Should I move to San Francisco?

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: illusion88
Head north and move into Petaluma. Cheaper, Nicer, and still close enough that you won't be bored "out in the country".

yeah, i prefer petaluma to fremont, too.

<-- lived in both cities.

 

[zoiks]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: beer
I live in SF. I work in Sunnyvale. I'm not able to afford a house but I enjoy it nonetheless. I can move back to Texas to own property when the times comes. Now I'm livin it for what it is. If you have specific questions, PM me.

SF proper is not that much more expensive to RENT in than in San Mateo or Santa Clara counties. You might get less space for the money, but the rents are about the same (or similar). Purchasing is different.

No, you won't get paid 3x more. You might get paid 20% more, and half of that will disappear in taxes.
I enjoy my life out here, even though I can't do everything I want. I came from Austin, and while I want to go back, living here is amazing.

How long does it take for your commute from SF to Sunnyvale?

I live in Sunnyvale and work right next to the Ballpark in SF in Mission Bay. Commute by the express train takes 43 min to get to SF. Its a walk in the park for me since I spend that time working on my notebook, catch a few Z's or reading a book or newspaper.

 

[theeedude]

Originally posted by: zoiks

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: beer
I live in SF. I work in Sunnyvale. I'm not able to afford a house but I enjoy it nonetheless. I can move back to Texas to own property when the times comes. Now I'm livin it for what it is. If you have specific questions, PM me.

SF proper is not that much more expensive to RENT in than in San Mateo or Santa Clara counties. You might get less space for the money, but the rents are about the same (or similar). Purchasing is different.

No, you won't get paid 3x more. You might get paid 20% more, and half of that will disappear in taxes.
I enjoy my life out here, even though I can't do everything I want. I came from Austin, and while I want to go back, living here is amazing.

How long does it take for your commute from SF to Sunnyvale?

I live in Sunnyvale and work right next to the Ballpark in SF in Mission Bay. Commute by the express train takes 43 min to get to SF. Its a walk in the park for me since I spend that time working on my notebook, catch a few Z's or reading a book or newspaper.

Why would you want to live in Sunnyvale if you work in SF? I work in Sunnyvale, and I am thinking of moving to SF, cus I am bored out of my mind here.

 

[beer]

Maybe he has kids or something? SF is only great if you are single. I could never see myself with even a baby there. There are too many shady/unsafe elements to the city to ever raise someone in that environment now.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: zoiks

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: beer
I live in SF. I work in Sunnyvale. I'm not able to afford a house but I enjoy it nonetheless. I can move back to Texas to own property when the times comes. Now I'm livin it for what it is. If you have specific questions, PM me.

SF proper is not that much more expensive to RENT in than in San Mateo or Santa Clara counties. You might get less space for the money, but the rents are about the same (or similar). Purchasing is different.

No, you won't get paid 3x more. You might get paid 20% more, and half of that will disappear in taxes.
I enjoy my life out here, even though I can't do everything I want. I came from Austin, and while I want to go back, living here is amazing.

How long does it take for your commute from SF to Sunnyvale?

I live in Sunnyvale and work right next to the Ballpark in SF in Mission Bay. Commute by the express train takes 43 min to get to SF. Its a walk in the park for me since I spend that time working on my notebook, catch a few Z's or reading a book or newspaper.

It takes that long or longer to commute on the Freeway from South San Jose to Mt.View which is just about 10 miles away during the rush hours.

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
It takes that long or longer to commute on the Freeway from South San Jose to Mt.View which is just about 10 miles away during the rush hours.

Living in suburbia sucks.
If you do, caltrain FTW
reverse commutes are even better ideas!

 

[Stiganator]

I think the city has a lot of character. Pretty sweet if you lika the asian girls too. I would live there, but it is too dang expensive.

 

[Sheep]

The $1700/month for Fremont quoted earlier is DEFINITELY on the expensive side of things.

I live in Glen Park (residential neighborhood in San Francisco proper) and pay $1625/month for a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment that has plenty of parking (NEVER had to park more than a block away, which is pretty amazing for living in the city). While Glen Park is decidedly residential (i.e., not much to do), there's a BART stop 4 blocks away that gives easy access tons of restaurants and nightlife.

I'm a native Chicagoan who did some time in Connecticut (worst. mistake. EVER) and has been out here for 6 years. It's definitely a change of pace from the midwest, but I like it FAR, FAR better than living in New England which just didn't suit me.

 

[beer]

I pay $2700 a month for a 3/2 in Potrero, in a house, which is cool.

And it's much newer and bigger than the apartments anywhere near the more trendy areas.

 

[marincounty]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile

Originally posted by: Steeplerot
A car here is a liability unlike almost anywhere else in America.

No car payments and no insurance is quite liberating.

My friend who works for Goldman Sachs, someone I know you would hate because he's 27 and makes $300K+ and likely to make 2x that within two years, bought himself a BMW 330i Sedan with the Performance Package. I've gone out there several times and driven it along Highway 1 through Santa Cruz to Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur, etc. I've also driven it along back roads towards Napa Valley. You know, places where Republican snobs hang out, plot wars and hurricanes to destroy the homes of the poor and where the likes of Steeplerot would shrivel up and die.

Point is, California is home to some of the best driving roads in the world. A nice little sports car is a great thing to have.

A nice little sport bike is a great thing to have. I think I just blew the doors off a BMW sedan. Watch out for the radar though.

 

[marincounty]

As other people have correctly reported, Fremont is a very boring suburb, filled with Indian tech nerds. They do, however, have Frys and Central Computer.
I would probably live in Berkeley or SF and take BART if I worked in Fremont.
SF is more expensive, but has tons of great restaurants, and lots more cultural activities.
Berkeley, you have Cal, and the Warriors and A's and Raiders close by, and also lots of good restaurants (the food revolution started here).
Petaluma is a nice, quiet town, but nowhere near SF or Fremont, and the traffic is a bitch to get anywhere.

 

[Shortcut]

Live close to where you will work. If your workplace will be in SF, then for god's sake don't move to Fremont. You will waste so much time commuting.

 

[Sukhoi]

Originally posted by: DLeRium
I vote for south bay. pick Mountain View or Sunnyvale or Santa Clara.

That does seem like it could be a good spot. Go one way around the bay to work, and the other way for fun.

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
I would personally make sure your company is willing to pay you like 3x more if you want to live there with a similar standard of living.

That's the problem...as far as I have heard there is no cost of living adjustment. I'll find out more over the next month, but I'm not expecting them to provide one. The company is going to have no trouble finding someone to take the SF spots.

Originally posted by: beer
SF proper is not that much more expensive to RENT in than in San Mateo or Santa Clara counties. You might get less space for the money, but the rents are about the same (or similar). Purchasing is different.

Good point. I'm 100% looking to rent. There is no way I would ever be able to afford a house in that area with my pay.

Originally posted by: Ameesh
Waterloo is boring as ******, i would not live there of my own free will

lol even with the university there?

Originally posted by: sygyzy
Can you tell us what sort of job you do or what company you work for?

Engineer for an automaker. 🙂 At my current pay level I definitely couldn't afford to live in SF more than a year or two. I really don't know what the guys permanently in Fremont do. I guess they either have a big cost of living adjustment, or are poor. Right now my take-home pay is about $2400/mo, so if I'm spending half of that on rent it's not going to leave a whole lot of money for other things.

Originally posted by: marincounty
As other people have correctly reported, Fremont is a very boring suburb, filled with Indian tech nerds. They do, however, have Frys and Central Computer.
I would probably live in Berkeley or SF and take BART if I worked in Fremont.
SF is more expensive, but has tons of great restaurants, and lots more cultural activities.
Berkeley, you have Cal, and the Warriors and A's and Raiders close by, and also lots of good restaurants (the food revolution started here).
Petaluma is a nice, quiet town, but nowhere near SF or Fremont, and the traffic is a bitch to get anywhere.

😀 The more I think about it with the reasons I'd be going to SF, living out in some boring suburb makes no sense at all. Unfortunately I looked at the BART site and the Fremont stop is not close to where I would be working. Definitely not walk-able.

Additionally thanks for the posts from anyone I didn't quote. If only SF wasn't so expensive! 🙂

 

[BoomerD]

Are you going to be working at the NUMMI plant in Fremont? If so, you have lots of options for housing, although none will be inexpensive, (but the farther you drive, the cheaper housing will be.)

 

[Sukhoi]

If I do get to go yes that's where it would be.