Deciding on the City or South Bay isn’t an Easy Task
May 19th, 2007
Now that I’m in California, I need to look for a permanent place to live. For now a good friend has allowed me to disrupt his life for a couple weeks until I can find said place. The dynamic of people living in different areas of San Francisco and the south bay is quite funny to say the least.
You see, I’m not totally sure where I want to live just yet. The office is in the south bay. The constant night life is in the city. On more than one ocassion I’ve been in the middle of debates giving me the virtues of both but so far it boils down to:
- Live in the city and have a long commute to work every day but be closer to more of the action
- Live in the south bay and have nice, short commutes but be a little further away from more of the action
That’s pretty general since there is some night life in the south bay it’s just that there are exponentially more options in the city itself.
The Cost of it All
Then there’s the cost of it all. There are ups and downs in both areas but generally I’ll be spending more cash by staying in the city and I’ll probably have a smaller place. Add to that the cost of parking and the cost of gas for making the commute from the city and it’s definitely nothing to sneeze at. On the other hand, there is a lot of car pooling going on so will that reduce the cost of fuel enough for it to not really factor into the equation?
Coming at it from the othe angle, if I’m in the south bay how much will it cost me in fuel and parking to visit the city for the events that are happening there? Will that make up for the potentially lower rent I’d be paying by staying in the south bay?
Getting in on the Action
One of the biggest points being made by the city folks is that everything that’s anything happens in the city. While I certainly don’t doubt that I really have to wonder just how often I’d actually be going into the city. Obviously the people that are there find things to do—sushi dinner parties, local bar gatherings, general nights on the town, etc.—because they’re already there.
What I’d need to do is ask myself just how often I’d like to go out to these gatherings. That may sound a little rude the way it was worded but it’s not meant to be. On more than one ocassion I’ve been called a bit of a home body and that’s fine by me. I’m not one to refuse a lot of invitations to go out but at the same time, I’m pretty happy about just hanging at home and chilling out.
So, is the action enough of an attraction to bring me into the city or can I get by with the slightly slower pace in the south bay (with excursions to the city of course ;)?
The Surrounding Atmosphere
I’ve also got to consider the potential surroundings. Would I rather live in an apartment just above a series of small restaurants and shops, possibly a few miles away from the nearest park or lawn or would I prefer living in the suburb style neighbourhoods?
Even when I was living in Calgary I wasn’t living downtown so I almost always had a lawn. I really enjoyed living in that type of neighbourhood and having downtown be just a short trip away. Now that I’m here it almost feels like I have to choose one or the other (note the emphasis on almost). That feeling is probably because of the pressure of having to live within or very near the grid of awesomeness (of which I believe there is a park within it’s confines).
As you can see, I’m going to definitely hunker down and make a decision one way or the other. One aspect I forgot to mention is whether or not I want a roommate. For the most part I’ve always had roommates with the exception of the past 7 months in Pennsylvania. Both have their pros and cons, maybe I should just make a list and go with that. Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me.
May 19th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
That sure is a tough decision. I’ll be interested to see what you decide from all this.
May 21st, 2007 at 9:17 am
go with downtown. getting out on weekends will make it worth it.
In fact, get an apartment right there next to the museum. that will keep you inspired. ;)
Also anxious to see which way you go.
May 21st, 2007 at 9:50 am
Luke you’re such a city boy. You make it sound like there’s nothing to do outside of the city when in reality there’s movies, xbox, tv, reading, all sorts of indoor stuff to do by myself.
;)
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:31 pm
I’d say live in the city. It’s easier to get home at night after work than it is to get home at night after drinks until 2am. You’ll appreciate the easy walk home instead of the bus/cab/train home ;)
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:38 pm
See, in that case I’d just be crashing with whomever I went out with until 2am. At least that would be the plan ;) I see your point though.
May 29th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
From where you might live in the city, is there easily accessible public transportation to get to work? That and the length of commute would be the only thing to give me pause about living in the city. Otherwise, city it would be for me — hands down. There’s nothing better than being within quick walking (or biking) distance of great little coffee shops, the farmers’ market and, of course, bars.
In fact, this weekend I’m moving closer to downtown because I couldn’t handle being so far away from the city center. Being away from downtown just isn’t worth the cheaper rent (in my highly subjective opinion).
May 29th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Mike,
I’ve lived in both places. I lived in Palo Alto for two years and worked in Fremont, I’ve lived in the city and worked in Fremont, and now I live and work in the city.
Here is what I know:
1. If you do not live in the city you will rarely come to the city. It really is too far to commute to for an evening and you can’t let loose b/c the thought of driving 40 miles looms over your head. Living outside of the city is basically agreeing to give it up except on special occasions (bay to breakers, etc.)
2. Living in the city and commuting will suck the soul out of you, b/c you can’t enjoy the city during the week. But the weekends are so much better.
Living and working in the city is the best option, but I don’t see your employer leaving the sacred holy homeland anytime soon. So quit, find a job in SF, sell your car, buy some canvas grocery bags, and live the smug lifestyle.
May 29th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
I think you nailed it Sean. Does an employer need more than a few hours notice if you’ve only worked there for two weeks?
More realistically, I rarely get to the point where I’m going buck wild with the liquor. Ocassionally I like to hit the bottle hard but that’s not as often as some would assume—remember what they say about assuming (but don’t ask me who they are because they are very elusive).