Discussion of Firms and Life in SF/SV

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Replaced_Texan

Yeah, the people are definitely a major factor in the equation. A lot of my people, seem to be doing the Texodus from places like the Mission and the East Bay, including my sister, who just gave up after 15 years in the SFBA. She's living on a ranch for a year and then headed to Austin to grad school after establishing residency here. Out of state here is cheaper than in state in one of the UCs, and in state is worth a half year of unemployment followed by picking up contract work. (In a freak coincidence, she quit from her place of employment about a week after a headhunter representing them called me. Seems they always want someone from our family on the payroll. In another weirdly timed coincidence, my other sister's boyfriend is also being recruited to the same place.) I still have a fair number of good friends in the area, but ya'll are my only Peninsula people.

My major issues are expense, fear of suburbia, and fear of commute.

I currently live in a rapidly gentrifying Castro/Mission-esque neighborhood 3.5 miles from work (12 minute commute over surface streets by car, 45 by bike/light rail/walk combo, which yesterday in the 90plus degree heat wasn't all that bad). My mortgage is under a thousand dollars, and while taxes are going up, they're definitely not bad in the aggregate. I'm no where near underwater, so if we do end up selling we will have something to enter the terrifying real estate market there with. I love where I live, and I'd rather go through the agony of expanding/renovating than moving if we stay here.

Professionally, I think that the SFBA would be a better place for my spouse, but he's developing an international presence where it's not really important for him to be based anywhere in particular in the US. He has a ton of friends in the area, again in SF and the East Bay. For me professionally, I think it's a step up, but I technically won't be a lawyer if I'm offered and accept the position. Certainly it'd be a salary bump as I'm woefully under market, but I'm not sure how much of a difference it will make given the vast cost of living difference.

We're trying to start a family and miscarried twins at nine weeks in late May. Who knows what will happen, but we know we CAN get pregnant, so I'm guessing that within a year we'll probably be expecting again. (It took about 8 months of trying to get pregnant last time around.) Here, we have a ton of family support, which we won't have there unless my sister and her boyfriend move too. My spouse is flexible enough that he could be a stay at home dad for a bit, but we may need the extra income there much more than we would here.

All of this assuming I get an offer that's attractive.

ETA: It is the only place in the country where I don't immediately say "no thank you" when I get a recruiting call. I pay my inactive California bar dues every year just in case. Three or four years ago, I think I would have been much, much more excited about this as I am now, though. I think the kid thing probably plays into that the most, but it also may have to do with how much things have changed on the people front there in the last few years.

ok, I didn't scroll back far enough on return from vacation. I'm very sorry to hear about the miscarriage. Man, that sucks.

The way I know to sell the pennisula is not to sell it as suburbia, but as some odd mix of urban, exurban, college town, and tech campus living. It's something I've half-heartedly tried to do periodically, but never successfully. The area also has always struck me as having more diversity with less tension over race and ethnicity than just about anywhere, which is very cool. The other selling point I'd suggest is that it may be easier to raise a kid in a place where you don't have to worry about whether the science textbooks give evolution and creationism equal billing (this plays out in a thousand ways - I have stories about relatives dealing with their kids in Southern schools that would offend most 19th century educational standards; I expect Texas would have similar battles). And don't underestimate the boost SF can give someone working in arts/entertainment.

But, yeah, being near family is pretty great when wee ones come round.