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Atlanta to San Francisco: What I Learned Moving Cross-Country

paulstamatiou.com

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Re: Atlanta to San Francisco: What I Learned Moving Cross-Country

#21

Post by dareiff »

qq66 wrote: post #2

I couldn't give away my dog :(

I moved to Seattle with my dog, from Indiana. She's anything but a city dog, and I think the next time I drive home, she'll be coming with me; I'll give her to a friend or my sister. As dog-friendly as Seattle is, there are definitely dogs that can't do the city.

Re: Atlanta to San Francisco: What I Learned Moving Cross-Country

#22

Post by thesethings »

timdorr wrote: post #8
_delirium wrote: post #5

I've found the public-transit comparison decidedly more mixed than a clear "SF wins". Admittedly, I lived in midtown in Atlanta, and mostly went to other places that have good subway service: Decatur, downtown, Buckhead, the airport, etc. To get to other places, the buses are kind of lame, but I wouldn't say they're any more lame than Muni's terrible buses. I did have a car, but I rarely drove; probably once every fe…

I would say the main deficiency with MARTA's buses is frequency, not the number of options. MUNI's buses run way more frequently I've found when visiting SF.

Exactly. MUNI (SF's bus service) is by many measures irresponsible, incompetent, and corrupt. It even runs a late a lot. But the density of the city simply creates such a high frequency of buses, and coverage of routes, that it results in a very practical, pragmatic service to use. Even really well off people often don't have cars in SF just because having a car is more of a hassle than taking the bus/BART/extremely occasional cab. We know from Paul's blog (awesome blog, Paul!) that he really likes cars. When even he is thinking of ditching it, it says a lot about the service.

Sidebar: I currently live in Portland, which has an award-winning bus/rail service. And it is true, it's awesome. The drivers are polite, and often really care about urban planning/civic stuff. The buses are clean, the documentation/data/maps/API well-done.

But because Portland is so much less dense than SF, it still means that in many cases, taking a bus here is more of a drag, and cars more common. (On a personal note, I've gotten way more into biking since moving here from SF.)

Re: Atlanta to San Francisco: What I Learned Moving Cross-Country

#23

Post by seiji »

How I did it (starting January 2008):

  - Drove from Atlanta to Long Beach with dog in back seat.
  - Rented room in Long Beach for three months (found on craigslist).
  - Found it wasn't working with Long Beach co-founder.
  - Drove to San Jose and stayed with friend for three months.
  - Realized startup wasn't working.  Got job.  Got apartment.
  - Still in San Jose needing to jumpstart a startup.
I find it amusing when people go through the "self discovery" phase of seeing how they "feel" about everything. I prefer the more direct approach of "move there and figure it out as you go along."

Re: Atlanta to San Francisco: What I Learned Moving Cross-Country

#24

Post by twoism »

I just made this same move a couple months ago. I got a job out here. So my girlfriend and I sold most everything, including my car and drove over with 2 cats. While I can't recommend driving across the country with two cats, I can say that I am glad we got rid of everything. Purging yourself of all your things and starting over is an interesting experience. I have never been one to acquire lots of stuff but I had my share. Getting rid of it all helps you realize how small you can live and still be happy.

Re: Atlanta to San Francisco: What I Learned Moving Cross-Country

#25

Post by mschaecher »

I was happy to read this post as I am moving to SF on June 26. And it sounds like we roughly had the same budgeting done, except I plan to live with roommates so that will save me some money.

Renting a place off AirBnB for a week while I find a place with roommates. Got rid of almost all of my possessions except for essential computers, clothes, and books. Shipping the computers and clothes that I can't take with me on the flight. Storing the books until I feel like i live in a somewhat permanent place and want them shipped out.

I can't wait to not have a car. Shipping my bike out as soon as I get a place. Going to have a TransLink Muni/Bart pass and a ZipCar card on me as soon as I hit the ground. Plan on using the ZipCar for those rare instances when I need a car/truck. Like my maiden voyage to Ikea for a desk, bed, and maiden Trader Joes grocery trip.

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