living in san francisco??!!

I thought there was no one left but rich tech people and the homeless?

$80,000? Nope. You get to live in the East Bay. The poor people you mentioned are either grandfathered in or commute into S.F.

Everything is closed now - gay clubs, bars, restaurants - and it will probably be a long, long time before things open back up and we return to pre-COVID days.

San Francisco is not a great place to live right now. $80,000 isn't enough to live comfortably unless you're sharing an apartment with at least two other people. And that's the way a lot of what you call "poor gays and immigrants" live here.

On the plus side, rents in the city are going down as people leave and head to more affordable places. Now that folks are figuring out they can work remotely, there's not as much incentive for them to live in the city when they can do they same job miles away.

Mind you, by "rent going down" We are talking from 4k for a 1 bedroom to 3k for a one bedroom, so "going down" is not what you might think of it as.

There's a hot quarterback running around no man or woman has been able to snag. Go get it girl!

In San Francisco all seems to breathe freedom and peace and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils.

Moving to San Francisco on 80k?

Nope, you will be commuting into the city.

I have a friend who lives in a three bedroom apartment, in the city and she has two roommates, all in their forties. One of her roommates is a paralegal! It's so expensive to live there!

Yes the question really becomes are you trying to live alone and are you okay renting a room with roommates. Living alone is going to cost more than you can manage.

what about the "Castro" neighborhood? is it also expensive?

No nudity in places that serve alcohol anywhere in California, to answer your question about strippers. The Nob Hill Theater used to have full nudity, but it's gone.

R10 The Castro is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city.

You can MAYBE find a studio in Lower Nob Hill for about 2K. Nothing fancy but depending on what you want out of life it's doable. If I was in my 20s or 30s, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'm married now and in my 40s with dogs so, just don't think I could do it. I regret selling my Loft in SF and moving 5 years ago. I go back often (did anyway) and I miss it so much. I'm in LA now and HATE it here. Don't think I can ever afford to go back.

R10, the Castro is the name of the neighbor, it doesn’t need quote marks. You wouldn’t type Sam Francisco with quotes so why do it with the Castro?

Also: the entire city has been outrageously and infamously expensive with a very high cost of living for some time now. There are no “inexpensive” neighborhoods left.

Inexpensive neighborhoods are the Sunset and Richmond, in the outer parts of SF close to the beach. By inexpensive I mean if you are lucky you can find a rent controlled unit built before 1979. I live in such a unit in SF, although in the same building my unit is one of only 3 u nits left that is rent controlled because the others 7 units have been remodeled a couple of years ago. The owner is always looking for opportunities to evict us in the 3 units remaining because he wants to remodel our units too so that he can jack up the rent to new renters. The fucking landlord even turned the building garage on the street level into more apartment units. But instead of one normal size apartment, the greedy bastard made it into 2 tiny 1-bedroom apartments each smaller than my large studio. Rent BC (before COVID-19) for the bigger 1-BR former garage space complete with low ceiling (under 400 sq. ft) is $3200. Fucking joke. My rent controlled studio (600 sq. ft./ classic SF high ceiling studio) is under $1900. I’m in the Sunset area, which is known for being quiet and sedate almost suburban do it’s not the most desirable nor hip neighborhood in SF. That’s why rent is cheaper here.

[quote] You wouldn’t type Sam Francisco with quotes so why do it with the Castro?

I don't think he would type SaM Francisco period.

[quote] SaM Francisco

Sath of Market, theup-and-coming neighborhood.

When nudity was legal in Sam Francisco, did that include in the bars?

This is one of the nicest hoods in SF. Tiny but could be cute and you'd never be in because there's so much to do right outside. 20 minute bus ride to Castro or 5-10 min Lyft. It's a box but I'd rather live there alone than have roommates.

Also if you plan on living in SF, forget about having a car-finding parking is impossible there. Many people pay extra to park their cars in private garages.

R19 that’s a pretty nice place. Kitchen seems quite spacious and onsite laundry facilities, pretty good.

R19 But remember - nothing is open in SF right now. So as far as "things to do," you'll need to get used to spending a lot of time in that tiny box of an apartment.

It's going to be a long, long time before the city is back to being fully functional. It's really not a good time to live in SF.

I wouldn't want to be living here on $80k, especially if you're just moving here. That will get you a crappy little one bedroom apartment in a crappy neighborhood, like the Sunset or Tenderloin/TenderNob. Are you going to have a car? Be ready to pay extra for a garage, unless you want to drive around for an hour looking for street parking anywhere near your home. If you park on the street, you'll need a parking permit (by area) and you better watch the street cleaning days and the no parking times, because you WILL get towed, and you will NOT be happy when you see what's involved, time and money-wise, to retrieve your car. Most people here with small incomes have multiple roommates, or live out of The City and commute if your job is in SF. Liberal? Yes, to the point of idiotic, but still better than the whackjobs in Berkeley. Homeless/methheads on virtually every corner, along with their piss and shit. As long as you can afford to live in an area that you don't have to deal with 24/7 bullshit, you'll be fine. Except with $80k, you won't. And you will NEVER be able to buy something on that, either. Think about it very hard.

So, the gay ghettos were just a transitory thing enabled by white flight? Seems like all the cheap housing in desirable cities has been gentrified by now.

My nob is tender.

SF 1968 to 1982. What a time and place to be alive. Now we have Trump, a virus and hate.

Are there apartments in the tenderloin district? Is the area now gentrified with high rent?

The Sunset is not bad at all, it’s laid back and close to Golden Gate park and the beach. I walk or run from the park to the beach, I can ride my bike to the park in under 10 minutes, driving it’s about 5 minutes. What the Sunset also had is easy street parking compared to other SF neighborhoods. I have a car and can find parking easily, usually don’t need to circle around the blocks for more than 2-3 times unless it’s day before street sweeping. Usually able to find parking within 2 blocks of my apartment.

You can get by without a car in San Fransico, an easy way for OP save money by not having one.

R27 The Tenderloin is not a desirable place to live. Yes, there are apartments, but it's still a high crime, high drug use, high homeless area. Not recommended.

Frisco, Baby!

What does it smell 👃like?

R32 Depends on the street and which way the wind is blowing.

r18, see r11.

R23 chill out bb.

Homeless people aren’t anything to be scared of. They’re just people. What a bunch of babies.

I used to love SF. I would not live there today if the apartment was rent free. Maybe if it was on Alcatraz. It's horrible, horrible, horrible.

Can you live anywhere in CA on 80K a year?

I know of a 1BR in the Sunset that’s going for $1850. Rents are definitely coming down.

Incidentally, my husband and I both earn about $80K, and we have a huge 1BR with a panoramic view of SF and a parking spot. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible for middle-class people to survive and thrive in SF. And we’re not knee-deep in shit all the time (or ever).

But please, everyone, keep on spreading the idea that SF is an uninhabitable hellhole! The more people who *actually* leave town (instead of just promising to), the better!

[quote] my husband and I both earn about $80K

both, or each?

let the rent keep coming down, and I may flock in.

R37 Yes lots of places. Modesto, Merced, Fresno the more central and inner you go the lower COL. Ukiah, Chico, and up north is cheap too. But most people want to live in the big metro areas because that’s where all the good jobs are. In the SF Bay Area it’s not just tech central but also biotech and healthcare.

Each, r39. And our rent is $2400, so we’re paying about 18% of our monthly net income. And we’re within a 20-minute walk of the Castro.

San Francisco cost of living has warped your brain that now you think a childless couple who makes ~160k is considered middle class r37.

You are definitely part of the upper middle class.

All you haters are either jealous, or Trump cultists, or both.

Please don’t come here, ever. And if you live here, leave now.

Namaste, cunts.

R38 Where is this mythical $1850 1-BR apartment in the Sunset that’s not an in-law or no stove kitchenette only kind of dump?

Why do so many San Francisco neighborhoods have "the" in their names. Why can't they just be "Mission" or "Sunset"?

I was pleased to see the apartment at r19 comes with a SHOWER in the tub. What luxury!

OP, a low-income limit for an individual in San Francisco is $82,200 a year. That would be middle-class anywhere else, but is considered poor in San Francisco.

Myself, and the people I know in San Francisco who make less than 82,200 a year, live here because we've been in SF for more than 10 years. So we can afford our homes thanks to rent control. I've been at my place since 2007, and I pay $1200. It's my golden handcuff and without it, I'd probably have to leave the city.

Because you will be moving to SF in 2020 you will never ever ever find a place that cheap on your own. You will have to live with roomates if you want to live in the city. There are even cheaper neighborhoods in SF than the Sunset, way cheaper in fact. I won't tell you what they are because seeing them slowly gentrify like the Sunset and The Richmond did is breaking my heart.

If you do find an affordable-ish place, you'll be ok. Depending on who you socialize with and what your goals are, 80,000 may be enough or it might not. I've been in this city since 1996 and I never want to leave. It makes me weep at the memory of how my first apartment without roommates in the Outer Richmond cost me $600 in 1998. Two bedrooms.

SF is not quite as easy without a car anymore.

3/4 of SF Muni bus routes have been cut and it’s basically worthless unless you’re going along Market Street. They’re hinting that a lot of routes may not come back. MUNI Metro subway trains still aren’t running although they’re slated to come back in August.

BART is still closing at 9 pm every night, although since everything is either closed or closes up shop early, there’s really no reason to hang around after dark.

I’ve pretty much been taking Lyft to work or anywhere off one of the few main bus routes, and it’s getting expensive.

More street crime ( it’s almost quaint now to think everyone was once so up in arms about car break-ins), so basically your car WILL get broken into multiple times. Unless you pay $300-400 for an enclosed garage.

R37 A household income of $160,000 yearly puts you in the top 15% of earners in the US. Yet in San Francisco, you and your partner rent a one bedroom apartment. That says it all.

I make almost 200K in SF but I can’t afford to buy a house. It’s a problem facing many people in the same situation. Some are choosing to move away if not out of desire to own homes or out of principle. I’m in the latter group. I will not pay close to 1 million for essentially a basic or starter house in most other cities.

Shan Franshisco.