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You really love to generalize SD a little too much, especially with the people. Maybe you just don't get out much or something but most people I know don't fall into any of those categories you mentioned. I'm young and liberal, born and raised in the Bay Area, and moved here 8 years ago and love it. The only people that think SD is "very conservative" are usually the bad ultra-left wing stereotypes, which you will find all over the Bay Area, so you're looking in the right place for that.
I find the types of people, their values, mentality, etc... to more diverse than the Bay Area and that seems to bother those that prefer only being around people like them. Of course if you're really liberal and into that psuedo-intellectual vibe then you'll love it in the Bay Area, so many people there are so similar and share a common mentality but that's not diversity imo.
Most of the people I've met who have settled in SD seem to be from the east coast/mid west more times than not and have been here for over 10 years with no plans to leave. Once again, you must not get out much and meet many people.
I just don't get it with people like you who move to a laid back, resort type city but expect it to be some cultural hub & world class city with the best weather and beaches. No place even exists like that in the country.
I always hear "pseudo intellectual vibe", used in a somewhat condescending way, yet SF is one of the most educated places in the country, w/ high caliber Stanford/Berkeley among others in the area as well as the massive brainpower of Silicon Valley... so how exactly is it "pseudo". It *is* an intellectual vibe, nothing pseudo about it. The same could be said of Boston, for example. It IS an intellectual vibe, and you will more than likely (if you choose to do so) bump shoulders with many intellectuals.
As far as that paradise world class city... it may not exist in the U.S. ...but Barcelona comes pretty close to it across the pond. Sydney does a pretty good job of it as well.
I always hear "pseudo intellectual vibe", used in a somewhat condescending way, yet SF is one of the most educated places in the country, w/ high caliber Stanford/Berkeley among others in the area as well as the massive brainpower of Silicon Valley... so how exactly is it "pseudo". It *is* an intellectual vibe, nothing pseudo about it. The same could be said of Boston, for example. It IS an intellectual vibe, and you will more than likely (if you choose to do so) bump shoulders with many intellectuals.
As far as that paradise world class city... it may not exist in the U.S. ...but Barcelona comes pretty close to it across the pond. Sydney does a pretty good job of it as well.
I'm not saying that there are not smart people all over the Bay Area, it is a very educated place overall with lots of talent and some amazing people. But that doesn't mean everyone or the vast majority of people are like that. I found there are SOME people there completely full of sh*t and themselves and too wrapped up in their own world and viewpoints. The Bay Area can feel like one giant ideological circle jerk sometimes and I find some of the people don't seem to know what they're talking about or can't explain why they believe what they do. Or people who think b/c they have some interest in poetry, arts, etc.. that makes them smart and intelligent despite not having a good understanding on other important subjects. That is the PSEUDO-intellectual vibe I am speaking of. This quote from another thread describes some of those types fairly well IMO:
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Originally Posted by krudmonk
San Francisco, while a fine city, is a magnet for one-dimensional people who use their address as a crutch to fill the void where there'd normally be a personality. They needn't be artistic or worldly if they live in a place that is known for being such. Their city is the one validation of their life, so they must constantly reassure themselves that it is the best city and all others are terrible. We see one example here.
Either way, most people aren't like that IMO, it's just an aspect of the Bay Area that annoys me but nothing at all that would prevent me from moving back and living there again. It's still a great place and it is what it is.
haha yeah, I know ones like that... like the people on myspace (yes I was on it some years back...) that list all the music and books they like, yet probably have never even read them.. But if you were to have a conversation with them about it...
There is actually a friend of my gf out there I met who foots the bill for this personality type... a comment on every subject, but know real knowledge of it.
I'm not saying that there are not smart people all over the Bay Area, it is a very educated place overall with lots of talent and some amazing people. But that doesn't mean everyone or the vast majority of people are like that. I found there are SOME people there completely full of sh*t and themselves and too wrapped up in their own world and viewpoints. The Bay Area can feel like one giant ideological circle jerk sometimes and I find some of the people don't seem to know what they're talking about or can't explain why they believe what they do. Or people who think b/c they have some interest in poetry, arts, etc.. that makes them smart and intelligent despite not having a good understanding on other important subjects. That is the PSEUDO-intellectual vibe I am speaking of. This quote from another thread describes some of those types fairly well IMO:
Either way, most people aren't like that IMO, it's just an aspect of the Bay Area that annoys me but nothing at all that would prevent me from moving back and living there again. It's still a great place and it is what it is.
Right on. The ugliest Ugly American is not the overweight guy from a red state wearing shorts, tank top and sneakers walking around Paris. The ugliest Ugly American is the SF "intellectual" with that typical argumentative personality, and that common in your face ideological expressiveness, pi___ing off the real McCoys at some cafe by La Sorbonne.
San Francisco is not a sunny city! It is often overcast...if you want sun don't move to SF. Also 265 is incorrect data...sorry! I live here. Summers in Seattle are nicer than SF (lived in both places). Also, SF is small, dirty and VERY expensive. I feel people who are from the bay area often don't like SF. So pelase don't make up ideas of how SF really is....it is known as Seattle's sister city and is foggy a lot of the time. those cities are quite similar. DON'T MOVE TO SF OR SEATTLE IF YOU WANT SUN! btw Seattle is an ausome city and (I think) the city is way more ausome than SF....but yeah the weather has to be overlooked.
Also, life in Seattle has a way better work/life balance people actually go outside to do fun things even in the rain! Bay area people work long hours, spend hours on end driving/commuting, and typically go outside to eat. Generally people are fatter and more focused on material things in bay area (kind of house you have, kind of car, etc), where as Seattle people are interested in a rainy run, walk around greenlake, kayaking, Leavenworth, cross country skiing, you name it. I feel terrible that we moved back...having lived in both areas....Seattle is better quality of living...not better weather. But when you move somewhere it is often about the entire package not JUST the weather. Otherwise, you might as well move to Arizona for sun...its cheap because no one really wants to live there. so think before you jump.
Living in both places for several years, I can say both are really fantastic places to live. Here are some of the upsides and downsides to both places.
San Francisco:
-foggy and windy weather, but not unbearable. I never hear of people leaving San Francisco because of the weather.
- More culturally diversity and warm and accepting culture. Truly be who you want to be (only place in the world like this).
- More intellectual types of people
- Good public transportation, easy to get around city
- Very expensive and not much space.
- Horrible public schools system, especially in inner city
- Competative work culture, SF attracts talent from all over the world.
- better resturants
- 49ers, Raiders, Giants, Oakland A's, and Warriors (better pro-sports tradition)
- Cal, Standford (Better College sports teams)
San Diego
- best weather in California. 70 degrees everyday.
- close to Mexico for small vacations
- puiblic schools are okay depending on the location
- very laid back, but can make you feel lazy.
- Lots of people act like the cast on Jersey Shore
- Poor public transporation, need car everywhere you go
- Nice beaches to go surfing
- Culture is a little more conservative, but not unbearable. I never hear of people leaving for this reason.
- Expensive housing
- Rush-hour traffic
- SDSU (up and coming sports NCAA program in football and basketball)
- Chargers (no history of success except for Ladanian Tomlison, but now he's gone)
- Padres (Tony Gwynn was good and coaches the SDSU baseball team)
San Francisco is not a sunny city! It is often overcast...if you want sun don't move to SF. Also 265 is incorrect data...sorry! I live here. Summers in Seattle are nicer than SF (lived in both places).
Last summer wasn't good, SF's summers are pretty consistently nice. I've lived in both cities, too. Seattle has gorgeous summers, but the rest of the years sucks.
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Also, SF is small, dirty and VERY expensive.
And Seattle is small and boring. The rent is cheaper but groceries are more expensive and you get paid less, sooooo... yeah.
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I feel people who are from the bay area often don't like SF.
People from suburbs like Concord or Pittsburgh may not like it much because it's a big, crowded city, but people from SF itself do indeed seem to like it, and the funny thing is that all those people from outside it that "don't like it" don't seem to have a problem coming into Union Square to get some shopping done, hit some clubs, over to AT&T park for a game, or to the Wharf with the kids.
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So pelase don't make up ideas of how SF really is....
Right! Listen to one person who hates SF, and stay in Seattle, which the OP alreadyknows they hate.
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it is known as Seattle's sister city
Mmmmm, if anything, Seattle is referred to as SF's sister city since it's older, more famous, more culturally important to the US...
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and is foggy a lot of the time. those cities are quite similar. DON'T MOVE TO SF OR SEATTLE IF YOU WANT SUN!
This is somewhat true; if you want the prototypical California sunshine/sunbelt living, then you need to look more at Socal. You could also look at Sacramento, thought it's further inland, so you don't have the coast nearby and you have to deal with summers that soar over 100 degrees.
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btw Seattle is an ausome city and (I think) the city is way more ausome than SF....but yeah the weather has to be overlooked.
I found Seattle - which is where I was born, where my mom grew up and her entire family still lives, and spent much of my childhood - to be probably the most boring city I've ever spent time in after I lived there for a year and a half as an adult. Everything closes way early (even most of the bars!), the dining options suck and are more expensive compared to Seattle, the people are polite but unfriendly, If you want a real, big-city cosmopolitan lifestyle, Seattle doesn't measure up to the major California coastal cities in any way, shape, or form, sorry.
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Also, life in Seattle has a way better work/life balance people actually go outside to do fun things even in the rain!
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Bay area people work long hours, spend hours on end driving/commuting,
That's just dumb. The public transit here is great. I live in the Inner Richmond district and work in Union Square, it takes me about 40 minutes total per day to commute to work Most people in the city use BART or busses, and if they drive... yeah, the traffic is thick, but you're probably only driving a few miles. Most people who live in the East Bay or the Peninsula have enough common sense to park at the BART and then take the train in.
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and typically go outside to eat.
This is a bad thing?? And how would you know what the averages are for going out and staying in? I go out to eat frequently because, as a few studies have shown, it can actually be cheaper to eat out than cook for yourself unless you have more than two people in your household. The cost of eating out in SF is super-low, and when I moved back to Seattle, I was shocked that a plate of pad thai that cost me $6.95 in SF was going to set me back $8.95 up there.
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Generally people are fatter
Bull pucky. My roommate in Seattle - a friend from LA - and I talked about how people (especially women!) on the whole in Seattle were in worse shape and way, way more frumpy. This kind of proves you really don't know what you're talking about, since people in Seattle, both here and from people I knew up there, loved to rip on CA for being "too shallow" and "too skinny."
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and more focused on material things in bay area (kind of house you have, kind of car, etc),
Again, bull pucky. It really seems like you just decided to hate the Bay Area and that was that. I don't know what sort of crowd you're tryingt to run with or anything... you're describing the SOMA crowd, and that's basically it.
Furthermore, in Seattle, I was admonished by people for the fact that I own a convertible sports car, dress in nice/expensive suits, and put more than thirty seconds into doing my hair in the morning. People in Seattle are just as superficial and judgemental about your appearance as anywhere else, and probably moreso than the Bay Area: unless you are wearing a knit beanie, an REI vest over an earth-toned sweater, and driving a Subaru, well then, you're a capitialistic, money-grubbing, materialistic yuppie who's probably from California (gasp!).
That's another thing... "Californian" is an insult akin to "baby killer" or "neo-nazi" to many people in the Seattle area. SF, LA, and SD are really the anti-Seattle in terms of social mores.
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where as Seattle people are interested in a rainy run, walk around greenlake, kayaking, Leavenworth, cross country skiing, you name it.
Yeah, if your idea of a good time is riding a bike on the Burke-Gilman trail while the rain is pouring on you, I can see why you'd prefer Seattle to SF or SD. I lived like three blocks from Greenlake both as a kid and when I moved back and it holds a cherished place in my heart; I've probably been around it at least 5 or 600 times. None of this has anything to do with anything, though; the OP said they don't like the weather and that's why they're considering CA. Plus, it was like two years ago, I'm sure they've already made their choice.
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I feel terrible that we moved back...having lived in both areas....Seattle is better quality of living...not better weather.
And my experience was exactly the opposite. I regretted moving to Seattle and there is nothing - nothing - could ever get me to move back to that boring, dark city. It depends on who you are, and this person has already decided they dislike Seattle.
Last summer wasn't good, SF's summers are pretty consistently nice. I've lived in both cities, too. Seattle has gorgeous summers, but the rest of the years sucks.
And Seattle is small and boring. The rent is cheaper but groceries are more expensive and you get paid less, sooooo... yeah.
People from suburbs like Concord or Pittsburgh may not like it much because it's a big, crowded city, but people from SF itself do indeed seem to like it, and the funny thing is that all those people from outside it that "don't like it" don't seem to have a problem coming into Union Square to get some shopping done, hit some clubs, over to AT&T park for a game, or to the Wharf with the kids.
Right! Listen to one person who hates SF, and stay in Seattle, which the OP alreadyknows they hate.
Mmmmm, if anything, Seattle is referred to as SF's sister city since it's older, more famous, more culturally important to the US...
This is somewhat true; if you want the prototypical California sunshine/sunbelt living, then you need to look more at Socal. You could also look at Sacramento, thought it's further inland, so you don't have the coast nearby and you have to deal with summers that soar over 100 degrees.
I found Seattle - which is where I was born, where my mom grew up and her entire family still lives, and spent much of my childhood - to be probably the most boring city I've ever spent time in after I lived there for a year and a half as an adult. Everything closes way early (even most of the bars!), the dining options suck and are more expensive compared to Seattle, the people are polite but unfriendly, If you want a real, big-city cosmopolitan lifestyle, Seattle doesn't measure up to the major California coastal cities in any way, shape, or form, sorry.
That's just dumb. The public transit here is great. I live in the Inner Richmond district and work in Union Square, it takes me about 40 minutes total per day to commute to work Most people in the city use BART or busses, and if they drive... yeah, the traffic is thick, but you're probably only driving a few miles. Most people who live in the East Bay or the Peninsula have enough common sense to park at the BART and then take the train in.
This is a bad thing?? And how would you know what the averages are for going out and staying in? I go out to eat frequently because, as a few studies have shown, it can actually be cheaper to eat out than cook for yourself unless you have more than two people in your household. The cost of eating out in SF is super-low, and when I moved back to Seattle, I was shocked that a plate of pad thai that cost me $6.95 in SF was going to set me back $8.95 up there.
Bull pucky. My roommate in Seattle - a friend from LA - and I talked about how people (especially women!) on the whole in Seattle were in worse shape and way, way more frumpy. This kind of proves you really don't know what you're talking about, since people in Seattle, both here and from people I knew up there, loved to rip on CA for being "too shallow" and "too skinny."
Again, bull pucky. It really seems like you just decided to hate the Bay Area and that was that. I don't know what sort of crowd you're tryingt to run with or anything... you're describing the SOMA crowd, and that's basically it.
Furthermore, in Seattle, I was admonished by people for the fact that I own a convertible sports car, dress in nice/expensive suits, and put more than thirty seconds into doing my hair in the morning. People in Seattle are just as superficial and judgemental about your appearance as anywhere else, and probably moreso than the Bay Area: unless you are wearing a knit beanie, an REI vest over an earth-toned sweater, and driving a Subaru, well then, you're a capitialistic, money-grubbing, materialistic yuppie who's probably from California (gasp!).
That's another thing... "Californian" is an insult akin to "baby killer" or "neo-nazi" to many people in the Seattle area. SF, LA, and SD are really the anti-Seattle in terms of social mores.
Yeah, if your idea of a good time is riding a bike on the Burke-Gilman trail while the rain is pouring on you, I can see why you'd prefer Seattle to SF or SD. I lived like three blocks from Greenlake both as a kid and when I moved back and it holds a cherished place in my heart; I've probably been around it at least 5 or 600 times. None of this has anything to do with anything, though; the OP said they don't like the weather and that's why they're considering CA. Plus, it was like two years ago, I'm sure they've already made their choice.
And my experience was exactly the opposite. I regretted moving to Seattle and there is nothing - nothing - could ever get me to move back to that boring, dark city. It depends on who you are, and this person has already decided they dislike Seattle.
Last summer wasn't good, SF's summers are pretty consistently nice. I've lived in both cities, too. Seattle has gorgeous summers, but the rest of the years sucks.
And Seattle is small and boring. The rent is cheaper but groceries are more expensive and you get paid less, sooooo... yeah.
People from suburbs like Concord or Pittsburgh may not like it much because it's a big, crowded city, but people from SF itself do indeed seem to like it, and the funny thing is that all those people from outside it that "don't like it" don't seem to have a problem coming into Union Square to get some shopping done, hit some clubs, over to AT&T park for a game, or to the Wharf with the kids.
Right! Listen to one person who hates SF, and stay in Seattle, which the OP alreadyknows they hate.
Mmmmm, if anything, Seattle is referred to as SF's sister city since it's older, more famous, more culturally important to the US...
This is somewhat true; if you want the prototypical California sunshine/sunbelt living, then you need to look more at Socal. You could also look at Sacramento, thought it's further inland, so you don't have the coast nearby and you have to deal with summers that soar over 100 degrees.
I found Seattle - which is where I was born, where my mom grew up and her entire family still lives, and spent much of my childhood - to be probably the most boring city I've ever spent time in after I lived there for a year and a half as an adult. Everything closes way early (even most of the bars!), the dining options suck and are more expensive compared to Seattle, the people are polite but unfriendly, If you want a real, big-city cosmopolitan lifestyle, Seattle doesn't measure up to the major California coastal cities in any way, shape, or form, sorry.
That's just dumb. The public transit here is great. I live in the Inner Richmond district and work in Union Square, it takes me about 40 minutes total per day to commute to work Most people in the city use BART or busses, and if they drive... yeah, the traffic is thick, but you're probably only driving a few miles. Most people who live in the East Bay or the Peninsula have enough common sense to park at the BART and then take the train in.
This is a bad thing?? And how would you know what the averages are for going out and staying in? I go out to eat frequently because, as a few studies have shown, it can actually be cheaper to eat out than cook for yourself unless you have more than two people in your household. The cost of eating out in SF is super-low, and when I moved back to Seattle, I was shocked that a plate of pad thai that cost me $6.95 in SF was going to set me back $8.95 up there.
Bull pucky. My roommate in Seattle - a friend from LA - and I talked about how people (especially women!) on the whole in Seattle were in worse shape and way, way more frumpy. This kind of proves you really don't know what you're talking about, since people in Seattle, both here and from people I knew up there, loved to rip on CA for being "too shallow" and "too skinny."
Again, bull pucky. It really seems like you just decided to hate the Bay Area and that was that. I don't know what sort of crowd you're tryingt to run with or anything... you're describing the SOMA crowd, and that's basically it.
Furthermore, in Seattle, I was admonished by people for the fact that I own a convertible sports car, dress in nice/expensive suits, and put more than thirty seconds into doing my hair in the morning. People in Seattle are just as superficial and judgemental about your appearance as anywhere else, and probably moreso than the Bay Area: unless you are wearing a knit beanie, an REI vest over an earth-toned sweater, and driving a Subaru, well then, you're a capitialistic, money-grubbing, materialistic yuppie who's probably from California (gasp!).
That's another thing... "Californian" is an insult akin to "baby killer" or "neo-nazi" to many people in the Seattle area. SF, LA, and SD are really the anti-Seattle in terms of social mores.
Yeah, if your idea of a good time is riding a bike on the Burke-Gilman trail while the rain is pouring on you, I can see why you'd prefer Seattle to SF or SD. I lived like three blocks from Greenlake both as a kid and when I moved back and it holds a cherished place in my heart; I've probably been around it at least 5 or 600 times. None of this has anything to do with anything, though; the OP said they don't like the weather and that's why they're considering CA. Plus, it was like two years ago, I'm sure they've already made their choice.
And my experience was exactly the opposite. I regretted moving to Seattle and there is nothing - nothing - could ever get me to move back to that boring, dark city. It depends on who you are, and this person has already decided they dislike Seattle.
Too bad your mental health cannot handle Seattle. I can't handle California AT ALL.
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Most people in the city use BART or busses, and if they drive... yeah, the traffic is thick, but you're probably only driving a few miles. Most people who live in the East Bay or the Peninsula have enough common sense to park at the BART and then take the train in.
