Ferlinghetti's $65/mo rent in North Beach, adjusted for inflation, would be about $584/mo today. Unthinkably low in central parts of New York City, the Bay Area

Ferlinghetti's $65/mo rent in North Beach, adjusted for inflation, would be about $584/mo today. Unthinkably low in central parts of New York City, the Bay Area, or other first-tier metropolitan areas. The workings of the market have seen the attractions of these places, and reserved even the outlying and interstitial areas for rich people. And that is a loss. But Ferlinghetti's rent reflected that the area was not so built up then, not considered so desirable as it is today. It was an underappreciated gem. In other places, there are other underappreciated gems like North Beach in 1951 (edit: not exactly the same, for the same people, obviously). If you want Ferlinghetti's deal, you'll have to look for one of those. Probably not within commute distance of San Francisco, though.