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> as someone in NYC NYC is a legit megacity - New York has been described as the cultural, financial, and media capital of the world. SF is small by compariso

by rcpt 6y ago

> as someone in NYC NYC is a legit megacity - New York has been described as the cultural, financial, and media capital of the world. SF is small by comparison. Only a small portion of SF is walkable and even then the blocks are long. Transit is sparse and dirty and most people end up owning cars. Despite this housing is more expensive than NYC. Unless you think it's reasonable to pay $4k a month for a one bedroom in Indianapolis it doesn't make sense to stay in SF.

throwaway713 6y ago
Except San Francisco has nature (and even more nature close by) which makes all the difference to me. The few times I’ve been in NYC, I found the sheer amount of gray concrete and steel to be unnerving and dystopian; I’m legitimately amazed that humans can live in such an environment for so long without becoming depressed. That’s not to disparage the city or people who like it; there’s just many of us who need at least some amount of natural beauty (and I don’t mean Central Park).
- ghaff 6y ago
  Yes. It's really the combination of climate (usually) and relatively easy access to water, mountains, etc. that set San Francisco apart. IMO, anyone who lives in SF and basically never leaves the city except maybe to work is passing up the main compensation for its high housing prices and many problems. Take away its setting and it's pretty unremarkable. [ADDED: OK. Not really fair but what make SF unique is very tied into its geography.]
  - brendawalsh 6y ago
    I was there a few years ago, and saw several homes built in the same era as mine, 1908. I live in a rural city and paid less than $150k, I saw the equivalent home in SF for $9mil. Location matters for sure.
- heavyset_go 6y ago
  In NYC, you're a short train or ferry ride away from an abundance of nature.
- rcpt 6y ago
  You're not paying rent to the forest or the scenery but it's not like those are so unique to SF to justify the prices. Browse https://www.reddit.com/r/CityPorn https://www.reddit.com/r/CityPorn a bit and you'll see plenty of beautifully located cities with comparable size to SF.
adjkant 6y ago
SF doesn't have the size of NYC, you're very right there, but it is still quite large and has a good deal to offer. City sizing is not all or nothing, and Indianapolis is nothing like SF in terms of offerings. SF transit is less than ideal, but we can't entirely discount it. I'd of course love to see more, as would many, but SF has plenty of other problems to solve of course. > "Only a small portion of SF is walkable" This depends on the person :) I've found that on the peninsula, anything from the inner sunset to the water, bounded by the bottom of the mission, can be walked if someone wants and takes their time. Of course that's going to be mainly young able bodied people given the hills, but it does work for a subset of people. Let's also not discount downtown Oakland and the 45 minute walk zone around that either.
- clairity 6y ago
  yup, san francisco, the city proper, is very walkable, although some neighborhoods have fewer businesses and services that cater to locals than others. between when i lived there and my return visits, i've probably walked or biked nearly the whole city by now. there's no need to qualify its walkability either. for most destinations, you can avoid steep hills and don't particularly need to be either young nor fit.
xivzgrev 6y ago
Bro have you ever visited indianapolis? Yes the two cities are about the same size population but that’s about the only similarity. SF has a different climate, geography, cities, people, food, politics, etc.
- rcpt 6y ago
  I don't buy it that SF climate/nature is so amazing that everyone is moving for it. It's a good place for windsurfing/surfing but other nature activities require a 45min drive which honestly isn't that unique. Food? Meh. Another thing that NYC and LA trounce SF on. People, politics? SF is ground zero for nativism and wealth inequality. There's abject poverty around every corner and the long time residents have no trouble pushing policies to exacerbate it.
- kfarr 6y ago
  Yeah that's a pretty hilarious comparison. It just so happens I grew up in Indy and now live in SF. Been here for 15 years and would not move back. Not at all the same.
dustingetz 6y ago
Zillow link for Indianapolis, it is not exactly a rich city. https://www.zillow.com/indianapolis-in/?searchQueryState=%7B%22pagination%22%3A%7B%7D%2C%22usersSearchTerm%22%3A%22Indianapolis%2C%20IN%22%2C%22mapBounds%22%3A%7B%22west%22%3A-86.43356487792968%2C%22east%22%3A-85.83069012207031%2C%22south%22%3A39.56197414838501%2C%22north%22%3A40.018883117362535%7D%2C%22regionSelection%22%3A%5B%7B%22regionId%22%3A32149%2C%22regionType%22%3A6%7D%5D%2C%22isMapVisible%22%3Atrue%2C%22filterState%22%3A%7B%7D%2C%22isListVisible%22%3Atrue%2C%22mapZoom%22%3A11%7D https://www.zillow.com/indianapolis-in/?searchQueryState=%7B... You can get a fine house for $100k but it is not the life coastal city folks are accustomed to.

by rcpt 6y ago

throwaway713 6y ago

Except San Francisco has nature (and even more nature close by) which makes all the difference to me. The few times I’ve been in NYC, I found the sheer amount of gray concrete and steel to be unnerving and dystopian; I’m legitimately amazed that humans can live in such an environment for so long without becoming depressed. That’s not to disparage the city or people who like it; there’s just many of us who need at least some amount of natural beauty (and I don’t mean Central Park).

ghaff 6y ago
Yes. It's really the combination of climate (usually) and relatively easy access to water, mountains, etc. that set San Francisco apart. IMO, anyone who lives in SF and basically never leaves the city except maybe to work is passing up the main compensation for its high housing prices and many problems. Take away its setting and it's pretty unremarkable. [ADDED: OK. Not really fair but what make SF unique is very tied into its geography.]
- brendawalsh 6y ago
  I was there a few years ago, and saw several homes built in the same era as mine, 1908. I live in a rural city and paid less than $150k, I saw the equivalent home in SF for $9mil. Location matters for sure.
heavyset_go 6y ago
In NYC, you're a short train or ferry ride away from an abundance of nature.
rcpt 6y ago
You're not paying rent to the forest or the scenery but it's not like those are so unique to SF to justify the prices. Browse https://www.reddit.com/r/CityPorn https://www.reddit.com/r/CityPorn a bit and you'll see plenty of beautifully located cities with comparable size to SF.

adjkant 6y ago

SF doesn't have the size of NYC, you're very right there, but it is still quite large and has a good deal to offer. City sizing is not all or nothing, and Indianapolis is nothing like SF in terms of offerings. SF transit is less than ideal, but we can't entirely discount it. I'd of course love to see more, as would many, but SF has plenty of other problems to solve of course. > "Only a small portion of SF is walkable" This depends on the person :) I've found that on the peninsula, anything from the inner sunset to the water, bounded by the bottom of the mission, can be walked if someone wants and takes their time. Of course that's going to be mainly young able bodied people given the hills, but it does work for a subset of people. Let's also not discount downtown Oakland and the 45 minute walk zone around that either.

clairity 6y ago
yup, san francisco, the city proper, is very walkable, although some neighborhoods have fewer businesses and services that cater to locals than others. between when i lived there and my return visits, i've probably walked or biked nearly the whole city by now. there's no need to qualify its walkability either. for most destinations, you can avoid steep hills and don't particularly need to be either young nor fit.

xivzgrev 6y ago

Bro have you ever visited indianapolis? Yes the two cities are about the same size population but that’s about the only similarity. SF has a different climate, geography, cities, people, food, politics, etc.

rcpt 6y ago
I don't buy it that SF climate/nature is so amazing that everyone is moving for it. It's a good place for windsurfing/surfing but other nature activities require a 45min drive which honestly isn't that unique. Food? Meh. Another thing that NYC and LA trounce SF on. People, politics? SF is ground zero for nativism and wealth inequality. There's abject poverty around every corner and the long time residents have no trouble pushing policies to exacerbate it.
kfarr 6y ago
Yeah that's a pretty hilarious comparison. It just so happens I grew up in Indy and now live in SF. Been here for 15 years and would not move back. Not at all the same.

dustingetz 6y ago

Zillow link for Indianapolis, it is not exactly a rich city. https://www.zillow.com/indianapolis-in/?searchQueryState=%7B%22pagination%22%3A%7B%7D%2C%22usersSearchTerm%22%3A%22Indianapolis%2C%20IN%22%2C%22mapBounds%22%3A%7B%22west%22%3A-86.43356487792968%2C%22east%22%3A-85.83069012207031%2C%22south%22%3A39.56197414838501%2C%22north%22%3A40.018883117362535%7D%2C%22regionSelection%22%3A%5B%7B%22regionId%22%3A32149%2C%22regionType%22%3A6%7D%5D%2C%22isMapVisible%22%3Atrue%2C%22filterState%22%3A%7B%7D%2C%22isListVisible%22%3Atrue%2C%22mapZoom%22%3A11%7D https://www.zillow.com/indianapolis-in/?searchQueryState=%7B... You can get a fine house for $100k but it is not the life coastal city folks are accustomed to.