Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Remote work is reshaping San Francisco, as tech workers flee and rents fall

wsj.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

621–630 of 1001 posts

Re: Remote work is reshaping San Francisco, as tech workers flee and rents fall

#621

Post by dragonwriter »

dongvsascript wrote: post #508
captaincole wrote: post #102

I am living in SF now and this confirms a very clear pattern that I have seen emerging, particularly of tech workers. I would say that >50% of the people I know who were living in the city have left, or are in the process of leaving. Some examples (there are countless): 1) All three of the roommates that I had are choosing to leave either permanently or temporarily. 2) A friend who works for google who is going on a…

i have an honest question here. i haven't lived in sf -just visited. i have however been to most states and about 40 countries for comparison. food - most of what i saw was not good food. hipsterish overpriced food made by chefs trying to show off by putting a twist on dishes -not to be good, just to be different or weird. tiny portions, not tasting above average, on a huge plate. all presentation, not actual taste.…

> food - most of what i saw was not good food. hipsterish overpriced food made by chefs trying to show off by putting a twist on dishes -not to be good, just to be different or weird. tiny portions, not tasting above average, on a huge plate. all presentation, not actual taste.

You probably selected places to eat by either marketing presentation or talking to novelty-seeking hipsters, and so found presentation-heavy novelty-focussed hipster food.

San Francisco has plenty of good food—and it's usually much cheaper than the food of the type you describe. Of course, if you live in a hipster bubble and don't communicate outside of it, and don't actively explore, you might have trouble finding the real gems.

> culture: there is no culture. culture was when i lived in versailles. sf is all snooty people with no content, trying to show off. culture is down to earth, with class.

There's plenty of culture in SF, but this also sounds like you spent your time in the same kind of hipster bubble your food impression reflects.

Re: Remote work is reshaping San Francisco, as tech workers flee and rents fall

#622

Post by refurb »

osdiab wrote: post #494
darkwizard42 wrote: post #403

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn't really true... it only applies to units that were built before a certain year (1979). If you are in any kind of modern unit / luxury unit as noted by GP, then this won't hold. However, most landlords in non-managed buildings are fairly reasonable about only raising rent 2-5% a year. Your mileage may vary.

Then great news, SF has built almost nothing since 1979, so you’re more likely than not to be covered! Maybe I was being a cheapskate for keeping my rent under $2k per month when I lived there, but I never lived in an apartment that wasn’t rent controlled.

Last stat is read is 30% of units in SF aren’t under rent control. Don’t forget that condos (single unit) aren’t rent controlled even if older than 1979.

Re: Remote work is reshaping San Francisco, as tech workers flee and rents fall

#623

Post by swiley »

baron816 wrote: post #327
captaincole wrote: post #102

I am living in SF now and this confirms a very clear pattern that I have seen emerging, particularly of tech workers. I would say that >50% of the people I know who were living in the city have left, or are in the process of leaving. Some examples (there are countless): 1) All three of the roommates that I had are choosing to leave either permanently or temporarily. 2) A friend who works for google who is going on a…

Alternate experience: I just moved into SF a week ago from elsewhere in the Bay. I was able to get a large, modern, luxury 1BR in a decent location for under $3K + almost a 1 month concession and no deposit. Being a single, young(ish) guy, it still makes sense to be in a city. I have more space than I need now, and I can afford the rent. Maybe things aren’t that nice right now, but I’m hoping they’ll get back to semi…

For comparison: When I was apartment shopping in late February and early march in northern Virginia (limited to walking distance to the office and nice restaurants) One place I looked at was a luxury 1BR at $2k + 1 month concession, I went with a cheaper "studio" in the same building though (the 1BR had carpet and the studio had hardwood floor and wasn't much smaller.)

Re: Remote work is reshaping San Francisco, as tech workers flee and rents fall

#624

Post by robotresearcher »

refurb wrote: post #583
matt-attack wrote: post #572

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article mentioned rents down, but have housing prices dipped?

Condos are, but single family home prices are going up.

It’s a great time to have a private backyard. Lousy time to share an elevator.

Re: Remote work is reshaping San Francisco, as tech workers flee and rents fall

#625

Post by ummonk »

mistersquid wrote: post #541
p1mrx wrote: post #367

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But you're just renting... won't the price skyrocket when things go back to normal?

> won't the price skyrocket when things go back to normal? California adopted statewide rent control as of 1 January 2020. [0] If not already under rent control, rental units older than 15 years are now under rent control. [0] https://la.curbed.com/2019/9/24/20868937/california-rent-con...

Limited to 5% plus rental inflation, and I'm not sure concessions count towards the rate, so they could still go up substantially within a few years.

Re: Remote work is reshaping San Francisco, as tech workers flee and rents fall

#626

Post by dragonwriter »

annexrichmond wrote: post #539
dongvsascript wrote: post #508

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i have an honest question here. i haven't lived in sf -just visited. i have however been to most states and about 40 countries for comparison. food - most of what i saw was not good food. hipsterish overpriced food made by chefs trying to show off by putting a twist on dishes -not to be good, just to be different or weird. tiny portions, not tasting above average, on a huge plate. all presentation, not actual taste.…

as someone who's lived in SF for years this is all very true. Food is expensive and a lot of it's designed to be instagrammed. There are definitely some great spots but not that many and really not that diverse (lacks middle eastern, greek, british, American bbq, spanish) Nightlife is horrible, bars pretty much close at 1am, hardly any live music, gender imbalance, and not much density so it often just feels "dead" i…

> There are definitely some great spots but not that many and really not that diverse (lacks middle eastern, greek, british, American bbq, spanish)

I've personally had great examples of all of those except Spanish in SF (and that exception may be because I've never sought out Spanish in SF.)

Re: Remote work is reshaping San Francisco, as tech workers flee and rents fall

#627

Post by ummonk »

Redoubts wrote: post #459
baron816 wrote: post #327

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Alternate experience: I just moved into SF a week ago from elsewhere in the Bay. I was able to get a large, modern, luxury 1BR in a decent location for under $3K + almost a 1 month concession and no deposit. Being a single, young(ish) guy, it still makes sense to be in a city. I have more space than I need now, and I can afford the rent. Maybe things aren’t that nice right now, but I’m hoping they’ll get back to semi…

> Being a single, young(ish) guy, it still makes sense to be in a city. A city, yes. SF? No. By far it's the worst place for this I've ever seen.

Depends on sexual orientation.

Re: Remote work is reshaping San Francisco, as tech workers flee and rents fall

#628

Post by Polylactic_acid »

dongvsascript wrote: post #508
captaincole wrote: post #102

I am living in SF now and this confirms a very clear pattern that I have seen emerging, particularly of tech workers. I would say that >50% of the people I know who were living in the city have left, or are in the process of leaving. Some examples (there are countless): 1) All three of the roommates that I had are choosing to leave either permanently or temporarily. 2) A friend who works for google who is going on a…

i have an honest question here. i haven't lived in sf -just visited. i have however been to most states and about 40 countries for comparison. food - most of what i saw was not good food. hipsterish overpriced food made by chefs trying to show off by putting a twist on dishes -not to be good, just to be different or weird. tiny portions, not tasting above average, on a huge plate. all presentation, not actual taste.…

> i have to ask -you'd enjoy going to bars with mostly men? because that's cool too -once in a rare while.

Personally I only go to bars to socialize with people I know. I have never spoken to a stranger at a bar and I used to go once/twice a month.

Re: Remote work is reshaping San Francisco, as tech workers flee and rents fall

#629

Post by presentation »

electriclove wrote: post #594
presentation wrote: post #486

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uhh, maybe US cities haven’t, but here in Tokyo I never smell feces, step on needles, nor are there hordes of homeless people in every major part of the neighborhood, in a city that has affordable housing, a truly phenomenal public transit network, streets that pretty much never have potholes, and endless cultural and culinary amenities, in a place with GDP per capita far lower than SF. And it similarly was the case…

How did you make the move? Are you Japanese or Asian? I would love to move to Tokyo or similar but feel I would be discriminated against for being a dark skinned Indian male.

I’m half southeast Asian, which is different enough people can tell if they get close, but close enough that I can blend in in a crowd. It depends where in Japan you’re moving to as well - but being in Tokyo it’s definitely global and people are generally used to foreigners. Your mileage may vary being more visibly “different”, as well as you motivation to learn Japanese/local customs (I’m pretty conversational, which took a lot of work), and your sensitivity to being treated differently - though for me I mostly don’t take it personally.

Re: Remote work is reshaping San Francisco, as tech workers flee and rents fall

#630

Post by jmspring »

As someone born and raised in the Bay Area, what I feel is the decline of SF (cultural venues, long time restaurants, neighborhoods changing character) some see as progress.

The exodus is interesting ... I don’t see a return of those displaced by tech. But I hope there is some return to balance.

Post reply on HN