San Francisco dreaming
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Originally Posted By: Mystic
Sometimes I think about moving to San Francisco. Maybe somewhere like about 48th Avenue and Lawton Street. There is a beautiful beach there. And that is just 11 blocks or so from the San Francisco Zoo. And there are all of these nice bike trails.
And maybe drive to Pacifica sometimes, and do some fishing from the pier there. And there is a Lug-N-Jug there where sometimes people drive by in beautiful classic cars. A Lug-N-Jug at 100 Clarendon Road, in Pacifica. Some people own these beautiful classic cars.
And maybe be a volunteer for the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. I could probably do a lot of photography.
And there are lots of nice places to eat. A person could stay healthy with all of the nice food.
And there are lots of places in the city and outside of the city where there are a lot of photography opportunities. The Golden Gate Bridge and so many other places.
But then I think of all the earthquake danger and the high cost of living and I change my mind.
These are all terrible reasons to pay to live in san francisco itself. You can get acheive all these goals better for a lot cheaper by living somewhere in the suburbs or surrounding areas to SF.
If you said you liked the bustling activity and youth and energy and nightlife of being in the city then you'd have a point.
Sometimes I think about moving to San Francisco. Maybe somewhere like about 48th Avenue and Lawton Street. There is a beautiful beach there. And that is just 11 blocks or so from the San Francisco Zoo. And there are all of these nice bike trails.
And maybe drive to Pacifica sometimes, and do some fishing from the pier there. And there is a Lug-N-Jug there where sometimes people drive by in beautiful classic cars. A Lug-N-Jug at 100 Clarendon Road, in Pacifica. Some people own these beautiful classic cars.
And maybe be a volunteer for the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. I could probably do a lot of photography.
And there are lots of nice places to eat. A person could stay healthy with all of the nice food.
And there are lots of places in the city and outside of the city where there are a lot of photography opportunities. The Golden Gate Bridge and so many other places.
But then I think of all the earthquake danger and the high cost of living and I change my mind.
These are all terrible reasons to pay to live in san francisco itself. You can get acheive all these goals better for a lot cheaper by living somewhere in the suburbs or surrounding areas to SF.
If you said you liked the bustling activity and youth and energy and nightlife of being in the city then you'd have a point.
At least living in San Francisco allows you to ditch your car or at least keep it parked for most of the time.
I lived there for a while working on a job and public transportation was wonderful. Also every kind of store or restaurant was within easy walking distance. In fact I really liked the small grocery stores and restaurants and coffee shops and pizza places. The food was fabulous and really cheap if you stayed away from the tourist's traps.
The people were really friendly and after living there for a couple of weeks it was like I'd lived there for years.
I've never walked so much in all my life as I did there and really enjoyed it, especially all the hills and paths. I think I'd be much better off there health wise if I still lived there.
I lived there for a while working on a job and public transportation was wonderful. Also every kind of store or restaurant was within easy walking distance. In fact I really liked the small grocery stores and restaurants and coffee shops and pizza places. The food was fabulous and really cheap if you stayed away from the tourist's traps.
The people were really friendly and after living there for a couple of weeks it was like I'd lived there for years.
I've never walked so much in all my life as I did there and really enjoyed it, especially all the hills and paths. I think I'd be much better off there health wise if I still lived there.
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
At least living in San Francisco allows you to ditch your car or at least keep it parked for most of the time.
Ha, I once used a coupon for a Motel 6 so I could just park my car.
the most expensive parking fee I have ever paid in my life was when I parked down by Fishermans wharf and went over to Alcatraz.
Great city though.
At least living in San Francisco allows you to ditch your car or at least keep it parked for most of the time.
Ha, I once used a coupon for a Motel 6 so I could just park my car.
the most expensive parking fee I have ever paid in my life was when I parked down by Fishermans wharf and went over to Alcatraz.
Great city though.
The bums peeing in the streets seemed pretty sacred to the phony liberals in San Fran, being from the Midwest I would say San Fran and Californians in general are the least friendly people in the country, just my observation, SF is the most provincial city in the country, I'd rather live in L.A ) beautiful architecture though.
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Love SF, been there twice, once with better half, and once with the kids as well.
More expensive to live then Sydney says a lot...cheaper to spend a week there as a tourist than Sydney by quite a margin from experience.
One of my strangest experiences while over there was when we took photos of the Bohemian Club, and there was a veteran begging (well he was wearing uniform and claimed to be a veteran)...I explained that I didn't have change (true), and he offered to make change for whatever I would give him...guy in a box up the street from the Nob Hill hotel (the quirky one, everyone should stay there for a while) was happy to have our empty bottles and cash them in the vending machine.
Had lunch with mori too (the real mori, not the scarlet pimpernel that people see under every bush).
More expensive to live then Sydney says a lot...cheaper to spend a week there as a tourist than Sydney by quite a margin from experience.
One of my strangest experiences while over there was when we took photos of the Bohemian Club, and there was a veteran begging (well he was wearing uniform and claimed to be a veteran)...I explained that I didn't have change (true), and he offered to make change for whatever I would give him...guy in a box up the street from the Nob Hill hotel (the quirky one, everyone should stay there for a while) was happy to have our empty bottles and cash them in the vending machine.
Had lunch with mori too (the real mori, not the scarlet pimpernel that people see under every bush).
Originally Posted By: Mystic
Originally Posted By: Warstud
Are you coming out of the closet????
If you mean am I gay, no I am not gay. Do you have to be gay if you live in San Francisco? There are just regular people living there, right?
Gay people aren't regular people? What is a regular person anyway? And who wants to be regular?
Originally Posted By: Warstud
Are you coming out of the closet????
If you mean am I gay, no I am not gay. Do you have to be gay if you live in San Francisco? There are just regular people living there, right?
Gay people aren't regular people? What is a regular person anyway? And who wants to be regular?
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Originally Posted By: Mystic
Originally Posted By: Warstud
Are you coming out of the closet????
If you mean am I gay, no I am not gay. Do you have to be gay if you live in San Francisco? There are just regular people living there, right?
Gay people aren't regular people? What is a regular person anyway? And who wants to be regular?
Isn't a regular person someone who doesn't need a fiber supplement?
Originally Posted By: Mystic
Originally Posted By: Warstud
Are you coming out of the closet????
If you mean am I gay, no I am not gay. Do you have to be gay if you live in San Francisco? There are just regular people living there, right?
Gay people aren't regular people? What is a regular person anyway? And who wants to be regular?
Isn't a regular person someone who doesn't need a fiber supplement?
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Originally Posted By: Mystic
Originally Posted By: Warstud
Are you coming out of the closet????
If you mean am I gay, no I am not gay. Do you have to be gay if you live in San Francisco? There are just regular people living there, right?
Gay people aren't regular people? What is a regular person anyway? And who wants to be regular?
Isn't a regular person someone who doesn't need a fiber supplement?
LOL!
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Originally Posted By: Mystic
Originally Posted By: Warstud
Are you coming out of the closet????
If you mean am I gay, no I am not gay. Do you have to be gay if you live in San Francisco? There are just regular people living there, right?
Gay people aren't regular people? What is a regular person anyway? And who wants to be regular?
Isn't a regular person someone who doesn't need a fiber supplement?
LOL!
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted By: Evanson
It depends on where you are coming from.
If you are coming from one of the cheapest places in the US and have median income, then almost anywhere in California is going to be too expensive for you.
And while major US cities seem expensive, international cities are far more expensive.
Exactly. I see that housing is expensive in ca, gas is too, as are some other things. But it's not so severe that anyone with a half decent income would have issues.
It depends on where you are coming from.
If you are coming from one of the cheapest places in the US and have median income, then almost anywhere in California is going to be too expensive for you.
And while major US cities seem expensive, international cities are far more expensive.
Exactly. I see that housing is expensive in ca, gas is too, as are some other things. But it's not so severe that anyone with a half decent income would have issues.
Housing, gas, tax, insurance(and uninsured motorist), earthquake, wildfire, mudslide ... are some of the few problems here but weather is unbeatable. Also, fruits and vegetables are plentiful and cheap too.
I actually visited SF when I was about 10 years old or so, (we lived in Granada Hills in 76-77) and
the place has changed for the worse in so many ways. Back in the mid 70s the place still had some charm, the homosexuals and asian immigrants hadn't total taken over the place at that point either.
I was recently back in CA visiting friends in Monterrey, Santa Barbara, and the surrounding area....The entire state is so crowded and congested now, the roads are overwhelmed with traffic, hispanics are now a clear majority in many areas of the state as well.
the place has changed for the worse in so many ways. Back in the mid 70s the place still had some charm, the homosexuals and asian immigrants hadn't total taken over the place at that point either.
I was recently back in CA visiting friends in Monterrey, Santa Barbara, and the surrounding area....The entire state is so crowded and congested now, the roads are overwhelmed with traffic, hispanics are now a clear majority in many areas of the state as well.
JHZR2,
Quote:
Exactly. I see that housing is expensive in ca, gas is too, as are some other things. But it's not so severe that anyone with a half decent income would have issues.
What is considered a half decent income in California ?
antiqueshell,
Quote:
The entire state is so crowded and congested now, the roads are overwhelmed with traffic, hispanics are now a clear majority in many areas of the state as well.
Hispanics are the fastest growing population in the USA.
Quote:
Exactly. I see that housing is expensive in ca, gas is too, as are some other things. But it's not so severe that anyone with a half decent income would have issues.
What is considered a half decent income in California ?
antiqueshell,
Quote:
The entire state is so crowded and congested now, the roads are overwhelmed with traffic, hispanics are now a clear majority in many areas of the state as well.
Hispanics are the fastest growing population in the USA.
Unfortunately, a "half decent" income depends on where you are in CA with half decent in the Bay Area and better areas of SoCal being in the 100K/yr and above salary range. SoCal has two thirds of the population but the SF Bay Area is now either "SoCal Lite" or fully congested. Don't expect a lot for your money on any front. The median price for a townhouse where I live in the suburbs is over 500K with the median home price in SF proper being 1 million dollars. Many 2000-3000 sq. ft. single family homes in the suburbs are 1-2 million dollars. Renting a house is usually $2500/mo plus in many areas.
The exurbs of the Bay Area like Tracy and areas in the San Joaquin Valley will land you a somewhat cheaper house combined with a psychologically scarring commute...or you can use the ACE train in Stockton ( don't advise living there ) and commute in to Silicon Valley...just be on the platform at 4:45AM. Quality of life is very subjective based on how much money you have to limit these factors along with where you work...and that can be independent of your particular community.
My ancestors came to CA in 1851 and my dad was the first generation to move out of state for retirement. Parents moved back to CA after nine years and they probably wouldn't be able to do that today as home prices have more than doubled since they returned in 1998.
I agree that SF can be a very provincial city but a lot of that today is the East Coasters and others who have especially changed it over the last 40-50 years. The old SF doesn't exist in the same way and now the new "provincials" are the tech workers who just make it more expensive and exclusive. You hear the term "gentrification" applied to SF probably more that most cities. IMO, SF proper increasingly isn't a place for people over 35 yrs. old to live unless you're old money or have a connection to the place. Vacation there or travel there a couple times a year...just don't live there.
The exurbs of the Bay Area like Tracy and areas in the San Joaquin Valley will land you a somewhat cheaper house combined with a psychologically scarring commute...or you can use the ACE train in Stockton ( don't advise living there ) and commute in to Silicon Valley...just be on the platform at 4:45AM. Quality of life is very subjective based on how much money you have to limit these factors along with where you work...and that can be independent of your particular community.
My ancestors came to CA in 1851 and my dad was the first generation to move out of state for retirement. Parents moved back to CA after nine years and they probably wouldn't be able to do that today as home prices have more than doubled since they returned in 1998.
I agree that SF can be a very provincial city but a lot of that today is the East Coasters and others who have especially changed it over the last 40-50 years. The old SF doesn't exist in the same way and now the new "provincials" are the tech workers who just make it more expensive and exclusive. You hear the term "gentrification" applied to SF probably more that most cities. IMO, SF proper increasingly isn't a place for people over 35 yrs. old to live unless you're old money or have a connection to the place. Vacation there or travel there a couple times a year...just don't live there.
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Love SF, been there twice...
More expensive to live then Sydney says a lot...cheaper to spend a week there as a tourist than Sydney by quite a margin from experience.
I've visited both places numerous times and I feel that Sydney is far more attractive and far safer city than SF.
Last time I visited SF I stayed in the Tenderloin district because the hotel was only $300 a night instead of $600 elsewhere. The poverty, open hard drug use and threatening people hanging out on every block has to be seen to be believed.
Love SF, been there twice...
More expensive to live then Sydney says a lot...cheaper to spend a week there as a tourist than Sydney by quite a margin from experience.
I've visited both places numerous times and I feel that Sydney is far more attractive and far safer city than SF.
Last time I visited SF I stayed in the Tenderloin district because the hotel was only $300 a night instead of $600 elsewhere. The poverty, open hard drug use and threatening people hanging out on every block has to be seen to be believed.
The Tenderloin compared to somewhere like Hamilton, NZ would definitely be culture shock. You have to experience the motel there off Market Street that will sell you temporary curtains for an additional $40...or else the front room is open to everyone's view. That particular motel was almost $200/night four or five years ago so if you're paying $300/night in the Tenderloin that must have been an actual hotel
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