5 ms·

This will sound patronizing if you've actually lived here but... you do know that San Francisco is not "the valley", right? The "valley" is Santa Clara Valley,

by maaku 13y ago

This will sound patronizing if you've actually lived here but... you do know that San Francisco is not "the valley", right? The "valley" is Santa Clara Valley, which is a full 45 miles away and a very diverse set of neighborhoods. "There are no slums. There are no marginal areas." <-- have you seen some parts of east San Jose, or east Palo Alto? Or since "the valley" apparantly includes more than the actual geographic valley, what about Richmond or Stockton near the docks? I wouldn't suggest stopping at red lights at night. I've lived in "the valley" my whole damn life. My family has ties going back to the gold rush days. I have no idea where it is that you lived, as it sure as hell doesn't resemble anything I recognize. I'm sorry you had such a shitty experience.

dredmorbius 13y ago
"The Valley" is more a metaphor than a specific geographic location. Yes, its origins and core are in Santa Clara County, but there's been a significant shift toward the urban mecca of San Francisco, and by broader definitions it can be said to stretch as much as 100 miles (O'Reilly & Associate's Sebastapol headquarters have been included in the term, though that's a bit of a stretch). As for slums and marginal areas -- yes, they exist, but even there the costs of living can be high, and in terms of livable low-cost areas, such as you might find in Chicago, or Detroit, or Berlin, not so much. Land-use planning, growth limitations (California is ultimately water-constrained), NIMBYISM, and real-estate inflation have and are taking their toll on the area.
- maaku 13y ago
  To some people perhaps. But there is and always has been a clear distinction between "the valley" and "the city" - we still talk about city startups vs valley startups - which is why this rant struck me as a little odd. Regarding affordable living, I think you'd be suprised what you can find. In just about every county there are affordable housing developments and less affluent areas. Those people taking your fast-food order for minimum wage and cleaning your house have to live somewhere. Of course even entry level jobs in tech preclude you from the government assistance many poor people here rely on. But "I make too much money for affordable housing" is bit different thing to say than "SF has no place for you to fall ... There are no slums. There are no marginal areas."
jusben1369 13y ago
The City became part of "the Valley" when meaningful startups took up residency there starting 5 - 7 years ago. The "Bay Area" is probably the most accurate term if you want to talk about the region but few use that. Yet calling it the Valley is fine as everyone knows you're talking about the Bay Area and startups. Secondly, Richmond isn't the Valley and probably never will be.

by maaku 13y ago

dredmorbius 13y ago

"The Valley" is more a metaphor than a specific geographic location. Yes, its origins and core are in Santa Clara County, but there's been a significant shift toward the urban mecca of San Francisco, and by broader definitions it can be said to stretch as much as 100 miles (O'Reilly & Associate's Sebastapol headquarters have been included in the term, though that's a bit of a stretch). As for slums and marginal areas -- yes, they exist, but even there the costs of living can be high, and in terms of livable low-cost areas, such as you might find in Chicago, or Detroit, or Berlin, not so much. Land-use planning, growth limitations (California is ultimately water-constrained), NIMBYISM, and real-estate inflation have and are taking their toll on the area.

maaku 13y ago
To some people perhaps. But there is and always has been a clear distinction between "the valley" and "the city" - we still talk about city startups vs valley startups - which is why this rant struck me as a little odd. Regarding affordable living, I think you'd be suprised what you can find. In just about every county there are affordable housing developments and less affluent areas. Those people taking your fast-food order for minimum wage and cleaning your house have to live somewhere. Of course even entry level jobs in tech preclude you from the government assistance many poor people here rely on. But "I make too much money for affordable housing" is bit different thing to say than "SF has no place for you to fall ... There are no slums. There are no marginal areas."

jusben1369 13y ago

The City became part of "the Valley" when meaningful startups took up residency there starting 5 - 7 years ago. The "Bay Area" is probably the most accurate term if you want to talk about the region but few use that. Yet calling it the Valley is fine as everyone knows you're talking about the Bay Area and startups. Secondly, Richmond isn't the Valley and probably never will be.