Are you thinking about
relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area?
Considering moving here for the nice weather and great start-up
opportunities? I thought I’d share a few
insights into life out here that may help you think about whether or not Bay
Area life is for you…
Opportunities
If relocating here is
something you are already considering, I’m going to assume that you already
know about the start-up culture here, the many high-tech job opportunities
there are, and how established companies such as Apple, Google, and Facebook
have their headquarters here as well.
This blog post will mainly focus on the “other” aspects of Bay Area
living.
Location
There’s no doubt about it –
we are located in a great part of the US.
The weather leaves little to be desired (we do have seasons, but winter
and summer are mild) as you won’t be rained out most days and you will never
need to shovel snow out of your driveway here.
This is a beautiful part of
California, less than an hour to our spectacular coastline with beaches,
cliffs, and wildlife. We are only a few
hours drive from the majesty of Yosemite or some fantastic skiing in Lake
Tahoe. Napa is also just a few hours
away, if touring the vineyards and enjoying wine is of interest. It’s a non-stop flight to Hawaii, and if you
travel to the Far East for business you can get direct flights from San
Francisco.
If you like to hike or
bike, there are lots of paths and mountain roads, plus plenty of open-space
preserves to explore. Some of us complain
when it’s cold (in the 50’s in winter) or hot, but in all honesty we are truly
spoiled.
Entertainment
As far as dining is
concerned, the Bay Area offers many amazing restaurants, cafés and coffee
houses, and due to the multi-cultural nature of the area there are endless
ethnic dining options as well. We have
some great sports teams, from the SF Giants, to the SF 49’ers, to the San Jose
Sharks. There are also some fantastic
science and art museums in the area, as well as the SF Symphony, Ballet, and
Opera House.
Housing
There has to be a down side
to all this, doesn’t there? Well, most people
who move here have to downsize. If
paying over 1 million dollars for a postage stamp lot and a small house doesn’t
sound appealing to you, you may want to reconsider a move. Housing prices throughout Silicon Valley are
exorbitant, causing many workers to seek housing farther out where it’s still
expensive but not quite as outrageous.
This leads us to another
potential downside: the commute.
Transportation
If you can manage to live
close to your work, you are one of the lucky ones! Unfortunately, California does not have a
robust public transportation system, so you may find yourself spending much
more time with your car than you thought possible. Of course, a bad commute may be ameliorated
if you are able to work from home a few times a week or if you can drive during
“off” hours. However, many people have
figured this out, leading to a long “rush hour” starting at 3pm most days.
Final Thoughts?
So, is it worth it? Only you can decide. The Bay Area is definitely a wonderful place
to live, but it isn’t for everyone. If
it weren’t such a great place to live, it wouldn’t cost so much! But
first, come for a visit and check it out to see if you feel that the Bay Area
is a cultural match for you; how well could you fit into this extremely diverse
and intellectually intense environment? So
come for a visit, check out what we life here has to offer, and see for
yourself if this is a place you could call home.
