Moving to SF and the Perils Thereof

[jimboomega]

So, I got a job offer, which I intend to accept (though right now, it's only verbal). The job is in a great location in the Financial District. I've started to think about the mechanics of moving to SF. The relocation is, at best, symbolic. So money matters, and I don't intend to bring my car. This isn't one of those huge companies that puts

Comments

[nuki]

First off, congrats on the job. I think it's been clear to everyone for a while now that you "belong" in SF.

Don't mind the hipsters who tell you that they lived in SF "back when it was cool" but Oakland is "so much better" than SF. As I understand it, it is not about the cost of living, strictly speaking---it is a certified "thing" now, and if you were "cool" you'd live in Oakland with all of the other people at the vanguard. (A sample I saw a while back.) You don't have to play the hipster game if you don't want to.

[jvittes]

I have to say, I love the irony of the "friends" calling all tech workers "dotcommers" and railing against them for moving to "their" city, and pricing them out, when the tech workers are just trying to find a place to live. As if someone isn't doing the same to Oakland, moving in just trying to find a place to live.

I really find hipsters so funny.

I should now find a site railing against hipsters for moving to "their" city.

[jimboomega]

I just read a great one this morning, it's about Oakland, and how all the "out-of-towners" are ruining things by doing crazy stuff like calling the cops when their stuff gets stolen.

http://www.thebolditalic.com/oaklandlocal/stories/3148-an-article-about-gentrification-in-oakland-that-isn-t-going-to-make-you-feel-good-about-yourself

[jimboomega]

Any pretensions or concerns I may have had about hipsters were dropped as soon as I saw the rental unit prices. Still, I do care about relative safety (am I going to feel sketchy coming back after a night of drinking? Dressed as a woman?) and how long my commute would be.

Also, walkability; I don't plan to bring my car.

So all this advice about how the cool kids have now infested a neighborhood and it's now cool/not cool any more... whatever. For me, it is about the cost of living, because it's a difference of say, $1k/month. Now, granted, I do care about gentrification to the extent it keeps me from feeling unsafe. But am I going to pay several hundred dollars a month more because the [asian ethnicity] food is more authentic there? Or the bars aren't full of pretentious douchebags? No.

I'm not going to look at some PBR index to figure out where to live. And hey, at least I'm actually working in the city, not commuting to Palo Alto or Mountain View.

[jvittes]

Jon, congrats on the job

[jimboomega]

Well, it depends on which $1k, and what it buys me. The difference between $2500 and $3500 is the difference between really steep and completely unaffordable, for instance (but $1500 and $2500 is tangible)

To use DC-relative terms, I wouldn't think that living in say, Dupont vs Arlington is worth $1k more, but either of those versus Herndon is (especially if my job was in the city).

By the way, when you say it's been clear to everyone that I belong in SF, is this simply because of my crossdressing, or is there something deeper at work? (You aren't the only one to express the sentiment, certainly)

[jvittes]

Jon, it was Brendan who said:
I think it's been clear to everyone for a while now that you "belong" in SF.

Though I think to a certain extent it has been clear to me for a while that you should move to the Bay Area, or at least NYC, with regards to jobs, and any fulfillment you get from that.

[jimboomega]

Yeah, I meant that comment to go on Brendan's reply

[psifenix]

Move to Berkeley. It's nice, it's got two(!) BART stations and it's much cheaper than SF.

[jvittes]

"it's much cheaper than SF." That might not be true
http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2012/12/10/an-interactive-map-of-the-cheapest-places-to-rent-in-the-bay-area/

Rent in downtown Berkeley is about $3.58/sqft, it is rivaling Mission Bay at $3.88/sqft.

If you lose the word "much" then I think it is pretty accurate, Jon doesn't sound like he wants to live far from BART.

[psifenix]

Downtown Berkeley is a crappy place to live anyway and everything else is ~$2.50.

[psifenix]

Whereas for $2.50 in SF you can live in the avenues or in beautiful ~BaYviEw~

[meener]

yay congrats!! somehow we need to get everyone to migrate to the west coast.

if you're not going to have a car but you still want to enjoy nightlife in sf, i would say get a roommate. city life is worth it.

[jimboomega]

I'm not opposed to the concept of getting a roommate, but the idea of moving to an apartment I've seen with someone I've never met is a bit intimidating. Thankfully, I think I've found a way to buy a few weeks to sort that out.

I have no idea where to find a roommate, though. They obviously would have to be totally cool with my gender bending, XD.

[chikuqi]

Congrats Jon!! That's great news :D It'll be a lot of work moving out there, but you get to reap the benefits later.