Moving To San Francisco
What To Know Before Moving To San Francisco, Should I Move To SF? Reasons Not To Move In San Francisco, Moving To SF Tips, Is It A Good Time To Move To SF
Things to do in San Francisco each week… free via email.
Moving To The San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco is just one city in the Bay Area. Less than 10% (give or take) of people in the Bay Area live in San Francisco. If you are not sure where in the Bay Area to live, you might want to start off with this guide first.
Should I Move To San Francisco With No Money?
San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the United States. It’s expensive to live here even with a job and to move here with no money, it can be brutal.
If you don’t have an apartment or job lined up, you can easily spend tens of thousands of dollars just by forgoing days finding a job, paying for first month’s security deposit and first month’s rent and that won’t even cover things like food, furniture, utilities, transportation etc.
The people you may have heard who did this either did so years ago when it was cheaper, had a couch to crash on indefinitely, had no problem finding jobs or had some money saved up.
If you really want to move here, make sure you have a good job lined up (even then, those are not guaranteed with the current job market), have 6 months of living expenses saved up or have people you can stay with for a while.
Reasons Not To Move To San Francisco
Covid times were tough with isolation, lockdown, WFH, relocation and friends moving away, places closing up etc. but the city is great.
You will have to work hard to meet people but they are kind.
You will have to make time as this city is expensive and people work a lot
You will have to work on social skills as there are lots of introverts here
You will have to learn to read rooms, people etc. and cut of time-wasters
There is a lot to experience in the city and outside of it. A car helps but not necessary.
Some places are cold, foggier than others. Some places are better for more value and space vs more nightlife and dining options
Don’t rely on landlords and owners to advertise actual neighborhoods buildings are located in.
Dating is hard in San Francisco, but it’s hard everywhere. Women will have to be more proactive and guys will have to be more social and not rely on apps to do better. Most people who complain like to blame others, the city rather than address self-sabotage.
What Is It Like Living In San Francisco Right Now, Is It Worth Moving Here?
You can explore Marin, Tahoe, Yosemite, Mendocino, Big Sur pretty easily
There are lots of communities, but you will have to find them and make an effort vs just seeking to take from them
People can be genuinely nicer, but you have to learn to cut off time wasters and leeches.
There are lots of interests and hobbies you can indulge in find like-minded people to share them with.
Crime and safety have improved greatly since November/December 2023 (CHP interventions, less visible homeless, fewer break-ins/catalytic converters which peaked around 2020-2023.
Places are opening up, staying open longer. More events are happening than in years past (festivals, live music, street fairs etc).
Is San Francisco Safe?
San Francisco gets extra attention from conservative media outlets more than any other city. Yes, crime did get out of control during the pandemic but it did in a lot of other places.
Things have since improved in the last 2 years and most crime is from car break-ins, bike thefts, drug use, and the like. If you want to see where the major crime areas are, you can see them below and also see what kinds of crime occur more frequently than others.
Which Neighborhoods To Live In?
San Francisco is rather small but it is spread out and some neighborhoods are more isolated than others. It’s important to either know what your commute and lifestyle will be like before committing to a neighborhood unless you pick something central like Duboce Triangle, Lower Haight, Hayes Valley, Cole Valley etc.
Living on a major bus or BART line is key to save you money, time and headaches commuting to/from work. If you are WFH, it’s not much of an issue unless you want to be social, optimize chances for going out and meeting new people (more on that later).
Neighborhoods depend on if you want to minimize commute, maximize social life, want to be next to nature or want to optimize value. These are the biggest inputs people evaluate neighborhoods on.
Clients hire me to assess jobs, lifestyle, commute, goals and budget to help them figure out where to live.
Making Friends In San Francisco
Making friends in SF can be brutal if you are super busy, have mostly introverted/homebody hobbies, are not willing to go outside, WFH or are a solopreneur, live in a remote area or expect everyone to magically open doors for you, be bff with you because you downloaded an app or attended one event.
TL;DR: Moving To San Francisco
I am a firm believer in the notion that you make your own destiny. Most people come here for diversity, jobs, surrounding areas, or something similar. Those who bash it are usually those with their own problems i.e.
those with bitter attitudes,
incels who blame gender ratios rather than work on themselves (ratios are pretty even, FYI),
those who don’t invest in their communities,
those who lost their friends and lack social skills
It’s expensive, but for some it’s worth it. It’s best to visit and spend time walking in each neighborhood to see if this is for you.
The people who tend to leave San Francisco typically do so to buy a house, raise a family or lost their jobs.
Related reads:
Should I Move To San Francisco? Moving To San Francisco In 2025? Is It Worth Moving To SF? Moving To San Francisco Alone, Moving To SF With No Money, Moving To San Francisco With No Job