‘stro

I was walking home from the gym the other day and snapped this shot. I didn’t put any real thought behind it. It was just a quick pic of the gaborhood. It was a typical overcast day in SF.

Apple guy and I had had a conversation about his pending move back to Texas and I was reminded of my first time here. While he is very happy to be moving back, I couldn’t imagine ever moving back to Texas, by choice. He doesn’t hate it here but I think because he never quite gained a strong financial foothold, he has become frustrated. There are also many things about the South that I guess he misses. I don’t necessarily think his views are overly objective but that is irrelevant. Finding a place to truly call home can be a strong drive in one’s life, I can speak from experience. I wish him all the best.

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It was about 13 years ago that I got my first visit to the motherland, aka the Castro. lol It truly was love at first sight. I can remember arriving here in wide-eyed wonder, not knowing what to expect. There was a moment on my 2nd or 3rd trip here where I was just walking down the street and it hit me, “I want to live here!” Jump forward about 2 years and I made the leap permanently. It was nothing for me back then to just pick up and move somewhere. Hell, I didn’t have much so it was easy. Fast forward again to present day and I’m still in love with beautiful SF. Make no mistake it has it’s issues. It certainly isn’t for everyone and can be very hard if you don’t have a stabile financial situation. I was told many times I’d grow to hate it, become jaded, callous, and uncaring, or end up strung out on drugs. None of which has happened. The only down side is my dreams of home ownership here are on hold because of my current financial crisis. Ironically, said crisis had nothing to do with SF itself.

I bounced around a lot in my life before landing in SF. I think I was looking for a place to fit in. I never felt truly at home anywhere else. Having landed here and formed roots, I’m glad it happened and have not regrets. I know that I’ll eventually get out of my current financial hole. Maybe then I can focus on home-ownership again. If not, it won’t kill me. Either way, I’m home.

5 thoughts on “‘stro”

  1. Dear Ron –

    Hang in there. It took me 16 years before I could leave Houston (where we met) and move to my special city. I love it here and like you, I can't ever imagine leaving it. I hope all things work out for you.

    big hug

    -b

  2. It happened to me too, around 1990. Born and raised in So Cal, I made friends in SF and knew in those first visits that I was home. Finally made the big move in 2000, and in the 12 years I lived there, there wasn't a single day that I didn't get goose bumps or a big swelling in my chest for the love of my chosen home.

    Last year, I moved to Paso Robles to care for my ailing soulmate. She's on the mend, and when she's back on her feet, I'll come home. Back to my friends, my life, my Fair City.

    During my last visit, I got to sit on Tank Hill and watch the Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary fireworks surrounded by my chosen family. When Tony Bennett broke into "I Left My Heart In San Francisco," I blubbered like a baby. Those lyrics never rang with more truth or meaning.

    Thank you for your post. So glad that you're home.

    Drew

  3. I could never live in the south. Been there enough times to confirm that it's not for me, though I haven't been to Atlanta yet.

    NYC is my destination. I belong there.

  4. The appeal of the South is affordable housing, robust economies (Texas, other oil states), nicer climate, air conditioning and GREAT football. SF can be chilly, rainy and foggy on many days. Paying $800-$1,000 a month for a mortgage on an 1,800 sq ft house with a nice fenced in backyard and private driveway is very attainable down here. With low corporate, personal income, and property taxes, new businesses with high paying jobs are much more likely to locate in Texas or Louisiana, than cash strapped California or San Francisco. That's a reality that Apple Guy probably discovered.

    @Brettcajun ~ While Texas certainly has seen growth, you're a bit off on your figures. The GSP for California is almost twice that of Texas. Texas has some of the highest property taxes in the nation but they do have nice low corporate taxes (excellent news for Halliburton). Texas ranks 25th in the nation for personal household income, well below the national average and has the highest energy usage per capita with 12 million people less than California. And comparing Dallas or Houston to San Francisco, either have almost double the number of people living BELOW the poverty level compared to SF. Last and most important to me, I have 10 times as many rights here. Thanks but I'll tolerate a few extra days of fog and stick with Cali.

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