SF - ideas on where to live?

rice

Duke status
Jul 2, 2002
24,304
1,801
113
CA
Every time I drive Highway 17, I feel like I'm going to die.

"According to several sources, the number of serious and deadly crashes on Highway 17 has more than quadrupled in the last decade. In 2016, for example, there were 983 crashes, as compared to 420 in 2013. This increase has led locals and news outlets to name it one of California's most dangerous highways. :
I went to SJ State for 2 years while living in Santa Cruz, and went over 17 5 days/week. Mostly took the bus, so that helped. If there was a huge accident, at least I could study, or sleep...

Drove it a lot too, though; I thought driving it was kinda fun.
 

Bob Dobbalina

Miki Dora status
Feb 23, 2016
4,258
4,652
113
But, what is SF truly like now...like in the past 5 years? I have not been in probably 10 years, but can you still go walk downtown without having to step over homeless people and crap like I read on the factual internet...?

I love living here. It's tough right now, but I'd reckon it's tough in every major city. I have a job, I have rent control, I walk around my neighborhood safely and love being able to interact with some of my neighbors and merchants.

Homelessness and drug addiction are a problem, as they are in most major cities, and it's become more and more apparent this year. Many cities deal with this by shuffling people around, criminalizing addiction and homelessness, locking people up, and SF seems to be trying to address it in the open.
Is it working? I don't know. It doesn't seem like it. Do I have answers? no. Would I feel differently if I owned a business near the Civic Center, Market, or Tenderloin, East Mission instead of Russian Hill? Probably.

I drive down Hyde to get to Physical Therapy and once you get into the TL -> the encampment at City Hall it's kind of an epicenter of a lot of the concern. It reminds of of Hamsterdam for those of you that watched The Wire. It feels as if open drug use and sale has been allowed within a certain radius. But open drug use and sales are not looked at the same way when the users are blowing lines off the bar in the Marina, or people are passed out on pills and booze inside an apartment building, rather than on the street.

I applaud the fact that SF seems to be acknowledging that old solutions aren't really solutions, but I'm not sure how well it's working. The most salient answers always seem to be that the "answer" is investment in communities 20 years earlier. Schools, after school programs, jobs, loans for minority businesses, affordable housing with outreach services imbedded, etc.
 

PeterDj

Legend (inyourownmind)
Jul 11, 2018
467
340
63
You see allot more RV's parked along the roads near OB. They would drain their septics tanks into the sewer giving us the distinct SF aroma. In a weird way the plague has been a good thing to keep crowds down. My friend did find a couple dead bodies in car parked near Noriega, overdose of course. It's a quick drive down Fulton or Lincoln to get to OB. Sometimes I would drive through golden gate park just because the traffic is light, which is pretty much unheard of during the weekends. Walk over to beach chalet for burger and beer after a surf, you have to wait in line for a few minutes to get covid checked, but it is still way faster than normal tourist crowd. I kind of like the covid for what it has done to the city. Big crowds are not my thing. Too bad it's a la nina year and the surf has been a bit meh so far. But, swells have picked up the past couple weeks so take advantage of the light crowds while you can.
 
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Woke AF

Tom Curren status
Jul 29, 2009
11,437
7,748
113
Southern Tip, Norcal
More than once I have seen people on the sidewalk-
shooting-up
take a dump(there is an open public toilet within 100 yards)
take a ****
not stepping in dog and occasional human sht is a daily concern.
-while I walk a couple of blocks to the beach.

I have seen the city and Rangers harass the homeless with sweeps. I noticed today they removed the camp at Kellye Cove. Have seen plenty of Outreach workers. They used to have ex-cons man the public bathrooms and sweep the streets, they were pretty diligent workers.
I don't know what else the city does but it is not enough. This city has a pattern of starting a program and after a short while, stop funding it. Plant some trees and stop watering and caring for them.
 

Woke AF

Tom Curren status
Jul 29, 2009
11,437
7,748
113
Southern Tip, Norcal
You see allot more RV's parked along the roads near OB. They would drain their septics tanks into the sewer giving us the distinct SF aroma. In a weird way the plague has been a good thing to keep crowds down. My friend did find a couple dead bodies in car parked near Noriega, overdose of course. It's a quick drive down Fulton or Lincoln to get to OB. Sometimes I would drive through golden gate park just because the traffic is light, which is pretty much unheard of during the weekends. Walk over to beach chalet for burger and beer after a surf, you have to wait in line for a few minutes to get covid checked, but it is still way faster than normal tourist crowd. I kind of like the covid for what it has done to the city. Big crowds are not my thing. Too bad it's a la nina year and the surf has been a bit meh so far. But, swells have picked up the past couple weeks so take advantage of the light crowds while you can.
the crowds are down:crazy2:

I don't know which San Francisco you speak of but not the one with the big orange bridge. during 2020 3/4ths of the surfable days look like Huntington Beach crowds,

most tourists are gone but so what.
 

PeterDj

Legend (inyourownmind)
Jul 11, 2018
467
340
63
the crowds are down:crazy2:

I don't know which San Francisco you speak of but not the one with the big orange bridge. during 2020 3/4ths of the surfable days look like Huntington Beach crowds,

most tourists are gone but so what.
Compared to last summer, it's like a dream. Last summer was a crazy kook festival. Fall/winter swell typically does its own job of filtering out people, crowds are never a problem. Most people who do manage to make the paddle out just float around and maybe catch one or two before getting tired. If you are in good shape, you have free pick on any wave for the most part.
 

Woke AF

Tom Curren status
Jul 29, 2009
11,437
7,748
113
Southern Tip, Norcal
Compared to last summer, it's like a dream. Last summer was a crazy kook festival. Fall/winter swell typically does its own job of filtering out people, crowds are never a problem. Most people who do manage to make the paddle out just float around and maybe catch one or two before getting tired. If you are in good shape, you have free pick on any wave for the most part.
you are clueless. you sure you are talking about Linda Mar?
how bout you stay in the east bay, mkay.
 

Leaverite

Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Dec 19, 2017
7,924
1,092
113
Central Cal
Every time I drive Highway 17, I feel like I'm going to die.

"According to several sources, the number of serious and deadly crashes on Highway 17 has more than quadrupled in the last decade. In 2016, for example, there were 983 crashes, as compared to 420 in 2013. This increase has led locals and news outlets to name it one of California's most dangerous highways. :
When I was a kid growing up HWY 17 on the San Jose/Los Gatos side used to be a three lane HWY. The middle lane was for passing, in both directions. They called that stretch "Blood Alley". No barriers between oncoming lanes at all. It was a truly scary road to drive at night.
 

SurfFuerteventura

Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Sep 20, 2014
8,404
4,580
113
Ribbit
When I was a kid growing up HWY 17 on the San Jose/Los Gatos side used to be a three lane HWY. The middle lane was for passing, in both directions. They called that stretch "Blood Alley". No barriers between oncoming lanes at all. It was a truly scary road to drive at night.
That's when we used it as a street racing venue, 1st to SJ buy some vietnamese food and back to SC won $500.00.

Made good money in my hopped up 74 240Z!!!!
 

Leaverite

Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Dec 19, 2017
7,924
1,092
113
Central Cal
That's when we used it as a street racing venue, 1st to SJ buy some vietnamese food and back to SC won $500.00.

Made good money in my hopped up 74 240Z!!!!
The three lane was gone by 74. It was 4 lane then but no barriers between east and west. HYW 1 back in the 60's in Santa Cruz county was the same. Between Freedom Blvd and Watsonville it was three lanes and the middle lane was for passing in both directions. Once you got to Watsonville, HWY 1 went right through the middle of town. All the stop lights, then Salinas rd to Moss Landing. Then in Seaside it was right through the middle of town again.

It used to take a good chunk of your day to go from Santa Cruz down to Pacific Grove/Carmel.
 

bluengreen

Michael Peterson status
Oct 22, 2018
1,763
4,641
113
SF x Encinitas
In my experience, crowds are a little lighter. But i've never had a problem finding a relatively empty peak on a weekday afternoon in winter when its 6+ feet. I checked Taraval today at around 3:30 and there were two guys out, light onshores, and solid 8-10 foot sets rolling through. I thought, ahhhh... that's why I love this place. See you tomorrow, OB. XOXO