Why the move? My hypothesis
I hypothesized that if I moved to SF, I would have a new playground to shake things up. I felt like I was too comfortable and stagnant in LA. I felt like I was in a bubble, coddled and never making my own decisions. It felt repetitive. I needed a new perspective and space to make my own decisions. I believed that an environment change was necessary to grow out of my shell.
I only knew a couple here in SF. I knew I would be forced to go out of my way to meet new people and make friends. This force of going out of my way would push me beyond my comfort zone to explore and try new things.
The second reason is to be a bit closer to tech. LA's tech scene is small. LA caters to a different industry, and most of my friends and family weren't in the tech industry, so it was hard to find people that understood what I did. I'm not saying there isn't one; I frequented an awesome meetup in LA, but we all know SF for being the nation's tech capital.
What I've learned
I learned that SF is amazing. I felt an immediate shift in my mindset and a place I would like to be part of for the following chapters of my life. The whole experience was an experiment. In my first two months, I played beach volleyball every weekend, something I never did back home, then joining a fantastic co-working space / social club called Groundfloor after my first month to meet likeminded folk to expand my network and start making friends.
I took an exploratory mindset here, experimenting new things and being open to meeting with people. I attended various meetups from startup founder events, wine tasting events, and even an online dating workshop. I quickly realized that this openness, sharing my story of being new to this city, the willingness to explore and take on a pretty big leap resonated. The people here are incredibly friendly. It feels easy to strike a conversation here. Also a bonus is that they get you. Overall, I challenged myself to be open to new experiences and to try new things and be open to people. I like where I am and see myself living in SF longer.
What I like about SF
The people, the scenery, car independence (if you stay in the city), and resources for free or cheap things here are immaculate, I love the parks, and its tech centered so people typically get what you do - I am constantly inspired by the innovation and ever-changing landscape of the tech scene.
What I dislike about SF
My current district's micro-climate is the worst, being in The Richmond, its the coldest and windiest There are definately other spots in the city that have a gentler breeze and hangouts with the sun... mine does not.
Like you all may know SF is expensive. While I won't say I didn't know there is a definate adjusting to the higher cost of living. SF makes LA relatively affordable. Outside of rent, the gym memberships here are expensive. My gym is $125 a month and its not even fancy. My gym is the most convenient only being a 10 minute walk but that's me nitpicking as I could definitely go somewhere cheaper. There's just not as many retail gyms which are often the more affordable options.
Tip: you can use websites like these to keep you entertained and fed for low costs.
Struggles
While living in a new city opens you to a world of new, some struggles come with that. The weather, like damnnn, my first week here was hailing, flooding and raining everyday. I moved in on the first week of January. The weather was wilding out with constant threats of athmospheric rivers and tree's crashing down onto cars. But still, 6 months later, we have a June gloom. Our microclimates is something I'm adjusting to and while I've gotten more clothes that are SF appropriate weather, still not used to the 10 degree temperature swings and 10-20+ mph wind gusts after going one or two miles past the Mission. I just miss the consistent sun.
Another challenge is still the need for more consistency. I know I'm still new so that will come. I refer consistency with people I am always with, activities I always do or places I frequent. I've met some people who were already on their way out of SF. I am also on the move to a new spot in the city just as I was developing closer ties with my current housemates.
As adults, we begin to realize that friendships are also an investment. All our schedules are different, even if you work entirely remotely. While in LA, I went out with the same group of friends I met from college. While I haven't found a squad here, I realized that my values for who I want to spend time with have changed. We are all so busy with work and or with our own side hustles that we need to be careful how we spend our time and energy and who we choose to spend it with.
Some cool things I frequent / things I use to meet people or make friends
Some people may be planning on moving to SF or are new and want to find some cool activities they can frequent.
Groundfloor - co-working / social club in the Mission.
- I use this space as a co-working space during the day and a place to attend events after workhours or on weekends. They have an incredible community of people and various subclubs that you can be a part of - ski club, yoga, wine tasting, chess and others that you may be into. I recommend this place if you work fully remotely and want to attend events with a consistent group of people.
VOLO sports - rec league
- Rec League is also great for meeting people. I joined the dodgeball league not knowing a single person. It was a great way to meet people in something consistent (once a week). Definitely an easy way to make friends with my teammates We won our league this season and it was an enjoyable experience. It's always something I look forward to during the week. It can get a bit competitive, it's not overboard.
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- I attended some meetup events here in SF. Search anything you're interested in and there should be one. I've attended some startup networking, AI tech events and even casual ones like meetups at a park like Dolores park.
Conclusion
I love SF. I am grateful to be in a beautiful city with many talented and amazing people. The views are immaculate and something I should take more advantage of. My journey, like many other people, is a rollercoaster. Riding the highs and lows is part of life. I want to take more time to take advantage of the place I live in, enjoying what the city offers with its exquisite trails, scenery, and food. I highly recommend it if you are on the fence about moving to SF.
