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Tech elites leaving San Francisco threaten Silicon Valley's supremacy

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861–870 of 1001 posts

Re: Tech elites leaving San Francisco threaten Silicon Valley's supremacy

#861
post #690

I'd love to hear from people who want to stay in the Bay area what is unique that you cannot find elsewhere in cheaper locales. I lived in Mountain View for 3 months during 500 startups and the valley proper was the most garden variety suburban existence you could find anywhere. I lived in SF proper off and on and can attest that it certainly has (had?) fantastic restaurants/shops and a particular type of culture tha…

Every city is special in its own way. Very few cities have anything truly irreplaceable, but it's a combination of small differences that make a city special. My two favorite cities in the US are San Francisco and Philadelphia. Many people hate those places with a passion. To each their own!

Would you mind expanding on what parts you like about Philly and why? I’ve been thinking about moving there but don’t see it mentioned favorably too often.

Re: Tech elites leaving San Francisco threaten Silicon Valley's supremacy

#862

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> California, by contrast, reacted to an identical court ruling in 2008 by banning same-sex marriage until all such laws were overturned in 2015. This is a cherry-picked example and a bad-faith argument. You're trying to portray the CA Prop 8 battle as demonstrating that CA was/is regressive. It does not show that. It's more accurate to say that there was a national debate going on at the time, and the open-ness of t…

>This is a cherry-picked example and a bad-faith argument. First time reading one of rayiner’s comments?

Point well taken.

Re: Tech elites leaving San Francisco threaten Silicon Valley's supremacy

#863

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In some places “easily accessible nature” means you can drive just a few hours. But pull up a map of Cupertino or Mountain View and zoom out just a little. There are dozens and dozens of parks in biking distance. Austin and Atlanta are not like this. Haven’t been to Charlotte or Raleigh in ages but, maybe. It’s a nice climate for sure. Denver is really pretty but it depends how you feel about real winter.

> Austin and Atlanta are not like this. Have you been to Atlanta? It doesn't seem like you're familiar. The Beltline [0,1], a paved multi-use trail converted from old railway, encircles the city's major neighborhoods and connects everything. It's one of the city's major features. Dozens of parks, including some of the largest -- Piedmont [2], Old Forth Ward, Grant Park, and the old Bellwood Quarry [3] where they film…

I lived in Atlanta (starting from my GA Tech days) for over a decade and I've been in the South Bay for a few years. As much as I love Atlanta and the gigantic house I was able to afford, landscape-wise it doesn't even come close to what the bay area has to offer. Beltline is pretty neat but you will find it rather disappointing if you have ever been to one of the coastal trails in the bay. Not to mention the lack of skiing options (sorry but Gatlinburg ain't Lake Tahoe).

Re: Tech elites leaving San Francisco threaten Silicon Valley's supremacy

#864

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can echo this. I loved the bay when I first moved here 8 years ago, but the political dynamic of the area, and the ever growing drug/homelessness crisis said dynamic is completely unable to deal with, both have just worn my enthusiasm away.

It is unbecoming to point at the homeless and blame them for making our cities unattractive. These are human beings with souls and emotions. When they make us feel uncomfortable with their appearance or behavior we should remember they lead lives where they are likely suffering most of every day. We as a people have failed to create a society with space for these people to exist in peace, happiness, and good health.…

>It is unbecoming to point at the homeless and blame them for making our cities unattractive.

I had a coworker who visited sf. A homeless person threw a bottle of urine all over him.

Do you think that made it more or less attractive? Seriously we all suffer, but most of us suffer in such a way that we don't make the world too much worse for others.

Re: Tech elites leaving San Francisco threaten Silicon Valley's supremacy

#865
post #689

In the last 10-15 years San Francisco gained a ton of residents that didn't want to be there at all. They moved there because the job opportunities in tech were too hard to turn down. I had some friends like this, they just never really liked the city. Now they're all leaving because their job is not making them stay. That's fine and I'm happy they have more choices now. But there's a flip side to that. One of my lea…

> they just never really liked the city. Pretty hard to like a city where a non-trivial portion of the residents are hating on you and blaming you and others like you for many problems of their own doing. I left a year ago and I personally hope both San Francisco and all of California suffers fiscal collapse. The state grossly mistreats it's most productive citizens, when its those very citizens that fund the greates…

I'm not sure. Most of us voted the same group of politicians year in and year out, right? It looks we lost check and balance years ago, but that's voters' choice, no?

Re: Tech elites leaving San Francisco threaten Silicon Valley's supremacy

#866
post #702
post #637

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And SF wrt cars only to some degree. I know a couple who decamped to SF and sold their cars when their kids got older. They do indeed live without owning cars. They also use Ubers, ZipCars, and regular rental all the time. I think a lot depends on what you're used to. I think a lot of folks accept the limited mobility they knew through school when they graduate. It becomes less acceptable as they get older. Many exce…

You can make a lot of things work in a lot of places. I have lived in both Dallas and Houston without a car, for example (but also Berlin, Santiago, Tokyo, so I have comparison points). If you don't have kids, and have the freedom to plan a bit around where you live and work, you won't really feel like you're missing anything. I would take a trip via Lyft twice a month to some venue that's further away than the bike/…

What’s a good neighborhood or two in Houston where it’s possible to do this?

Re: Tech elites leaving San Francisco threaten Silicon Valley's supremacy

#867

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> and still come out ahead financially. Ya. Earning a SF wage but living elsewhere is great. But there is a flip side to this coin. As employees realize they can work from home, employers also realize they can have employees work from home. They will soon realize they don't need to pay SF wages. Those who convert their in-office jobs into work-from-home are a covid oddity. Those who will be hired in the future on th…

The SF-based company I work for has already announced wage adjustments for employees who relocate out of the region. They haven't happened yet, but the company has given everyone a "heads up; it's on the table."

I've worked for several and relocated, nobody ever tried this. I can't imagine a company being so attractive that it would make sense to stay in such a role under the circumstances.

Re: Tech elites leaving San Francisco threaten Silicon Valley's supremacy

#868

As it happens, tomorrow I’m putting in my 30-day notice to terminate my lease and leave the Bay. (And I’m paying 2 additional months rent in fees to do so) Not being tied to the office fundamentally changes the calculus of choosing where to live. There just aren’t good reasons to live here anymore for so many of us. Even if you enjoy the area, chances are you can get a better deal by moving just a bit further away. A…

>> and still come out ahead financially. Ya. Earning a SF wage but living elsewhere is great. But there is a flip side to this coin. As employees realize they can work from home, employers also realize they can have employees work from home. They will soon realize they don't need to pay SF wages. Those who convert their in-office jobs into work-from-home are a covid oddity. Those who will be hired in the future on th…

If that is truly the result then I what comes from this will be a lot more young companies and competition at the startup level- if you can't pull in a reasonable tech salary why bother making someone else rich?

Re: Tech elites leaving San Francisco threaten Silicon Valley's supremacy

#869
post #689

In the last 10-15 years San Francisco gained a ton of residents that didn't want to be there at all. They moved there because the job opportunities in tech were too hard to turn down. I had some friends like this, they just never really liked the city. Now they're all leaving because their job is not making them stay. That's fine and I'm happy they have more choices now. But there's a flip side to that. One of my lea…

You literally described my life perfectly, I was one of those people. I hated living there and was so glad to leave as soon as my job allowed it. I just really hope they don't make me go back after all this is over, though I have a feeling they will :/

The Bay Area is beautiful and the people are wonderful, but its just not where I want to be living my life.

Re: Tech elites leaving San Francisco threaten Silicon Valley's supremacy

#870
post #582

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree on almost all of your points with a few caveats. - Cars : The Bay Area is very walkable but that’s mainly SF. The tech burbs of Palo Alto , Menlo Park are not super walkable and you are relying on the BART and other public transport . But Covid has destroyed public transport and cuts in funding threaten them further. LGBT : This is not really the 80s and 90s . Most big cities from DC, Atlanta, Austin ,Chicago…

Is there a general belief that San Francisco is a counter cultural place?

It was when half the set list for woodstock lived in Haight Ashbury.
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