Bring money (preferably your trust fund), and it i
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1/9/2012
I grew up in New England but moved here 35 years ago. Alas, I did not have family money or a trust fund, or a truly elite skill (such as MD, top scientist, elite MBA business background, consulting, etc). So I have spent way too much of the the past decades figuring out ways of earning enough money to own a home here and stay here.
But if you can do that (earn or inherit enough money), and you like a mild climate with a surprising amount of sun (especially in the many nice towns around the bay that are outside San Francisco City proper), a nice amount of greenery, especially in Marin County north of the Golden Gate Bridge where I now live, a mixed culture with a very international flavor compared to most of the US, a lot of cultural activities, and about the best outdoor hiking, biking, running, walking weather and opportunities about anywhere: then this is the best place in the US!
So I appreciate this great place everyday. I just can't afford to live here much longer.I'd have to say that over the SF area is a poor place for those in a middle-class family situation who lack those elite skills or that inheritance, or at least the ambition to make income generation their highest focus.
I suppose that in the nearby San Jose-Santa Clara (silicon valley) area there is far more opportunity for the middle class, with all of the giant tech corporations, but even there an engineering degree from a very good school, or top-notch IT skills are needed to afford living there in a decent and safe neighborhood.
So bring money, and you will love it. Hope I have served here.
Art | Tiburon, CA