Ours is currently that way too. But I'm saying--when the mask mandate goes I expect that will go too.

These issues of larger multifamily buildings are why I went to Arizona, where I essentially have a SFH, and stayed there until June of last year. Once CA and its citizens had settled into "distancing" and mask-wearing and "one per elevator" and the other stuff, I came back (also because AZ got too hot for me by early June).

This is what I've been saying all along. Younger recent grads, the sort who fill up clubs and night spots from Tenderloin "dive bars" to SOMA dance clubs to Castro gay bars and who don't know how to cook or don't want to and therefore keep restaurants busy have not gone home to Mom and Dad or to the suburbs or wherever because of fear of covid or a dislike of the city lifestyle. They left because (1) everything fun about the city was shut down, (2) their employer told them to work from "home" which could be anywhere, (3) the city apartment was costing them plenty and for no reason due to #1.

As soon as the night life, the great restaurants and clubs, the big league sports and the great shopping return, many of these younger singles and childless couples will return. SF was never a place to raise kids even though some stalwarts tried, but it has long been said the city had more dogs than kids. There's a reason housing with more than 2 bedrooms is rare and expensive. Most people might stick around at least until the first child is a toddler, but when the second child comes or the first is ready for school, most have always left for the burbs and will continue to, but the city hasn't had them before covid and doesn't need them now to be what it's always been.

Oh, and landlords will take advantage. Rents (and some housing prices) have declined modestly over the last year but I look for them to bounce back strongly next year. SF has rent control but vacancy decontrol. So when those folks left they subjected themselves to reset rents. Good luck.

Back then it was prudent to wear a masks but local jurisdictions and HOA's mandating them now is not about the science but forcing everyone to comply with a political statement.

No, it's a matter of CA law. The state's color-coded rules end June 15 but not yet.

And in a building like mine, it may be about simply making the majority of residents feel comfortable which is IMHO what an HOA should be doing. But when people have complained--not about wearing masks in halls and elevators so far as I know but about the gym and spa not being open--the answer has always been "the Health Dept. says we can't" so far. That's supposed to end June 15.

I went around Hollywood, East Hollywood, Los Feliz and Silverlake and Echo Park, Koreatown and downtown today.
LA's seems 75-80 percent normal, at least. Maybe higher. The previous weeks I noticed Santa Monica and Melrose coming back to life.

This was the most activity I've seen since covid hit. Only LA Live seemed deader than usual. Everything else was pretty busy. Looking back at peak covid, it's quite amazing how dead the entire city was.

I'm moving from a SFH in the land of volcanoes and wolves to a SFH in suburban Los Angeles. Easy access to great food, museums, shows, etc. but also defensible space between us and all the randos if/when that is what we want. The choice of exposure is entirely up to us. I don't know if we will ever return to the car-free, transit-oriented midrise life that we had in SF in the Before Times, but we'll reevaluate after things get back to normal.

Scr*w covid for a minute--I'm just really glad there is such a place in CA:

https://www.californiawolfcenter.org...-in-california

Like covid itself, perhaps these are manifestations of Mother Nature asserting herself.

just cross the state border and... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada_Wolf_Pack

A couple months ago I spoke with a tow truck driver who has, on two different occasions, witnessed wolves crossing highway 89, not far from Lassen Volcanic NP. That would be the Lassen Pack.

There's likely a second pack of wolves in California as well: the Whaleback Pair are believed to have had a litter of pups earlier this spring. They live northeast of Mt. Shasta.

I can see both Mt. Shasta and Lassen Peak from the front yard here. I'll miss that. The thread tie-in would be that I'm only here because COVID shut San Francisco down, and now that the world is reopening, I'm moving back to civilization.

I have a Wolfpack t-shirt, even though I have zero ties to UNR! Great logo.

I've heard rumors that some of the locals believe that Lemurians live on top of Mt. Shasta? Was I being bullshitted?

I've heard some of the local crazy talk (the vax is 'the mark of the beast!'), so it wouldn't surprise me if they believe something equally stupid about a snowbound lost race, haha.

Wait, outside? Why? I mean, really? That's so odd and bizarre at this point, it was odd and bizarre last summer, but now when something like 50-60% are fully vaccinated, what are they so afraid of?

I demand to speak with the manager of the bay area!
A lot of vacation home owners and boaters can't handle having to put on their masks on here, but the threat of the Sheriff taking care of it works (for places that still require it). It literally says "no mask no service" on the door, but people from out of state for example, can't read it I guess? Oh well their money helps my run-down county.

I had to get my pre-travel covid test within 72 hours of leaving. Since most test centers aren't open today (including the one 2 blocks from my place) I walked about a mile and a half to one that was (yes, wearing my mask, not because I'm afraid but because it's a requirement of my pre-travel quarantine, whether or not it makes sense).

As expected, the Riverwalk and River North were a madhouse today. And of course, there was a super long line out the door out of Portillo's. Tourists.

Really? I was just in the 'Meda today and saw maybe 0.5% mask wearing.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...5759c80d_b.jpg

We're spending the weekend in Galveston. Out the throngs of people down here for Memorial Day, very few wore them indoors and only saw 2 or 3 people with them on outside.

Finally saw a movie in a theatre since Covid in Marina Del Rey. Theatre is pretty packed for a 1:30 show and with the distancing.

Another great sign.

Walked into Home Depot yesterday and barely any masks. Same with some other stores.

A lot busier overall today. Even with traffic. Good old Memorial Day traffic is back!

Yeah I’ve now been to restaurants, bars, grocery, and even Walgreens without a mask on. In the latter 2 about 90% of people were still masked