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I first started seeing these blog posts and Twitter threads documenting reasons for leaving SF at the start of the pandemic, and they tend to get a significant

by cam0 5y ago

I first started seeing these blog posts and Twitter threads documenting reasons for leaving SF at the start of the pandemic, and they tend to get a significant amount of engagement/comments/likes. I had never before seen anyone write such long and detailed reasons for something as routine and boring as moving cities. I can only imagine the reason for doing this is to increase their following on social media. Just stoking the rage-engagement machine.

pm90 5y ago
I tend to agree. There’s certainly valid reasons for wanting to move away. But these posts aren’t really saying anything new, they tend to feed off of each other creating an online impression of SF as some kind of hellhole.
bingohbangoh 5y ago
You must understand that people have not liked SF for a long time -- at least five years if not further -- and feel "stuck" there for career reasons. The pandemic has made a lot of things (everything?) about the city much worse while opening up an avenue to leave. Thus, many people have taken it. As they're leaving behind a network, a likely fractured group of friends, and a never ending lockdown threat, it's created complicated feelings.
- AustinDev 5y ago
  I lived in alameda for 1 year in 2010. Hated the whole Bay Area and left as soon as I could. For me it was just personal preference.
  - bingohbangoh 5y ago
    I visited LA for a week in 2018 and SF for two weeks in 2016. Never have I felt so unliked on a personal level (weird scowls in the Mission district, didn't get one match on Tinder lmao). I made it a point that I would never return to California for as long as I lived (unless you're willing to pay me a lot). For point of reference, I'm from NYC so this isn't a blue-state/red-state thing like it has become for a lot of people. There's something about the California vibe that does not mesh with me.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- CSSer 5y ago
  > As they're leaving behind a network, a likely fractured group of friends I'm not sure how exactly to say this, but I imagine it's a lot less worse for us than it could be if we worked in many other professions. I get the impressive that relative to a lot of careers and industries, our network and even friend group in many cases is much more global by nature. Of course, you can't go throw a frisbee with your online friends, so they'll have to find new people to do those things with. I guess I'm just trying to say that if there's any demographic that could keep in touch if they want to, I get the impression that we're it.
- SpicyLemonZest 5y ago
  I don't understand that, because nobody I personally know has felt "stuck" in SF. I know many people who genuinely like the Bay Area, many people who hated it until they moved to a different tech hub after a their first lease was up, and a few people who didn't like cities in general but wanted to save up for a dream house back home. I could be in a social bubble somehow, I don't want to rule that out, but the phenomenon of having to live here despite hating it is something I've only ever encountered on social media.
  - tayo42 5y ago
    I had a mostly positive experience in the bay area, but I felt stuck there. Until the pandemic happened it was hard to not work there. The companies were forward thinking, pay was higher, work was more interesting. There are some terrible jobs, companies and managers out there in the world
Jensson 5y ago
> something as routine and boring as moving cities How many times in a life do you move across the country with a spouse? I wouldn't call that routine, you need to ensure both of you can find new jobs etc, and likely they are thinking about their future kids and where they should be brought up. When you move on your own, sure, but the more things you add to your life the harder it gets.
programmarchy 5y ago
Most people have friends and family so uprooting oneself from a community and moving to another city is actually a big deal. It’s a very cynical take to dismiss their complaints about a place they probably once loved as clickbait.
- ferdowsi 5y ago
  Native-born Californians are a minority of San Francisco's residents. Most people who are leaving are more likely relatively recent migrants to the Bay Area following the tech boom; social connections for these people do not run particularly deep in the city.
dqv 5y ago
:| Moving is not routine and it is not boring. It's stressful and expensive as hell. I wouldn't describe "we have to get the hell out of here" and "throw all your things in trash bags and transport it in 24 hours" as boring, but more as "I hope I don't have to do this again because it's definitely going to shed some years off my life."
- Turing_Machine 5y ago
  "Three moves equals one fire." -- Benjamin Franklin, I think
- cam0 5y ago
  I should have clarified - of course it's stressful and expensive and exhausting, but only to the person/family experiencing it. Assuming that the rest of the internet cares about your move... no, they do not. But clearly it provides a platform for people to vent their feelings about the Bay Area.
  - dqv 5y ago
    Ah I get what you mean now. For you, it's just another listicle that rehashes the same criticisms you've already heard. From the outside (of the Bay Area) looking in, I find it interesting. You've already seen my thoughts on moving, so finding out what makes a person want to move is enlightening.
    - actually_a_dog 5y ago
      Just so you know, our author's perspective on the Bay Area isn't how everyone experiences it. At best, his criticisms only apply to the city of San Francisco. I've had precisely zero of the things he's mentioned happen to me living in the East Bay.
JSavageOne 5y ago
Moving cities is not boring.
khuey 5y ago
One of the ringleaders of this sort of stuff on Twitter posted a screenshot of one of her tweets being seen a million times and remarked that she never got engagement like that before she started tweeting about how terrible SF is. It didn't stay up long; I think she realized she was giving away the game.
- hindsightbias 5y ago
  We need to amplify this hellscape messaging as much as possible. The sooner these victims leave, the sooner we can get back to normal.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
- thephyber 5y ago
  Anecdotally, responses to these types of posts by people I know are mostly from people who have never been/visited, who have political leanings which oppose all of SF/liberal policies, and who love any opportunity to “dunk on” their political rivals. The SF residents (current and former) I know are much more muted and nuanced in their criticism.

by cam0 5y ago

pm90 5y ago

I tend to agree. There’s certainly valid reasons for wanting to move away. But these posts aren’t really saying anything new, they tend to feed off of each other creating an online impression of SF as some kind of hellhole.

bingohbangoh 5y ago

You must understand that people have not liked SF for a long time -- at least five years if not further -- and feel "stuck" there for career reasons. The pandemic has made a lot of things (everything?) about the city much worse while opening up an avenue to leave. Thus, many people have taken it. As they're leaving behind a network, a likely fractured group of friends, and a never ending lockdown threat, it's created complicated feelings.

AustinDev 5y ago
I lived in alameda for 1 year in 2010. Hated the whole Bay Area and left as soon as I could. For me it was just personal preference.
- bingohbangoh 5y ago
  I visited LA for a week in 2018 and SF for two weeks in 2016. Never have I felt so unliked on a personal level (weird scowls in the Mission district, didn't get one match on Tinder lmao). I made it a point that I would never return to California for as long as I lived (unless you're willing to pay me a lot). For point of reference, I'm from NYC so this isn't a blue-state/red-state thing like it has become for a lot of people. There's something about the California vibe that does not mesh with me.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
CSSer 5y ago
> As they're leaving behind a network, a likely fractured group of friends I'm not sure how exactly to say this, but I imagine it's a lot less worse for us than it could be if we worked in many other professions. I get the impressive that relative to a lot of careers and industries, our network and even friend group in many cases is much more global by nature. Of course, you can't go throw a frisbee with your online friends, so they'll have to find new people to do those things with. I guess I'm just trying to say that if there's any demographic that could keep in touch if they want to, I get the impression that we're it.
SpicyLemonZest 5y ago
I don't understand that, because nobody I personally know has felt "stuck" in SF. I know many people who genuinely like the Bay Area, many people who hated it until they moved to a different tech hub after a their first lease was up, and a few people who didn't like cities in general but wanted to save up for a dream house back home. I could be in a social bubble somehow, I don't want to rule that out, but the phenomenon of having to live here despite hating it is something I've only ever encountered on social media.
- tayo42 5y ago
  I had a mostly positive experience in the bay area, but I felt stuck there. Until the pandemic happened it was hard to not work there. The companies were forward thinking, pay was higher, work was more interesting. There are some terrible jobs, companies and managers out there in the world

Jensson 5y ago

> something as routine and boring as moving cities How many times in a life do you move across the country with a spouse? I wouldn't call that routine, you need to ensure both of you can find new jobs etc, and likely they are thinking about their future kids and where they should be brought up. When you move on your own, sure, but the more things you add to your life the harder it gets.

programmarchy 5y ago

Most people have friends and family so uprooting oneself from a community and moving to another city is actually a big deal. It’s a very cynical take to dismiss their complaints about a place they probably once loved as clickbait.

ferdowsi 5y ago
Native-born Californians are a minority of San Francisco's residents. Most people who are leaving are more likely relatively recent migrants to the Bay Area following the tech boom; social connections for these people do not run particularly deep in the city.

dqv 5y ago

:| Moving is not routine and it is not boring. It's stressful and expensive as hell. I wouldn't describe "we have to get the hell out of here" and "throw all your things in trash bags and transport it in 24 hours" as boring, but more as "I hope I don't have to do this again because it's definitely going to shed some years off my life."

Turing_Machine 5y ago
"Three moves equals one fire." -- Benjamin Franklin, I think
cam0 5y ago
I should have clarified - of course it's stressful and expensive and exhausting, but only to the person/family experiencing it. Assuming that the rest of the internet cares about your move... no, they do not. But clearly it provides a platform for people to vent their feelings about the Bay Area.
- dqv 5y ago
  Ah I get what you mean now. For you, it's just another listicle that rehashes the same criticisms you've already heard. From the outside (of the Bay Area) looking in, I find it interesting. You've already seen my thoughts on moving, so finding out what makes a person want to move is enlightening.
  - actually_a_dog 5y ago
    Just so you know, our author's perspective on the Bay Area isn't how everyone experiences it. At best, his criticisms only apply to the city of San Francisco. I've had precisely zero of the things he's mentioned happen to me living in the East Bay.

JSavageOne 5y ago

Moving cities is not boring.

khuey 5y ago

One of the ringleaders of this sort of stuff on Twitter posted a screenshot of one of her tweets being seen a million times and remarked that she never got engagement like that before she started tweeting about how terrible SF is. It didn't stay up long; I think she realized she was giving away the game.

hindsightbias 5y ago
We need to amplify this hellscape messaging as much as possible. The sooner these victims leave, the sooner we can get back to normal.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
thephyber 5y ago
Anecdotally, responses to these types of posts by people I know are mostly from people who have never been/visited, who have political leanings which oppose all of SF/liberal policies, and who love any opportunity to “dunk on” their political rivals. The SF residents (current and former) I know are much more muted and nuanced in their criticism.