Quote:
Originally Posted by SIGSEGV
And here's a good article by Pete Saunders, who is usually right:
"Suburbs and small towns may have newfound advantages, but they still lack the energy and amenities that draw people to big cities."
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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.