I'm 54 and my wife and I are VERY worried about our future, gas and food prices rising daily. We have had our savings dwindle with the cost of living into the stratosphere, and we are finding it impossible to replace them. We can get by, but can't seem to get ahead. My condolences to anyone retiring in this crisis, 30 years nonstop just for a crooked system to take all you worked for.
I feel your pain mate, as a fellow retiree, I’d suggest you look into passive index fund investing and learn some more. For me, I had my share of ups and downs when I first started looking for a consistent passive income so I hired an expert advisor for aid, and following her advice, I poured $30k in value stocks and digital assets, Up to 200k so far and pretty sure I'm ready for whatever comes.
@@AlilatTiamiyu The crazy part is that those advisors are probably outperforming the market and raising good returns but some are charging fees over fees that drain your portfolio. Is this the case with yours too?
I'm a *Native San Francisco Resident* and I'll say that it's rare to see such accurate & honest takes about San Francisco but you did it so thanks a lot for this informative video San Francisco is still a wonderful city to be in 😀👍💯
No, this video does the opposite of the other videos by selectively showing the best of SF. Now that homeless and crime have cleaned out downtown area, they are moving elsewhere into what's shown here as "safe and nice" areas. The video also failed to see that many retailers moved out of the city - what do you get your daily necessities? My SF friends all complain about nowhere to shop besides Amazon, or have to drive south in to SSF or Daly City and such. Downtown and FiDi will always remain as a critical part of any big city, which is decimated now in SF. When all those are gone, how do you justify the crazy expensive cost of living?
Watching your video about SF has made me sad because I miss living there. I lived in SF for almost 30 years but unfortunately my family and I moved out of California last year. I miss living at the outer Richmond district because it was a walking distance to the beach and the park. Thank you for making this video about my hometown.
Whats it like living there? Everyone says its extremely expensive, but I wonder if is expensive "just because is a big city" or because is has housing problems, etc?
@@hakohito Although the rent is extremely expensive, you would not like living there. There's way too much crime, NO parking anywhere, you would have no friends, no family life and you literally have to pay just to use a toilet. Way too many drugs everywhere and the homelessness is out of control. Almost all of the city don't drive because of too many car break ins. The city is beautiful and the views are amazing but that's about it. Too many tourists and barely any law enforcement. The people there are extremely rude and only worry about themselves. It's a nice place to visit, but living there is impossible for a healthy life.
Really well done and accurate. Too many people focus on only the Tenderloin and Market problem areas, but as you have accurately pointed out, that's actually a small part of The City.
@@TG-hf1gx I’m about to make the same exact move for work. I’m really hesitant because I love Newark and northern Jersey/ NYC. Can you share why you regret it?
Hi🙋🏾🌉 Truly individual experiences will vary. As for me, I don't fit the demographics to be welcomed to SF. I'm Black Middle aged disabled poor Black woman. I lived in many major cities and this is the only one that actually hates & harasses people like me. I've lasted 4 years but it's been a struggle to make friends. Paranoid natives here and they want to push you to Oakland. I sat down at a table and was greeted by the manager with a water hose. It's not a a diverse city and it's not a nice city.
moving to SF this august for college. really scary as i’m literally moving to the other side of the globe (international student) but this video made me so excited!! thank you for such a high quality and insightful video :)
Just stay away from the Tenderloin. Anything bad you've ever heard about SF is basically all about the Tenderloin. Like, don't even take a bus that goes through there! The 1 bus is fine and taking the Muni metro on Market street is fine, but the 38 or the 5 are not. Aside from that, as long as you stay in the donut outside of the Tenderloin, you'll have a blast! Happy traveling!
@@TohaBgood2 I passed by it once just because I was curious and it was scary. But overall, the hilly city is beautiful -- just too chilly and expensive for me. Like San Jose more.
@@denniszenanywhere I swear, SF is the perfect compact, walkable European, with great transit - as long as you stay inside the "donut" of cute neighborhoods around the Tenderloin. The Tenderloin is the donut hole. There's nothing good to see there. I feel like the Tenderloin is the proverbial carpet under which SF has been hiding all of its nasty stuff for the last 150 years. As long as you don't go there you have a perfect SF day. If you do go there, your day is always ruined one way or another. 😁
you moved to SF the very year that my wife and I chose to leave (Berkeley) after having lived there for over 20 years. Me a native Californian, she an immigrant from the Philippines. Raised our two kids in SF and Berkeley and realized that if we actually wanted to STOP WORKING and retire, we couldnt afford to do it in the Bay Area...without continuing to work. So...off to the Philippines. Built a retirement home now free and clear, enjoying an affordable retired life, weekly massages, and yet...much like our pro and con series about SF, similar can be applied here. It ain't perfect...BUT...it's affordable and I'm NOT working. Cheers!
I was born in Merritt hospital on Pill Hill in Oakland in '66. Grew up in Oakland and Piedmont. Dad lawyered in Oakland and then SF from the late 60s to the late 80s. I watched the Transamerica Pyramid go up from his office window at 650 California street when I was about 5-6 years old. I loved being an Oaklander and playing second fiddle to "The City by the Bay." Shopping trips over the bridge on a Saturday with my mom and my sister. DeYoung, Cliff House, Haight-Ashbury, Candlestick. Maybe Tadich Grill again for old time's sake. Shopping around Union Square and checking out Gump's famous Christmas window displays. BART home through "The Tube" and call it a day.
Excellent work. I lived there over 45 years and saw the decline among the flowers, but being gone now I am seriously relieved with the state of it now. YOUR work is exemplary good sir. Your diction is calm, clear and fluff less, you video work astounding to say the least and your copy is concise and to the point without gaslighting, salesmanship, hype, rhetoric or bias. Up vote and subscription. 'Whatever it is they ain't payin' ya enough.'
Great video with killer film and super to the point. We need more people showing light on San Francisco. While some things make so happy about SF, the cons are SO heartbreaking. With so many cultures, interesting neighborhoods, and such a mixed bag we need more people like you to bring the city TOGETHER and to grow. Way to express SF in such a professional and clear way, when sometimes it can feel like such a lost cause going out nowadays in the city. San Francisco isn't the media or just one thing, its one of the realest cities. Thumbs up!!
Thank you for this video I'm born and raised in San Francisco the Tenderloin has had a problem with drugs and homelessness since the 1970s is corrected! It is a problem now because of all the tech companies surrounding the Tenderloin affecting the white people's establishments. Yes, it's true the cost of living is one of the highest in the country not everyone in the city is being paid a six-figure income. Yeah, other parts of the city are not as dirty as the Tnederloin the problem with the Tenderloin is that the majority of the homeless are being pushed to the Tenderloin and 6th street. The public transportation in San Francisco, I would say is one of the best the Muni runs every 15 minutes try living in states like Florida you looking at 30 minutes or more. True parking sucks and you could experience a car break-in from time to time, unfortunately. San Francisco, it's a 15-minute distance from anywhere in the city. Yes, building a relationship in the city is difficult if you are not part of a particular circle, like College or the tech industry it will be difficult!
thank you Raymond for your honest review of the city i have always loved.....San Fran is a one of a kind jewel and i'm sure it will always be. having lived in Los Angeles for the last 26 years, i visited San Fran many times. the only reason i never moved there is the cost of housing. as for homelessness....every big city has it and if one looks close enough...even smaller cities are dealing with it also.... you are correct on the walkability of the city.... one of my visits started in the Castro to the Trolly turntable to the pyramid bldg to the wharf to Giradellie area to Japan town and back to the Castro. i really like your vocal delivery.....very smooth.
I've never been to SF but it looks so beautiful. I love architecture and San Francisco has so many awesome neighborhoods. The solution to housing prices is to build more housing, but im scared that would mean destroying some of this old neighborhoods. I grew up in a suburb of LA that was built in the 50s. There were so many space age googie signs and buildings, kitchy dingbat apartments, and tiki themed apartments and bars. None of them were protected and over the years everything has been replaced with cheap modern buildings. The space age suburb I grew up in now looks like a regular boring suburb. The space age neighborhoods of LA no longer exist. I appreciate that SF protected their neighborhoods
Wait...you live in SoCal...but never been to SF? That's crazy, because SF is only like 5 hours north of you by car lol. Better explore your state & coast for that matter. From Vancouver BC to San Diego...there's so much to explore. West Coast Best Coast. 🤙
You should come here. It's an amazing and beautiful city. There are a lot of us tech bros out here though, so be prepared to talk about Saas, AI, chatgpt, y combinator, etc.
I absolutely agree with everything you said in your video 💯 I lived in SF for over 10 years… AND miss it DEARLY 😢 Loved it before, loved it then, love it now… love it always! 🌉♥️ Cons & all! 😍
Just came across your content, and glad I did. I worked at Just Desserts on Church St. In 97, lived in Pacific Heights in '99. City College, a " Friends" style living situation in Oakland. San Francisco is beautiful! San Francisco made me a leader!
its the exact opposite. in small to mid sized cities there is more of a community feel. its easier to make friends and people generally speaking are happier.
Great video bro, lived in LA my whole life. Never been to SF but always wanted to go. Wasn't sure if I missed the boat due to con #5 but thanks to this video I think I'm planning a trip.
If you are okay with the fog. I would move to the inner sunset/inner Richmond area. They have their own little restaurants, bars, etc. Also it is much cheaper and away from downtown SF. So it will be much cheaper, cleaner, and very very few homeless. Lived in inner sunset for 4 years. The muni runs right down the middle and my apartment which was a 1 bed 900 sq ft apartment had a barn garage parking spot all for $2500. Still pricey but it I split that with my gf. If you have money- I would live in North Beach.
Thank you for this video. It somehow makes me feel a little better. I am scheduled to move to San Francisco for a new job in a month’s time. Sometimes when I watch the news or some youtube videos, I get discouraged. Is it still worth moving to San Francisco?
The people complaining about SF ain’t from here. They used the city during the tech boom and bounced when it fizzled out (most people knew already that the tech bubble was going to pop anyway) Just pay attention and stay out the way, and you’ll be good. The bay is a beautiful place
I don't think you're right about the homeless situation- most of our homeless came from other places to take advantage of the favorable conditions here. If it were lower class San Franciscans being priced out of homes and thrown on the street, you'd see a lot more homeless Mexican-Americans. I agree with your comments about the dirty streets' proximity to the downtown/tourist areas.
I'm more of a Seattle guy but I love visiting SF & the Bay area every couple of years. In some ways we're crazy similar, in other ways we're definitely not. Here's to the Renaissance of the West Coast Cities...we're no longer in the trendy hipster era, but now we're in the "who really wants to stay here" era. 🥂
@@ethanbennis do it! But I always tell people who’ve never experienced a “gray winter” to visit in the Winter months to get a sense of “real Seattle”. It’s not that bad. It’s cold, with drizzly rain and a lot of cool foggy mornings. I’m biased because I like moderate seasons, but I love the variety of weather. To me, a place that’s always sunny or tropical like Southern California or Florida is depressing since you can’t tell the difference between October and March. If I can’t see the leaves change color or wear a coat when it’s Winter or Fall then I’m not living there lol.
I've been to San Francisco on several occasions from Bradford England. The main thing I can take away is how laid back everything is compared to where I come from. Good public transportation. Very live and let live and good communication from people when needed.😊
I pretty much agree with this video, I was born and raised in San Francisco and now reside in Sacramento public transportation in Sacramento Sucks. If you plan to move to Sacramento I highly suggest getting a car.
Thank you all of this video relate to me on every level you said would like to meet you and take you for lunch this video was great for my trip to visit there unfortunately I rented a car
Well made video, thanks for the info. I’ve been considering moving to SF from Vancouver. Lots to like, I’m glad you pointed out the problematic areas are mostly contained to parts of downtown. That was my hunch after walking all over downtown SF and talking to my friends that live in Oakland and San Mateo. Would love to see a video about Oakland and Alameda if you ever get over there.
Well done, I'd only add the cultural activities as a Pro. From the leading art museums in the country to opera and all sorts of local theater. San Francisco closely rivals NYC except in sheer volume of options.
Dude, I feel you on the loneliness living in SF. While the loneliness is not as overbearing as living alone in NYC or Tokyo, SF seems to have a unique flavor -- its welcoming and sometimes unkind to everyone. That said though, I can't see myself living anywhere else. Living in the suburbs is soul sucking and living in a megatropolis makes one feel very small, San Francisco is just right for me. Thanks for making this video.
This was a great video. San fran is a beautiful city aside from the inflated rent prices and homelessness problem (due to inflated prices for everything)
Great video! Honestly as someone who has lived here only over 3 years, as I moved here right before lock down lol, I love it. I've lived in the Inner Richmond district area and don't see much of the "shit" the national media likes to push about SF. I am moving into the Tenderloin soon, but it is an area of the TL that is not "bad" at all. All of the TL is not created equal, some parts are "bad" with homeless, drugs, and drug dealers, but you can just look down a street and can tell that it's one of those. Honestly, If you don't engage with them they do not bother you. IDK I think SF gets a MAJOR bad rap from the national media making sound like it's a war zone and ppl are dying left and right and all that BS... no it's not. Most of the time SF is pretty great!
Born and raised in North Carolina, I want to go there and visit, but I have heard so many crazy-bad stories about California but you best believe when I come I'm bringing my CCW with me. Whether they like it or not.
1000% agree on the loneliness factor, especially being an east coast transplant introvert. SF appears to be a place where is it very difficult to make long-term allies with similar interests and hobbies. Not to mention the number of flaky people out there that say one thing and do the other. SF however is in fact a very walkable city, I love that about the city. I walk everywhere!! Also, $30 for a pizza pie here blew my mind when I 1st moved to SF in 2015. Anyway, this video is pretty much spot on. 👍
Just returned from SFO last week and really enjoyed that city. Pleasantly surprised by how clean it is compared to other major US cities Ive been too, and yes homelessness is pretty much concentrated in the Tenderloin area. Will surely visit again.
If you want to be close to public transit, then go with either the Financial District (FiDi) or South of Market (SoMA). If you want to be close to culture, then go with either North Beach (AKA "Little Italy" with many Italian restaurants) or the Mission District (with many Mexican restaurants). If you want to live in a bedroom community, go with either the Richmond District or the Sunset District.
Great video! I absolutely adore San Francisco. I haven't visited in almost 20 years. It's time to take my man and go back for another visit. It's sad though that I know it's changed a lot in some ways due to gentrification. Hopefully, it still has some of its charm via original small shops, restaurants and coffee houses as well as the traditional touristy spots.
I’m a San Francisco Native Son of over 65 years. I’ve seen and experienced my City evolving over that span. While conceding some backward movement as mentioned in this video, on the whole, the City compares favorably to most cities in the country and the world. Our whole careers have been in nonprofits - we’re not tech moguls or doctors - and have our own family home with an affordable mortgage about one-fifth the cost of the average rent for a 1-bedroom. Yes, we bought years ago, but to paraphrase an ancient Chinese proverb, “The best time to buy a house in San Francisco is 20 years ago. The next best time is now.”
Very precise and straight to the point. I love living here! If some other major cities in the US kept their homeless for themselves I read of “shipping” them to San Francisco, the problem wouldn’t be as bad. Still, as you said in the video, it’s a walkable city with great a great transit system - and I there’s a feeling of belonging to that community since everyone is so close! But I disagree when it comes to loneliness. I understand dense cities can be scary, but, San Francisco is, proportionally, probably one the cities with most cool people in the country. I feel that you’ll find here way more people that are smart, super polite, at the same time, fun! I am from another country and I was able to establish a very stable friendship network. Not only with other immigrants from my home country, but also with locals, US people from other places, immigrants from other places, etc. It comes that the city is cosmopolitan, with a vibrant cultural scenario, with music, museums, events, and restaurants. And the major con in the video, I couldn’t agree more: cost of living. But at the same time I feel like that’s relative. Companies pay people more in SF. Although the cost of living is higher, I feel like you make more money to the point to compensate a little of that through purchase power. Let’s be straightforward: what’s really more expensive in SF compared to other places is real estate (includes rent) and everything that involves that has more direct involvement of humans (of course, people will make more). But it’s not proportional. Let’s say a restaurant bill (hypothetical scenario, same food) would cost $50 in Nebraska, while, in San Francisco that is $70. But, the person in San Francisco makes 3x more money than the person in Nebraska. Plus, that $20 difference is very likely to be caused by labor cost, since, honestly, I don’t feel that groceries prices in San Francisco are wayyy more expensive than other cities. It’s a little more, of course, because real estate is more expensive, but, food prices are not super impactful such as rent. The fact is: rent here will cost you a lot. Probably the double than the national average. But… you’ll be getting paid way more. At the end of the day, San Francisco is expensive because, despite of its problems, there’s a demand pressure to live here and that pushes prices up. Btw, locals don’t know how to value what they have. Not saying people should be quiet about the problems. The opposite: they should voice more! Very simple: instead of complaining about homelessness, the city takes zero action when other major cities in the country take the homeless here in buses. People and politicians stay quiet when an important residential project, which would provide lots of houses (like a residential skyscraper), doesn’t happen because a bunch of petty people around where the project would happen complain that it’s going to block their view (f*ck their view, it’s more housing). Anyways…
Born and raised in the city; grew up in nob hill next to the TL. Everything you said is pretty accurate. Yes, many stereotypes are overblown, but they're not exactly wrong either. Good video
It's funny when people think public transportation in SF is great. It's just OK. It's sufficient enough to satisfy most needs. But it's far behind many major cities. And oftentimes people compare the public trans to other US major cities. You have to compare it to international cities as well.
I would also have hoped that there aren’t much issues in San Francisco, but someone who visited San Francisco at Market Street recently, has said that it is so different now than what it used to be before the pandemic, with lots of businesses boarding the windows and dirtiness everywhere and human feces on the ground, and many businesses having shut down! It is very sad because I would also occasionally go to Market Street few years ago when I lived closer to SF, and I would go to the mall and especially because I worked in SSF, by which I would often not take the BART from there to save up money in the afternoons, especially on Fridays and Saturdays.
The one stupid thing about public transportation is that in big cities, many of most bus drivers will break the bus company rule that prohibits bus drivers from taking off while entering passenger is still standing in front forward of the front safety line, and the bus drivers claim they aren’t prohibited from doing so, but they lie only so they don’t get in trouble, but it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be reported nor that you should take their word for it. That used to be very common for VTA buses, at least for the south section of Santa Clara County. I informed the lead manager of the bus company about it, about many bus drivers breaking that rule liberally, and they took care of it almost immediately. I helped cleaning up the remaining mess by reporting the few bus drivers afterwards that continued breaking that rule. It helped keep it down virtually to a zero level occurrence almost immediately from there! But that is just one bus company of course. Bus drivers tend to break that rule in big cities because they feel they are pressured, which I don’t think they should be, because punctuality should never be put at a higher priority than safety. That remains a huge issue in bigger cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City I am sure. If I could crack down on those occurrences, I would, but there is no reason to go there just to take the bus if I have nothing to do there. That would be on the people there to take care of eliminating that problem by escalating it to the management team of the bus company.
@@RaymondStone Very underrated video, I worked in SF for a few months and everything you said I noticed is on point. Debating on moving there, only for a yr or 2.
Ray, spot on! ive been to The City many times...a) repeal Prop 47 b) take down The Leaning Tower c) $1 pizza like NYC d) bring back Bullitt e) get Arnold to visit he'll figure it all out
Prop 47 - yes. The leaning tower was already fixed. $1 pizza - with our housing only possible if you're into slave labor. Bullitt - sure! Arnold does visit some times. He's got a few businesses that he owns here. Not much that you can do about SF's issues but to build a ton of mid-rise housing to reduce prices. The we need mandatory services for the addicts and/or mentally ill that the red states keep dumping on us. They tried sending them back too, doesn't work.
I've lived here for about sixty years now. Married, five kids, seven grandchildren, three homes, two advanced degrees and a billion wonderful memories. Here's my opinion, if you belong here, San Francisco is magic and awesome and wonderful. If you don't belong here, it is brutal, mean, condescending, rude and painful. You'll figure it out.
I just subscribed. What a big improvement to go from cow town Sacramento where Trump Supporters pop out of every corner, say something racist and then claim “No I didn’t mean it like that” to SF where people most of the time don’t bring up politics unless someone else brings it up. SF is Beautiful and I feel terrible these nuts in right wing media keep trashing it. Big Ups to you my friend ☺️
Back at the turn of the century it was a metro the size of a fish bowl with 5 million, great weather year round, super friendly people, great jobs(I was a class A sheet metal fabricator), but the parties were the best thing.😊
I am 60 living in Asia which is NOT lonely. But after going to back to Bay Area and LA after being gone 5 and 4 years--did not even set foot in the USA for 4 years--I found California/Bay Area/LA/USA very lonely, unsafe and falling apart...At 60 almost 61 starting over as a single older man this seems like a bad idea
I'm 54 and my wife and I are VERY worried about our future, gas and food prices rising daily. We have had our savings dwindle with the cost of living into the stratosphere, and we are finding it impossible to replace them. We can get by, but can't seem to get ahead. My condolences to anyone retiring in this crisis, 30 years nonstop just for a crooked system to take all you worked for.
I feel your pain mate, as a fellow retiree, I’d suggest you look into passive index fund investing and learn some more. For me, I had my share of ups and downs when I first started looking for a consistent passive income so I hired an expert advisor for aid, and following her advice, I poured $30k in value stocks and digital assets, Up to 200k so far and pretty sure I'm ready for whatever comes.
@@AlilatTiamiyu That's actually quite impressive, I could use some Info on your FA, I am looking to make a change on my finances this year as well
@@zubairadamu2477 My advisor is MARGARET MOLLI ALVEY;
You can look her up online
@@AlilatTiamiyu The crazy part is that those advisors are probably outperforming the market and raising good returns but some are charging fees over fees that drain your portfolio. Is this the case with yours too?
I'm a *Native San Francisco Resident* and I'll say that it's rare to see such accurate & honest takes about San Francisco but you did it so thanks a lot for this informative video
San Francisco is still a wonderful city to be in 😀👍💯
In all fairness, he's from Sacto. He's practically a local boy.
@@TohaBgood2uhh no😂
No, this video does the opposite of the other videos by selectively showing the best of SF. Now that homeless and crime have cleaned out downtown area, they are moving elsewhere into what's shown here as "safe and nice" areas. The video also failed to see that many retailers moved out of the city - what do you get your daily necessities? My SF friends all complain about nowhere to shop besides Amazon, or have to drive south in to SSF or Daly City and such. Downtown and FiDi will always remain as a critical part of any big city, which is decimated now in SF. When all those are gone, how do you justify the crazy expensive cost of living?
Watching your video about SF has made me sad because I miss living there. I lived in SF for almost 30 years but unfortunately my family and I moved out of California last year. I miss living at the outer Richmond district because it was a walking distance to the beach and the park. Thank you for making this video about my hometown.
Whats it like living there? Everyone says its extremely expensive, but I wonder if is expensive "just because is a big city" or because is has housing problems, etc?
@@hakohito Although the rent is extremely expensive, you would not like living there. There's way too much crime, NO parking anywhere, you would have no friends, no family life and you literally have to pay just to use a toilet. Way too many drugs everywhere and the homelessness is out of control. Almost all of the city don't drive because of too many car break ins. The city is beautiful and the views are amazing but that's about it. Too many tourists and barely any law enforcement. The people there are extremely rude and only worry about themselves. It's a nice place to visit, but living there is impossible for a healthy life.
Can you surf there?
@@j.d.contreras392that’s not true.
I’ve been here 60 years. I won’t live anywhere else for any price
Super well-made video man! I found it super helpful versus all the realtor videos lol
San Francisco native here, you're spot on. Great vid!
Really well done and accurate. Too many people focus on only the Tenderloin and Market problem areas, but as you have accurately pointed out, that's actually a small part of The City.
Thank you brother Raymond I really enjoyed your video. I nervous about visiting there next month and this video helped calm me down alot. God bless
Great video. Moving back to SF in December, after 13 years in NYC. Can’t wait.
welcome back
I left Newark, NJ and I regret being in SF!😔
@@TG-hf1gx I’m about to make the same exact move for work. I’m really hesitant because I love Newark and northern Jersey/ NYC. Can you share why you regret it?
Hi🙋🏾🌉
Truly individual experiences will vary. As for me, I don't fit the demographics to be welcomed to SF. I'm Black Middle aged disabled poor Black woman. I lived in many major cities and this is the only one that actually hates & harasses people like me. I've lasted 4 years but it's been a struggle to make friends. Paranoid natives here and they want to push you to Oakland. I sat down at a table and was greeted by the manager with a water hose. It's not a a diverse city and it's not a nice city.
Don't do it dems have ruined this city
I love San Francisco 😭
Great video and valid information Raymond. You are right on in your description.
I love this content keep up the good work
moving to SF this august for college. really scary as i’m literally moving to the other side of the globe (international student) but this video made me so excited!! thank you for such a high quality and insightful video :)
Just stay away from the Tenderloin. Anything bad you've ever heard about SF is basically all about the Tenderloin. Like, don't even take a bus that goes through there! The 1 bus is fine and taking the Muni metro on Market street is fine, but the 38 or the 5 are not.
Aside from that, as long as you stay in the donut outside of the Tenderloin, you'll have a blast! Happy traveling!
@@TohaBgood2 I passed by it once just because I was curious and it was scary. But overall, the hilly city is beautiful -- just too chilly and expensive for me. Like San Jose more.
rip
@@denniszenanywhere I swear, SF is the perfect compact, walkable European, with great transit - as long as you stay inside the "donut" of cute neighborhoods around the Tenderloin. The Tenderloin is the donut hole. There's nothing good to see there.
I feel like the Tenderloin is the proverbial carpet under which SF has been hiding all of its nasty stuff for the last 150 years. As long as you don't go there you have a perfect SF day. If you do go there, your day is always ruined one way or another. 😁
@@xdxdhehe rip what? rip your cheap propaganda to shreds? 😁😁😁
I visited SF for my one year wedding anniversary with my lovely wife. It was fun, live and beautiful. Enjoyed every minute. Will be coming back!
Great vid, thanks Raymond
THANK YOU! He said it, Homelessness is not all over San Francisco. It’s just in one part and that’s the Tenderloin. Everywhere else is nice.
@Jimfromthedoors says the troll with 6 months on RUclips 😂
Nope: mission, SOMA, bernal height, north beach, or pretty much in 40% of SF
You’re crazy. It’s all over
It’s all over. Even in the Inner Richmond- geary blvd for example, homelessness is rampant.
The Mission , Lower Nob , Nob, even the Castro has a lot of them
I love how well rounded and nuanced this is. Subbed :)
Great video!! I agree with all you have mentioned
You are super logical and I love your voice!
Very perceptive but above all, refreshingly ACCURATE. (former resident of 41 yers)
you moved to SF the very year that my wife and I chose to leave (Berkeley) after having lived there for over 20 years. Me a native Californian, she an immigrant from the Philippines. Raised our two kids in SF and Berkeley and realized that if we actually wanted to STOP WORKING and retire, we couldnt afford to do it in the Bay Area...without continuing to work. So...off to the Philippines. Built a retirement home now free and clear, enjoying an affordable retired life, weekly massages, and yet...much like our pro and con series about SF, similar can be applied here. It ain't perfect...BUT...it's affordable and I'm NOT working. Cheers!
I can’t wait to see the interview!
I was born in Merritt hospital on Pill Hill in Oakland in '66. Grew up in Oakland and Piedmont. Dad lawyered in Oakland and then SF from the late 60s to the late 80s. I watched the Transamerica Pyramid go up from his office window at 650 California street when I was about 5-6 years old. I loved being an Oaklander and playing second fiddle to "The City by the Bay." Shopping trips over the bridge on a Saturday with my mom and my sister. DeYoung, Cliff House, Haight-Ashbury, Candlestick. Maybe Tadich Grill again for old time's sake. Shopping around Union Square and checking out Gump's famous Christmas window displays. BART home through "The Tube" and call it a day.
Excellent work. I lived there over 45 years and saw the decline among the flowers, but being gone now I am seriously relieved with the state of it now. YOUR work is exemplary good sir. Your diction is calm, clear and fluff less, you video work astounding to say the least and your copy is concise and to the point without gaslighting, salesmanship, hype, rhetoric or bias. Up vote and subscription. 'Whatever it is they ain't payin' ya enough.'
Great video with killer film and super to the point. We need more people showing light on San Francisco. While some things make so happy about SF, the cons are SO heartbreaking. With so many cultures, interesting neighborhoods, and such a mixed bag we need more people like you to bring the city TOGETHER and to grow. Way to express SF in such a professional and clear way, when sometimes it can feel like such a lost cause going out nowadays in the city. San Francisco isn't the media or just one thing, its one of the realest cities. Thumbs up!!
Great content! Surprised you don’t have more subs!
Lmao the loneliness part hit me in the chest😢😂
Are there not like a ton of Meetups available?
@@abhayamvasudhara6184 i mean you can go to bars and meet people and they do have bar crawls that you can pay to join
Really?!? I want to come there soon but I’m nervous
Cool video! Thank you for being honest and sharing your own opinions👍
Thank you for this video I'm born and raised in San Francisco the Tenderloin has had a problem with drugs and homelessness since the 1970s is corrected! It is a problem now because of all the tech companies surrounding the Tenderloin affecting the white people's establishments. Yes, it's true the cost of living is one of the highest in the country not everyone in the city is being paid a six-figure income. Yeah, other parts of the city are not as dirty as the Tnederloin the problem with the Tenderloin is that the majority of the homeless are being pushed to the Tenderloin and 6th street. The public transportation in San Francisco, I would say is one of the best the Muni runs every 15 minutes try living in states like Florida you looking at 30 minutes or more. True parking sucks and you could experience a car break-in from time to time, unfortunately. San Francisco, it's a 15-minute distance from anywhere in the city. Yes, building a relationship in the city is difficult if you are not part of a particular circle, like College or the tech industry it will be difficult!
thank you Raymond for your honest review of the city i have always loved.....San Fran is a one of a kind jewel and i'm sure it will always be. having lived in Los Angeles for the last 26 years, i visited San Fran many times. the only reason i never moved there is the cost of housing. as for homelessness....every big city has it and if one looks close enough...even smaller cities are dealing with it also....
you are correct on the walkability of the city.... one of my visits started in the Castro to the Trolly turntable to the pyramid bldg to the wharf to Giradellie area to Japan town and back to the Castro.
i really like your vocal delivery.....very smooth.
I've never been to SF but it looks so beautiful. I love architecture and San Francisco has so many awesome neighborhoods. The solution to housing prices is to build more housing, but im scared that would mean destroying some of this old neighborhoods.
I grew up in a suburb of LA that was built in the 50s. There were so many space age googie signs and buildings, kitchy dingbat apartments, and tiki themed apartments and bars. None of them were protected and over the years everything has been replaced with cheap modern buildings. The space age suburb I grew up in now looks like a regular boring suburb. The space age neighborhoods of LA no longer exist. I appreciate that SF protected their neighborhoods
Wait...you live in SoCal...but never been to SF? That's crazy, because SF is only like 5 hours north of you by car lol. Better explore your state & coast for that matter. From Vancouver BC to San Diego...there's so much to explore. West Coast Best Coast. 🤙
You should come here. It's an amazing and beautiful city. There are a lot of us tech bros out here though, so be prepared to talk about Saas, AI, chatgpt, y combinator, etc.
You won't appreciate it when you live there. It's full of needles, homeless people, traffic, no parking, thugs, crime and feces everywhere.
Just visited for the first time and absolutely loved it! ❤ Can't wait to go back!!
I absolutely agree with everything you said in your video 💯 I lived in SF for over 10 years… AND miss it DEARLY 😢 Loved it before, loved it then, love it now… love it always! 🌉♥️ Cons & all! 😍
Just came across your content, and glad I did. I worked at Just Desserts on Church St. In 97, lived in Pacific Heights in '99. City College, a " Friends" style living situation in Oakland. San Francisco is beautiful! San Francisco made me a leader!
As a native myself, everything in this video I agree with!
Yep, I know he _was_ from Sacto, but this was 100% on point!
The loneliness part hit hard, I always thought that moving to a big city would help, but that might not be true.
its the exact opposite. in small to mid sized cities there is more of a community feel. its easier to make friends and people generally speaking are happier.
Great video bro, lived in LA my whole life. Never been to SF but always wanted to go. Wasn't sure if I missed the boat due to con #5 but thanks to this video I think I'm planning a trip.
Awesome video. Thanks for making it!
If you are okay with the fog. I would move to the inner sunset/inner Richmond area. They have their own little restaurants, bars, etc. Also it is much cheaper and away from downtown SF. So it will be much cheaper, cleaner, and very very few homeless. Lived in inner sunset for 4 years. The muni runs right down the middle and my apartment which was a 1 bed 900 sq ft apartment had a barn garage parking spot all for $2500. Still pricey but it I split that with my gf. If you have money- I would live in North Beach.
yes and if you really need to avoid homeless, you move to china and japan town. they kick the homeless out with brooms and wash their streets
Thank you for this video. It somehow makes me feel a little better.
I am scheduled to move to San Francisco for a new job in a month’s time. Sometimes when I watch the news or some youtube videos, I get discouraged. Is it still worth moving to San Francisco?
As a *Native San Francisco Resident* the answer is *YES!*
It's still worth it😀👍💯
The people complaining about SF ain’t from here. They used the city during the tech boom and bounced when it fizzled out (most people knew already that the tech bubble was going to pop anyway)
Just pay attention and stay out the way, and you’ll be good. The bay is a beautiful place
@@jfungsf882 Thank you!
@@Too510 Thank you!
As a native, I say absolutely yes. SF is a beautiful city and I’m always proud to stand by her and call her home.
Great video. I enjoyed my recent visit to SF. Your analysis was spot on
I don't think you're right about the homeless situation- most of our homeless came from other places to take advantage of the favorable conditions here. If it were lower class San Franciscans being priced out of homes and thrown on the street, you'd see a lot more homeless Mexican-Americans. I agree with your comments about the dirty streets' proximity to the downtown/tourist areas.
I'm more of a Seattle guy but I love visiting SF & the Bay area every couple of years. In some ways we're crazy similar, in other ways we're definitely not. Here's to the Renaissance of the West Coast Cities...we're no longer in the trendy hipster era, but now we're in the "who really wants to stay here" era. 🥂
seattle is depressing
@@thecapricorn11 sure buddy. Sure.
its not!!??!? hahahahhaha the whole of washington state and oregon..... depressing@@misteriknow2069
Love Seattle! Considering moving there in the near future (if I can handle the gray winters haha)
@@ethanbennis do it! But I always tell people who’ve never experienced a “gray winter” to visit in the Winter months to get a sense of “real Seattle”. It’s not that bad. It’s cold, with drizzly rain and a lot of cool foggy mornings. I’m biased because I like moderate seasons, but I love the variety of weather. To me, a place that’s always sunny or tropical like Southern California or Florida is depressing since you can’t tell the difference between October and March. If I can’t see the leaves change color or wear a coat when it’s Winter or Fall then I’m not living there lol.
You did a great job with this. SF is a beautiful place to live, if you’re rich.
Super rich. I know folks earning 300k a year that just get by after taxes.
Spot on! Very accurate analysis.
Great video! What about the food scene! One of most diverse food scenes in the world.
This video is spot on. I love this city. Thank you for making this video.
I've been to San Francisco on several occasions from Bradford England. The main thing I can take away is how laid back everything is compared to where I come from. Good public transportation. Very live and let live and good communication from people when needed.😊
Thank you for this detailed SF output :)
I am soon visiting SF, cant wait
I love people that can be objective and not push their personal agenda on just tell it like it is
Good video!! 🎉
I pretty much agree with this video, I was born and raised in San Francisco and now reside in Sacramento public transportation in Sacramento Sucks. If you plan to move to Sacramento I highly suggest getting a car.
Hello from Hayes Valley. Spot on observations. Great video.
Great vid! Can you tell me where the shot at 10:27 is taken? Is it upper 17th st?
The corner of Duboce Avenue and Buena Vista Avenue East looking east.
Thank you all of this video relate to me on every level you said would like to meet you and take you for lunch this video was great for my trip to visit there unfortunately I rented a car
Well made video, thanks for the info. I’ve been considering moving to SF from Vancouver. Lots to like, I’m glad you pointed out the problematic areas are mostly contained to parts of downtown. That was my hunch after walking all over downtown SF and talking to my friends that live in Oakland and San Mateo. Would love to see a video about Oakland and Alameda if you ever get over there.
So why is all the retail leaving???
Pros: weather is nice
Cons: Everything else
Well done, I'd only add the cultural activities as a Pro. From the leading art museums in the country to opera and all sorts of local theater. San Francisco closely rivals NYC except in sheer volume of options.
Great video!
Dude, I feel you on the loneliness living in SF. While the loneliness is not as overbearing as living alone in NYC or Tokyo, SF seems to have a unique flavor -- its welcoming and sometimes unkind to everyone. That said though, I can't see myself living anywhere else. Living in the suburbs is soul sucking and living in a megatropolis makes one feel very small, San Francisco is just right for me. Thanks for making this video.
I was just there. Homelessness absolutely IS EVERYWHERE. I literally saw it in every neighborhood
"nuance overload" -- great phrase
This was a great video. San fran is a beautiful city aside from the inflated rent prices and homelessness problem (due to inflated prices for everything)
No, they’re homeless because many chose the lifestyle
@@alicelong3613some do some don’t. You can’t speak for all of them.
Thank you so much for sharing! I visited San Francisco back in 2017 and I really would like to go back.
I live in Boston and have always dreamed of moving to San Fran! I found this video very helpful and interesting, thank you!
Very Nicely Done Brother!!!!
Love living here, but ooff the loneliness. Especially now that my son is leaving for college. Single dad
Great video! Honestly as someone who has lived here only over 3 years, as I moved here right before lock down lol, I love it. I've lived in the Inner Richmond district area and don't see much of the "shit" the national media likes to push about SF. I am moving into the Tenderloin soon, but it is an area of the TL that is not "bad" at all. All of the TL is not created equal, some parts are "bad" with homeless, drugs, and drug dealers, but you can just look down a street and can tell that it's one of those. Honestly, If you don't engage with them they do not bother you. IDK I think SF gets a MAJOR bad rap from the national media making sound like it's a war zone and ppl are dying left and right and all that BS... no it's not. Most of the time SF is pretty great!
Definitely no bias in this video
Born and raised in North Carolina, I want to go there and visit, but I have heard so many crazy-bad stories about California but you best believe when I come I'm bringing my CCW with me. Whether they like it or not.
Thank you, Raymond, for this detailed information. Haven't been since 2018. I'm visiting in April ❤
1000% agree on the loneliness factor, especially being an east coast transplant introvert. SF appears to be a place where is it very difficult to make long-term allies with similar interests and hobbies. Not to mention the number of flaky people out there that say one thing and do the other. SF however is in fact a very walkable city, I love that about the city. I walk everywhere!! Also, $30 for a pizza pie here blew my mind when I 1st moved to SF in 2015. Anyway, this video is pretty much spot on. 👍
Just returned from SFO last week and really enjoyed that city. Pleasantly surprised by how clean it is compared to other major US cities Ive been too, and yes homelessness is pretty much concentrated in the Tenderloin area. Will surely visit again.
The beginning quote is iconic
hi looking for help moving from miami whats the best area to live with a 3500-4000 budget for a 1 bedroom
If you want to be close to public transit, then go with either the Financial District (FiDi) or South of Market (SoMA). If you want to be close to culture, then go with either North Beach (AKA "Little Italy" with many Italian restaurants) or the Mission District (with many Mexican restaurants). If you want to live in a bedroom community, go with either the Richmond District or the Sunset District.
Russian Hill
Great video! I absolutely adore San Francisco. I haven't visited in almost 20 years. It's time to take my man and go back for another visit. It's sad though that I know it's changed a lot in some ways due to gentrification. Hopefully, it still has some of its charm via original small shops, restaurants and coffee houses as well as the traditional touristy spots.
We miss San Fran so much !!!!!!! And we are a couple from a small country within 🇬🇧 . 🏴
I’m a San Francisco Native Son of over 65 years. I’ve seen and experienced my City evolving over that span. While conceding some backward movement as mentioned in this video, on the whole, the City compares favorably to most cities in the country and the world. Our whole careers have been in nonprofits - we’re not tech moguls or doctors - and have our own family home with an affordable mortgage about one-fifth the cost of the average rent for a 1-bedroom. Yes, we bought years ago, but to paraphrase an ancient Chinese proverb, “The best time to buy a house in San Francisco is 20 years ago. The next best time is now.”
Biggest truth. Its a poopy place with merchants leaving over unregulated theft.
You explained everything very well ❤️🩹
Very precise and straight to the point. I love living here! If some other major cities in the US kept their homeless for themselves I read of “shipping” them to San Francisco, the problem wouldn’t be as bad.
Still, as you said in the video, it’s a walkable city with great a great transit system - and I there’s a feeling of belonging to that community since everyone is so close!
But I disagree when it comes to loneliness. I understand dense cities can be scary, but, San Francisco is, proportionally, probably one the cities with most cool people in the country. I feel that you’ll find here way more people that are smart, super polite, at the same time, fun! I am from another country and I was able to establish a very stable friendship network. Not only with other immigrants from my home country, but also with locals, US people from other places, immigrants from other places, etc.
It comes that the city is cosmopolitan, with a vibrant cultural scenario, with music, museums, events, and restaurants.
And the major con in the video, I couldn’t agree more: cost of living. But at the same time I feel like that’s relative. Companies pay people more in SF. Although the cost of living is higher, I feel like you make more money to the point to compensate a little of that through purchase power. Let’s be straightforward: what’s really more expensive in SF compared to other places is real estate (includes rent) and everything that involves that has more direct involvement of humans (of course, people will make more). But it’s not proportional. Let’s say a restaurant bill (hypothetical scenario, same food) would cost $50 in Nebraska, while, in San Francisco that is $70. But, the person in San Francisco makes 3x more money than the person in Nebraska. Plus, that $20 difference is very likely to be caused by labor cost, since, honestly, I don’t feel that groceries prices in San Francisco are wayyy more expensive than other cities. It’s a little more, of course, because real estate is more expensive, but, food prices are not super impactful such as rent. The fact is: rent here will cost you a lot. Probably the double than the national average. But… you’ll be getting paid way more. At the end of the day, San Francisco is expensive because, despite of its problems, there’s a demand pressure to live here and that pushes prices up.
Btw, locals don’t know how to value what they have. Not saying people should be quiet about the problems. The opposite: they should voice more! Very simple: instead of complaining about homelessness, the city takes zero action when other major cities in the country take the homeless here in buses. People and politicians stay quiet when an important residential project, which would provide lots of houses (like a residential skyscraper), doesn’t happen because a bunch of petty people around where the project would happen complain that it’s going to block their view (f*ck their view, it’s more housing). Anyways…
SF is a horrendous deal.
I think is worth mentioning, from my research on housing cost, the HOA fees are ridiculously high, more over on DETACHED SINGLE FAMILY HOMES!!
Born and raised in the city; grew up in nob hill next to the TL. Everything you said is pretty accurate. Yes, many stereotypes are overblown, but they're not exactly wrong either. Good video
Well sterotypes do not exist without some truth
It's funny when people think public transportation in SF is great. It's just OK. It's sufficient enough to satisfy most needs. But it's far behind many major cities. And oftentimes people compare the public trans to other US major cities. You have to compare it to international cities as well.
#2 con made me want to move to SF so we can be bros
I would also have hoped that there aren’t much issues in San Francisco, but someone who visited San Francisco at Market Street recently, has said that it is so different now than what it used to be before the pandemic, with lots of businesses boarding the windows and dirtiness everywhere and human feces on the ground, and many businesses having shut down! It is very sad because I would also occasionally go to Market Street few years ago when I lived closer to SF, and I would go to the mall and especially because I worked in SSF, by which I would often not take the BART from there to save up money in the afternoons, especially on Fridays and Saturdays.
You're blessed with a very beautiful, distinct voice.
I’m pretty surprised you left out the Golden Gate Park!
The one stupid thing about public transportation is that in big cities, many of most bus drivers will break the bus company rule that prohibits bus drivers from taking off while entering passenger is still standing in front forward of the front safety line, and the bus drivers claim they aren’t prohibited from doing so, but they lie only so they don’t get in trouble, but it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be reported nor that you should take their word for it. That used to be very common for VTA buses, at least for the south section of Santa Clara County. I informed the lead manager of the bus company about it, about many bus drivers breaking that rule liberally, and they took care of it almost immediately. I helped cleaning up the remaining mess by reporting the few bus drivers afterwards that continued breaking that rule. It helped keep it down virtually to a zero level occurrence almost immediately from there! But that is just one bus company of course. Bus drivers tend to break that rule in big cities because they feel they are pressured, which I don’t think they should be, because punctuality should never be put at a higher priority than safety. That remains a huge issue in bigger cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City I am sure. If I could crack down on those occurrences, I would, but there is no reason to go there just to take the bus if I have nothing to do there. That would be on the people there to take care of eliminating that problem by escalating it to the management team of the bus company.
Where was @7:05 footage taken??
I believe it was on the North Lake Bridge.
@@RaymondStone Very underrated video, I worked in SF for a few months and everything you said I noticed is on point. Debating on moving there, only for a yr or 2.
Great video. I will never understand the appeal of huge cities. I like remote nature. But watching on my phone is interesting. Back to my trees now...
Ray, spot on! ive been to The City many times...a) repeal Prop 47 b) take down The Leaning Tower c) $1 pizza like NYC d) bring back Bullitt e) get Arnold to visit he'll figure it all out
Prop 47 - yes. The leaning tower was already fixed. $1 pizza - with our housing only possible if you're into slave labor. Bullitt - sure! Arnold does visit some times. He's got a few businesses that he owns here.
Not much that you can do about SF's issues but to build a ton of mid-rise housing to reduce prices. The we need mandatory services for the addicts and/or mentally ill that the red states keep dumping on us. They tried sending them back too, doesn't work.
Nice vid about San Fran. I wouldn't go there if I was paid. Glad you think it's great
I've lived here for about sixty years now. Married, five kids, seven grandchildren, three homes, two advanced degrees and a billion wonderful memories. Here's my opinion, if you belong here, San Francisco is magic and awesome and wonderful. If you don't belong here, it is brutal, mean, condescending, rude and painful. You'll figure it out.
I just subscribed. What a big improvement to go from cow town Sacramento where Trump Supporters pop out of every corner, say something racist and then claim “No I didn’t mean it like that” to SF where people most of the time don’t bring up politics unless someone else brings it up. SF is Beautiful and I feel terrible these nuts in right wing media keep trashing it. Big Ups to you my friend ☺️
Oh, come on! Sacto ain't that bad! They cleaned up the downtown areas. Old town is properly pretty. They have light rail!
You sound nuts
I agree as well 😅
Back at the turn of the century it was a metro the size of a fish bowl with 5 million, great weather year round, super friendly people, great jobs(I was a class A sheet metal fabricator), but the parties were the best thing.😊
Thank you, it is still my favorite city.
I am 60 living in Asia which is NOT lonely. But after going to back to Bay Area and LA after being gone 5 and 4 years--did not even set foot in the USA for 4 years--I found California/Bay Area/LA/USA very lonely, unsafe and falling apart...At 60 almost 61 starting over as a single older man this seems like a bad idea
Is it ok to be there for a week for client visit? I am from India.
I mean from safety point of view