San Francisco’s tech workforce is still growing, outpacing other metro areas

[urbanadvocate]

I am by no means a fan of the Bay Area but calling SF a boutique city is a very odd comment to make. Portland maybe or a smaller city maybe but SF? Ummm no.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by YSL

That's what happens a lot when you live in cities hyped/iconic/very entrenched in pop culture/constantly referred to as cool and important.. and you think the coolness rub onto you by proxy.

I lived in NY for 4 years then moved back to Houston and did that insufferable NY thing where I would name drop it every chance I get, look down at everyone in Houston as pathetic heathens because I previously lived in Manhattan's West Village. I then moved to SF for work then came to Austin with a similar elitist attitude.

I feel most of those insufferable transplants aren't even originally from NY or SF either.

I've literally lived in all four of those same cities. We must have crossed paths at some point.

My view:

NYC reigns supreme, no place like it.

Houston is underrated.

Austin is decent (and DEFINITELY better than Nashville), but overrated by people who live on the coasts.

San Francisco is a nice place to visit, but overrated place to live.

[YSL]

Originally Posted by bossabreezes

I work for a Tech company and we're highly considering going remote as well, shuddering our three level office in FiDi NYC. It would save the company hundreds of thousands a year, which is going to go directly back into the pockets of a select few and unlikely to show at all in employee paychecks.

I prefer working from home as of late, not having to pile into the subway like a sardine, ect. I do think that we're starting to see something strange though and I think it might change the energy of some cities. I think New York is going to end up losing a lot of it's office jobs in town and the suburbs/other cities will start seeing an uptick in New Yorkers. Same could be said for SF and any high cost city.

It won't destroy the cities, but cities will likely skew more blue collar/essential worker filled rather than big earners who don't need to go outside to earn a living anymore.

But the interesting thing is cities like NY and SF are some of the exceptions where big earners actually chose to live in town, even with all of the inconvenience, rather than suburbs because people with money love the lifestyle in those cities. Wealth and luxury real estate in other cities is largely concentrated in the suburbs. So an exodus of wealth out of the core, if it happens, would really only have a very noticeable effect SF and NY because Philadelphia and Detroit city centers weren't exactly crawling with millionaires and million dollar homes in the first place.

[bossabreezes]

Well, Nashville probably takes the cake as most overrated city in the world...

Some others:
LA- Overrated
Philadelphia-Underrated
Boston- Overrated
Miami- Overrated

Pretty much all are overrated, even New York. It's a great city but similar to what was said above, not exactly the best place to live. Basically, a perfect place doesn't exist.

[bossabreezes]

Originally Posted by YSL

But the interesting thing is cities like NY and SF are some of the exceptions where big earners actually chose to live in town, even with all of the convince, rather than suburbs because people with money love those cities. Wealth and luxury real estate in other cities is largely concentrated in the suburbs. So an exodus of wealth out of the core, if it happens, would really only have a very noticeable effect SF and NY because Philadelphia and Detroit weren't exactly crawling with millionaires and million dollar homes in the first place.

I see what you're saying. Billionaire's Row on Central Park and Pac Heights in SF will continue to exist in my opinion.

Im talking about wealthy families who currently live in $10,000/month, 1200 sq ft apartments in both cities. If the bread winners don't have to go to the office and are stuck in small apartments they're going to look elsewhere to live. Maybe we'll see an uptick in larger units in NYC and SF, or we'll see people leave altogether. In fact, the local news here in NYC already reported a few days ago on something similar, the numbers of NY families and couples looking in the suburbs was up a crazy percentage.

[TexasPlaya]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

So for all of these jobs that can suddenly be done remotely... Why will any of them have to be done from the U.S. at all in the future?

Be careful what you wish for..... this could offshore a lot of jobs. I worked remotely without any issues but I also have to be licensed by the state and nationally.

[TexasPlaya]

I love Austin and Houston but the former is definitely overrated and latter is underrated. It really depends on what you are looking for.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by bossabreezes

Well, Nashville probably takes the cake as most overrated city in the world...

Some others:
LA- Overrated
Philadelphia-Underrated
Boston- Overrated
Miami- Overrated

Pretty much all are overrated, even New York. It's a great city but similar to what was said above, not exactly the best place to live. Basically, a perfect place doesn't exist.

Try living outside of NYC. Weather notwithstanding, I doubt you'll feel that way.

Philly is definitely underrated. I prefer it to Chicago.

I wouldn't say Boston is necessarily overrated or underrated, it is what it is. Same goes for L.A. and Miami.

Nashville is extremely overrated.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by TexasPlaya

I love Austin and Houston but the former is definitely overrated and latter is underrated. It really depends on what you are looking for.

Agree 100%.

[bossabreezes]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

Try living outside of NYC. Weather notwithstanding, I doubt you'll feel that way.

I've lived in multiple cities across different countries and New York's weather is the most infuriating I've ever exeprienced. 9 months of sh*t a year, with 3 months of somewhat okay weather. Ironically, this past month has been the most beautiful weather I've experienced in the decade I've lived in this part of the United States.

I find New Yorkers to be very transactional as well. It makes sense as this is a giant city. Not rude, not mean, but kind of soulless. Alcoholism and drug use amongst professionals is crazy high and accepted as normal. That's another huge issue about living here, in my opinion.

It's a great city but it has a shelf life I think. Most native New Yorkers want out.

[DCReid]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

Agree 100%.

Why, I'm just curious? What about DFW - seems to be stuck on itself? I do agree that Philly is underrated for East Coast cities; I grew up in NY and live outside of DC now.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by TexasPlaya

I love Austin and Houston but the former is definitely overrated and latter is underrated. It really depends on what you are looking for.

I like the aesthetics of Austin much better than I do Houston;urban planning, the hills, scenery, the connection to the outdoors. Houston as a culture seems to be less buttoned up and more downed to earth which I like...like the 'old' Austin before the tech bro's and granola crunchers took control. I still like it but it's lost its soul among the high dollar real estate and greenie culture.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by bossabreezes

I find New Yorkers to be very transactional as well. It makes sense as this is a giant city. Not rude, not mean, but kind of soulless.

Have you ever lived outside of Manhattan? I think this is true in the city's white collar culture, particularly in Manhattan, but I don't think it's broadly representative of the city. I have mostly worked in "soulless" white collar settings while I've lived here, but my social network is mixed between white collar and creatives (artists, musicians, people in media). I don't have a desire to ever live in Manhattan again because it's so dominated by those generic white collar office worker types.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by JManc

I like the aesthetics of Austin much better than I do Houston;urban planning, the hills, scenery, the connection to the outdoors. Houston as a culture seems to be less buttoned up and more downed to earth which I like...like the 'old' Austin before the tech bro's and granola crunchers took control. I still like it but it's lost its soul among the high dollar real estate and greenie culture.

Austin "more buttoned up" and "less down to Earth" than Houston???

I see very few corporate / "suit" types in Austin, yet many in Houston. I've seen people in Austin running around naked, but it's somehow "more buttoned up"? How??

And when it comes to "soul" in Texas, nowhere comes close to Houston.

[TexasPlaya]

Originally Posted by JManc

I like the aesthetics of Austin much better than I do Houston;urban planning, the hills, scenery, the connection to the outdoors. Houston as a culture seems to be less buttoned up and more downed to earth which I like...like the 'old' Austin before the tech bro's and granola crunchers took control. I still like it but it's lost its soul among the high dollar real estate and greenie culture.

Yea... Houston certainly isn’t a looker and hard to beat those pretty hills and scenic highway views (especially Mopac). It must be the East Texas in me, but I love the pine trees in Houston. The oaks are beautiful and give Houston’s older neighborhoods some great appeal but those old Memorial neighborhoods transport you somewhere else.

I just love the culture in Houston, it’s what happens when blue collar meets engineers.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by DCReid

Why, I'm just curious? What about DFW - seems to be stuck on itself?

because although DFW attracted 1.2 million over the last decade, it gets virtually zero media attention, whereas Austin and Nashville - and to a lesser extent, Denver and Seattle - receive a ton of media coverage, as well as constant touting from insufferable recent transplants.

[TexasPlaya]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

Austin "more buttoned up" and "less down to Earth" than Houston???

I see very few corporate / "suit" types in Austin, yet many in Houston. I've seen people in Austin running around naked, but it's somehow "more buttoned up"? How??

And when it comes to "soul" in Texas, nowhere comes close to Houston.

I get what JManc is saying. Austin is “millennial/gen x corporate” if that makes sense. It’s just different but feels just as exclusive.

Houston certainly does have its share of buttoned down, old money, “boomer corporate”. I think it’s history of blue collar and old south gives it a more “laid back feel” that you find in traditional southern cities.

[TexasPlaya]

Originally Posted by DCReid

Why, I'm just curious? What about DFW - seems to be stuck on itself? I do agree that Philly is underrated for East Coast cities; I grew up in NY and live outside of DC now.

Dallas? You mean Southern Oklahoma?!?

[dimondpark]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

Aww. Strike a nerve?

Haha obviously youre the one whose nerve was struck apparently by the fact that people in SF arent NY worshippers lmao.

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

NYC reigns supreme, no place like it.

Yawns. As far as the combination of urban bonafides and natural setting, San Francisco kills NYC and any other US city.

Period.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by dimondpark

I hope not. I want this place to clear out. #byebyepeople

My family is doing our part!

After sitting vacant for a couple months, my partner and I gave up our Mission District apartment. We had planned on moving out on a less frenetic schedule, but we accelerated the move once the city locked down. We're spending the summer in the country, and we may then move to LA. But whatever we do, we are not returning to San Francisco or the Bay Area. Meanwhile, a cousin and his wife and small daughter are moving out of their apartment, in Alameda--the pandemic and shutdown convinced them to finally follow their dreams north of the border to Oregon, California's Canada. They bought a huge parcel of land with a massive house and a free-standing office in the trees. They will both work from home permanently.

None of us harbor ill will to SF like the usual haters on sad display here who religiously shit on the area, its people, its industries, its history, its culture, its politics, and so on. Haters gonna hate.

I lived in SF proper for 24 years because it's a great city, even now. The city is gorgeous, has a great climate, has outstanding parks and outdoor recreation, lots to do, some lovely vernacular architecture, is very walkable and bikeable, has decent public transportation, and so on, But I do agree with many of the reasonable criticisms--it is now thoroughly overpriced. It used to only be the housing costs, but now it's everything.

Also, the long term drift is disappointing. When a great San Francisco restaurant closes--and it's happening more often--because the international real estate investment firm that owns the property tripled the rent, the site sits empty for months or years. The homeless move into the doorway permanently, until either the building is torn down to build $2.5M condos, or a new restaurant opens that is invariably geared toward the small slice of the population that will pay $10 for a single taco (three-taco minimum!), and then shuts down a few months later after its inevitable failure. I love food and am not hurting for money, but that trend is lame and all too common. Hopefully things will change going forward, but I won't be there to experience it.