work in retail, prepare to feel exploited. Also lunch breaks or breaks in general are not protected by the state. I have literally worked 12 hrs no eating in ICU, with 3 pts on many bz nights.

Canada and New York are nice, but winters could be brutal. Prepare to shovel 4 ft of snow... try doing it at midnight, after a 12 hour hospital shift, just to dig your car out and scrape the 2 inch ice off your windshield.

These things you won’t know unless you actually live there. That’s why I suggested to the OP he try living in many places, before complaining about the 3rd world feel of the Bay.

[Nae5150]

Originally Posted by WizardOfRadical

3rd World Country is just code speak for "poor, brown, immigrant".

The subtle implication being, they bring their problems with them.

The “poor, brown, immigrant” is not the problem. At least an immigrant most likely has a goal of bettering his life or his family. The mentality of “being owed to” and complaining without offering any solutions, is the real problem.

[likealady]

Originally Posted by Nae5150

The mentality of “being owed to” and complaining without offering any solutions, is the real problem.

I pay out the wazoo in taxes here, so naturally, I expect a higher standard of living for the amount I'm paying (I'm sure others who tend to complain here do, too). This is something I have yet to see. Apparently, I am asking for too much or am entitled. You better believe I'm entitled when the government is f**king stealing my money away for whatever dumb initiative they have next.