Tell me about living in the SF Bay area vs. Arlington/DC
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Anonymous
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Working odd jobs will lead to a terrible quality of life OP. Bay Area is one of the few parts of the country more expensive than DC.
Why not Portland or Seattle? They’re not super cheap either but way more affordable than SF and you still get the laid back attitude, proximity to nature, good food, etc of SF (and also the homeless and drug issues unfortunately) |
Anonymous
NP. I agree with you that the liberals have wrecked California, but aren't they doing the same in the DMV? |
Anonymous
They are trying. Hopefully voters will learn a lot faster than in San Francisco. Seattle is also nearing the takeover of lawlessness. |
Anonymous
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If you dig a little deeper you will uncover the reason why sites like Reddit call out Southern Marin folks as subhuman. Have you heard about the desegregation order for Marin City.. 5 minutes from all white Tiburon, Belvedere, and Mill Valley?. Have you looked up the staff at the schools to see if there is any diversity? Have you heard about the Dixie school name change? Did you hear what happened to Matt Nagle when he ran against Mary Jane Burke? Did you hear about the Marin Coroner sexually abusing his daughter? Or the Branson sexual assault probe? Or how about the pedophile ring? The corruption here is off the charts. When I moved here from DC I thought It was odd no one talks to their neighbors, or seems to have genuine friendships, now I understand why, waaay too many toxic small town dynamics to deal with. Actually, most of the Town Town Council members and County staff move away after their terms expire.. Tiburon’s former Mayor moved to Mclean I heard. I thought I would buy myself a place up in Sonoma to get a little further away from it all... until I learned why all the people in the know sold their homes and moved back closer to the city and hospitals with various cancers and endocrine problems due to the insecticides being sprayed. Oh and did you hear about the problems with the anchor outs and the toxicity found in the fog that blankets the area?
I would take the change of seasons, travel options, manners, schools, and the racism in DC over ‘beautiful life’ in SF Bay, Marin County any day. |
Anonymous
| Take a look at the suicide rates for Marin County compared to other Counties in California. |
Anonymous
| The main difference for me is that in DC they’re a much better vibe overall. The Metro is safe, clean, and convenient. DC is surprisingly walkable and it feels pretty safe to walk around, even at night. There isn’t drug use or poop on the streets, WAY less homeless everywhere, and just less shady people on the streets. I’m a Bay Area native and would never walk all over and take public transportation everywhere in SF, Oakland, or even San Jose the way everyone does in DC. |
Anonymous
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I use to live in DC (foggy bottom) and NOVA (courthouse). I now have been in SF for 10+ years and haven't looked back.
Pro's: Great weather, no humidity, laid back, nice people. Water on 3 sides of the city and terrific views. Great restaurants. Liberal but also chilled out. Wine country and great wine is an hour away. People are friendly. Con's: $$$, Very expensive housing. Unreliable public schools so we go private which is expensive. Could be more diverse. |
Anonymous
What is your HHI there be here. We make $400k in DC, think to have similar lifestyle we need $800k? |
Anonymous
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I grew up on the Peninsula, spent and number of years in DC, then lived in SF proper (Cow Hollow) for 16 years then Palo Alto for another 2. We moved to DC area (Chevy Chase MD) because my wife is from here and wanted ti raise our kids closer to her family. Here’s the way I look at it
DC is MUCH more affordable and it’s really not even close. So it’s go that going for it. The suburbs are generally nice and you get a pretty good variety. With a few exceptions though you have to be okay with post war brick boxes. If you are from here the weather is probably fine for you. It’s fine for me too for the most part but the summers I’ve found to be brutal with the heat and humidity. Downtown DC is fine but clearly not without its problems, like most major cities. The food scene has a long long way to go compared to the Bay Area and other metro areas, but it’s improved a ton and is absolutely on the upswing. As for the people, I’ve found people are people. There’s a holes everywhere. In DC I’ve found it’s the people that put on airs and take themselves very seriously. Insufferable. In SF it’s the wannabe techies that are self-styled “visionaries”. Insufferable. Behind those two groups you get all kinds in both places. I’ve found that in the Bay Area people tend to “sweat the small stuff” way less than DC but that might be my own bias. Much much more to do if you’re outdoorsy in the Bay Area. Sierras, ocean, desert all right there. From a physical beauty perspective the bay area and the DMV are hard to compare. I find MoCo to be pretty if I squint hard enough. The Chesapeake is wonderful though and I do love it. The weather is all microclimates in the Bay Area. If you live in SF you will find the summers foggy and cold a lot. If you drive an hour south to Palo Alto you will find a beautiful day that very same day. The weather on the peninsula and in parts of Marin and east bay is tough to beat. As for a lot of the scuttle about downtown SF being a cesspool: in some parts of the city such as the tenderloin that comment is merited. Other places can have their rough moments as well. But it’s not gangs or that type of violence, it’s the druggies and crazies. MOST of the city though is just fine. Those who make blanket statements either have not spent real time there, are being politically provocative, or are (insert adjective) whose comments don’t warrant reading. Bottom line: both great places, both different cultures with strong streaks of similarity. Bay Area is leaps and bounds more expensive though. |
Anonymous
Yes, the weather is great except when there are wildfires. |
Anonymous
The wildfires impact mostly inland areas, not the Bay Area, especially the Peninsula, though it can impact air quality at times. I would take the Peninsula area over DC area in a heartbeat if money was not an issue. |
Anonymous
no heat or ac bills |
Anonymous
except for the air quality and having to wear a KN95 or respirator even in the city |
Anonymous
NoCal is perfect weather. Hiking there is beautiful too |
Anonymous
| Hot take: SF and close in East bay weather stinks for this of us who like actual hot. You can't never wear a skirt, shorts, sun dress all day long. |