3 ms·

>Why would you want to live in a crowded, VERY expensive, a bit smoggy, overly regulated city with a long daily commute- $$$

salesguy222 10y ago
Sure, cash is important. I would argue that some small percentage of people are required to be in the Bay Area for years before they receive a massively lucrative multi million dollar payout from their company stock or what have you. But the majority of most other people working in the Bay can't fit that description, right? Surely their skills are transferable to online jobs or other more liveable cities? The total NET earnings are probably identical (again excluding the massively wealthy income earners in the Bay). And then when you factor in the lack of smog, stress, sedentary life that the Bay brings...?
- xyzzy_plugh 10y ago
  That first group (the soon-to-be-rich tech workers) require literally cities to support them. They have spouses and children and families too, who all play a role. I'm not sure you've thought this through. Where does the money in the Bay Area come from? During the gold rush, someone needed to sell the prospectors equipment, entertainment, etc.
throwaway2016a 10y ago
Once you account for cost of living you don't make all the much less in somewhere like, say, Boston. And Boston has suburbs that you can actually commute from. The traffic is awful but not California awful.
- salesguy222 10y ago
  The weather and cost situation isn't that much better in Boston, but it is definitely more commutable than SF. Personally I would eschew megalopolises all together!
  - MegaButts 10y ago
    I think this will vary for a lot of people, but I live in the outer sunset area in San Francisco where there is little traffic, free parking, numerous uncrowded parks, and I live in a house with a yard instead of an apartment. It takes me ~30 minutes to get downtown for work, door to door, using public transportation. Oh - and there's almost no crime here. Personally I enjoy this part of the city. It seems better in most ways and it's far cheaper. I would hate living downtown as I have a large dog. I admittedly was incredibly lucky in finding this place (moving to a city with a large dog reduces your options by an order of magnitude), but it's been great. It seems most of my friends have tiny apartments and numerous roommates, and my girlfriend and I honestly have more space than we know what to do with - and we (usually) pay less money than them. I do miss snow though.

salesguy222 10y ago

Sure, cash is important. I would argue that some small percentage of people are required to be in the Bay Area for years before they receive a massively lucrative multi million dollar payout from their company stock or what have you. But the majority of most other people working in the Bay can't fit that description, right? Surely their skills are transferable to online jobs or other more liveable cities? The total NET earnings are probably identical (again excluding the massively wealthy income earners in the Bay). And then when you factor in the lack of smog, stress, sedentary life that the Bay brings...?

xyzzy_plugh 10y ago
That first group (the soon-to-be-rich tech workers) require literally cities to support them. They have spouses and children and families too, who all play a role. I'm not sure you've thought this through. Where does the money in the Bay Area come from? During the gold rush, someone needed to sell the prospectors equipment, entertainment, etc.

throwaway2016a 10y ago

Once you account for cost of living you don't make all the much less in somewhere like, say, Boston. And Boston has suburbs that you can actually commute from. The traffic is awful but not California awful.

salesguy222 10y ago
The weather and cost situation isn't that much better in Boston, but it is definitely more commutable than SF. Personally I would eschew megalopolises all together!
- MegaButts 10y ago
  I think this will vary for a lot of people, but I live in the outer sunset area in San Francisco where there is little traffic, free parking, numerous uncrowded parks, and I live in a house with a yard instead of an apartment. It takes me ~30 minutes to get downtown for work, door to door, using public transportation. Oh - and there's almost no crime here. Personally I enjoy this part of the city. It seems better in most ways and it's far cheaper. I would hate living downtown as I have a large dog. I admittedly was incredibly lucky in finding this place (moving to a city with a large dog reduces your options by an order of magnitude), but it's been great. It seems most of my friends have tiny apartments and numerous roommates, and my girlfriend and I honestly have more space than we know what to do with - and we (usually) pay less money than them. I do miss snow though.