One man's answers to your question: > Why would you want to live in a crowded, VERY expensive, a bit smoggy, overly regulated city with a long daily commute I

One man's answers to your question: > Why would you want to live in a crowded, VERY expensive, a bit smoggy, overly regulated city with a long daily commute I like people, and I like living in dense areas. I find it inspiring. Going home to Georgia and looking out my window to see nothing but trees is peaceful for a while, but loneliness and mild existential dread (if such a thing can be mild) start to set in before long. SF's high density also makes it a destination for all sorts of shows, concerts, festivals, events, stores and shops, restaurants, etc. that wouldn't bother going to other places. It's expensive because lots of people want to live here, because some of the most exciting stuff in the world is going on here. Not only do I want to be a part of that exciting stuff, but I also want to be around all the smart people who flock here to work on it. The density helps with this. Thousands of inspirational people are always just a few blocks away. I routinely meet awesome people online who I can then grab coffee with. Provided you're doing the "right" job in the "right" industry, the companies here pay well enough to afford the cost of living. And they often throw in excellent perks like free lunches/dinners/snacks. Obviously this doesn't totally offset the costs, however. It sucks that a more diverse group of people can't afford to live here comfortably, including many of my friends. But it's not like I could convince them all to move to <insert cheap location here>, either. The commute is negligible for those who work in the city. You can walk to pretty much any office in 10-60 minutes, and listen to an audio book on the way. Or take a Lyft/Uber/cab. Or, often, work from home. I really enjoy the exercise, scenery, and reading time that walking provides.