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Tech Workers Take to the Mountains, Bringing Silicon Valley with Them

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221–230 of 294 posts

Re: Tech Workers Take to the Mountains, Bringing Silicon Valley with Them

#221
post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's what makes it appealing to a lot of people who have been living around millions of other people. Soon many of these places will no longer be cheap and far away from other people. It'll be interesting to see how today's cultural conflicts play out when the more left-leaning, urban remote workers move en masse to smaller, more right-leaning, less urban places.

One thing worth remembering - thousands of current "Bay area tech workers" grew up in other parts of the country, and moved to silicon valley primarily for job opportunities, but may not otherwise share in the religious, political or social views that dominate that space. So while in some cases there may be the conflict you're alluding to, for other people, they're just moving back home.

[deleted]

Re: Tech Workers Take to the Mountains, Bringing Silicon Valley with Them

#222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you weigh the fire risk in the Tahoe area? The Palo Alto area has smoke risk, and some PSPS risk, but not much risk of straight up burning down. But homes in Tahoe are at significantly more risk of fire, right? Is it possible to get fire insurance there?

Just a PSA: home insurance companies have been dropping fire coverage in CA so quickly now that there's a state-mandated stay to prevent them from doing it for a year. No word what the plan is after the stay but I would be cognizant of any insurance plans that you get.

At some point we need the federal government to step in to provide wildfire insurance a la federal flood insurance. It will have to be reworked for CA considering the flood insurance only goes up to 250k.

Re: Tech Workers Take to the Mountains, Bringing Silicon Valley with Them

#223

The prices of bay area homes aren't dropping still. Looks like this migration is still temporary.

People aren't moving out of homes in the bay area, they are moving out of apartments in the bay area to where they can actually afford a home.

Re: Tech Workers Take to the Mountains, Bringing Silicon Valley with Them

#224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

San Diego and LA have SFBA easily beat in terms of weather.

Unless you don't like summer heat and heat waves. SF is more consistently around 70F. Depends if you like 55F - 75F versus 70F - 90F

A 100* heat wave in LA only clocks like 82* in san diego. Then again on that 100* LA day it is still only like 85* on the coast.

Re: Tech Workers Take to the Mountains, Bringing Silicon Valley with Them

#225
post #142

Until the fires it was hard to imagine giving up the weather and outdoors here in the Bay Area. Now we have COVID which means you want to be outside, but fire smoke that you shouldn't breath, so you want to be inside. I have a lot of HEPA filters running inside, and if I exercise outside, I wear a P100 even at VO2max. But if my daughter weren't keeping us here for her friends, I'd consider moving away now.

I think this is hyperbole for the majority of people who do not have existing respiratory or other health conditions.

Air quality in SF proper was only bad (by which I mean Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or above) for roughly a month this year. That certainly doesn't warrant having HEPA filters and P100 masks now in October/November (again, for most people).

Re: Tech Workers Take to the Mountains, Bringing Silicon Valley with Them

#226
post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just a PSA: home insurance companies have been dropping fire coverage in CA so quickly now that there's a state-mandated stay to prevent them from doing it for a year. No word what the plan is after the stay but I would be cognizant of any insurance plans that you get.

At some point we need the federal government to step in to provide wildfire insurance a la federal flood insurance. It will have to be reworked for CA considering the flood insurance only goes up to 250k.

Or we could incentivize people not to live in places with wildfire risk by NOT offering insurance (with some sort of graded phase-out for people already living there).

Re: Tech Workers Take to the Mountains, Bringing Silicon Valley with Them

#227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pay for software engineering will contract because it turns out programming is not that difficult and there was nothing special about the sf set except their need to cover stupid high rents.

It's going to be quite a reality shock when people realize their salaries were kept high _because_ their jobs weren't open to remote workers.

Wait until programmers realize that telling everybody that they should learn how to code depresses their own wages years later.

Re: Tech Workers Take to the Mountains, Bringing Silicon Valley with Them

#228
I actually thought about getting a place in Tahoe for 6 months, but turns out it is completely not workable for me - I don't know anyone in Tahoe - My 5 year old will have no friends - Schools will soon start in person schooling - I would like to be back in office - Will miss the diversity of restaurants / groceries / wineries etc. - Ethnic food or ethnic groceries are non existent

Turns out, you can buy a giant home in the Bay Area, in East Bay and get the exact same things

Re: Tech Workers Take to the Mountains, Bringing Silicon Valley with Them

#230
post #225
post #142

Until the fires it was hard to imagine giving up the weather and outdoors here in the Bay Area. Now we have COVID which means you want to be outside, but fire smoke that you shouldn't breath, so you want to be inside. I have a lot of HEPA filters running inside, and if I exercise outside, I wear a P100 even at VO2max. But if my daughter weren't keeping us here for her friends, I'd consider moving away now.

I think this is hyperbole for the majority of people who do not have existing respiratory or other health conditions. Air quality in SF proper was only bad (by which I mean Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or above) for roughly a month this year. That certainly doesn't warrant having HEPA filters and P100 masks now in October/November (again, for most people).

“Only bad for a month this year“, but these big California fires now happen every year.
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