How do people in the Bay Area LIVE?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Living in the Bay Area now on a $500k hhi. We don't own. We tried but it's a crazy market. Our rent is $4200 a month in a not so desirable part of the East Bay for a 3-bed. We feel stymied and can only imagine how other families making less must feel. Hopeless comes to mind. Plus, the schools really are a mess here. Even the 10/10s for whatever that's worth. And the homeless camps are a heartbreaking reality. So much poverty, filth, and crime. I've had to call 911 several times as a witness to an assault. Yes, the weather is great and the access to the outdoors is amazing but we'll probably bail this summer after 3 years of trying to make it work. Oh, and traffic sucks!

Where will you go next?

Not totally sure yet!

NP. Do you feel like listing your shortlist options? We love SFBA for the people (tech, highly educated, farmers market lovers), the food, the weather and tons of indoor and outdoor things to do. Hate it for traffic, homeless explosion, filth. We were strongly considering DMV (hence how I found this forum) but honestly after spending several months on here, I'm not convinced that we'd like it or fit in. They seem to have a real disrespect for tech people, they don't understand nutrition, can't get fresh awesome produce year round because I guess there isn't the demand for it (and that's literally the bulk of what we usually eat, including the kids), some of the people seem really snobby about things that I personally wouldn't be proud to even admit, and the weather.... ugh. I know that there are always some nice people everywhere, but I wanted to increase the odds a bit. I feel like we look at a map of the US all the time and still have no idea where to go... any ideas?

This is bizarre and isn’t true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Living in the Bay Area now on a $500k hhi. We don't own. We tried but it's a crazy market. Our rent is $4200 a month in a not so desirable part of the East Bay for a 3-bed. We feel stymied and can only imagine how other families making less must feel. Hopeless comes to mind. Plus, the schools really are a mess here. Even the 10/10s for whatever that's worth. And the homeless camps are a heartbreaking reality. So much poverty, filth, and crime. I've had to call 911 several times as a witness to an assault. Yes, the weather is great and the access to the outdoors is amazing but we'll probably bail this summer after 3 years of trying to make it work. Oh, and traffic sucks!

Where will you go next?

Not totally sure yet!

NP. Do you feel like listing your shortlist options? We love SFBA for the people (tech, highly educated, farmers market lovers), the food, the weather and tons of indoor and outdoor things to do. Hate it for traffic, homeless explosion, filth. We were strongly considering DMV (hence how I found this forum) but honestly after spending several months on here, I'm not convinced that we'd like it or fit in. They seem to have a real disrespect for tech people, they don't understand nutrition, can't get fresh awesome produce year round because I guess there isn't the demand for it (and that's literally the bulk of what we usually eat, including the kids), some of the people seem really snobby about things that I personally wouldn't be proud to even admit, and the weather.... ugh. I know that there are always some nice people everywhere, but I wanted to increase the odds a bit. I feel like we look at a map of the US all the time and still have no idea where to go... any ideas?

This is bizarre and isn’t true.

That is absolutely not true. And DCUM isn't necessarily representative of what you find IRL.

[Anonymous]

Please don’t judge the DC area by this forum. Anonymous forums bring out the worst in people.

That being said, if you are looking for other options to explore and prefer a west coast vibe, try Denver, Fort Collins, or Portland.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

There is an active disinformation campaign against California now, thanks to Trump's Russian friends. The Jefferson secession movement is a Russian thing, for instance. Trump hates California because it is very successful and everything he is not.

[Anonymous]

A bunch of my high school classmates from PA moved there after college to jump start their careers. The only people I know who live there now (mid-thirties) are a single tech guy who lives with roommates and a couple with a HHI I'd estimate at $300k but with family money on both sides. They bought a 3-bdrm for around $2.5m and have one child that will go to private schools.

[Anonymous]

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.

There is an active disinformation campaign against California now, thanks to Trump's Russian friends. The Jefferson secession movement is a Russian thing, for instance. Trump hates California because it is very successful and everything he is not.

What is the disinformation you are talking about. Nobody cares about secession, real estate price and quality as well as traffic or crime maps are online, third of the state is on MediCal (free healthcare for low income), minority population is actually majority (with more than 50% of public school kids being Hispanic now).

[Anonymous]

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.

There is an active disinformation campaign against California now, thanks to Trump's Russian friends. The Jefferson secession movement is a Russian thing, for instance. Trump hates California because it is very successful and everything he is not.

What is the disinformation you are talking about. Nobody cares about secession, real estate price and quality as well as traffic or crime maps are online, third of the state is on MediCal (free healthcare for low income), minority population is actually majority (with more than 50% of public school kids being Hispanic now).

It's the world's sixth largest economy, the clear center of innovation for the country, has more social mobility than most of the country, and is physically gorgeous to boot.

The fact that California is more successful than nearly all the red states (probably more than several of them combined) upsets the Trump crowd, though, and that includes his Russian friends.

[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.

[Anonymous]

Miserably. Barely making ends meet. It's a rough way to 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]

Shhhhhh it's the only way she can make her sad life seem less sad

[Anonymous]

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.

There is an active disinformation campaign against California now, thanks to Trump's Russian friends. The Jefferson secession movement is a Russian thing, for instance. Trump hates California because it is very successful and everything he is not.

What is the disinformation you are talking about. Nobody cares about secession, real estate price and quality as well as traffic or crime maps are online, third of the state is on MediCal (free healthcare for low income), minority population is actually majority (with more than 50% of public school kids being Hispanic now).

It's the world's sixth largest economy, the clear center of innovation for the country, has more social mobility than most of the country, and is physically gorgeous to boot.

The fact that California is more successful than nearly all the red states (probably more than several of them combined) upsets the Trump crowd, though, and that includes his Russian friends.

PP from above. I live in California, I have no clue what propaganda you are talking about. Where is that place in California one can live so it's gorgeous, affordable and full of possibilities. There is "gorgeous", there is "affordable" and there is "full of possibilities", but none are close to each other.

[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.

There is an active disinformation campaign against California now, thanks to Trump's Russian friends. The Jefferson secession movement is a Russian thing, for instance. Trump hates California because it is very successful and everything he is not.

What is the disinformation you are talking about. Nobody cares about secession, real estate price and quality as well as traffic or crime maps are online, third of the state is on MediCal (free healthcare for low income), minority population is actually majority (with more than 50% of public school kids being Hispanic now).

It's the world's sixth largest economy, the clear center of innovation for the country, has more social mobility than most of the country, and is physically gorgeous to boot.

The fact that California is more successful than nearly all the red states (probably more than several of them combined) upsets the Trump crowd, though, and that includes his Russian friends.

PP from above. I live in California, I have no clue what propaganda you are talking about. Where is that place in California one can live so it's gorgeous, affordable and full of possibilities. There is "gorgeous", there is "affordable" and there is "full of possibilities", but none are close to each other.

+1. That said, we keep looking at where else we can move that's less expensive, and have found that our three main contenders (Boston, NYC, and DC since we'd be close to family/roots there) are more expensive than what we pay now in the SF East Bay if we want a reasonably sized SFH in a good school zone. Our jobs also pay more in the Bay Area than in Boston and DC (about the same in NYC), so it ends up costing more. I check every 2-3 months thinking maybe the markets will shift (and before the California housing market dips again!) but if you already own in CA and have your property taxes locked in, you end up in a holding pattern.

[Anonymous]

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.

Nice try. Like I'd tell you. I don't want all you DC nutjobs moving here.