JR

Much of what Wyman says in his article (dated Nov. 3, 1999 and entitled "How San Francisco Ruined Itself," not "Paradise Lost -- see www.salon.com
news/feature/1999/11/03/sf/index.html) is accurate, but the city is still amazing.

Alice

I love the title of this post "thinking of moving to the bay area". I vacationed in San Francisco for the first time about 7 years ago from New York state. I of course love to visit NYC, but ever since my first time on the West Coast in San Francisco, I also "think" about moving to the San Francisco Bay Area! My husband and I look forwared to our spring vacation each year and vist San Francisco. We spend 2 weeks each spring in San Francisco and don't think we would ever get tired of that wonderful city. We plan our retirement in 5 years and hope to relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area. Dennis, if you go to San Francisco to see, you too will love it. It seems like an ideal place to live. Best of luck to you in your start up business.

Al

If you don't mind taking a bit of advice from an old, retired banker -- why are you thinking of moving? The Internet has erased time and distance. You can establish a business anywhere. Moving yourself, your home, and your family to a crowded, high-tax, high-expense place simply because "everyone is there" makes no sense in this cyberspace world that is developing so rapidly. You become just another one of thousands. Instead, start thinking "outside the box." Make yourself unique. Be different. The current advertising campaign for Dodge is brilliant because it captures this spirit. Think.

Leonardo

Being different id onr thing, but being funded is another. The truth of the matter is, the Bay Area receives 40% of all venture capital investment in the US. To have a presence in Silicon Valley means a lot to investors worlwide. Not to mention the lifestyle in the Bay Area is enviable.

Pete

As a precaution, the Bay Area is very different. This area invented political correctness. SF is the cradle of modern american liberalism. If youre a liberal too, then welcome brother, and if youre not a liberal, then welcome anyway, but keep an open mind. San Franciscans are in a class by themselves, and so is the Bay Area.

Santori

I live in Lake Tahoe and fly to Oakland Airport everyday to work and still arrive 1 hour before associates that commute from the suburbs.

Fidel

I would rather give up a kidney than move back down to that madhouse by the bay. I live in Lake County,CA about 100 or so miles north of the city lights, but it seems as if development is rapidly moving up here. Now my rural lifestyle, which is already overrun by weekend campers and Bed & Breakfasters is going to change even more. To the 8 million of you down by the Bay, please stay put!

JR

Much of this thread has focused on San Francisco. What about Palo Alto? Is Palo Alto an interesting, exciting place to live? Or is it just another example of suburbia?

Monica Richards

Palo Alto is a very nice place to live, especially if you can afford to live downtown. There's a very active nightlife along University Avenue and lots of old houses there. However, it's very expensive. Depending on how much you have, there's also Mountain View, which also has a nice downtown although not as bussling as Palo Alto. Further South, there's Sunnyvale and Los Gatos (backs up to the Santa Cruz Mountains). If you're moving for high tech, the center (depending on whether you are talking hardware or Software) is around Palo Alto/ Mountain View. But housing is every bit as expensive in the South Bay as it is in San Francisco, and traffic is just as bad too. But I wouldn't live anywhere else! It's so cool to hear the software buzz on a Friday happy hour at the Tied House in Mountain View. Try to get that in NYC!

Ann

Dear Fidel- we'll stay put if you do too. By the way... you have to have healthy organs to donate, sorry.

bill

How convenient that you left out the extremely poverty-stricken and drug-infested side of EAST PALO ALTO!!

LGTechie

East Palo Alto is across the freeway from Palo Alto. Yes, it is not the garden spot of the Bay but why would one be interested in it. All cities have their not so nice areas. In fact East Palo Alto is a lot better now than it was 25 years ago. You wouldn't know that East Palo exists unless you cross the Dumbarton Bridge. Even then it is nothing to really notice.

I live in Los Gatos and it is a fantastic area. Pretty funky place to live.

I am a computer consultant that works all over the valley. Palo Alto and Mountain View used to be the center of the High Tech Industry in the valley but that is no longer true. It is now spread all over the valley. San Jose is home to many prominent companies including Cisco. There is a lot of High Tech companies locating in South San Jose by 101 & 85.

Having said all of this, Palo Alto is a very nice area if you have the means to live there. Of course you could step up a couple of notches and live in Los Altos Hills.

da dude

DON'T!
Stay away from the Bay Area!
In fact, stay away from California!!
It's too crowded.

Laura

After reading these postings, I had to put in my two cents worth. I lived in Santa Cruz (south of San Jose) for ten years. Moved to the east coast five years ago and while I miss the Bay Area tremendously, do not regret the move. Sure SF and the bay area are beautiful, cosmopolitan, sophisticated, but to live there and raise children when you're not a millionaire is a constant struggle. To afford to live in Santa Cruz, I had to commute three hours each day to San Jose and back. It's even more expensive to live there now. Where I live now, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, I work two blocks from my daughter's school, a mile from my home, I'm a homeowner, drive a car less than six months old and, guess what, my husband and I can visit the Bay Area once a year and live like kings for a few days!! Sure beats the day to day struggle of the big city

Ted

Laura, what city do you live in on the Eastern Shore? Thanks!

laura

I live in Easton, MD. Before that, I lived in St. Michaels, MD. Both are on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

anona

Palo Alto is a suburb. I don't think it can classify itself as an urban. I think that the Bay area's urban areas are San Francisco and Daly City and then Oakland and Berkeley on the East Bay. San Jose is huge( biggger than SF in fact) but it doesnt have the atmosphere and feeling of an urban core.

Cindy

Couldn't resist throwing my two cents into the ring. Lived in the Bay Area for all my life (32 years). Grew up in SF, lived in most of the various regions, and now live in Marin. I agree with the poster who said that SF is dirty - but name another BIG city that doesn't have its share of homeless, garbage and other big city problems? I'm a consultant, and have travelled to most of the big cities in the US, and while I always found something to enjoy, I always wanted to come home. Yes, housing prices and traffic are not one of the things I enjoy, but remember, the reason we have high housing prices and lots of traffic is because people want to move and live here. I think that the combination of diversity, restaurants, shopping, and natural attractions can't be beat. Where else can you live and still be within 3 hours driving distance of Tahoe, Yosemite, the beach, the wine country, the redwoods, great golfing, wonderful schools, and a fantastic city?