5 ms·

"If most startups and their employees leave, it’ll be the Detroit route for SF." News flash: SF only relatively recently became a startup hub with the web 2.0

"If most startups and their employees leave, it’ll be the Detroit route for SF." News flash: SF only relatively recently became a startup hub with the web 2.0 and smartphone/apps eras and the advent of free shuttle buses to the likes of Google/FB. If the startups and their employees leave, it'll be slightly more like the diverse and more affordable SF that it previously was. If you honestly think it's the Detroit route for SF should most startups and their employees vacate, you are horribly misinformed. There's a practically unlimited number of people hoping SF prices fall enough for them to move back and/or buy property there. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the startup scene. If most the tech people moved out of SF I'd be far more interested in living there myself. The startup/tech monoculture has ruined the city in many ways.

phobosanomaly 6y ago
The romantic East Coast City on the West Coast. Yep. People will always come to San Francisco for the same reason they go to North Park, San Diego or Silver Lake, Los Angeles.
vecinu 6y ago
You really have to explain this to me because I'm leaving SF now even though I could save 50% off my current market rate rent if I move to a new place. What am I missing that I haven't seen in the last 6 years? I've walked/biked the city hundreds of times up and down from GGB to Stonestown and Dogpatch. Visited every nook and cranny of the city, tried living in different neighborhoods and I have always been sorely disappointed by the rampant crime and homelessness. I made life-long friends, attended tens of meetups from hiking, to biking and tech. Tasted food from all over the world, sailed on the bay, saw all the touristy and local spots. Day-tripped all over the bay and hours in every direction. Got an amazing workplace experience that is unlikely to be rivaled anywhere else in the world. Yet, I can't ignore it forever, I end up driving through downtown to get to Sausalito or eating at a nice restaurant while this person decides I am a demon and begins screaming at me while menacingly coming towards me. I had my bike stolen from my garage, my car window broken and been threatened by a random person on the street. You really think most people haven't had enough of this? I tried my best to love SF despite all of it's serious problems but after all these years it got to me and I have to leave, no matter how cheap it would be to stay.
- pengaru 6y ago
  You're right, you should totally GTFO.
  - vecinu 6y ago
    I'm open to hearing your experience and if maybe you're just able to overlook the excruciating human suffering that is visible day to day in the city. I think some people can tolerate it while others can't, nothing wrong with that.
    - pengaru 6y ago
      In a post Silicon Valley 2.0 SF, the city becomes more affordable and the disaster you see in the streets will substantially improve. SF was nowhere near this bad before techies flooded the place and priced everyone out of the housing market. If I'm not mistaken that's the entire premise of this thread of discussion. Are you completely blind to the relationship cost of living has to homelessness and crime?
      - vecinu 6y ago
        I see, so you're banking on the fact that the living conditions in SF will improve and it will be come desirable again. That is something we can agree on, I too look forward to such a period but I imagine it'll be 5-10 years from now and only after the local government begins doing radically different things to tackle all these problems. At that time, I too will want to return to SF since again, I love the city, the people and the environment, just not the current living conditions.
- jxramos 6y ago
  When discussions of housing vacancies pop up at work lots of the individuals who reside in the city report that there's open units at their apartment complexes etc. I'm really curious what the 2020 census rolls up for us in this area of California migration, etc.
  - 6y ago

phobosanomaly 6y ago

The romantic East Coast City on the West Coast. Yep. People will always come to San Francisco for the same reason they go to North Park, San Diego or Silver Lake, Los Angeles.

vecinu 6y ago

You really have to explain this to me because I'm leaving SF now even though I could save 50% off my current market rate rent if I move to a new place. What am I missing that I haven't seen in the last 6 years? I've walked/biked the city hundreds of times up and down from GGB to Stonestown and Dogpatch. Visited every nook and cranny of the city, tried living in different neighborhoods and I have always been sorely disappointed by the rampant crime and homelessness. I made life-long friends, attended tens of meetups from hiking, to biking and tech. Tasted food from all over the world, sailed on the bay, saw all the touristy and local spots. Day-tripped all over the bay and hours in every direction. Got an amazing workplace experience that is unlikely to be rivaled anywhere else in the world. Yet, I can't ignore it forever, I end up driving through downtown to get to Sausalito or eating at a nice restaurant while this person decides I am a demon and begins screaming at me while menacingly coming towards me. I had my bike stolen from my garage, my car window broken and been threatened by a random person on the street. You really think most people haven't had enough of this? I tried my best to love SF despite all of it's serious problems but after all these years it got to me and I have to leave, no matter how cheap it would be to stay.

pengaru 6y ago
You're right, you should totally GTFO.
- vecinu 6y ago
  I'm open to hearing your experience and if maybe you're just able to overlook the excruciating human suffering that is visible day to day in the city. I think some people can tolerate it while others can't, nothing wrong with that.
  - pengaru 6y ago
    In a post Silicon Valley 2.0 SF, the city becomes more affordable and the disaster you see in the streets will substantially improve. SF was nowhere near this bad before techies flooded the place and priced everyone out of the housing market. If I'm not mistaken that's the entire premise of this thread of discussion. Are you completely blind to the relationship cost of living has to homelessness and crime?
    - vecinu 6y ago
      I see, so you're banking on the fact that the living conditions in SF will improve and it will be come desirable again. That is something we can agree on, I too look forward to such a period but I imagine it'll be 5-10 years from now and only after the local government begins doing radically different things to tackle all these problems. At that time, I too will want to return to SF since again, I love the city, the people and the environment, just not the current living conditions.
jxramos 6y ago
When discussions of housing vacancies pop up at work lots of the individuals who reside in the city report that there's open units at their apartment complexes etc. I'm really curious what the 2020 census rolls up for us in this area of California migration, etc.
- 6y ago