Considering moving to SF area from Phoenix, AZ, good idea for me? (Los Angeles: sales)

[Madcut]

I'm considering moving to the bay area. I've lived in Arizona pretty much all of my life, and I'm pretty sick of it. I moved to Phoenix last year from a small town in northern Arizona, but I had already been coming down every other weekend to see my dad. Phoenix doesn't have much culture, and while the people are friendly, the city is pretty flavorless. I'm nineteen years old and want to start experiencing life. I feel that I have become increasingly depressed living in an area that is only filled with ****ty franchises and v-neck wearing bros.

Every time I have gone to San Francisco I have loved it. The last time I went, I was helping drive a friend up to WA whom was moving from AZ. We took the pacific coast highway most of the way towards Oregon. Big Sur is probably the most beautiful area I have ever seen in my life. Haight-ashbury was an awesome area and I really enjoyed it for the culture and music scene.

I'm wondering if San Francisco would be a good area for me, if I can even find a reasonable apartment with roommates and a job. I'm primarily interested in Sociology and Philosophy and other social sciences. I also love music and want to become more involved in a music scene where I can see a lot of live music of local artists. I heavily enjoy electronic music and enjoy going to raves, but Phoenix's raves are filled with a bunch of sixteen year old half nude girls and happy hardcore music. Anyways, I'm curious what parts of the bay area would be good to live for these interests. I want to meet new people and experience new things. I want to become more involved in a community where I can become co-creative with other individuals. But this is probably more of an issue of self motivation rather than solely location.

I am open to suggestions of other areas in the California or broader regions. Some people have suggested Santa Cruz and Berkely as cheaper alternatives to SF, while still being close distances from it. I would really enjoy an urban environment, but rent will be higher.

I'm not going to attempt to move until I have found a place to live and a job. My best friends sister lives in SF and probably could hook me up with a decent job.

Thanks if you read this far and can give me advice. Also if anyone wants to be super friendly and can suggest places to live or get a job, I'm completely motivated and committed to going after it. Thanks.

[matt345]

I say go for it. I felt the same way about LA and made the move and I haven't regretted it. I've been to Phoenix and I totally understand what you mean about the place being boring. I think you'll love San Francisco if you can get a decent paying job; it's the only city I've ever been to that actually makes me think about leaving LA and I've been all over (Miami, New York, New Orleans, DC).

[Madcut]

Originally Posted by matt345

I say go for it. I felt the same way about LA and made the move and I haven't regretted it. I've been to Phoenix and I totally understand what you mean about the place being boring. I think you'll love San Francisco if you can get a decent paying job; it's the only city I've ever been to that actually makes me think about leaving LA and I've been all over (Miami, New York, New Orleans, DC).

My friend did make a point that Phoenix is like a blank slate where much can be changed and influenced. But I think I'd rather go straight to a city where it has years culture history.

[US-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Madcut

I'm considering moving to the bay area. I've lived in Arizona pretty much all of my life, and I'm pretty sick of it. I moved to Phoenix last year from a small town in northern Arizona, but I had already been coming down every other weekend to see my dad. Phoenix doesn't have much culture, and while the people are friendly, the city is pretty flavorless. I'm nineteen years old and want to start experiencing life. I feel that I have become increasingly depressed living in an area that is only filled with ****ty franchises and v-neck wearing bros.

Every time I have gone to San Francisco I have loved it. The last time I went, I was helping drive a friend up to WA whom was moving from AZ. We took the pacific coast highway most of the way towards Oregon. Big Sur is probably the most beautiful area I have ever seen in my life. Haight-ashbury was an awesome area and I really enjoyed it for the culture and music scene.

I'm wondering if San Francisco would be a good area for me, if I can even find a reasonable apartment with roommates and a job. I'm primarily interested in Sociology and Philosophy and other social sciences. I also love music and want to become more involved in a music scene where I can see a lot of live music of local artists. I heavily enjoy electronic music and enjoy going to raves, but Phoenix's raves are filled with a bunch of sixteen year old half nude girls and happy hardcore music. Anyways, I'm curious what parts of the bay area would be good to live for these interests. I want to meet new people and experience new things. I want to become more involved in a community where I can become co-creative with other individuals. But this is probably more of an issue of self motivation rather than solely location.

I am open to suggestions of other areas in the California or broader regions. Some people have suggested Santa Cruz and Berkely as cheaper alternatives to SF, while still being close distances from it. I would really enjoy an urban environment, but rent will be higher.

I'm not going to attempt to move until I have found a place to live and a job. My best friends sister lives in SF and probably could hook me up with a decent job.

Thanks if you read this far and can give me advice. Also if anyone wants to be super friendly and can suggest places to live or get a job, I'm completely motivated and committed to going after it. Thanks.

Let me start by saying that I really like Phoenix and am surprised to hear you say that it has no culture with the distinct and unique Indian, Mexican, Sonoran, and Old Western heritage it has. Phoenix actually closely resembles Los Angeles and Scottsdale is like a newer version of Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles.

San Francisco has plenty of night-life and a decent music scene, but understand that most of it is gay and lesbian oriented and people are for the most part going to be much older than you. You might find your niche, but San Francisco is largely 30 and 40 year old college educated professionals in tech and finance.

I really would suggest you go to College and obtain an undergraduate degree before persuing a city to settle-down in. You need an education otherwise you cannot afford a city like San Francisco (Chicago, LA, Seattle, NYC, whatever). Most people your going to be competing against are going to have undergraduate, and many will have graduate degrees from institutions like Stanford, UC Berkley, Northwestern, University of Chicago, and the Ivies.

Also, please be aware of taxes. Many people move to California and aren't considering the fact that they'll be paying over 50% in income taxes along with a large state sales tax.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Get a masters degree, save up some bucks, revisit your plan in a few years.

[gearedtowardssalad]

Originally Posted by US-Traveller

Let me start by saying that I really like Phoenix and am surprised to hear you say that it has no culture with the distinct and unique Indian, Mexican, Sonoran, and Old Western heritage it has. Phoenix actually closely resembles Los Angeles and Scottsdale is like a newer version of Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles.

San Francisco has plenty of night-life and a decent music scene, but understand that most of it is gay and lesbian oriented and people are for the most part going to be much older than you. You might find your niche, but San Francisco is largely 30 and 40 year old college educated professionals in tech and finance.

I really would suggest you go to College and obtain an undergraduate degree before persuing a city to settle-down in. You need an education otherwise you cannot afford a city like San Francisco (Chicago, LA, Seattle, NYC, whatever). Most people your going to be competing against are going to have undergraduate, and many will have graduate degrees from institutions like Stanford, UC Berkley, Northwestern, University of Chicago, and the Ivies.

Also, please be aware of taxes. Many people move to California and aren't considering the fact that they'll be paying over 50% in income taxes along with a large state sales tax.

You say "gay and lesbian oriented" like it is a bad thing and makes me question the validity of this statement when I see the "Conservative Republican" line underneath your user name. Maybe you didn't mean to be perceived this way, though. Just weird how you brought that up like something that this user absolutely needs to know.

I plan on moving to San Francisco when I graduate from school. I too enjoy electronic and IDM music and SF is a great place to be for this type of music. I think that SF and Boston have 2 of the most interesting and under-rated music scenes in America. I also live in Phoenix and this place is really boring. The music scene is really stagnant and for the most part, non existent unless you like bar rock cover bands and emo garbage. Nice surroundings and people but not really anything going on behind that. But it's a red state so of course it's going to be kept old and boring so what can you do.

[SirHandsome]

I highly recommend it.

You say you've been and enjoyed so you already know this, but you won't regret it. I myself lived in Phoenix for 2 years, and the bay area is a pretty major improvement.