San Francisco does as well. I'm going to sound like a rich white male when I say this, and it's not intended that way, but who do you think takes out the trash at all the tech companies? Where do those tech bros eat their meals when not provided by said tech companies? Who builds out all the tech companies' new offices? Who-- Oh.
The problem San Francisco seems to have is all the low and medium wage jobs appear to support the tech companies. There are few artisans and craftsmen in SF.
You can't really compare SF to LA, because SF is a tiny, arbitrary corner of a giant metropolitan area, whereas Los Angeles is a much larger equally arbitrary slice of another giant metropolitan area.
Anyway the point is that if you're going to compare SF to something compare it to a couple of LA suburbs, maybe Downtown + Hollywood + Bel Air or something.
Agree with you Hugh. Per capita comparisons are silly given the vast population differential. I love San Fran and am no basher here but the geography+zoning of San Fran makes it an enclave for the high income with no place for anything else. Unfortunately unlike Lake Wobegon everyone can't be above average income. Not sure if San Fran has applicable lessons outside its little zone.
I've been led to believe the exact opposite. Apparently web designers (they like to use fancier names these days) from SF spend all their time artisanally handcrafting websites.
Or live in Vallejo/Benicia/Fairfield for that extra $5 bridge toll
shudder I was thinking about it, there is one thing LA beats the bay area at - if you live an hour away from work, paying a toll is just an option (for high speed lanes, if they exist). In SF, you either pay the toll or you.. don't cross the bridge, because there's no other choice!
But growing up in the Bay Area, I never thought a 6 mile commute would take me 40 minutes on a day with horrible traffic. Thankfully, it's usually only 20 minutes!
Another thing about LA: The traffic lights are really the worst thing. Even the 405 during rush hour isn't that bad - just a typic freeway parking lot. I've seen 80 look just like it!
Now, for a uniquely Los Angeles experience.. here goes:
You're waiting about a block and a half from the next red light in evening traffic. Finally, the light turns green, but cars aren't moving. You need to turn left up at the intersection, but the left turn lane begins about 5 cars from the limit line.
The light turns yellow, and then red. Finally, the cars in front of you start moving again.
So you start moving, and wonder if you'll actually get into the left turn lane.... sadly no. There's 2 cars in front of you, and a cement median that keeps you from waiting in line.
Lather, rinse, repeat. The light turns green, cars move, you're finally in the left turn lane at pole position! In the midst of that you watched a handful of fed up people run the red arrow because they couldn't stand waiting 5 minutes for yet another green light.
All 10 counties have seen a housing squeeze. My point is the article doesn't distinguish between existing poor residents getting richer vs poor residents being displaced by new, richer immigrants. Both would produce an increase in average GDP but through different means.
Many tech people such as me strongly prefer Los Angeles over the bay.
The bay "way of doing business" really irks and alienates me - polite people who couldn't care less about you baldly lying with a smile; constantly appeasing you as if you're a docile imbecile.
It's deeply insulting and incredibly disrespectful. No sincerity, humanity or compassion - void of substantive human interaction. It's a process, not a person.
For example, at events there I'm a networking point in a social elbow running contest. I've had people turn away from me pretending I don't exist if I'm not connected with who they want. it means that the pleasantries of the social interaction was a total farce - the "personal connection"? 100% grade A bullshit. The acrimony and inhumanity of it disgusts me.
Makes me ill just thinking of it. What a dreadful place. Terrible 8 years of my life.
> if I'm not connected with who they want. it means that the pleasantries of the social interaction was a total farce - the "personal connection"? 100% grade A bullshit. The acrimony and inhumanity of it disgusts me.
This made me laugh. I'm not sure about the tech scene specifically, but LA in general has this reputation for the entire city & cited as the main motivation by everyone I know that has moved away from it.
>polite people who couldn't care less about you baldly lying with a smile; constantly appeasing you as if you're a docile imbecile
Same here. Was attempting to figure out if this was sarcasm or not. This is how I'd describe LA, with one small difference. In LA you're treated as if you're super cool, rather than a docile imbecile. Had to laugh.
When you picture the smiley glad-hands, admit it--you're picturing a movie producer. The further outside the entertainment industry, the more normal LA gets.
It does have that reputation. Presuming that being considered insincere is undesirable, I think people are keen to counter that urban mythos.
There's a combative culture here against the busybody with the bluetooth and latte discounting the people around them as an aberrant narrative.
LA has a culture of listening and compassionate attention if you reach for it. I was reaching for it for years in the bay but mostly found people pigeonholing me, not as an engaging human being but as a self-entitled bottomfeeder.
i prefer LA (specifically the west side) over SF for many reasons but i think you're going to find plenty of fake and/or disingenuous assholes in any major city, generally among newcomers and people "trying to make it". this is especially true of the conference/mixer crowd. it's full of dipshits and wannabes and hangers-on.
i've spent time in la, sf, new york and seattle and the demographic archetypes are largely the same all over the socioeconomic spectrum. there may be relatively more or less of each, but they're there.
the trick is finding and cultivating relationships with the good people, wherever you are. anyone can point out the assholes and complain about the 'people' in a city.
24 comments
[ 3.1 ms ] story [ 34.3 ms ] threadThe problem San Francisco seems to have is all the low and medium wage jobs appear to support the tech companies. There are few artisans and craftsmen in SF.
Anyway the point is that if you're going to compare SF to something compare it to a couple of LA suburbs, maybe Downtown + Hollywood + Bel Air or something.
I've been led to believe the exact opposite. Apparently web designers (they like to use fancier names these days) from SF spend all their time artisanally handcrafting websites.
:-)
Pretty much the ends of BART.
shudder I was thinking about it, there is one thing LA beats the bay area at - if you live an hour away from work, paying a toll is just an option (for high speed lanes, if they exist). In SF, you either pay the toll or you.. don't cross the bridge, because there's no other choice!
But growing up in the Bay Area, I never thought a 6 mile commute would take me 40 minutes on a day with horrible traffic. Thankfully, it's usually only 20 minutes!
Another thing about LA: The traffic lights are really the worst thing. Even the 405 during rush hour isn't that bad - just a typic freeway parking lot. I've seen 80 look just like it!
Now, for a uniquely Los Angeles experience.. here goes:
You're waiting about a block and a half from the next red light in evening traffic. Finally, the light turns green, but cars aren't moving. You need to turn left up at the intersection, but the left turn lane begins about 5 cars from the limit line.
The light turns yellow, and then red. Finally, the cars in front of you start moving again.
So you start moving, and wonder if you'll actually get into the left turn lane.... sadly no. There's 2 cars in front of you, and a cement median that keeps you from waiting in line.
Lather, rinse, repeat. The light turns green, cars move, you're finally in the left turn lane at pole position! In the midst of that you watched a handful of fed up people run the red arrow because they couldn't stand waiting 5 minutes for yet another green light.
Eventually, you get going.
The bay "way of doing business" really irks and alienates me - polite people who couldn't care less about you baldly lying with a smile; constantly appeasing you as if you're a docile imbecile.
It's deeply insulting and incredibly disrespectful. No sincerity, humanity or compassion - void of substantive human interaction. It's a process, not a person.
For example, at events there I'm a networking point in a social elbow running contest. I've had people turn away from me pretending I don't exist if I'm not connected with who they want. it means that the pleasantries of the social interaction was a total farce - the "personal connection"? 100% grade A bullshit. The acrimony and inhumanity of it disgusts me.
Makes me ill just thinking of it. What a dreadful place. Terrible 8 years of my life.
This made me laugh. I'm not sure about the tech scene specifically, but LA in general has this reputation for the entire city & cited as the main motivation by everyone I know that has moved away from it.
Same here. Was attempting to figure out if this was sarcasm or not. This is how I'd describe LA, with one small difference. In LA you're treated as if you're super cool, rather than a docile imbecile. Had to laugh.
There's a combative culture here against the busybody with the bluetooth and latte discounting the people around them as an aberrant narrative.
LA has a culture of listening and compassionate attention if you reach for it. I was reaching for it for years in the bay but mostly found people pigeonholing me, not as an engaging human being but as a self-entitled bottomfeeder.
i've spent time in la, sf, new york and seattle and the demographic archetypes are largely the same all over the socioeconomic spectrum. there may be relatively more or less of each, but they're there.
the trick is finding and cultivating relationships with the good people, wherever you are. anyone can point out the assholes and complain about the 'people' in a city.
Google l.a. population: 3.884 million
Google san francisco population: 837,442
also, hoards of javascript developers making 100k and more, so yeah...
Not sure why that pisses you off, but rage away.