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Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
10,351 posts, read 8,572,211 times
Reputation: 16698
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kamoto
Your nuts. I'm guessing, your Indian or Chinese? So you probably don't take advantage of the world class cuisine the bay area has to offer. If you only eat vegetarian, I can see why you wouldn't be impressed with the cuisine. But to me, you have eliminated 50% of the worlds great foods by living such a life style. So you probably don't partake of Foie Gras at French Laundry. War Memorial Opera House, SF Symphony building, all world class. Great old time street car system on the F line. Cable car system which on weekends is overrun with tourists. Farmers market on Saturdays at the Ferry building where the produce will last three weeks. Try that in Chicago or anywhere in the East. Lettuce will last a few days in Boston. Head over the Golden Gate to Stinson Beach. Go further up to Napa/Sonoma. Again, you probably don't drink wine, so you miss out on a local treasure. Go further up the coast to Mendocino. Hell, go down to Big Sur. Can't find that in Chicago. Have you ever walked Pebble Beach during the golf tournament? 70 in SF, head to the mountains and ski. Get out of here with this statement. No other place in the world can offer up such amenities. It is one of the most expensive markets in the world for a reason. I'm glad you don't like it, the more people who leave, the more I can enjoy it.
annnddd . . here we go with the snobby "Leave" response.
Many things you list are not going to be at the top of the list for many people to do much less a reason to live there.
How much of the population is going to partake in "Foie Gras at French Laundry" I only know one person who has gone there and said it was good to say they've done it, but for the price there are lot's of other venues equally satisfying and you can do several at the same cost.
"Go further up to Napa/Sonoma. Again, you probably don't drink wine, so you miss out on a local treasure." How many drink wine to the extent that being that close to Napa is going to enhance their lives that much. I have friends that live in the Bay Area and adding the all up and their excursions there comes up to maybe once every five years. Most people go there once a year at best for a day of wine tasting in which case one can live anywhere and take a vacation to Ca to do this
"Have you ever walked Pebble Beach during the golf tournament? " I lived in the Bay area for 55 years and no one I know has done this, even my golfing friends
"Farmers market on Saturdays at the Ferry building where the produce will last three weeks." I had no idea that eveyone else's farmers markets don't exist or are that poor.
"head to the mountains and ski" Guess I'll tell my friends that they are losers for skiing at Park City, Breckenridge, Vail, and Aspen.
California offers a lot, but a lot of it most people don't partake in often enough to justify the high cost of living in many cases.
annnddd . . here we go with the snobby "Leave" response.
Many things you list are not going to be at the top of the list for many people to do much less a reason to live there.
How much of the population is going to partake in "Foie Gras at French Laundry" I only know one person who has gone there and said it was good to say they've done it, but for the price there are lot's of other venues equally satisfying and you can do several at the same cost.
"Go further up to Napa/Sonoma. Again, you probably don't drink wine, so you miss out on a local treasure." How many drink wine to the extent that being that close to Napa is going to enhance their lives that much. I have friends that live in the Bay Area and adding the all up and their excursions there comes up to maybe once every five years. Most people go there once a year at best for a day of wine tasting in which case one can live anywhere and take a vacation to Ca to do this
"Have you ever walked Pebble Beach during the golf tournament? " I lived in the Bay area for 55 years and no one I know has done this, even my golfing friends
"Farmers market on Saturdays at the Ferry building where the produce will last three weeks." I had no idea that eveyone else's farmers markets don't exist or are that poor.
"head to the mountains and ski" Guess I'll tell my friends that they are losers for skiing at Park City, Breckenridge, Vail, and Aspen.
California offers a lot, but a lot of it most people don't partake in often enough to justify the high cost of living in many cases.
same with so cal. I've heard a thousand times "you can surf and ski in the same day".... nobody I know has ever done that.. ever. And now traffic makes that impossible.
I think the majority of people, like myself, have a bad outlook on the Bay Area because they are forced to reside in suburbia (Pleasant Hill, Fairfield/Vacaville, San Leandro etc.).
The big difference though, that kills it for me, is that in places like the SF Bay Area or Los Angeles, the suburban bedroom communities that surround the main cities are dreadfully boring (unlike many major cities around the world, London, Paris, NYC etc.) where the surrounding 'suburbs/boroughs' if you will, possess great charm, and are unique.
I feel like everywhere outside of SF/Oakland/Berkeley, in the Bay Area, just looks like the Dallas Texas suburbs. I think the above ^^^ applies to 99.99% of America though. Maybe I was just born to reside in European/Asian/African cities.
I've considered packing up, and moving to a place like Queens NYC, but I can't handle the cold weather. I guess no place is perfect.
I think my opinion might be slightly different if I lived in a nicer part of SF, or Oakland.
Oakland has to be one of my favorite areas in the Bay Area because of its walk ability to several BART stations, plethora of transportation, and great differing neighborhoods. (Reminds me a lot of places like Queens/Brooklyn NYC, Northwest London UK) and some of the beautiful areas that surround global cities.
However, after going to other areas of the United States (North Carolina, Chicago, NYC Metro Area) I find the Bay Area to be extremely overrated (with cost of living, put aside, even)
same with so cal. I've heard a thousand times "you can surf and ski in the same day".... nobody I know has ever done that.. ever. And now traffic makes that impossible.
Exactly. And is it really worth skiing in Big Bear, where the average natural snowfall is 100 inches (and much less than that, during these drought years), and even that natural snowfall is mostly hardpack, not powder? Not to mention the resorts are only 10% of the size of those in Utah or Colorado?
I've only been to San Jose a few times, most recently for a Sharks game. My friends and I spent some time in an area there, near the arena with some great restaurants and bars. It was cool. I agree that Downtown San Jose is a bit more cohesive as a residential district, with seemingly more day-to-day amenities. Even so, I wouldn't characterize it as a particularly great place to live an urban lifestyle if you're comparing it to more dense urban environments like NYC, Chicago, SF, Boston, etc.
By comparison, Downtown Houston has more destination amenities that draw the larger city to downtown. It's also much, much bigger than San Jose with lots more going on.
To me, both of these cities' best living experience happens away from their cores, as neither is very dense or what I think of as "urban" or "walkable" for any significant part of their makeup.
That said, I appreciate the appeal of both cities and, as I said earlier, both trump SF as places to raise a family. On that note, I'd hand it to Houston, as much more affordable in almost every measure... if you can stand the horrible weather, that is.
If by "horrible weather" you mean floods and hurricanes, I agree. No one wants that. Floods and hurricanes aside, Houston does have better weather than SF Bay Area.
Do you really want it to be chilly and overcast in July? It's summer. Got to get some heat--well, maybe not heat as brutal as that in Fresno or San Bernardino. Then Houston is for you.
If by "horrible weather" you mean floods and hurricanes, I agree. No one wants that. Floods and hurricanes aside, Houston does have better weather than SF Bay Area.
Do you really want it to be chilly and overcast in July? It's summer. Got to get some heat--well, maybe not heat as brutal as that in Fresno or San Bernardino. Then Houston is for you.
I'm not sure why you keep bringing up San Bernardino and Fresno with the Bay Area.
The Bay Area has excellent weather--perhaps the best on the planet--regardless of your preference (minus snow and ice, that is)
The main part of the City (my preference) is cool and dry in the summer, though a few miles west, you will find chilly and overcast many days in July. It is Spring-like--the kind of days that were so rare, we used to practically close down Houston to enjoy-- 8-9 months of the year. Across most of the rest of the Bay Area, often only 10 minutes away from the City, it's 80s-90s and sunny WITH LITTLE HUMIDITY in summertime. Houston weather cannot compete with that.
Plus, in winter and spring, the mountains and snow are just a few hours away...
There are a lot of reasons to like Houston, and I do! Weather is not one of them.
Exactly. And is it really worth skiing in Big Bear, where the average natural snowfall is 100 inches (and much less than that, during these drought years), and even that natural snowfall is mostly hardpack, not powder? Not to mention the resorts are only 10% of the size of those in Utah or Colorado?
Again, you don't seem to know much about Northern California. Tahoe offers excellent skiing, particularly Spring skiing, that sometimes lasts through July 4th.
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
10,351 posts, read 8,572,211 times
Reputation: 16698
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeanoSF
Again, you don't seem to know much about Northern California. Tahoe offers excellent skiing, particularly Spring skiing, that sometimes lasts through July 4th.
Yes but consider that someone planning skiiing at Big bear probably lives in So Cal.
Tahoe skiing for them is an 8.5 hour drive in good weather. Tahoe skiing hasn't been as good as it used to be with the drought.
California offers a lot, but a lot of it most people don't partake in often enough to justify the high cost of living in many cases.
Yep. In the 50+ years of living in the Bay Area, I have never had a meal at the French Laundry and don't plan on ever having one there. And for those that claim I don't know what I'm missing, you're wrong. I do know what I'm missing. $400+ for a meal (sorry, I don't care how good the food is, the bill would make me want to puke).
As for Pebble Beach, same deal. Just for kicks and giggles, I looked up the nightly charge for one of their hotels a few years back. In the off season on a weekday, it was $650, but the standard price is over $800. Same deal. Not in my lifetime. I simply don't care. That's ridiculous.
I don't drink wine so there's no reason I would go to Napa.
So much for that silly laundry list. The bottom line is, the poster that listed this stuff much hang out with a bunch of 1%ers if they typically do any of this stuff.
P.S. I also laugh at how people rave about microclimates. Big deal. I worked in San Francisco and lived about 1000 feet south of the SF County line. When I went to work it was 55 and when I got home it was about the same (and that's cold to me). So I'm supposed to drive to Oakland or San Bruno/Peninsula to get better weather. Ok, great. Then what. What the hell should I do when I get there? I lived in Daly City. Microclimates for all practical purposes are pretty useless unless you have some activity planned in said section. But you're still coming home to the cold if you live in (or near) San Francisco.
Last edited by JJonesIII; 11-28-2018 at 07:19 PM..
I don't love Houston, but this is laughable. Have you ever been there? Its got a much larger downtown core vs SJ. What I dislike about Houston is the weather and for that, I'd agree that SJ has it topped big time. But, bashing Houston to prop up SJ's urban scene is completely ridiculous. Maybe if you were comparing SF to Houston.
Yes, I've been to Downtown Houston recently. They're about to embrace a cool food hall downtown for the first time in 2019. Downtown Houston is not bigger than Downtown SJ in terms of density since a lot of the downtown area is still filled with parking lots and gaps. They have mainly high rises and low rises with not much mid rises. Dt. SJ has all of them. Downtown SJ is way ahead of Houston's in downtown progress.
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