How do people in the Bay Area LIVE?

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I live in SF. I make under six figures and live in a tiny one bedroom. Rent control, though even with that I'll be priced out in a few years. Do you go on vacation a couple of times a year? I don't. I don't really even leave the city. I don't buy fancy things.

But sometimes I reserve one of the conference rooms at work that faces the Bay Bridge and I look at it and am grateful I'm here. Or I go to the Ferry Building on my lunch hour. Or I go for a little hike through GG Park. Three times a week in winter there's a farmer's market I can easily get to.

While sure, I wish to hell I had a bathtub and a dishwasher, I'm not wishing for a McMansion. I'm satisfied shopping at Old Navy and Target's clearance racks. Would I like to have a 2 bedroom condo? Yes. Would I like to be able to shop at Macys? Yes. But I'm okay with how things are. I can do what I want, and not worry one bit about what's popular. People like me for who I am here, not how I dress. [/quote]

This is so sad.

There are so many places you can go that have farmers markets and nice views. You don't have to live like this. [/quote]

She may share custody. There are many places that have farmers markets and nice views, but they may be places she can only live in without her child.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I live in SF. I make under six figures and live in a tiny one bedroom. Rent control, though even with that I'll be priced out in a few years. Do you go on vacation a couple of times a year? I don't. I don't really even leave the city. I don't buy fancy things.

But sometimes I reserve one of the conference rooms at work that faces the Bay Bridge and I look at it and am grateful I'm here. Or I go to the Ferry Building on my lunch hour. Or I go for a little hike through GG Park. Three times a week in winter there's a farmer's market I can easily get to.

While sure, I wish to hell I had a bathtub and a dishwasher, I'm not wishing for a McMansion. I'm satisfied shopping at Old Navy and Target's clearance racks. Would I like to have a 2 bedroom condo? Yes. Would I like to be able to shop at Macys? Yes. But I'm okay with how things are. I can do what I want, and not worry one bit about what's popular. People like me for who I am here, not how I dress. [/quote]

This is so sad.

There are so many places you can go that have farmers markets and nice views. You don't have to live like this. [/quote]
Sad lives are only lived by sad people. Don't be jealous of someone for being happy with something different than would make you happy.

Shhhhhh it's the only way she can make her sad life seem less sad[/quote]

[Anonymous]

OP here’s a recent video put up by some local Marin County high schoolers that will give you a pretty good idea of the local culture. These racist dynamics are very prevalent here. It may or may not be your cup of tea, but at least you will get an idea of what your family would be raised in..

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.marinij.com/2020/01/22/tam-high-students-debut-documentary-on-sausalito-marin-city-saga/amp/

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:We moved here from D.C. A few years ago and hate it. The area sucks (filthy, so many homeless people, terrible public transportation), the housing is so expensive (and were also lawyers). I don't understand the mentality of spending so much to get so little. It's really left a bad taste in my mouth. i hope to move in the next year.

The past ten years it has really gone down hill in California.

I can't believe that regular job holding bill paying citizens of many parts that state haven't openly revolted yet.

We lived there twice. Once in the late 90s/2000 and later around 10-12. The difference in squalor vs cleanliness in those two time periods was significant.

Revolt? Nobody cares. Those who care leave.

+1
While I agree that SF is filthy, California is still a gorgeous and stunning place to live. I feel blessed to be here. Friendly people, sunshine, nature.
Lots of anti-California messaging is happening lately. I'm suspicious of it. After all, if people truly want to target high tax states, then why not target NJ or CT? If people want to target states with high Latino populations, then why not TX, NM or AZ? If people want to target states with poor schools, why not all the states in the south?

California is a beacon of opportunity, a wonderful place to live, and unfortunately expensive.

It's not anti-California messaging. It's a sad reality. It's not unfortunately expensive, it's completely unaffordable.

California is huge. Unfair to categorize it based solely on just the SF area.

Tell me, please, about an affordable area of California that is full of opportunities and a wonderful place to live. I will move there today.

I used to live in San Diego. More affordable than DC, lots of opportunities in many fields.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We moved here from D.C. A few years ago and hate it. The area sucks (filthy, so many homeless people, terrible public transportation), the housing is so expensive (and were also lawyers). I don't understand the mentality of spending so much to get so little. It's really left a bad taste in my mouth. i hope to move in the next year.

The past ten years it has really gone down hill in California.

I can't believe that regular job holding bill paying citizens of many parts that state haven't openly revolted yet.

We lived there twice. Once in the late 90s/2000 and later around 10-12. The difference in squalor vs cleanliness in those two time periods was significant.

Revolt? Nobody cares. Those who care leave.

+1
While I agree that SF is filthy, California is still a gorgeous and stunning place to live. I feel blessed to be here. Friendly people, sunshine, nature.
Lots of anti-California messaging is happening lately. I'm suspicious of it. After all, if people truly want to target high tax states, then why not target NJ or CT? If people want to target states with high Latino populations, then why not TX, NM or AZ? If people want to target states with poor schools, why not all the states in the south?

California is a beacon of opportunity, a wonderful place to live, and unfortunately expensive.

It's not anti-California messaging. It's a sad reality. It's not unfortunately expensive, it's completely unaffordable.

California is huge. Unfair to categorize it based solely on just the SF area.

Tell me, please, about an affordable area of California that is full of opportunities and a wonderful place to live. I will move there today.

I used to live in San Diego. More affordable than DC, lots of opportunities in many fields.

Inland is more affordable, but the commute would suc,k, and it's hot, but at least it's dry hot and not humid. You could try Temecula.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Racism is a factor.

Okay, I'll bite. Why?

Because racism is always a factor, if not THE factor.

Racism makes the world go round.

I lived in SF 20 years ago and it was bad then. Once all the Google stuff came up, my friends were like hey you were right. WTH would I lie about it? There is also a weird undercurrent with everyone else and Asian people. It is a weird place.

[Anonymous]

Our combined income is only $200k. ($170 for hubby and $30 part-time is me). How do we make it work? We telecommute and live in Monterey. We also looked at Los Gatos and Santa Cruz -- both cheaper than Palo Alto but not as cheap. We could buy a nice house for $500k in Seaside by the beach with decent schools and GREAT charter options for cheaper than living in a townhouse in DC.

[Anonymous]

My husband and I rent a 2 bedroom flat in the Richmond. We have one kid so it works out perfectly. We moved in in the early 2000s, paying less than 2,000 with rent control, and have become good friends with the owner. I work in education and make 80k and my husband works in construction making 130k.

Is it a perfect life? No, but we are very comfortable. We thought about moving to the East Bay, but decided this was a better fit. Instead of worrying about a home, we have made solid investments in stocks/mutual funds and have a college fund for our son.

While Bay Area residents are often stereotyped as either wealthy techies or nimbies who bought homes decades ago, there are plenty of families just like mine. Middle class families who are just trying to get by with the help of rent control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I rent a 2 bedroom flat in the Richmond. We have one kid so it works out perfectly. We moved in in the early 2000s, paying less than 2,000 with rent control, [/b]and have become good friends with the owner. I work in education and make 80k and my husband works in construction making 130k.

Is it a perfect life? No, but we are very comfortable. We thought about moving to the East Bay, but decided this was a better fit. Instead of worrying about a home, we have made solid investments in stocks/mutual funds and have a college fund for our son.

While Bay Area residents are often stereotyped as either wealthy techies or [b]nimbies who bought homes decades ago, there are plenty of families just like mine. Middle class families who are just trying to get by with the help of rent control.

Was looking for info on making it in Bay Area and this confuses me: how different is it to have rent control for almost two decades vs having bought two decades ago? I’m assuming you wouldn’t accept say a 50% rent increase in exchange for expanding rental control to more units?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I rent a 2 bedroom flat in the Richmond. We have one kid so it works out perfectly. We moved in in the early 2000s, paying less than 2,000 with rent control, [/b]and have become good friends with the owner. I work in education and make 80k and my husband works in construction making 130k.

Is it a perfect life? No, but we are very comfortable. We thought about moving to the East Bay, but decided this was a better fit. Instead of worrying about a home, we have made solid investments in stocks/mutual funds and have a college fund for our son.

While Bay Area residents are often stereotyped as either wealthy techies or [b]nimbies who bought homes decades ago, there are plenty of families just like mine. Middle class families who are just trying to get by with the help of rent control.

Was looking for info on making it in Bay Area and this confuses me: how different is it to have rent control for almost two decades vs having bought two decades ago? I’m assuming you wouldn’t accept say a 50% rent increase in exchange for expanding rental control to more units?

NP Rent control is really uncommon in the bay area. I have only heard of it in SF, SJ and now Richmond. Most towns do not have it. It is controversial and gets voted down when it comes up on local ballots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Overseas buyers have driven up the RE market in SF. They don't live there. That's how they get by. They rent it out to poseurs.

When I lived there, I had to submit my rent checks to the bank of china.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I rent a 2 bedroom flat in the Richmond. We have one kid so it works out perfectly. We moved in in the early 2000s, paying less than 2,000 with rent control, [/b]and have become good friends with the owner. I work in education and make 80k and my husband works in construction making 130k.

Is it a perfect life? No, but we are very comfortable. We thought about moving to the East Bay, but decided this was a better fit. Instead of worrying about a home, we have made solid investments in stocks/mutual funds and have a college fund for our son.

While Bay Area residents are often stereotyped as either wealthy techies or [b]nimbies who bought homes decades ago, there are plenty of families just like mine. Middle class families who are just trying to get by with the help of rent control.

Was looking for info on making it in Bay Area and this confuses me: how different is it to have rent control for almost two decades vs having bought two decades ago? I’m assuming you wouldn’t accept say a 50% rent increase in exchange for expanding rental control to more units?

NP Rent control is really uncommon in the bay area. I have only heard of it in SF, SJ and now Richmond. Most towns do not have it. It is controversial and gets voted down when it comes up on local ballots.

Berkeley and Oakland have rent control. SF, Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond, and San Jose is a huge amount of the population of the Bay Area. Agree that a lot of the peninsula towns don’t have it. Some of the newer buildings in Berkeley and Oakland aren’t covered by rent control as well given the way the law is written.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I rent a 2 bedroom flat in the Richmond. We have one kid so it works out perfectly. We moved in in the early 2000s, paying less than 2,000 with rent control, [/b]and have become good friends with the owner. I work in education and make 80k and my husband works in construction making 130k.

Is it a perfect life? No, but we are very comfortable. We thought about moving to the East Bay, but decided this was a better fit. Instead of worrying about a home, we have made solid investments in stocks/mutual funds and have a college fund for our son.

While Bay Area residents are often stereotyped as either wealthy techies or [b]nimbies who bought homes decades ago, there are plenty of families just like mine. Middle class families who are just trying to get by with the help of rent control.

Was looking for info on making it in Bay Area and this confuses me: how different is it to have rent control for almost two decades vs having bought two decades ago? I’m assuming you wouldn’t accept say a 50% rent increase in exchange for expanding rental control to more units?

NP Rent control is really uncommon in the bay area. I have only heard of it in SF, SJ and now Richmond. Most towns do not have it. It is controversial and gets voted down when it comes up on local ballots.

PP lives in *the* Richmond, (neighborhood out near GG Park)--not Richmond, the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I rent a 2 bedroom flat in the Richmond. We have one kid so it works out perfectly. We moved in in the early 2000s, paying less than 2,000 with rent control, [/b]and have become good friends with the owner. I work in education and make 80k and my husband works in construction making 130k.

Is it a perfect life? No, but we are very comfortable. We thought about moving to the East Bay, but decided this was a better fit. Instead of worrying about a home, we have made solid investments in stocks/mutual funds and have a college fund for our son.

While Bay Area residents are often stereotyped as either wealthy techies or [b]nimbies who bought homes decades ago, there are plenty of families just like mine. Middle class families who are just trying to get by with the help of rent control.

Was looking for info on making it in Bay Area and this confuses me: how different is it to have rent control for almost two decades vs having bought two decades ago? I’m assuming you wouldn’t accept say a 50% rent increase in exchange for expanding rental control to more units?

NP Rent control is really uncommon in the bay area. I have only heard of it in SF, SJ and now Richmond. Most towns do not have it. It is controversial and gets voted down when it comes up on local ballots.

This isn't true. Here are some cities with some form of rent control:

Alameda
Berkeley
East Palo Alto
Emeryville
Hayward
Los Gatos
Mountain View
Oakland
Richmond
San Francisco
San Jose

I may be missing some too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sacramento, Livermore and Davis.

+1 My sister works in the Bay Area (Oakland) but commutes from Sacramento. She worked out a deal to only go to the office 2x a week and works on the train. She says she knows a lot of people with similar arrangements. With covid making more companies comfortable with WAH, I expect more Bay Area residents will move to the Sacramento area.