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I spent seven years in the Bay area, and found it quite a questionable deal. Not that it was a bad place per se, but it was expensive and the stuff I was doing

I spent seven years in the Bay area, and found it quite a questionable deal. Not that it was a bad place per se, but it was expensive and the stuff I was doing just wasn't very special. My sense is that if you are going to go to the Bay area, and put up with those high high costs for everything, you need to make it pay. Spend your weekends doing unusual stuff that you can't do elsewhere. Take jobs that don't exist elsewhere. And if that doesn't sound like your thing, don't go there in the first place.

seanp2k2 10y ago
Good advice IMO. I personally love camping within a few hours drive on the weekends, kiteboarding (SF Bay and the Delta have world-class kiteboarding conditions), sailing, mountain biking, hiking, and some rock climbing. The weather is my idea of perfect with sun almost every day and no snow ever (I grew up with snow about 6 months of the year, and I'd personally find it hard to ever go back to that). Lake Tahoe is also great for skiing compared to where I grew up, which had almost no hills and no ocean. SF is great for clubbing and bars etc. I love that the people here are generally very chill and loving. The outdoor music festivals in CA are also fantastic if you're into that sort of thing. For me at least, the rent is kind of just the cost of having an enjoyable life in the US. San Jose is crazy expensive for a suburb, but it's worth it for me because of all there is to do out here. The Valley is where tech happens, and as long as I'm in it as a career and as an interest, I'm happy to be at the epicenter. That it's in California, the place I grew up dreaming about, is the icing on the cake for me.
- praneshp 10y ago
  This is what has trapped me now. I'm not too keen on living here anymore, but don't want to miss out on ski + climbing + hiking.
  - stephencanon 10y ago
    If skiing/climbing/hiking are what you want specifically, you can do a lot better than the bay area in the US. The bay area is good for these things, but there are plenty of places in north america that are closer to better opportunities for them (especially skiing!)
    - dasil003 10y ago
      Yeah once you live in the Rockies you realize how overcrowded the California resorts are, and how bad the snow is relative to what you get at 10-14k feet.
      - praneshp 10y ago
        Do you feel sick at 14k? I will go to Colorado to ski for the first time this year. Wanted to go last year but then we had a great season at Tahoe.
        dasil003 10y ago
        No, but I was living at 7k in Santa Fe at the time. Also that will be just the top of the lifts, pretty sure all the bases are below 12 or 13k.
        stephencanon 10y ago
        There's nothing lift-serviced in the US above 13k feet. Colorado has a number of 14ers, but no lifts run that high; the highest is Breck, where the highest lift runs to just below 13k. That's high enough to make everything more tiring, but low enough that there's no serious effects for most people. Even in CO, most ski lifts top out between 11k and 12k.
  - dleslie 10y ago
    Vancouver, Canada. I am about an hour from skiing, sailing, canoing, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, et al; throughout most of the year. The trick is to work for a Valley firm, making Valley wages, and telecommuting; SAP is the only local shop that pays a decent wage.
    - schrodinger 10y ago
      Is it tough to move to Canada as a US resident w/ a US job?
      - mahyarm 10y ago
        These are the options: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/eligibility.asp http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/eligibility.asp
    - rdmcfee 10y ago
      We Vancouverites are spoiled. I just finished an 18 month stint in the Bay Area. One of the biggest inconveniences was the driving time (especially with traffic) to get to the mountains. In Seattle now and it's a great compromise. Similar wages to the Bay Area but similar geography and outdoor access as Vancouver. And even with the exchange rate housing is cheaper than Vancouver.
      - gk1 10y ago
        I spent a summer in Seattle and did more hiking, kayaking, and biking than I did in the year prior. It's an amazing place to work if you like the outdoors.
    - spikels 10y ago
      I heard Vancouver is almost as expensive as SF - at least housing. Is that the case?
      - mahyarm 10y ago
        In SF, house prices and rent are pretty close. In Vancouver they are disconnected. Equivalent rent can be about half or lower of what the mortgage would cost. Even though the average house is about $4 million now. The bigger problem is the relatively low wage. And on top of that everything is more expensive in Canada. Seattle is definitely the economic sweet spot, and I would live there if it wasn't for the weather and the companies I can work for.
  - drumdance 10y ago
    Consider Colorado. A strong tech scene and world class in those activities.
- tinbad 10y ago
  Not being snarky (and to each it's own) but what exactly do you like about the San Jose area? I personally never understood the appeal of San Jose to certain people, especially considering the insane housing prices. I used to live in Santa Clara for a year and that whole area was the most boring suburb I ever lived or been to. Everyone just zombies around in their cars between condo/house, dime in dozen office parks and whatever Safeway/Whole Foods. Maybe I missed something but living on the peninsula or even East bay has way more charm and things to do (at least to me?).
  - jonathankoren 10y ago
    It's access to the mountains. If you're In to hiking an mountain biking it makes sense.
    - toomuchtodo 10y ago
      Get a remote job, move to the mountains. EDIT: https://github.com/lukasz-madon/awesome-remote-job https://github.com/lukasz-madon/awesome-remote-job https://weworkremotely.com/ https://weworkremotely.com/
      - Xcelerate 10y ago
        If I found a remote job, I'd probably move to Asheville. Such a cute little town with great food and views, but no tech jobs whatsoever.
        themartorana 10y ago
        Amazing beer scene.
        afarrell 10y ago
        > no tech jobs whatsoever That really surprises me, given the Contra Dance scene in Asheville.
        devonkim 10y ago
- mandeepj 10y ago
  As Californians say - there is a sunshine tax baby (refering to higher cost of living there )
  - brbsix 10y ago
    There's also a sunshine tax referring to the actual high taxes in California.
  - throwaway1979 10y ago
    This is not correct. The weather in San Diego is a lot better than the Bay area but the cost of housing is a lot less. The tax is access to high-paying tech jobs.
- gist 10y ago
  I think back in the early 90's I read something which said "your house doesn't matter, because you won't be spending much time in it with all of the outdoor things you can do and the nice weather".
  - freyr 10y ago
    Now it's "your house doesn't matter, because you'll be spending nights and weekends in the office. But it's OK, we have free meals and beanbag chairs."
- santaclaus 10y ago
  > I love that the people here are generally very chill and loving. Until you put them behind the wheel of a car! I find Californians to be super friendly and welcoming in general... but I've also seen a fair share of Prius road ragers freaking out at pedestrians and cyclists!
  - gk1 10y ago
    There are bad drivers everywhere. I don't know what it is about driving that makes people think their state's drivers are the worst.
    - santaclaus 10y ago
      > I don't know what it is about driving that makes people think their state's drivers are the worst. Comparisons to other states they have lived in? Oregonians are way more mellow on the roads than Californians, bar none.
      - mwfunk 10y ago
        This is all based on highly subjective impressions of course, but in my experience the problem with SV drivers is the opposite of what you're insinuating. If there's a stereotypical SV driver, it's someone who is mellow to the point of endangering everyone else on the road- merging onto 65 MPH freeways at 30 MPH, putzing along in the fast lane going well below the speed limit, not using turn signals, rolling up to stoplights and stopping multiple car lengths behind the car in front of them, screwing around with their phones while driving, and just generally being very lackadaisical, careless, impolite, and unaware of what's going on around them. The drivers tend to be nonaggressive, unaware, and pokey to the point of being a source of actual danger to others.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- jandrewrogers 10y ago
  To provide a counterpoint, as someone who lived in Silicon Valley forever and still owns a place there, one of the reasons I moved away is that it is too far from good outdoor activities. Good mountains are 3-4 hours away, and while I made that trek on hundreds of weekends, it was far from optimal; I also hiked the hills around the Bay Area frequently but that isn't even close to the same. Similarly, the ocean around the Bay Area is okay but not great; no one would ever confuse it with Southern California, it has more in common with the Oregon coast. By contrast, where I currently live (Seattle) is 45 minutes from the Cascades which has fantastic hiking, backpacking, etc (better than the Sierra Nevada in some ways) and a much more pervasive boating culture than exists in the Bay Area thanks to the history and geography of the region. Living here has made a high-quality outdoor lifestyle much more viable than it ever was in the Bay Area because the logistics are so much easier. The tech scene in the Bay Area is unparalleled, but if you removed that aspect, there isn't that much to recommend a suburb like San Jose from a lifestyle standpoint. The South Bay in particular also doesn't have the mild weather of the peninsula and San Francisco -- it is more Fresno than San Diego.
  - taf2 10y ago
    I grew up in the Santa Cruz mountains, just outside Los Gatos and think castle rock state park for example is amazing. One the best hikes is from castle rock through big basin down to the beach. Takes about 3 days to get there and so long as you have someone to pick you up at the beach it's pretty easy going. [edit] from Los Gatos, Castle rock is 10 minute drive if your used to black rock road otherwise 20 minutes up highway 9
  - enraged_camel 10y ago
    I agree Seattle has a lot going for it, but the weather is simply unbearable for me. Yes, the outdoor activities are fantastic, but it's kind of pointless when it's cold and wet nine months out of the year. When I was a student at UW, there was a really nice hiking trail that started literally outside my house. I must have utilized it three, maybe four times over the six years I was there. It's like you wake up in the morning, look out the window and see its overcast (again) and lose all motivation to go outside.
  - 10y ago
- greggman 10y ago
  I guess to each their own. I never found the clubbing in SF to come close to any of the places in Asia (Tokyo, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Taipei). Similarly for bars Japan, at least for me, have SF beat by a long shot. You have your choice of quiet bars. Bars with 5 people. Bars for every type of drink. Themed bars. In SF all I found was extremely loud and crowded bars. Maybe it was just the bars my friend chose in SF the 7 years I lived there. SF has tons of crime. Walk down any street in SOMA or the Mission and you'll see piles of glass from all the cars that were busted into in the few nights before. Down in the south bay you lose any of the "city" benefits as it's all just suburbia. If you like suburbia (kids/family) that's great but it wasn't for me.
  - largote 10y ago
    Yeah, the clubbing in SF has nothing on other places.
    - Kinnard 10y ago
      Do people move to SF for . . . "clubbing"?
    - scurvy 10y ago
      The rave scene in SF was pretty good for a while. Then the club scene hit, followed by dotcom implosion, and the good times never really recovered. There were some dope dnb/jungle scenes that went down in small clubs/bars, but the large club scene in SF is not great.
      - jtmcmc 10y ago
        I would say that the SF rave / underground music scene continues to be one of the strongest in the country
        slashink 10y ago
        As someone who recently moved and previously spent 5 years within the Northern Europe underground techno scene, what's a good in to these circles in the bay?
- freyir 10y ago
  The nightlife scene in SF is mediocre at best. SF is by far the dirtiest city I've been to in the US; parts of it are downright disgusting. SV (excluding SF) is a terrible place to be a single man. It's fine for outdoor activities, but no better than you'll find in many other cities. The main advantage in terms of the outdoors is the weather. It's admittedly great, but it's similarly great along the entire 500 mile coastal stretch from San Diego to San Francisco (except SF is colder, cloudier, and windier than the rest of that stretch). I moved here for the tech scene. Beyond tech, it just doesn't compare favorably to many of the other places I've lived. I realize this puts me in the minority -- my San Franciscan friends never stop talking about how amazing SF is. I think this mantra helps them justify their rent check each month. > For me at least, the rent is kind of just the cost of having an enjoyable life in the US. That's really sad. Since you grew up in a place with "with snow about 6 months of the year" and with "almost no hills and no ocean," SV must seem pretty great by comparison. But the US is a very big place, with a lot of really great cities and towns. I hope you get a chance to discover how much more is out there.
  - jtmcmc 10y ago
    The night life in SF/Oakland is fantastic depending on what you are into.
    - freyir 10y ago
      Mediocre might have been too harsh, but it's not significantly better than other cities I've lived in. My biggest issue with the nightlife? The people. I'm tired of being surrounded by loud, drunk techies talking about apps, tech companies, coworkers, Ivy League schools, and venture capital. Maybe I'm going to the wrong places, and this doesn't describe everyone in tech, obviously, but it's in high enough concentration to consistently be noticeable and unpleasant.
  - bcatubig 10y ago
    He must be from Minnesota or some other midwestern state. tbh fatbiking is fun as shit in the snow.
dj_doh 10y ago
Different Strokes. This was my primary reason to choose between New York city and the Bay Area some 6 years ago. The 250 miles radius around the bay area has lot to offer. That said, I do feel there's a deprecation at play. You can only make so many trips to Tahoe and Santa Cruz. If Los Angeles had 1/3rd the tech scene that you've here in the Bay Area. I'd move there in a heartbeat. By tech scene I mean a good mix of big tech co., an unicorn or two, and buzzing startups.
- Spooky23 10y ago
  A 250 mile circle around NYC has a lot of stuff. The Adirondocks, various flavors of Atlantic shore stuff, etc. Lack of things to do outside isn't a reason that holds water :) To me, California is where you go if you hate winter and like outdoorsy stuff. The unique Californy things are unbelievable, but the reality is most people are living in generic developments and driving to generic office parks, and doing very little else. You can do that in Toledo.
  - dj_doh 10y ago
    I do not entirely disagree. I don't hate winter but icy sidewalks are scary:) I also agree with your assessment that "...most people are living in generic developments and driving to generic office parks..." But that begets another questions - is it more about finding a passion that keeps you high spirited 24x7 anywhere or finding a place that is stimulating everytime?
    - dajohnson89 10y ago
      Offtopic, but thank you for not saying "begs the question" incorrectly.
- sjg007 10y ago
  Snapchat is in LA, and you have a bunch of tech companies there.
lonelyinsanfran 10y ago
As most users on HN are young males, I'm pretty surprised the dating scene almost never comes up. If you do a short experiment wherein you sort of tinder-hop - take a tinder profile from one city to another via GPS spoofing - you'll find that san fran is probably the worst place to find young dating women (ages 20-35). This is backed up by the dating age male to female ratio and my own anecdotal evidence. The bars in the bay area are pretty bleak. Dating is a big part of my life as a young guy, and the main reason I choose not to live in the bay area.
- jstepka 10y ago
  I was out to dinner last night in the mission with my GF's dad who's visiting. He says to me, "Where are the women? What are all these men going to do when they want to find a partner? Surely this is a problem."
- eru 10y ago
  Move to NYC, then?
- withdavidli 10y ago
  one of the reasons i tried sf for a year (couldn't take the commute though so moved back to peninsula). is your username relevant to your experience? SF was decent dating scene using tinder/okc, date every week. much better than peninsula for online daters.
  - lonelyinsanfran 10y ago
    I'll be honest in saying that dating doesnt work for me in the states anymore. I'm american but I've been spoiled by europe. Both personality-wise and looks-wise, northern european countries have just been so much better for me. As I work remotely, I travel back and fourth on a whim. I've stayed for months in various big american and canadian cities. Every stint has been pretty lonely :/ This is all dating via okcupid and later tinder when it became available. I didn't meet women through network so that isn't it. Maybe the peninsula is worse, but it's all about what you compare it to. It's also true that dating taste is pretty personal, although I think people make too big of point about that. Most people agree on what is attractive but not to what degree.

seanp2k2 10y ago

Good advice IMO. I personally love camping within a few hours drive on the weekends, kiteboarding (SF Bay and the Delta have world-class kiteboarding conditions), sailing, mountain biking, hiking, and some rock climbing. The weather is my idea of perfect with sun almost every day and no snow ever (I grew up with snow about 6 months of the year, and I'd personally find it hard to ever go back to that). Lake Tahoe is also great for skiing compared to where I grew up, which had almost no hills and no ocean. SF is great for clubbing and bars etc. I love that the people here are generally very chill and loving. The outdoor music festivals in CA are also fantastic if you're into that sort of thing. For me at least, the rent is kind of just the cost of having an enjoyable life in the US. San Jose is crazy expensive for a suburb, but it's worth it for me because of all there is to do out here. The Valley is where tech happens, and as long as I'm in it as a career and as an interest, I'm happy to be at the epicenter. That it's in California, the place I grew up dreaming about, is the icing on the cake for me.

praneshp 10y ago
This is what has trapped me now. I'm not too keen on living here anymore, but don't want to miss out on ski + climbing + hiking.
- stephencanon 10y ago
  If skiing/climbing/hiking are what you want specifically, you can do a lot better than the bay area in the US. The bay area is good for these things, but there are plenty of places in north america that are closer to better opportunities for them (especially skiing!)
  - dasil003 10y ago
    Yeah once you live in the Rockies you realize how overcrowded the California resorts are, and how bad the snow is relative to what you get at 10-14k feet.
    - praneshp 10y ago
      Do you feel sick at 14k? I will go to Colorado to ski for the first time this year. Wanted to go last year but then we had a great season at Tahoe.
      - dasil003 10y ago
        No, but I was living at 7k in Santa Fe at the time. Also that will be just the top of the lifts, pretty sure all the bases are below 12 or 13k.
        stephencanon 10y ago
        There's nothing lift-serviced in the US above 13k feet. Colorado has a number of 14ers, but no lifts run that high; the highest is Breck, where the highest lift runs to just below 13k. That's high enough to make everything more tiring, but low enough that there's no serious effects for most people. Even in CO, most ski lifts top out between 11k and 12k.
- dleslie 10y ago
  Vancouver, Canada. I am about an hour from skiing, sailing, canoing, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, et al; throughout most of the year. The trick is to work for a Valley firm, making Valley wages, and telecommuting; SAP is the only local shop that pays a decent wage.
  - schrodinger 10y ago
    Is it tough to move to Canada as a US resident w/ a US job?
    - mahyarm 10y ago
      These are the options: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/eligibility.asp http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/eligibility.asp
  - rdmcfee 10y ago
    We Vancouverites are spoiled. I just finished an 18 month stint in the Bay Area. One of the biggest inconveniences was the driving time (especially with traffic) to get to the mountains. In Seattle now and it's a great compromise. Similar wages to the Bay Area but similar geography and outdoor access as Vancouver. And even with the exchange rate housing is cheaper than Vancouver.
    - gk1 10y ago
      I spent a summer in Seattle and did more hiking, kayaking, and biking than I did in the year prior. It's an amazing place to work if you like the outdoors.
  - spikels 10y ago
    I heard Vancouver is almost as expensive as SF - at least housing. Is that the case?
    - mahyarm 10y ago
      In SF, house prices and rent are pretty close. In Vancouver they are disconnected. Equivalent rent can be about half or lower of what the mortgage would cost. Even though the average house is about $4 million now. The bigger problem is the relatively low wage. And on top of that everything is more expensive in Canada. Seattle is definitely the economic sweet spot, and I would live there if it wasn't for the weather and the companies I can work for.
- drumdance 10y ago
  Consider Colorado. A strong tech scene and world class in those activities.
tinbad 10y ago
Not being snarky (and to each it's own) but what exactly do you like about the San Jose area? I personally never understood the appeal of San Jose to certain people, especially considering the insane housing prices. I used to live in Santa Clara for a year and that whole area was the most boring suburb I ever lived or been to. Everyone just zombies around in their cars between condo/house, dime in dozen office parks and whatever Safeway/Whole Foods. Maybe I missed something but living on the peninsula or even East bay has way more charm and things to do (at least to me?).
- jonathankoren 10y ago
  It's access to the mountains. If you're In to hiking an mountain biking it makes sense.
  - toomuchtodo 10y ago
    Get a remote job, move to the mountains. EDIT: https://github.com/lukasz-madon/awesome-remote-job https://github.com/lukasz-madon/awesome-remote-job https://weworkremotely.com/ https://weworkremotely.com/
    - Xcelerate 10y ago
      If I found a remote job, I'd probably move to Asheville. Such a cute little town with great food and views, but no tech jobs whatsoever.
      - themartorana 10y ago
        Amazing beer scene.
      - afarrell 10y ago
        > no tech jobs whatsoever That really surprises me, given the Contra Dance scene in Asheville.
      - devonkim 10y ago
mandeepj 10y ago
As Californians say - there is a sunshine tax baby (refering to higher cost of living there )
- brbsix 10y ago
  There's also a sunshine tax referring to the actual high taxes in California.
- throwaway1979 10y ago
  This is not correct. The weather in San Diego is a lot better than the Bay area but the cost of housing is a lot less. The tax is access to high-paying tech jobs.
gist 10y ago
I think back in the early 90's I read something which said "your house doesn't matter, because you won't be spending much time in it with all of the outdoor things you can do and the nice weather".
- freyr 10y ago
  Now it's "your house doesn't matter, because you'll be spending nights and weekends in the office. But it's OK, we have free meals and beanbag chairs."
santaclaus 10y ago
> I love that the people here are generally very chill and loving. Until you put them behind the wheel of a car! I find Californians to be super friendly and welcoming in general... but I've also seen a fair share of Prius road ragers freaking out at pedestrians and cyclists!
- gk1 10y ago
  There are bad drivers everywhere. I don't know what it is about driving that makes people think their state's drivers are the worst.
  - santaclaus 10y ago
    > I don't know what it is about driving that makes people think their state's drivers are the worst. Comparisons to other states they have lived in? Oregonians are way more mellow on the roads than Californians, bar none.
    - mwfunk 10y ago
      This is all based on highly subjective impressions of course, but in my experience the problem with SV drivers is the opposite of what you're insinuating. If there's a stereotypical SV driver, it's someone who is mellow to the point of endangering everyone else on the road- merging onto 65 MPH freeways at 30 MPH, putzing along in the fast lane going well below the speed limit, not using turn signals, rolling up to stoplights and stopping multiple car lengths behind the car in front of them, screwing around with their phones while driving, and just generally being very lackadaisical, careless, impolite, and unaware of what's going on around them. The drivers tend to be nonaggressive, unaware, and pokey to the point of being a source of actual danger to others.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
jandrewrogers 10y ago
To provide a counterpoint, as someone who lived in Silicon Valley forever and still owns a place there, one of the reasons I moved away is that it is too far from good outdoor activities. Good mountains are 3-4 hours away, and while I made that trek on hundreds of weekends, it was far from optimal; I also hiked the hills around the Bay Area frequently but that isn't even close to the same. Similarly, the ocean around the Bay Area is okay but not great; no one would ever confuse it with Southern California, it has more in common with the Oregon coast. By contrast, where I currently live (Seattle) is 45 minutes from the Cascades which has fantastic hiking, backpacking, etc (better than the Sierra Nevada in some ways) and a much more pervasive boating culture than exists in the Bay Area thanks to the history and geography of the region. Living here has made a high-quality outdoor lifestyle much more viable than it ever was in the Bay Area because the logistics are so much easier. The tech scene in the Bay Area is unparalleled, but if you removed that aspect, there isn't that much to recommend a suburb like San Jose from a lifestyle standpoint. The South Bay in particular also doesn't have the mild weather of the peninsula and San Francisco -- it is more Fresno than San Diego.
- taf2 10y ago
  I grew up in the Santa Cruz mountains, just outside Los Gatos and think castle rock state park for example is amazing. One the best hikes is from castle rock through big basin down to the beach. Takes about 3 days to get there and so long as you have someone to pick you up at the beach it's pretty easy going. [edit] from Los Gatos, Castle rock is 10 minute drive if your used to black rock road otherwise 20 minutes up highway 9
- enraged_camel 10y ago
  I agree Seattle has a lot going for it, but the weather is simply unbearable for me. Yes, the outdoor activities are fantastic, but it's kind of pointless when it's cold and wet nine months out of the year. When I was a student at UW, there was a really nice hiking trail that started literally outside my house. I must have utilized it three, maybe four times over the six years I was there. It's like you wake up in the morning, look out the window and see its overcast (again) and lose all motivation to go outside.
- 10y ago
greggman 10y ago
I guess to each their own. I never found the clubbing in SF to come close to any of the places in Asia (Tokyo, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Taipei). Similarly for bars Japan, at least for me, have SF beat by a long shot. You have your choice of quiet bars. Bars with 5 people. Bars for every type of drink. Themed bars. In SF all I found was extremely loud and crowded bars. Maybe it was just the bars my friend chose in SF the 7 years I lived there. SF has tons of crime. Walk down any street in SOMA or the Mission and you'll see piles of glass from all the cars that were busted into in the few nights before. Down in the south bay you lose any of the "city" benefits as it's all just suburbia. If you like suburbia (kids/family) that's great but it wasn't for me.
- largote 10y ago
  Yeah, the clubbing in SF has nothing on other places.
  - Kinnard 10y ago
    Do people move to SF for . . . "clubbing"?
  - scurvy 10y ago
    The rave scene in SF was pretty good for a while. Then the club scene hit, followed by dotcom implosion, and the good times never really recovered. There were some dope dnb/jungle scenes that went down in small clubs/bars, but the large club scene in SF is not great.
    - jtmcmc 10y ago
      I would say that the SF rave / underground music scene continues to be one of the strongest in the country
      - slashink 10y ago
        As someone who recently moved and previously spent 5 years within the Northern Europe underground techno scene, what's a good in to these circles in the bay?
freyir 10y ago
The nightlife scene in SF is mediocre at best. SF is by far the dirtiest city I've been to in the US; parts of it are downright disgusting. SV (excluding SF) is a terrible place to be a single man. It's fine for outdoor activities, but no better than you'll find in many other cities. The main advantage in terms of the outdoors is the weather. It's admittedly great, but it's similarly great along the entire 500 mile coastal stretch from San Diego to San Francisco (except SF is colder, cloudier, and windier than the rest of that stretch). I moved here for the tech scene. Beyond tech, it just doesn't compare favorably to many of the other places I've lived. I realize this puts me in the minority -- my San Franciscan friends never stop talking about how amazing SF is. I think this mantra helps them justify their rent check each month. > For me at least, the rent is kind of just the cost of having an enjoyable life in the US. That's really sad. Since you grew up in a place with "with snow about 6 months of the year" and with "almost no hills and no ocean," SV must seem pretty great by comparison. But the US is a very big place, with a lot of really great cities and towns. I hope you get a chance to discover how much more is out there.
- jtmcmc 10y ago
  The night life in SF/Oakland is fantastic depending on what you are into.
  - freyir 10y ago
    Mediocre might have been too harsh, but it's not significantly better than other cities I've lived in. My biggest issue with the nightlife? The people. I'm tired of being surrounded by loud, drunk techies talking about apps, tech companies, coworkers, Ivy League schools, and venture capital. Maybe I'm going to the wrong places, and this doesn't describe everyone in tech, obviously, but it's in high enough concentration to consistently be noticeable and unpleasant.
- bcatubig 10y ago
  He must be from Minnesota or some other midwestern state. tbh fatbiking is fun as shit in the snow.

dj_doh 10y ago

Different Strokes. This was my primary reason to choose between New York city and the Bay Area some 6 years ago. The 250 miles radius around the bay area has lot to offer. That said, I do feel there's a deprecation at play. You can only make so many trips to Tahoe and Santa Cruz. If Los Angeles had 1/3rd the tech scene that you've here in the Bay Area. I'd move there in a heartbeat. By tech scene I mean a good mix of big tech co., an unicorn or two, and buzzing startups.

Spooky23 10y ago
A 250 mile circle around NYC has a lot of stuff. The Adirondocks, various flavors of Atlantic shore stuff, etc. Lack of things to do outside isn't a reason that holds water :) To me, California is where you go if you hate winter and like outdoorsy stuff. The unique Californy things are unbelievable, but the reality is most people are living in generic developments and driving to generic office parks, and doing very little else. You can do that in Toledo.
- dj_doh 10y ago
  I do not entirely disagree. I don't hate winter but icy sidewalks are scary:) I also agree with your assessment that "...most people are living in generic developments and driving to generic office parks..." But that begets another questions - is it more about finding a passion that keeps you high spirited 24x7 anywhere or finding a place that is stimulating everytime?
  - dajohnson89 10y ago
    Offtopic, but thank you for not saying "begs the question" incorrectly.
sjg007 10y ago
Snapchat is in LA, and you have a bunch of tech companies there.

lonelyinsanfran 10y ago

As most users on HN are young males, I'm pretty surprised the dating scene almost never comes up. If you do a short experiment wherein you sort of tinder-hop - take a tinder profile from one city to another via GPS spoofing - you'll find that san fran is probably the worst place to find young dating women (ages 20-35). This is backed up by the dating age male to female ratio and my own anecdotal evidence. The bars in the bay area are pretty bleak. Dating is a big part of my life as a young guy, and the main reason I choose not to live in the bay area.

jstepka 10y ago
I was out to dinner last night in the mission with my GF's dad who's visiting. He says to me, "Where are the women? What are all these men going to do when they want to find a partner? Surely this is a problem."
eru 10y ago
Move to NYC, then?
withdavidli 10y ago
one of the reasons i tried sf for a year (couldn't take the commute though so moved back to peninsula). is your username relevant to your experience? SF was decent dating scene using tinder/okc, date every week. much better than peninsula for online daters.
- lonelyinsanfran 10y ago
  I'll be honest in saying that dating doesnt work for me in the states anymore. I'm american but I've been spoiled by europe. Both personality-wise and looks-wise, northern european countries have just been so much better for me. As I work remotely, I travel back and fourth on a whim. I've stayed for months in various big american and canadian cities. Every stint has been pretty lonely :/ This is all dating via okcupid and later tinder when it became available. I didn't meet women through network so that isn't it. Maybe the peninsula is worse, but it's all about what you compare it to. It's also true that dating taste is pretty personal, although I think people make too big of point about that. Most people agree on what is attractive but not to what degree.