"I used to live here"
From Up in the Valley, a photo blog by someone who used to live here.
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| Dogs and bikes are ubiquitous in the new SF |
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| They’ve built the two tallest apartment buildings on the coast
Thanks to New Geography for the link.
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Labels: Highrise Development, Housing in the City
posted by Rob Anderson @ 11:34 AM
13 comments
13 Comments:
We still own property in San Francisco (Thanks Prop 13) but now live in a much larger eastern city for work reasons. What I have noticed when talking to my friends and co-workers after they visit San Francisco is that their reactions are not what San Franciscan's keep telling themselves they should be. When I gush and say "wasn't it beautiful??" they respond with comments of shock about how "dirty" the city is, as well as the problems of homeless, crime, and just civic madness. They feel the public transportation is "awful", and believe it or not, many now tell me they would not "want to live there". When I lived in San Francisco in the 80's, 90's and early 00's, all my visiting relatives and friends would tell me how jealous they were of my good fortune to live in San Francisco and how they wished they could live there. This is no longer the case.
Anonymous, my impression too. No one I've talked to wants to live there, because it's so crowded and the rents are so high! We are still scratching our heads over why the rents are so high even though none of us want to live there!
They feel the public transportation is "awful"
When I lived in San Francisco in the 80's, 90's and early 00's, all my visiting relatives and friends would tell me how jealous they were of my good fortune to live in San Francisco
Interesting. MUNI was *substantially* worse in the 90's. Not even close. Now, suddenly, with better MUNI service, it's awful.
after they visit San Francisco is that their reactions are not what San Franciscan's keep telling themselves they should be. When I gush and say "wasn't it beautiful??" they respond with comments of shock about how "dirty" the city is, as well as the problems of homeless, crime, and just civic madness. They feel the public transportation is "awful"
How would they know about the public transportation? Everyone knows that tourists all arrive and get around by private car.
Most tourists do in fact get around the city by car, though many also use Muni, especially the cable car and the F-line streetcar. Funny but there's no mention of bicycles on page 10 of a survey of visitors to the city by the city's tourist organization.
Yet these companies are making more money than ever. How can that be?
http://www.blazingsaddles.com/san-francisco.aspx
http://www.bikerentalsanfrancisco.com/
http://bikethegoldengate.com/
Funny how there's so many bike rental places in the touristy areas of SF even though tourists only use car and occasionally Muni. Must be the SFBC subsidizing them for appearances' sake.
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=bike+rental+near+San+Francisco,+CA&hl=en&ll=37.805105,-122.416888&spn=0.009469,0.01767&sll=37.269174,-119.306607&sspn=19.489934,36.188965&hq=bike+rental&hnear=San+Francisco,+San+Francisco+County,+California&t=m&fll=37.803647,-122.420129&fspn=0.009469,0.01767&z=17
Rob I love how you cite current mode statistics as if they'll never change. If you lived in 1890 San Francisco you'd be bitching about all these newcomers and their automobiles. "We shouldn't design our streets for the 2% of motorists when 79% of us are riding our horses!!"
More funny links from the city's tourist organization
http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/todo/bay-city-bike-rentals-and-tours-211369401.html?cid=
http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/todo/blazing-saddles-bike-rentals--tours-211364741.html?cid=
http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/todo/9-Things-For-Less-Than-9.html?cmp=todo_9thingstodo_VPG
"If you lived in 1890 San Francisco you'd be bitching about all these newcomers and their automobiles. 'We shouldn't design our streets for the 2% of motorists when 79% of us are riding our horses!!'
You're suggesting that someday bicycles will be as significant as automobiles are now? After more than ten years of anti-car, pro-bike propaganda from City Hall and the Bicycle Coalition, cycling is still only 3.4% of all trips in the city, there are more than 460,000 motor vehicles registered in San Francisco, millions of visitors drive to and around the city every year (tourism is our largest industry), and more than 35,000 commuters drive into the city every workday.
Muni is the only realistic alternative to driving for most of us, and it has 700,000 boardings every workday.
City residents are more likely to go back to horses than take up riding bikes.
I meant to include a link to the DMV's count of registered motor vehicles in San Francisco.
Muni is the only realistic alternative to driving for most of us, and it has 700,000 boardings every workday.
Realistically - I do not want to be late to work, MUNI is no alternative. I do not want to sit next to drunken stinky hobos, MUNI is no alternative. Realistically, MUNI riders are typically lower class poor losers, MUNI is no alternative.
"Realistically, MUNI riders are typically lower class poor losers, MUNI is no alternative."
Yep. Car drivers are the most important people in SF because they are the richest. Let's make sure they are prioritized above the hobos and losers who ride Muni, and definitely above the motley crew that ride bikes.
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