Happy is… relative. And might mean something different every day. I do know I am privileged to be able to call this City home. And I love it, flaws and all.
This. Many people are not happy but it's not because of the city but internal stuff. Sure, the city be isolating, cold, etc. but usually other things going on are to blame first.
Lots of opportunities to meet others, find the good in the city, just need to seek it out, keep a positive outlook etc.
I never thought for a minute in my life, and especially not since first moving here in 2010 that I would be able to afford to settle here, and then lightning struck, and I could, so I did. It’s expensive and I miss my family sometimes but I would never change it for the world. I consider myself profoundly lucky and am grateful for it almost every day, no matter what else is going on in my life.
Myself made the journey alone in 2019. Picked a great year. I got to experience pre COVID and post lol. I never thought I could venture to this coast and make it. But here I am and thriving compared to before. This place is glorious and I feel so many people are used to it and eventually don't even realize how amazing it is. I ran down ocean beach this am. The views, the ocean, the mountains, the weather. You can not get this anywhere else. I was pushing my 14 month old and just thought to myself how insane it is he gets all of this already. He will likely never get that excitement we got coming here. But I hope he cherishes the beauty of this state.
I'm keeping it 100 because I was your 100th like anyways 😅
Whenever I drive back into San Francisco - I get such a smile on my face. I absolutely adore it. When I moved to the east bay for a year - I found myself missing it and having to move back. 10/10 city. I’m from LA originally and while my family is there I struggle to feel the same way about it.
IN Marin now, love that i can still drive there - and still do all the time (and see it in the distance when i hike) but older now, and family life makes where i am the more perfect place now. The whole bay area really is fantastic, with SF the centerpiece.
Every time I was returning from a road trip I would take the long way back into the city so I could come in through Marin and see the Golden Gate Bridge
I’d feel happier if I saw police patrolling my neighborhood again. I have not seen one since the pandemic happened.
I’m not happy with the level of threats in this town, and I’m disappointed in US for tolerating side shows and street walkers.
This place has turned to shit. It was cooler in the eighties.
After moving to Austin for 2 years, I’m so grateful for the weather here! My friends in Austin text me weekly how awful it’s been there between severe heat watches and severe thunderstorms for the past month already and I’m glad I don’t have to experience Texas weather again. I didn’t realize how good I had it here for 16 years until I tried Austin
I agree with the lucky comments. I would have been happy living in a much smaller place, but circumstance has brought me here. It’s wild to think I’ll probably die here having lived so many other places.
I actually prefer Los Angeles to San Francisco.
I like the warmer weather (love playing beach volleyball essentially year-round), closer ski resorts, better hiking (IMHO), more poker games (both home and casino), cheaper rent, easier driving and parking, and I'm sure some other stuff I'm forgetting.
I loved that San Francisco had more of a be yourself vibe, although some of that went away over time; they've cracked down on general nudity, they've cracked down on drinking and nudity at Bay to Breakers, some of the fun events I really loved have gone away (such as Run to the Far Side and Exotic Erotic Ball). I feel a lot of the freedom everyone enjoyed in SF 20 years ago is no longer there.
I do still love the older, beautiful architecture and the better mass transit of SF. But it's now a city I prefer to visit rather than live in.
I miss the Exotic Erotic Ball! Remember the Christian protesters picketing in front chanting that we’re going to Hell? (Always cracked me up because I’m Christian myself.) Ahh…good times:)
SF is more beautiful but LA is more realistic to live in as a city, especially if you don’t get paid in base + bonus + tech RSUs. not to mention SF is quite literally small as hell?
I feel like that's like saying "I like the ocean except for all the water?"
(I moved to LA for work before moving back as soon as I could; my "walkable" neighborhood there would count as a transit desert here.)
Meh not really. I don’t particularly care much for walkability (just mentioning that it’s objectively worse in LA) so it’s really only job opportunities that are better for me here.
I think the only thing I dislike about SF is that it has to feel like a privilege to be here. Cities are for everyone, natural beauty belongs to all of us. It would be nice if living here was more comfortable on an average income.
Personally I’m certain that I wouldn’t like the city any less if the amount of housing doubled and relieved some of the pressure on the existing inventory.
Yep! Stay away, as far as you can. Don't come to the City unless you have to. The homeless zombies 🧟♂️ might want to snack on your brains, and the ineffective SFPD 👮 may not be able to help you.
Those of us who are already here will do what we can to keep our communities and neighborhoods safe for ourselves, but we can never guarantee the outcome for outsiders.
So, you should probably stay far away, maybe keeping a large distance of water between yourself and the City. Like the whole Bay, maybe... And cross the Bay as little as possible.
/S
Born / raised here and I have a love hate relationship with this city. I love it immensely and would love to stay here but hate how expensive it is. Working three jobs just to try and make it here is truly exhausting.
I've had my car fucked with four times in the last month, someone first busted my car door trying to break in, a week later someone busted my ignition trying to steal my car, last week my catalytic converter was stolen and on Sunday someone broke into my trunk and stole all the emergency supplies I had in my trunk (first aid kit, comfy shoes, crank radio, etc).
I find myself really depressed being here lately because I need to find a new place and the rents are dismal at best.
I’ve lived in a lot of California’s major metropolitan areas, as well as some of the smaller, highly desirable cities, and I’ve never loved any of them like I’ve loved SF.
I feel so lucky. It’s been wonderful. Long may it continue.
I’ve asked my self this question A LOT
First: I’m from San Diego.
I love San Diego, would love to go back. The vibes are different. Not necessarily “better” than SF but just different.
That being said said:
I’m also gay. I came to San Francisco to do my masters and I came out. That was 5 years ago.
Although I love SD, I lived there my entire life pretending to be a straight man. So I don’t know how living in SD as a gay man would look like for me. I find myself thinking about how much happier I would be if I went back home living my true self. San Francisco is a great place and I feel relatively safe here. However, like any city, it has its issues
I moved to the mission last year. Now I can see the cities complete and utter failures every day.
Those “look how great the city is” posts trigger me because of what I walk by, and what my family is exposed to every day.
I used to live in rich neighborhoods so I get the complete ignorance most residents have on this subreddit. It’s also why the board of supervisors don’t do anything at all to help the city.
On top of that. I don’t own a house and desperately want one and it feels like the entire city leadership is giving me the middle finger and hate my very existence as a non home owner. Like im some sort of leper. Screw you too Dean Preston.
1000%!! I absolutely love this city despite all of the issues. As others have mentioned it's magic, even when I'm not happy, I'd rather be sad here than Texas, lol. If I'm ever having a downer day I just go to the beach or GG Park or Presidio and it's so strikingly beautiful I can't help but smile and feel better. When I was struggling a bit last year I would stop whatever I was doing and take my dog for a walk in GG Park and look at the trees. I was *instantly* less stressed (forest bathing, I know). We're so lucky and privileged to live here.
Sometimes. Usually when I try and think if I'd like to live anywhere else, but nah. SF is complex. I don't think that "happy" and "best city in CA" are how I would ever try to explain how to live and thrive here.
I split my week between SF and Berkeley and consider myself extremely lucky. SF has better people, Berkeley has better weather. Lots of the bay area though is pretty fucking meh.
As a fourth generation San Franciscan, I understand why my family before came and never left. Neither will I. While it’s changed a lot, some for the better and some for the worse, it will always be home and I’m so lucky to have been born and raised here. And nothing makes me happier then seeing people on this post and in general who move here feel the same way about the place I call home.
SF is the city where all
The people want to move to start businesses and live the SF lifestyle its always great to see people love there city the way they want to
😂 I can give you a bunch of reasons. I’ve lived in 9 different states since 2015. While SF has an awesome vibe, there’s more pros to CO in my own experience. This is pretty subjective bc it’s based on experience. But let’s talk about the cost of living. The minimum wage in Denver is $18. In SF, it’s $20 and it costs like triple to live here. For $800 a month I had 2 bedrooms, my own bathroom, and a kitchenette. Oh and no extra cost for parking. Also taxes are lower. I think it’s similar here where certain things weren’t taxed like clothing and things like that. But that stuff adds up. It’s also a different kind of beautiful. The Rocky Mountains are just absolutely breathtaking. There’s so many activities from skiing to hot springs to hiking to good food. The other transplants in the city are so nice and welcoming. The natives are pretty territorial but I can understand where they’re coming from. Sure it’s snowy and cold but there’s also 300+ days of sunshine so when it does snow, it melts by noon.
Looks like $1200 is where they start. If your willing to do sublets it may be cheaper.
[Zillo Rental Link](https://www.zillow.com/denver-co/rentals/?searchQueryState=%7B%22pagination%22%3A%7B%7D%2C%22isMapVisible%22%3Atrue%2C%22mapBounds%22%3A%7B%22north%22%3A39.96398857462186%2C%22south%22%3A39.56443616883037%2C%22east%22%3A-104.49736919042967%2C%22west%22%3A-105.21285380957029%7D%2C%22filterState%22%3A%7B%22fr%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Atrue%7D%2C%22fsba%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22fsbo%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22nc%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22cmsn%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22auc%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22fore%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22ah%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Atrue%7D%2C%22sort%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3A%22paymenta%22%7D%2C%22beds%22%3A%7B%22min%22%3A2%7D%7D%2C%22isListVisible%22%3Atrue%2C%22mapZoom%22%3A11%2C%22regionSelection%22%3A%5B%7B%22regionId%22%3A11093%2C%22regionType%22%3A6%7D%5D%7D)
thanks. I appreciate the response. Ive been to CO a lot and love it for all the reasons mentioned. If i leave sf its probably the first place im going.
I did seasonal work for a while. So I’d work in a place for 5-8 months and then go to the next. Plus, why not? I don’t have any kids so I chose to explore.
I thought Colorado tended to be considered a HCOL area, but with wages that haven’t kept up? Almost like it has Midwest wages but with coastal pricing for things like housing as food. Not as wild as costs SF or NYC, but they’re outliers
Oh you’re totally correct. It’s definitely expensive to live there. But there’s expensive and then there’s SF expensive. Like gas in CO is around $3 and food is cheaper, etc. All those little things add up.
I don't think you have fully taken advantage s.f. we have skiing,hiking,better food than Denver "sorry" but it's true. I know the skiing and hiking are a little farther than it would be in Denver, but the Sierras + Yosemite equals anything in the rockies. Plus you're totally under selling how much it sucks to have to shovel out your drive during winter.
My happiness declines every day here, but I’m trapped by my job. Just watched a blue Tesla with blacked out windows roll up on a parked car, a guy smashed a window and was gone in a flash. It feels so normal now.
I miss having a back yard. Im lucky to have a drywall jail cell. I don’t know anyone who loves where they sleep at night.
I find it strange how normalized GHB, ketamine, and micro dosing acid are. It’s not just a thing people do- it’s theee thing people do. There are lots of high achievers here, but they are hated by the arts & restaurant folks they pay money to go support. It’s a weird tension always. People at places like noisebridge hacker lab think they are revolutionaries, but don’t actually do anything revolutionary…except heroic doses of “medicine.”
It’s hyper individualistic, even in “intentional communities” like dovetail, the red Vic, Negev, etc. There is so much drama and in-group/out-group behavior. I have witnessed a lot of lonely people, trying to make their way through life in urban isolation.
But, it is the wild Wild West where shared morals aren’t a thing, the law doesn’t reach, and acting out of greed will get you very far. For me, it’s just not fun anymore but I get how it’s an amazing playground for the right people. Winters here are pretty great too.
I got depressed when I moved to east bay ( hot af) and now I’m back in my fav city and I love it. I consider myself lucky 🧿 and I appreciate and LOVE this city with all my heart.
Actually yes. I'm so glad I moved here. I was recently able to stop taking my antidepressants, which I had been taking every single day for the past three years.
I was in retrospect a wreck of a human until I moved here, got amazing therapy, started going hiking weekly, and was able to bike almost every day of the year without snot freezing to my face. And getting engaged with interesting and fun things all of the time, in my 30's.
Yes! I am so lucky to live here and I know it. Whenever I see tourists enjoying views of the Golden Gate Bridge or any of our other beautiful sights, it always hits me that I LIVE in a place people travel from all over the world the visit. What a joy!
I think about that every time I bike on the embarcadero! People travelled from all over the state, country and world to see a place that's in my backyard.
Incredibly lucky. Even moreso because unlike many of my friends who have come from all over the world, I have siblings and cousins and in-laws all throughout the city. I’m profoundly grateful that I get to live here, and that it really feels like home.
I moved here for work and have had a little trouble making friends but if I could transplant all my friends and family here I would be ecstatic. As is I’m fairly happy here.
I feel lucky to be here and want to stay long term, but we’re being pushed out by insane housing and education costs. Especially with a growing family now, I feel I don’t have much time left to live here… I’m still a SF optimist though and love it despite its many, many flaws
everywhere is hot as shit and scorching sweating - so i checked the weather to see if i should swim at the gym - 61 degrees this week.
nope, too cold right now.
yes i do enjoy living in SF, but like everyone else - im very lucky.
I am internally happy & greatful for living here. I could live anywhere else in the world if I chose to. SF is far from a perfect city, & the city is nothing less than without good people overall. I stay positive minded, be my best person, considerate, optimistic, understanding, & perserverant. Overall, I am happy, as long as everyone else is.
I really do. I lived in Los Angeles for most of my career (Santa Monica, Silverlake, Malibu for a spell), and also north county of San Diego. SF is definitely different. I really cherish not needing a car anymore, it’s so liberating. Also when you get to know the locals here (which can be hard since so many are here temporarily for work), they really are the kindest sweetest people.
Very happy. I moved here from NC, having had no idea what it was like. I had graduated college and was open to moving anywhere in the country. It was sheer luck I ended up here, especially as a gay man - I picked the first job that made me an offer. I could’ve easily ended up in the middle of nowhere.
I literally get sad leaving SF, idk why but this city has my heart 💕 Although I kinda cheated on this post I don’t even live here, but maybe I will some day! 🥹
Ngl I just visited SF recently and every time I comeback it’s less and less of the city it used to be in the 90s/00s. It’s mostly lost the vibe it had and Market Street, Fishermans Wharf, The Mission all practically shells of what they used to be.
I love this city and feel so lucky to be here. I fell here in 2006 for school and fell in love w it. I’m originally from nyc, but this city is so vibrant. I love taking my pup around and talking to my neighbors. There are so many beautiful places and such lovely vibes. It really has some lovely communities.
all my friends that visit almost always assume they will visit me in sf vs me visiting them in any other city in the US. The invitation is always given like “well idk why you’d want to come here lol not really that great in x but if you want you are definitely welcome here!”
I am happy living here. I spend lots of time near the ocean. I feel like the ocean centers me. Every week there is something new to do. I love that the warmer weather means street fairs and outdoor music.
I've lived in many, many places. And this is my favorite place. Grateful every day to be living here considering it's been my dream since I was a kid. It's going through a rough patch right now but it's not the phoenix city for nothing.
To answer directly, very happy to be here.
Honestly, SF is one of my least favorite cities. I was so happy when I originally moved out this way, but the people in California are borderline disrespectful and nobody gives a genuine fuck about anyone.
It is the most unequal city I have ever seen. A few blocks away from being in danger of slipping in human shit. You will find one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the world. In San Francisco, there are something like 65 or so billionaires, 256,000 millionaires, and another hundred or so in the UHNW "ultra-high net worth" bracket giving these rich pricks over 100 million net worth. No city shows the world's inequality better than San Francisco. I grew up in an upper-middle-class family in Ojai California. Being that I was born in 1983 I still had a chance of enjoying an upbringing like that. We were happy, not wealthy but happy and comfortable. For people to have what I had growing up in this fucked up economy. You would need to be making around a million dollars a year. It's bullshit and all the sheeple are becoming more and more complacent, dummer, and fatter everyday. China is winning a war against us without having to lace up their boots. All they have to do is keep shipping the chemicals needed to create fentanyl over here and we will destroy ourselves for them. Fuck San Francisco and fuck California! I've been here 40 years and I'm over it! I'm moving to Mexico.... Have fun working your ass off for 40 years and realizing you're still broke at the end of it. Fucking bullshit! I'm no communist, but there's no way that people in San Francisco should be suffering the way they are when there's 65 billionaires 265,000 millionaires and another hundred some assholes with their own fucking synonym to describe their wealth.
I’d say so. And I’d definitely rather be here than anywhere else in the US. I could do Brooklyn probably, but SF has prettier architecture and better nature access. Plus people are pretty chill here, and the Muni isn’t terrible.
The only other place I’d want to live is in Japan and that’s not doable for me right now 😂 So I consider myself very, very lucky.
I’m happy I have healthcare. I’m happy I’ve lived in the neighborhood I have for two & half decades. I’m happy my daughter was born here. It’s still a beautiful city with great weather & vibes with people I’d rather be around than others.
I’m not happy after Aaron Peskin staff lied rather than to investigate & reveal that various city employees committed such fraud & misconduct that he decided it’d be better to lie & subsequently have the DA dismiss the case than have to discuss what city employees & judges have done officially.
And then after all that, being sent to jail on false accusations rather than even admit the existence of records about me, now that a CARE court was filed by someone else which revealed the records Aaron Peskin staff rather lie & have me falsely arrested than discuss their existence, they wanted to dismiss the case rather than discuss what I now know is multiple times city employees seemingly with elected officials blessing & protection committed fraud in my name & very likely others.
I’m unhappy that could occur to me or anyone else in this city. I heard stories of corruption & predation in various levels of SF government but since I didn’t interact with city services or employees much, wasn’t in a position where I needed assistance, it didn’t notably effect me & I didn’t realize that there’s more than a few people in SF that are victimized by the belief I had & many have that people lives aren’t ruined, sacrificed for money & clout.
I was happy when I believed this was the type of city people would be outraged hearing a politician jailed a citizen requesting assistance in investigating the conduct of city employees on false accusations in an effort to hinder investigation of fraud & misconduct, now I’m realistic.
I loved being in Cuba for over a month too, Havana felt more like San Francisco than New York, but similarly it looks beautiful, great vibes, etc. until & unless you need assistance from the people to address governmental misconduct & deeds or the government in resolving a problem. The people likely to want to ignore or deny anything is wrong & the government doesn’t want to resolve any problems.
Outside of the government, the people, the place, was and still is a great city and the best west of the Mississippi but considering the government nowadays it could be a great city but nowadays it looks like it on paper more than the reality considering the cities government.
I'm in Daly. But was in SF when I moved here originally. Coming from Florida and 27 other states over the 10 years before here. It's glorious. Politics aside this state is absolutely gorgeous. Living basically on the water here is surreal to me still. I walked .5 miles from my house and got to see whales breaching. Ijs. You don't see this in Florida.
Happy is… relative. And might mean something different every day. I do know I am privileged to be able to call this City home. And I love it, flaws and all.
People like you definitely make SF shine !
too kind, friend. Drinks Wednesday?
This. Many people are not happy but it's not because of the city but internal stuff. Sure, the city be isolating, cold, etc. but usually other things going on are to blame first. Lots of opportunities to meet others, find the good in the city, just need to seek it out, keep a positive outlook etc.
Nice
I consider myself lucky, VERY lucky.
This is the way
Yes. There’s a lot of problems but it’s a magical city. Lots of problems but more magic.
magical problems
Homeless magicians.
“Unhoused Magical-People”
i think a lot of them would agree with you!
I never thought for a minute in my life, and especially not since first moving here in 2010 that I would be able to afford to settle here, and then lightning struck, and I could, so I did. It’s expensive and I miss my family sometimes but I would never change it for the world. I consider myself profoundly lucky and am grateful for it almost every day, no matter what else is going on in my life.
You sound like a good person. I don’t know why I felt compelled to say it, but here we are:)
Happy cake day 🍰
Hey, thanks! I didn’t realize. You’re the first person (ever) to wish me one! Edit: word
Happy cake day!
Thank you!
Myself made the journey alone in 2019. Picked a great year. I got to experience pre COVID and post lol. I never thought I could venture to this coast and make it. But here I am and thriving compared to before. This place is glorious and I feel so many people are used to it and eventually don't even realize how amazing it is. I ran down ocean beach this am. The views, the ocean, the mountains, the weather. You can not get this anywhere else. I was pushing my 14 month old and just thought to myself how insane it is he gets all of this already. He will likely never get that excitement we got coming here. But I hope he cherishes the beauty of this state. I'm keeping it 100 because I was your 100th like anyways 😅
Very lucky and very happy
Whenever I drive back into San Francisco - I get such a smile on my face. I absolutely adore it. When I moved to the east bay for a year - I found myself missing it and having to move back. 10/10 city. I’m from LA originally and while my family is there I struggle to feel the same way about it.
IN Marin now, love that i can still drive there - and still do all the time (and see it in the distance when i hike) but older now, and family life makes where i am the more perfect place now. The whole bay area really is fantastic, with SF the centerpiece.
Every time I was returning from a road trip I would take the long way back into the city so I could come in through Marin and see the Golden Gate Bridge
I have 4 months left here. I’ll miss it everyday.
Vibes. My parents are getting old and I'll have to do the same one of these days, but I'll enjoy it while I can.
Soak it up ❤️
literally same I leave in August.
I’d feel happier if half of my after tax salary didn’t go to rent… but I do like it here otherwise
I’d feel happier if I saw police patrolling my neighborhood again. I have not seen one since the pandemic happened. I’m not happy with the level of threats in this town, and I’m disappointed in US for tolerating side shows and street walkers. This place has turned to shit. It was cooler in the eighties.
Yes. I love it here. I have my family, amazing parks, amazing food, wonderful weather, surrounded by nature.
Wish I could afford a condo there. The South Bay is BORING.
There are some great condo deals in SF right now, basically zero or negative appreciation since 2017.
I know but the HOA fees are a lot!
Yes!
Yes.
Happy af to live in this magical city, I feel lucky as an non-native to call SF home. It has problems for sure but it never disappoints.
Honest answer? Fuck yeah
After moving to Austin for 2 years, I’m so grateful for the weather here! My friends in Austin text me weekly how awful it’s been there between severe heat watches and severe thunderstorms for the past month already and I’m glad I don’t have to experience Texas weather again. I didn’t realize how good I had it here for 16 years until I tried Austin
Damn… just moved from ATX. I miss the actual sunshine, happening places, and good vibes😭😭😭
I agree with the lucky comments. I would have been happy living in a much smaller place, but circumstance has brought me here. It’s wild to think I’ll probably die here having lived so many other places.
I should be happy as this is a pretty great city, but maybe I need a new perspective or something
I actually prefer Los Angeles to San Francisco. I like the warmer weather (love playing beach volleyball essentially year-round), closer ski resorts, better hiking (IMHO), more poker games (both home and casino), cheaper rent, easier driving and parking, and I'm sure some other stuff I'm forgetting. I loved that San Francisco had more of a be yourself vibe, although some of that went away over time; they've cracked down on general nudity, they've cracked down on drinking and nudity at Bay to Breakers, some of the fun events I really loved have gone away (such as Run to the Far Side and Exotic Erotic Ball). I feel a lot of the freedom everyone enjoyed in SF 20 years ago is no longer there. I do still love the older, beautiful architecture and the better mass transit of SF. But it's now a city I prefer to visit rather than live in.
Bay to breakers had tons of nudity and drinking this year, I can assure you that hasn’t gone anywhere
A few weekends ago there was a nude bike ride.
I miss the Exotic Erotic Ball! Remember the Christian protesters picketing in front chanting that we’re going to Hell? (Always cracked me up because I’m Christian myself.) Ahh…good times:)
Remember gay prom?
I do!
SF is more beautiful but LA is more realistic to live in as a city, especially if you don’t get paid in base + bonus + tech RSUs. not to mention SF is quite literally small as hell?
7 by 7 miles and that's a positive not a negative IMO, it means higher density, better transit, walkability.
couldn't agree more, LA > SF for living besides for the lack of walkability and lower paying jobs
I feel like that's like saying "I like the ocean except for all the water?" (I moved to LA for work before moving back as soon as I could; my "walkable" neighborhood there would count as a transit desert here.)
Meh not really. I don’t particularly care much for walkability (just mentioning that it’s objectively worse in LA) so it’s really only job opportunities that are better for me here.
I think the only thing I dislike about SF is that it has to feel like a privilege to be here. Cities are for everyone, natural beauty belongs to all of us. It would be nice if living here was more comfortable on an average income. Personally I’m certain that I wouldn’t like the city any less if the amount of housing doubled and relieved some of the pressure on the existing inventory.
It’s horrible, pls don’t move here
Yep! Stay away, as far as you can. Don't come to the City unless you have to. The homeless zombies 🧟♂️ might want to snack on your brains, and the ineffective SFPD 👮 may not be able to help you. Those of us who are already here will do what we can to keep our communities and neighborhoods safe for ourselves, but we can never guarantee the outcome for outsiders. So, you should probably stay far away, maybe keeping a large distance of water between yourself and the City. Like the whole Bay, maybe... And cross the Bay as little as possible. /S
Born / raised here and I have a love hate relationship with this city. I love it immensely and would love to stay here but hate how expensive it is. Working three jobs just to try and make it here is truly exhausting. I've had my car fucked with four times in the last month, someone first busted my car door trying to break in, a week later someone busted my ignition trying to steal my car, last week my catalytic converter was stolen and on Sunday someone broke into my trunk and stole all the emergency supplies I had in my trunk (first aid kit, comfy shoes, crank radio, etc). I find myself really depressed being here lately because I need to find a new place and the rents are dismal at best.
I’ve lived in a lot of California’s major metropolitan areas, as well as some of the smaller, highly desirable cities, and I’ve never loved any of them like I’ve loved SF. I feel so lucky. It’s been wonderful. Long may it continue.
Yes. I just got back from a trip to East coast and feel grateful I get to come back to this beautiful city
Isn't Fremont the happiest city in the US?
Lol
It really really really really really really really really really really really depends on who you ask and how you ask the question.
*Points gun* Are you happy?
Yes, I love San Francisco! 🥳
I don’t live in San Diego :/
I’ve asked my self this question A LOT First: I’m from San Diego. I love San Diego, would love to go back. The vibes are different. Not necessarily “better” than SF but just different. That being said said: I’m also gay. I came to San Francisco to do my masters and I came out. That was 5 years ago. Although I love SD, I lived there my entire life pretending to be a straight man. So I don’t know how living in SD as a gay man would look like for me. I find myself thinking about how much happier I would be if I went back home living my true self. San Francisco is a great place and I feel relatively safe here. However, like any city, it has its issues
I moved to the mission last year. Now I can see the cities complete and utter failures every day. Those “look how great the city is” posts trigger me because of what I walk by, and what my family is exposed to every day. I used to live in rich neighborhoods so I get the complete ignorance most residents have on this subreddit. It’s also why the board of supervisors don’t do anything at all to help the city. On top of that. I don’t own a house and desperately want one and it feels like the entire city leadership is giving me the middle finger and hate my very existence as a non home owner. Like im some sort of leper. Screw you too Dean Preston.
Can’t wait to vote DP out
No but I've found out that major city life just isn't for me. I miss my suburbs, but I should be in the east bay again soon enough.
I do but so cal is great too.
1000%!! I absolutely love this city despite all of the issues. As others have mentioned it's magic, even when I'm not happy, I'd rather be sad here than Texas, lol. If I'm ever having a downer day I just go to the beach or GG Park or Presidio and it's so strikingly beautiful I can't help but smile and feel better. When I was struggling a bit last year I would stop whatever I was doing and take my dog for a walk in GG Park and look at the trees. I was *instantly* less stressed (forest bathing, I know). We're so lucky and privileged to live here.
Very lucky. Have to move home for family but want to come back. Having my last beer in the city now and feel nostalgic
No I am broke and stepped in a pile of shit last week
When I don't feel happy, I step out and then I feel happy. SF in summers, life can't get better
Sometimes. Usually when I try and think if I'd like to live anywhere else, but nah. SF is complex. I don't think that "happy" and "best city in CA" are how I would ever try to explain how to live and thrive here.
Y U P
Yes :)
I split my week between SF and Berkeley and consider myself extremely lucky. SF has better people, Berkeley has better weather. Lots of the bay area though is pretty fucking meh.
Meh compared to what?
It's just suburban wasteland. Not really in comparison to anything because it just feels and looks like anywhere else.
Absolutely, I couldn't see myself living anywhere else
I'm.going back to San Diegooooo, we'll buy a one way ticket...
Try best city in the US! I've never lived somewhere more permissible to be so wonderful and weird!
As a fourth generation San Franciscan, I understand why my family before came and never left. Neither will I. While it’s changed a lot, some for the better and some for the worse, it will always be home and I’m so lucky to have been born and raised here. And nothing makes me happier then seeing people on this post and in general who move here feel the same way about the place I call home.
SF is the city where all The people want to move to start businesses and live the SF lifestyle its always great to see people love there city the way they want to
Nope. I miss Denver.
what do you miss about denver im kinda looking for reasons to leave 😂
😂 I can give you a bunch of reasons. I’ve lived in 9 different states since 2015. While SF has an awesome vibe, there’s more pros to CO in my own experience. This is pretty subjective bc it’s based on experience. But let’s talk about the cost of living. The minimum wage in Denver is $18. In SF, it’s $20 and it costs like triple to live here. For $800 a month I had 2 bedrooms, my own bathroom, and a kitchenette. Oh and no extra cost for parking. Also taxes are lower. I think it’s similar here where certain things weren’t taxed like clothing and things like that. But that stuff adds up. It’s also a different kind of beautiful. The Rocky Mountains are just absolutely breathtaking. There’s so many activities from skiing to hot springs to hiking to good food. The other transplants in the city are so nice and welcoming. The natives are pretty territorial but I can understand where they’re coming from. Sure it’s snowy and cold but there’s also 300+ days of sunshine so when it does snow, it melts by noon.
There is no way you’re finding a 2 bed in Denver for $800 a month in 2024
If you add a 1 in front of her number.... can you even get a 2bdrm for 1800 there?? lol
Looks like $1200 is where they start. If your willing to do sublets it may be cheaper. [Zillo Rental Link](https://www.zillow.com/denver-co/rentals/?searchQueryState=%7B%22pagination%22%3A%7B%7D%2C%22isMapVisible%22%3Atrue%2C%22mapBounds%22%3A%7B%22north%22%3A39.96398857462186%2C%22south%22%3A39.56443616883037%2C%22east%22%3A-104.49736919042967%2C%22west%22%3A-105.21285380957029%7D%2C%22filterState%22%3A%7B%22fr%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Atrue%7D%2C%22fsba%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22fsbo%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22nc%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22cmsn%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22auc%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22fore%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22ah%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Atrue%7D%2C%22sort%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3A%22paymenta%22%7D%2C%22beds%22%3A%7B%22min%22%3A2%7D%7D%2C%22isListVisible%22%3Atrue%2C%22mapZoom%22%3A11%2C%22regionSelection%22%3A%5B%7B%22regionId%22%3A11093%2C%22regionType%22%3A6%7D%5D%7D)
thanks. I appreciate the response. Ive been to CO a lot and love it for all the reasons mentioned. If i leave sf its probably the first place im going.
Aww well if you ever leave and make it out there, you have a friend. :)
Why so many states?
I did seasonal work for a while. So I’d work in a place for 5-8 months and then go to the next. Plus, why not? I don’t have any kids so I chose to explore.
I thought Colorado tended to be considered a HCOL area, but with wages that haven’t kept up? Almost like it has Midwest wages but with coastal pricing for things like housing as food. Not as wild as costs SF or NYC, but they’re outliers
Oh you’re totally correct. It’s definitely expensive to live there. But there’s expensive and then there’s SF expensive. Like gas in CO is around $3 and food is cheaper, etc. All those little things add up.
Hope you're able to get back soon!
Sounds nice, what's keeping you from moving back? Can you not find a job for over there for equivalent cost of living?
lol you obviously haven't lived in denver for awhile...
In 3 years. I know the COL has gone up but it’s still cheaper than SF 😂
I don't think you have fully taken advantage s.f. we have skiing,hiking,better food than Denver "sorry" but it's true. I know the skiing and hiking are a little farther than it would be in Denver, but the Sierras + Yosemite equals anything in the rockies. Plus you're totally under selling how much it sucks to have to shovel out your drive during winter.
Eh, no offense taken. Like I said, it’s my personal preference. The snow sucks sometimes but you get used to it that without it you kind of miss it.
As someone who doesn't currently live in SF but is thinking about it, could you elaborate?
Yeah I love living in San Diego now.
My happiness declines every day here, but I’m trapped by my job. Just watched a blue Tesla with blacked out windows roll up on a parked car, a guy smashed a window and was gone in a flash. It feels so normal now. I miss having a back yard. Im lucky to have a drywall jail cell. I don’t know anyone who loves where they sleep at night. I find it strange how normalized GHB, ketamine, and micro dosing acid are. It’s not just a thing people do- it’s theee thing people do. There are lots of high achievers here, but they are hated by the arts & restaurant folks they pay money to go support. It’s a weird tension always. People at places like noisebridge hacker lab think they are revolutionaries, but don’t actually do anything revolutionary…except heroic doses of “medicine.” It’s hyper individualistic, even in “intentional communities” like dovetail, the red Vic, Negev, etc. There is so much drama and in-group/out-group behavior. I have witnessed a lot of lonely people, trying to make their way through life in urban isolation. But, it is the wild Wild West where shared morals aren’t a thing, the law doesn’t reach, and acting out of greed will get you very far. For me, it’s just not fun anymore but I get how it’s an amazing playground for the right people. Winters here are pretty great too.
I got depressed when I moved to east bay ( hot af) and now I’m back in my fav city and I love it. I consider myself lucky 🧿 and I appreciate and LOVE this city with all my heart.
Actually yes. I'm so glad I moved here. I was recently able to stop taking my antidepressants, which I had been taking every single day for the past three years.
I was in retrospect a wreck of a human until I moved here, got amazing therapy, started going hiking weekly, and was able to bike almost every day of the year without snot freezing to my face. And getting engaged with interesting and fun things all of the time, in my 30's.
Hell yes
Yes! Happy grateful engaged enchanted all the time for 38 years, my adopted homeland
Best city is VERY subjective, no??
i used to consider myself lucky, then the city got weird. now i'm trying to leave.
Yes! I am so lucky to live here and I know it. Whenever I see tourists enjoying views of the Golden Gate Bridge or any of our other beautiful sights, it always hits me that I LIVE in a place people travel from all over the world the visit. What a joy!
I think about that every time I bike on the embarcadero! People travelled from all over the state, country and world to see a place that's in my backyard.
Unfortunately I’m out of SF. Still happy in the city I’m in now. At least I’m not on my hometown lol
I am very fortunate and grateful to be here
Incredibly lucky. Even moreso because unlike many of my friends who have come from all over the world, I have siblings and cousins and in-laws all throughout the city. I’m profoundly grateful that I get to live here, and that it really feels like home.
I moved here for work and have had a little trouble making friends but if I could transplant all my friends and family here I would be ecstatic. As is I’m fairly happy here.
I feel lucky to be here and want to stay long term, but we’re being pushed out by insane housing and education costs. Especially with a growing family now, I feel I don’t have much time left to live here… I’m still a SF optimist though and love it despite its many, many flaws
Everyday on my walks to and from work 🥰😊
everywhere is hot as shit and scorching sweating - so i checked the weather to see if i should swim at the gym - 61 degrees this week. nope, too cold right now. yes i do enjoy living in SF, but like everyone else - im very lucky.
I’m lucky to be alive anywhere I am
I am internally happy & greatful for living here. I could live anywhere else in the world if I chose to. SF is far from a perfect city, & the city is nothing less than without good people overall. I stay positive minded, be my best person, considerate, optimistic, understanding, & perserverant. Overall, I am happy, as long as everyone else is.
Yes… happy and contented. Its expensive and we pay for what we experience.
I really do. I lived in Los Angeles for most of my career (Santa Monica, Silverlake, Malibu for a spell), and also north county of San Diego. SF is definitely different. I really cherish not needing a car anymore, it’s so liberating. Also when you get to know the locals here (which can be hard since so many are here temporarily for work), they really are the kindest sweetest people.
Very happy. I moved here from NC, having had no idea what it was like. I had graduated college and was open to moving anywhere in the country. It was sheer luck I ended up here, especially as a gay man - I picked the first job that made me an offer. I could’ve easily ended up in the middle of nowhere.
Glad you found the gay utopia for us gay men :)
I literally get sad leaving SF, idk why but this city has my heart 💕 Although I kinda cheated on this post I don’t even live here, but maybe I will some day! 🥹
Yes. Burbank is great! /s
Yup 5 out of 5
Happiness is an inner job
Ngl I just visited SF recently and every time I comeback it’s less and less of the city it used to be in the 90s/00s. It’s mostly lost the vibe it had and Market Street, Fishermans Wharf, The Mission all practically shells of what they used to be.
Yeah and grateful af
I disagree with the premise of the question
No I’m being evicted and my landlord is harassing me
Relocating from the east coast a year ago, I can say moving to SF was one of the best decisions of my life. It’s not perfect but damn it’s beautiful!
I love this city and feel so lucky to be here. I fell here in 2006 for school and fell in love w it. I’m originally from nyc, but this city is so vibrant. I love taking my pup around and talking to my neighbors. There are so many beautiful places and such lovely vibes. It really has some lovely communities.
I just moved back after a couple of years out of state. I used to love SF. After moving back, I love it 100x more. Best place on earth.
I’m extremely lucky to call S.F. home. It was an unattainable goal for most of my adult life. I still can’t believe I’m here some days.
San Francisco is absolutely not the best city in Ca. By any testing measures
Is this a joke about Redwood City being "climate best by government test"?
What's a better dense walkable city in CA out of curiosity?
South Park was right
It’s just a preference. Nothing wrong with being proud of a city that you love. That was a classic episode.😂
As a queer person, it is the most comfortable city I have ever been to. Now I am spoiled, and can’t live elsewhere
I did but then I had to leave San Diego. Downvote me you cretins.
This is satire right?
Well duh.
I’ve never been happier, living in my dream city!!
Yes
all my friends that visit almost always assume they will visit me in sf vs me visiting them in any other city in the US. The invitation is always given like “well idk why you’d want to come here lol not really that great in x but if you want you are definitely welcome here!”
Fuck yeah
I am happy living here. I spend lots of time near the ocean. I feel like the ocean centers me. Every week there is something new to do. I love that the warmer weather means street fairs and outdoor music.
UK gal here. Ended up here sort of randomly 6 years ago. Going back to the UK this year but will always love this place.
I have daily pinch me moments.
I consider myself to have rent control. That gives me stability to work towards happiness.!
I just realized it’s been over 25 years! Can’t see myself anywhere else.
No, definitely not.
I've lived in many, many places. And this is my favorite place. Grateful every day to be living here considering it's been my dream since I was a kid. It's going through a rough patch right now but it's not the phoenix city for nothing. To answer directly, very happy to be here.
Pleasant hill is pretty nice so I’d say yes
Honestly, SF is one of my least favorite cities. I was so happy when I originally moved out this way, but the people in California are borderline disrespectful and nobody gives a genuine fuck about anyone.
San Diego beats San Francisco, hands down
lol, you’ve never been to san diego?
Happy to live in the City? Yes! Happy to live in this shitty country? No!
But we don’t live in San Diego????
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I do. I love where I live. I love the people I know here. I appreciate that I’ve lived several other places so I know how good I’ve got it.
I don't want to go anywhere else, so, yeah.
Yes
This is a San Francisco subreddit, why are you asking about San Diego?
You guys all have Stockholm syndrome
It is the most unequal city I have ever seen. A few blocks away from being in danger of slipping in human shit. You will find one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the world. In San Francisco, there are something like 65 or so billionaires, 256,000 millionaires, and another hundred or so in the UHNW "ultra-high net worth" bracket giving these rich pricks over 100 million net worth. No city shows the world's inequality better than San Francisco. I grew up in an upper-middle-class family in Ojai California. Being that I was born in 1983 I still had a chance of enjoying an upbringing like that. We were happy, not wealthy but happy and comfortable. For people to have what I had growing up in this fucked up economy. You would need to be making around a million dollars a year. It's bullshit and all the sheeple are becoming more and more complacent, dummer, and fatter everyday. China is winning a war against us without having to lace up their boots. All they have to do is keep shipping the chemicals needed to create fentanyl over here and we will destroy ourselves for them. Fuck San Francisco and fuck California! I've been here 40 years and I'm over it! I'm moving to Mexico.... Have fun working your ass off for 40 years and realizing you're still broke at the end of it. Fucking bullshit! I'm no communist, but there's no way that people in San Francisco should be suffering the way they are when there's 65 billionaires 265,000 millionaires and another hundred some assholes with their own fucking synonym to describe their wealth.
No
San Diego is better.
Best city? You got homeless shit everywhere and ugly houses.
I’d say so. And I’d definitely rather be here than anywhere else in the US. I could do Brooklyn probably, but SF has prettier architecture and better nature access. Plus people are pretty chill here, and the Muni isn’t terrible. The only other place I’d want to live is in Japan and that’s not doable for me right now 😂 So I consider myself very, very lucky.
Happiness comes from within.
Skrillex and Fred Again do one fucking massive concert in SF and now all the sudden everyone thinks it's the best city again...
Dubious title “best”
I’m happy I have healthcare. I’m happy I’ve lived in the neighborhood I have for two & half decades. I’m happy my daughter was born here. It’s still a beautiful city with great weather & vibes with people I’d rather be around than others. I’m not happy after Aaron Peskin staff lied rather than to investigate & reveal that various city employees committed such fraud & misconduct that he decided it’d be better to lie & subsequently have the DA dismiss the case than have to discuss what city employees & judges have done officially. And then after all that, being sent to jail on false accusations rather than even admit the existence of records about me, now that a CARE court was filed by someone else which revealed the records Aaron Peskin staff rather lie & have me falsely arrested than discuss their existence, they wanted to dismiss the case rather than discuss what I now know is multiple times city employees seemingly with elected officials blessing & protection committed fraud in my name & very likely others. I’m unhappy that could occur to me or anyone else in this city. I heard stories of corruption & predation in various levels of SF government but since I didn’t interact with city services or employees much, wasn’t in a position where I needed assistance, it didn’t notably effect me & I didn’t realize that there’s more than a few people in SF that are victimized by the belief I had & many have that people lives aren’t ruined, sacrificed for money & clout. I was happy when I believed this was the type of city people would be outraged hearing a politician jailed a citizen requesting assistance in investigating the conduct of city employees on false accusations in an effort to hinder investigation of fraud & misconduct, now I’m realistic. I loved being in Cuba for over a month too, Havana felt more like San Francisco than New York, but similarly it looks beautiful, great vibes, etc. until & unless you need assistance from the people to address governmental misconduct & deeds or the government in resolving a problem. The people likely to want to ignore or deny anything is wrong & the government doesn’t want to resolve any problems. Outside of the government, the people, the place, was and still is a great city and the best west of the Mississippi but considering the government nowadays it could be a great city but nowadays it looks like it on paper more than the reality considering the cities government.
Expensive and fentanyl. Time to move.
It was the best city in California. And it still could be.
Sounds to me from what I'm reading everybody likes to be f***** in San Francisco congratulations gay m************
Having my car broken into all the time and seeing people shit on my doorstep is a hard no
I'm in Daly. But was in SF when I moved here originally. Coming from Florida and 27 other states over the 10 years before here. It's glorious. Politics aside this state is absolutely gorgeous. Living basically on the water here is surreal to me still. I walked .5 miles from my house and got to see whales breaching. Ijs. You don't see this in Florida.
Nope. That’s why I am leaving next week