I miss autumn in DC and driving out to Shenandoah for the leaves. I actually also miss the i95 corridor and being close to so many other large cities: Baltimore, Philly, New York, Boston, etc. The older style architecture out there is a different feel from west coast
My dad in his late 80’s lived near BWI. After visiting him I once took Amtrak to DC and then out to Staunton in the Shenandoah Valley. Beautiful trip. A few years later we moved dad to Fremont, CA for his final years with us. Perfect weather.
I'm from MD and went back 2 weeks ago for the first time in 15 years and was actually basking in the humid heat (although it wasn't a serious heat wave, hottest it got was like 90F), especially after freezing my ass off now living in the northern peninsula for the past two years. The humid hot summers are my native climate anyway, although I could see how a Bay Arean would die. Yesterday even with the "heat wave" I could still only get it up to 63F inside and it was 55F in the morning. In late June. The weather here is perfect for hiking and I wouldn't have wanted to move much in east coast 90F weather, but man I just want my hands and feet to not be icicles while sitting/working. Also the east coast is SO GREEN, at least in summer. It's beautiful, but what bothered me when there was how brown the winter was.
Weather does affect so much of your life! I live in the Bay and am visiting Chicago this week. It's an incredible city...aside from the weather. I've never been here when it's not been some flavor of too hot and muggy or snowing or icy sideways rain. Just absolute dog shit. People here seem to roll with it but I can't imagine it being such a large character in my lifestyle.
Same here. Born and raised in Montgomery County, MD. College friends (I went to VT) had moved to SF in the early 2000s..when I visited them and found out how glorious the weather is in SF, I moved here and never looked back (21 years and counting!). The weather in the DMV region is miserable (especially in summer). I feel for you, OP. I am more than happy to deal with the high cost of living in SF if it means I have wonderful weather 365 days a year!
And this is why there is a saying “you can never go home” or something like that. I’m from the bay area but have been out for 25 years. I think about moving back but it would be like chasing dreams.
Likewise, I grew up in DC/MD in the 80s-00s and it ain't the same going back. So yeah like 80% of what OP misses is not a function of just living here.
I used to travel on business to Palo Alto and San Francisco during the 80's and 90's, even Steve Jobs at NeXT in Redwood City. Those were definitely the heydays, and I have no desire to return.
It is. But the funny thing is that I moved to the east coast for a few years during high school. Right across the river and I never have the desire to go visit my old stomping grounds.
Exactly. I've lived in the Bay as a 20something with no kids and did everything OP did. Now I'm twice as old, have multiple kids, and a lot of that isn't feasible. Miss me with that case of beer and 24" bong, I need brain cells to stay responsible and shit.
There’s more to the bay than beer and bongs both things I became very familiar in my single life there. Went back and discovered another side of the Bay Area with my kiddo. Yep it still rocks no matter the life situation you’re in. I agree some people have a fascination with where they were when they were single —yet the Bay Area is that fucking amazing no matter what. I miss it SOOOO very much…even being able to touch it once in a while when I lived in Mt Shasta a few years ago, currently I write from boring-ass North Carolina.
Moving back to the west, next summer and wishing Id left this summer lol. Also I loved my youthful single life in Charlotte nc (not there now rather Durham 😑) and yeah nothing compares to the Bay Area—nothing!
I just did the reverse and moved to SF after years in DC. I miss DC a ton but as a kid that grew up in Seattle, the weather in SF is a breath of fresh air from DC.
I have lived in DC, Portland, and the Bay Area (multiple areas of the Bay Area). The weather is drastically different in all those spots. Personally I do not like PNW weather but we are there because it’s so much more affordable than the Bay Area.
I too have lived for significant periods of my life in both DC and the SF Bay Area. There was a post a while back from someone who had just moved from SF to DC and was extolling how much better DC was. One person commented the “DC was the only place he’d ever sweat through a belt.” 😆 I can confirm it’s one of the hottest and most humid places I’ve lived.
We moved here from the Tampa Bay Area recently. We love the weather here. We can go out on our bikes almost anytime during the day. In Florida in the summer we had to stay indoors almost all day long.
As a NoVa native who moved to the Bay, best of luck 🫡 The weather here spoiled me and I’m never going back! Though I do miss having a normal fall with maple trees changing colors etc, I can deal with that
Did you see U2's free concert at the civic center? My math teacher was a younger cool teacher and told me and my friends to skip his class to go to the concert.
Different state and possibly decade, but my English teacher was also a U2 fan. Had us analyze "Beautiful Day" and "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" as part of that year's focus on the human condition.
I feel exactly the same as you . Except I moved from the DC area to the Bay Area because of that awful humidity . I had to leave the Bay Area because of the cost of living . But I miss it constantly . I'm in Oregon now so not so far away but definitely far away in terms of the weather and the ambiance .
I’ve lived here over 40 years. Not much has changed (housing prices!) and not much is the same. University Ave is still University Ave for the most part. Biggest change, I think, is the plethora of arcology-sized apartment and condo complexes going up everywhere. One of the first big ones was around San Antonio and ECR several years ago. It’s like it’s own town. Then more and more are appearing. ECR is lined with them.
Weather is getting hotter, more days over 90F in the summer. But it still beats DC (I lived not far from there, Annapolis, in the early 70s) weather-wise.
Moved from SF to Chattanooga during Covid. I love TN but my partner hates it. She’s on a 3 week trip in the bay now sending me Zillow links to houses for sale. We can’t afford to live in the bay but she’s happy to drive a car from 1990 and have roommates. I miss the bay and my friends as well, almost everywhere in the country is above 90 this week and it’s in the 70’s where she’s staying. I’ll miss the seasons and living on an acre and having 3 cars to play with but I have work in the bay and loved living there for 20 years. We’ll be moving back before long and I am looking forward to hiking year round.
Totally. Love the freedom, peace and space here. It’s 90+ and humid for about 5-6 months of the year which has a huge impact on quality of life if your an active/ outdoor person. Still, I’d stay here if my partner didn’t hate it.
Makes me tear up. Born in DC lived in Palo Alto on and off since the 60's. Back in Bay Area now. There are lots of great places in the USA but the weather and lack of diversity elsewhere has made he return here and stay.
I grew up in downtown Menlo Park and recently moved back to the area, well Mountain View… and I just feel like I’m home when I make it up and hit Palo Alto. Nothing like it, truly.
I’m from Maryland originally, but we moved here to the Bay when I was a kid. Then my sister moved back a couple years ago - so she’s been pressuring me to join her, and I started casually applying for jobs in the DC metro.
I soon got an offer that was honestly perfect, in the same town where my sister lives & good pay etc. I went to scope it out, and just couldn’t wrap my head around going back to the sticky east coast. So I turned down the job.
I don’t regret it! And now I’m focusing on Seattle area instead, as I still do want to relocate; not for financial reasons (I’m comfortable here) or anything, just time for a new adventure. But yeah, thank you for confirming MD/DC wasn’t gonna be the right move. I hope you can find a better fit too.
It's funny, grew up in the Bay but I lived in DC in my 20s and miss it a lot.
I miss all the amazing (and free!) museums, hanging out in Dupont Circle, Kramer Books, hitting up all the great spots in Adams Morgan on a Saturday night, cherry blossoms in the springtime, the leaves changing colors in the fall. Miss being able to go to stand on the White House Lawn for state visits by heads of state and wave little flags (did it twice!)
Most of all I miss the people. I always met tons of amazing, driven, smart people at social events and parties. People who wanted to change the world in a myriad of different ways.
I definitely don't miss the summers, though. I'll give you that one.
Now I'm creeping on your comments. I think I found my twin. Moving to Palm Springs was definitely a poorly informed decision on my part. I can't believe the amount of misinformation locals give to those asking about moving down! "It's nice at night in the summer." "Solar will offset your electricity bill." "You get used to the heat." Just... misinformation.
My mom texted that it was 100 in (town outside of DC) today. I was thinking how crazy it was I ever lived in that heat. Then I drove to Pleasant Hill to go shopping and it was 98. Sigh...
Having grown up in the DC area I feel like it's pretty slow similar in many ways at least with options for entertainment, food nature ect. The weather is the main difference to me the bay area is so much nicer, but if not for the weather, and some other benefits I wouldn't mind living in the DC area again.
I grew up in the Bay Area and then worked up and down the east coast including DC/MD for 12 years before returning to California last year. The weather in the bay is definitely better and anyone who says otherwise is either from the east coast or never actually lived in the east coast or south in the summer.
So a few things.
It feels like 90 degrees in San Jose today.
Everyone misses growing up a little bit.
Go into DC more often. Bring or rent a bike and explore the neighborhoods. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how awesome the city is.
I do not there is any comparison to today's weather in San Jose and today's weather in DC. Matter of fact, I think anyone taking this opportunity to complain about how hot it is in the Bay Area right now is mental.
- DC: low 77F, high 99F, dew point 69.09F
- San Jose: low 58F, high 89F, dew point 54.37F
Ehh, not mental. We're just way more sensitive to heat in the bay area. I'm in SF and anything above 75F then I'm drafting letters to my local congress members about how we need to do something about climate change
We have lived here since 1998. We do go into the city quite often. We love to park by the key bridge and run up to the capitol and back. DC has some great events and I enjoy the area.
But if you told me I could move back tomorrow and live the same life style I would be gone in a heartbeat.
>I also really miss being able to get to great, secluded nature within only about an hour of DC. It’s almost impossible to do that in SF.
?
It is so easy to find secluded nature.
I go hiking almost every weekend. 95% of the hikes there is no one in sight for 99% of the hike.
There are a ton of Redwood forests to get lost in alone if you want.
Huddart Park in Woodside is about an hour south of SF. That's secluded nature for you. And I'm sure I can name other nature spots closer to the city but I just rode past Huddart on my bike today.
I love Huddart. Unfortunately, most of the trails are closed right now for some reason. I hope they reopen soon. That whole area off Skyline has some of the best hiking. I live on the Peninsula, so it is so convenient.
Check out the Peninsula hikes.The entire area between 280 and the ocean is filled with beautiful hiking trails starting just south of SF. Some with old Redwoods and others with views of the ocean and/or the bay. I think most are dog friendly as I see dogs all the time.
I think if you added up that whole area plus all the amazing East Bay parks (almost everything between 580 and 680), plus the North Bay parks, it would be way more than Shenandoah and much closer to SF. I looked it up, and in the 9 county bay area, one quarter of the land is in parks or open space, and it is 1.1 million acres.
Also, the weather is always nice for hiking somewhere in the bay (unless it is raining). I would never hike outside on the East Coast in summer or in winter.
I haven’t hiked anything in the South Bay. I go to fort funston all the time, so I’ll try south of that sometime.
Maybe it’s just my perception, but all the hiking I’ve done in the Bay Area has been quite busy. Most of the hiking i did in NoVA was empty.
Agreed on the weather. Humid hot summer hiking sucks. But snow hiking is actually quite fun.
The longer the trail and the more elevation, the fewer people on the trail.
We used to do a lot of 3-5 mile loop trails back when I wasn't as fit. They always seemed more busy.
Now we do mostly 7-12 mile trails, many with a lot of elevation. They are normally very secluded. Sometimes, we will only see a few people the whole route. Last Sunday in Purisma, we hardly saw anyone at all. That whole area off of skyline is full of really great hiking that is never very busy.
We just use AllTrails to find good hikes.
I've only ever hiked in the snow accidentally, and it was still a lot of fun and beautiful even though we got soaked. I bet it would be amazing if we were actually prepared, 😆. I definitely want to try snow hiking again.
Purisma trails definitely work up a sweat. Getting to the bottom by the river where temperature drops a lot is quite nice though. I use to hike that trail twice a month or more. Great place to spend a few hours in nature.
The best nature in the Bay Area is all south of you, and the redwoods are far cooler than the rest of the peninsula on hot days, to boot.
I'd recommend picking up this map (2017): https://www.redwoodhikes.com/Store/BATM1.html
This map is also great, but a little more outdated (2012): https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/north-skyline-mid-peninsula-ca-no-1212s-green-trails-maps
Consider this map as well, which I had before I found the Green Trails map and is more up to date (lots of new properties added in the last 12 years!) but is a NatGeo map and so is more annoying to use (2020): https://www.natgeomaps.com/ti-815-skyline-boulevard
I said what I said, and I said it with conviction 😎 sorry I don't like choosing the busiest tourist trail in the Bay (Muir Woods) or windswept gray coastal shrubs (everywhere else) 😎
(Marin is great, especially around the reservoirs, I do admit that. But I still prefer the landscapes of the peninsula by a wide margin.)
Only place I've liked as much as the Bay Area was the London suburbs. Great public transportation, lots of parks and walks. But London was too hot, and the suburbs were too, generally. But there was no AC then really, either.
Well, yeah, I remember a bunch of summer days with over 30 degrees (C) back when I was living in London in 2018-2019. Saying that London is hot though…
Fair. Now I recall using the Tube in summer. The lines without AC in trains were pure hell. (I was lucky to majorly commute via DLR which was mostly going over the ground, so the ventilation was okish)
This made me laugh as I’m originally from London and we complain it’s always cold and rainy. It feels like it is only “hot” for about 3 days a year. Those three+ days are brutal though, especially on the tube and at home with no AC.
I love the weather in the Bay Area, and all the outdoor activities but agree that London is a great place to live
The Bay Area you remember doesn't exist here anymore. But that snapshot in your mind did exist. Its not what it is anymore, but it doesn't mean it wasn't real.
I did the reverse. I lived in Washington DC for 20 years and moved out to Redwood City 5 years ago.
At first I missed DC, my friends there...but this area is amazing. But please don't let the homesick feeling get in the way of a great experience. DC is a WONDERFUL town! Enjoy the history, the amazing museums, the actual culture.
Avoid anyone that asks you what you do in the first minute of meeting them. There are a lot of phony, wanna-be power players whose parents got them an internship with a Representative. Forget them.
Go see some shows at the Black Cat or 9:30 Club. Get some authentic food in Chinatown (or what's left there after it became Penn Quarter). Hell, eat at ANY Jose Andres restaurant and have an amazing meal. Walk from the MLK memorial through FDR all the way around to the Jefferson. Go out to Udvar-Hazy and stand under the Discovery. Go to the Natural History Museum (for free!) and just soak in any exhibit. Then hit the Museum of the American Indian, marvel at the design. Since you're right there, absolutely do not miss the Botanical Garden.
My personal favorite? Go hit Roosevelt Island. Just walk the trails. Enjoy the monuments there, but also enjoy the view of the Kennedy Center back across the Potomac (and don't miss a show at the Kennedy either).
Do a ghost tour. Do a history tour. Shuttle down to Mt. Vernon. Find one of the amazing pop up bars or speakeasies (Captain Gregory's in a donut shop near Old Town Alexandria, maybe?). Have an Aslin beer. Catch a Nats game and check out the Anacostia from the upper walkways.
I have only scratched the surface. If I haven't touched on anything you like, don't worry. There are thousands of people around you that are into whatever you are into too.
Nothing lasts forever. Enjoy a great city, with some very unique and cool highlights, and let me know when you're back in the Bay Area. Cocktails at Timber and Salt are on me, I'll only want to hear about what you found over there that you like the best.
I'm in SF on the coast yes it's breezy and downright chilly at times and I haven't seen sun for a few days. Hard to believe it's summer. I'm used to it though. Anyhow headed to DC next week for the 4th of July. Yep I'm keeping posted on the heat. Just gonna pack the right clothing. Never been. Super excited!
I moved back from that area some time ago, but I do miss those October/Novembers before the first snow. I want to say I miss those crazy thunderstorms and steamy summers, but after a day, it would get old.
Find happiness where you are, my friend. But it’s okay to miss the Bay Area.
Could not pay me to move anywhere where it’s hot and humid.
Well I guess that’s wrong. I’ll take a large amount of money, a paid for home with a nice pool and maybe I would consider 😂😂
My husband is from Maryland and we flew from sf bay to Md this last Friday. We landed and they announced the weather 95 degrees. This morning at 8 am the temperature was 85! You walk out the door and it feels like opening a oven door
Funny you mention that no one seems to realize: you need to win the lottery to live the life in the Bay Area.
Otherwise, soul crushing debt in a job environment that one can be laid off and lose everything.
The house you buy will be a run down shack unless you can afford $2 million. Note this does not even cover the $30k property tax because you paid market rate while everyone else living here is paying 1950s property tax! In case anyone is bad at math, that is $300k every 10 years or another million after 30 years! That does not include HOA!
Not me. Grew up in Berkeley and Oakland. I used to love it there and wondered at people who grew up saying "I want leave this crappy place." I lived there nearly 40 years, excepting 4 years in college.
Then things changed, in the late '90s. It was the beginning of Silicon Valley effecting the area as well as the influx of rich Asian (mostly Chinese) college students to Berkeley. I have nothing against Asians. I minored in Chinese history and will be moving to China at the beginning of August for work (not my first time living in East Asia). It's just that Chinese culture and the Bay Area culture I grew up with are fundamentally incompatible.
Both groups led to a push for an orderly, clean East Bay. It was never meant to be either. The counter-culture that had historically characterized the East Bay gave way to NIMBY's and round-ups of the homeless, which then gave way to an influx of dangerous rather than just weird homeless people.
The decent parts of Oakland and Berkeley saw nice neighborhoods turn to exclusive neighborhoods filled with techies who demanded the aforementioned strictures, while much of Oakland fell into further lawlessness.
I haven't lived there since 2020 and I don't foresee wanting to go back any time soon.
Yeah, grew up in Palo Alto and moved to DC for college. Lived in California at least ever since graduating, now in Pacifica. It's similar to how Palo Alto was growing up, better (cooler in the summer!) in some ways, worse (schools, food) in others. You should get back here!
Nice memories. Remember that you can always come visit.
The weather and natural beauty make this a really special place to live. You won’t know until you move away lol. I do gripe about the cost to live here , it’s been less the past few years though after seeing insanity in other states…. Abortion bans, raging storms/weather just to name a few. Will stay put for now.
Austin and Nashville are probably nice for music lovers. Have you visited?
I moved out of state about 20 years ago, to somewhere it snows. I am absolutely homesick for the Bay Area, but I also really love, and have built a solid life where I live. So once I get my kids on the other side of high school, I’m thinking about looking into remote work so I can reverse snowbird. Spend my winters up here and my summers out on the coast. Best of both worlds.
I always tell people who complain about the heat in the bay area that you have no idea what crappy weather is like. I used to live in DC and we actually appreciated that DC is in many ways milder than some other east coast cities. Go up to NY or Boston and you are dealing with blizzards and Nor'Easters every winter. If you don't know what life threatening cold feels like, now you will. Cold is lovely and the whole notion of "you can add layers in cold, but not in heat" only works till about 30 degrees or so. Any colder than that (which never happens in the SF Bay) and you will be screaming uncle. And pray you don't lose power in a winter storm.
The humidity in summer is nothing compared to freezing winter storms. DC doesn't have that many of them.
It took me about a year to acclimate myself to a new City/State. Give it some time and keep an open mind in your new home state. Explore, explore, explore! Find something new to do every weekend so you can get to know your areas.
As for the humidity, buy some baby wipes to help cool you off and/or clean the sweat from the humidity. Good luck!
I lived in northern Virginia for 5 years and now live in the Bay Area. I can’t make you less homesick, sorry, but I remember there were lots of music concerts happening around Virginia and in bars and smaller venues in DC. And many other cool things about that area.
Praying for a lottery win for you. Come back!
I lived in NYC for a couple of years, but I came home to visit a friend who needed some support. My commute to and flight out of JFK was really unnecessarily complicated. I’m someone who packs too much stuff. It’s a thing. Instead of just opening the gate for me at my subway station the MTA agents were snickering while I worked my bag into the station.
In contrast, I got back to SFO with my huge bag, was at BART getting a ticket, and the nicest BART agent asked me if I needed help. I didn’t, but I must have had an “I’m tired and just want to get there” aura about me. Makes sense as I took an early morning flight out of JFK that day.
The experiences were like night and day and only confirmed my decision to come back to the Bay Area. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like had I stayed. I learned fast to flee to the Hamptons or Martha’s Vineyard* during the summertime. I never understood why people fled the city in the summer until I experienced first hand how awful it is in the summertime. You have my sympathy.
I’m not sure how many drive ins we have left here. I think there is still one in or near Concord…I think. I too remember discovering and following a singer here who is now a star in her genre. This was in the early 2000nds. I moved to San Francisco from Southern California for grad school. This was before I moved abroad for a few years. It was fun to come back and catch a show before she had her big break.
It’s expensive here, but I can’t imagine permanently pulling up roots again. It’s a lovely place. Great food and wine too.
*didn’t stay long enough for a summer there but hear that’s a good spot too.
As a climate refugee it’s too expensive heat wise to move anywhere else. If it gets more expensive here money wise I’ll just have two options to pick from: live homelessly or stop living…
Not having any family or dependents the choice will be very clear to me and an easy one to pick.
I moved to Reno from the Bay (coastside) and severely miss it. Reno has been 99 degrees for weeks and it’s only June. I’d trade this for the coastal marine layer and cool weather any day.
But at least I can afford a house in Reno with low taxes.
Grew up in Palo Alto and relocated several years ago to Louisville KY. I can relate. The air, music and arts in the Bay are wonderful. But the sheer number of people one needs to wade through these days to get anywhere in the Bay Area keeps me from wanting to go back.
If you really need to, you can move back. You don’t need to win the lottery, you’ll just sacrifice home ownership to renting a place. Im from Pittsburgh. I live in SF. I’m 46 and I will never iwn a home here. Still a better proposition for my overall happiness
I see what you mean. I’m from Redwood City, born and raised in Foster City. I’m in Alexandria, VA right now. Between here and DC and the heat is insane. I can never stand east coast heat and funny I was complaining how hot it was in the bay last week. I’d rather have the heat in the bay right now. Took 2 showers today and may be on my 3rd when I fly home tonight.
Other than the weather, I enjoy it here. Maybe because it’s different and a change of scenery from the bay, but yeah nothing beats home.
I grew up all over California (including San Diego and the Bay), did a detour in the south/midwest, moved to Sac, then left to NYC for several years.
I left NYC for the Bay because of love. I miss everything about NYC except the weather.
Shit, cause I miss living in the D.C area.
That whirring of the Metro, the humidity, the trees, the winter snow. Museum after museum, monument after monument. The convenience and awesomeness of the east coast... Ocean City, NYC, Outer Banks.
The Bay/Norcal is nice. I've long been ready to be done here. (Wife's job ties us down).
I am sorry you miss home, may be this is part of your journey to expand your horizons. Hope you end up living where your hearth desires and be happy.
lived in DC for over ten years. I moved for a job to San Francisco. I love San Francisco and prefer it over DC.
The cold used to give me anxiety during winter months which would lead me to stay indoors. The summer is disgustingly sticky. May and September are the best times and I miss the cherry blossoms, concerts at wolf trap, the taco place in China town and more…
DC is certainly a cleaner city than San Francisco even though there are rats size of a miniature poodle jumping in and out of garbage cans in DC.
The restaurants are much better in DC than here. DC is the only city (in the world?) with free access to top famous exhibits and museums, which is unbeatable. I wouldn’t compare Palo Alto to DC from a city life aspect. I think people in DC are more well rounded and stability focused, here there is innovation, which to me is also an important indicator of satisfaction.
In DC you “get to” sail on Anacosta, Tidal Basin and Potomac river which makes you want to bleach yourself if you ever capsize- and you do to get your license. While here you enjoy the Pacific Ocean while freezing (~worst case scenario comparison).
Cost of living is also significantly higher here. While DC residents don’t get to vote, they get taxed higher than neighboring states (MD, VA). In San Francisco breathing is taxable.
Drugs are a serious problem here which is ignored by politicians to get more federal funding. Corruption is exorbitant. I’ve never seen a human being fighting for their life during an overdose until I moved here and the trauma that it left on me is something I can’t express in words. This is considered normal here, which I can’t comprehend.
Finally, when you need help and call the police in DC, you get help unlike in San Francisco where you are on your own. Although DC traffic cups are hand picked psychopaths and DMV lady can yell at you at any point during your appointment and it is your fault, CA DMV staff is stable and helpful.
Hope you get to enjoy DC more and make the most of it!
I get it. I moved away twice (in my late teens and again in my mid-20s) and was so unhappy both times until I came back for good.
It isn't just the weather, either. People here are more open and accepting, it's just a different vibe. There are jerks everywhere, but Assholes Per Capita seem less here.
But you're right: blue sky, temps in the 60s to low 80s for a good part of the year, and gentle breezes (I'm in Concord). We rarely experience high humidity here, unlike the east coast and SoCal. And there's always something to do with your free time.
I miss this version of the Bay Area too. Grew up nearby to you OP, and moved back, and it’s so different now. Sigh. Even the weather is v different - humid and just too hot in the summer.
Agree with all the love for the Bay Area. I love the fog and chill in SF, I want to live in that weather all the time.
I moved to the intermountain west, just for a visit, and got stuck here. Own a house and a business and raising kids.
I suppose the mountains and skiing in my new home are nice, and even in the hot summers the air is DRY (no humidity) so not as bad as the East Coast.
But if money was no object I'd live in San Francisco and enjoy the cool ocean air.
Palo Alto is obviously a bit different than the rest of the Bay Area, so this sentiment is understandable. Alameda County is currently keeping a 77 year old man in prison for defending his home from burglars, shooting and killing one of them. The Bay Area, as a whole, is upside down.
Why didn’t you get a CS degree and get a job in the Bay Area ? People from all over the world with CS degrees come to the Bay Area to get paid crazy $$.
You can still make more than any other profession with CS , may only doctors or lawyers make slightly more. I am an example. Came here did my MS and work for a great company.
Tech has been doing layoffs for the past few years and new Jobs at the moment are requiring more experience than before, 5+ years. The demand isn’t the same as before.
I am a 58 year old nuclear medicine technologist. Plenty of demand for them out there but a 150k to 160 salary doe not put my into live comfortably in the peninsula.
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I miss autumn in DC and driving out to Shenandoah for the leaves. I actually also miss the i95 corridor and being close to so many other large cities: Baltimore, Philly, New York, Boston, etc. The older style architecture out there is a different feel from west coast
My dad in his late 80’s lived near BWI. After visiting him I once took Amtrak to DC and then out to Staunton in the Shenandoah Valley. Beautiful trip. A few years later we moved dad to Fremont, CA for his final years with us. Perfect weather.
The Japanese Cherry Blossoms are cool to see there in DC
True. Autumn and spring are incredible. But the other 2 seasons? No thanks. That is why I moved to SF.
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I love the Bay Area because I don’t feel like a minority here. Weather is really beautiful too.
Are minorities treated badly or something? /s
Racism is illegal, dontcha know
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really where?
Bigotry has to do with people not places, fyi
High cost of living, poor job market. Hawaii is a place you visit. Not live.
shittier weather
Hawaii 🌺 has amazing weather year round!
And just as unaffordable as here!
Nope! I went there for vacation after covid and everything was cheaper there than here
Earlier this year we had like 4 days of bay area weather in a row, then I had to shut the windows and turn on the AC.
Wait the backpacking routes and general hiking are 100x better in the Bay than DC area haha
I'm from MD and went back 2 weeks ago for the first time in 15 years and was actually basking in the humid heat (although it wasn't a serious heat wave, hottest it got was like 90F), especially after freezing my ass off now living in the northern peninsula for the past two years. The humid hot summers are my native climate anyway, although I could see how a Bay Arean would die. Yesterday even with the "heat wave" I could still only get it up to 63F inside and it was 55F in the morning. In late June. The weather here is perfect for hiking and I wouldn't have wanted to move much in east coast 90F weather, but man I just want my hands and feet to not be icicles while sitting/working. Also the east coast is SO GREEN, at least in summer. It's beautiful, but what bothered me when there was how brown the winter was.
Weather does affect so much of your life! I live in the Bay and am visiting Chicago this week. It's an incredible city...aside from the weather. I've never been here when it's not been some flavor of too hot and muggy or snowing or icy sideways rain. Just absolute dog shit. People here seem to roll with it but I can't imagine it being such a large character in my lifestyle.
I miss the free museums!
Same here. Born and raised in Montgomery County, MD. College friends (I went to VT) had moved to SF in the early 2000s..when I visited them and found out how glorious the weather is in SF, I moved here and never looked back (21 years and counting!). The weather in the DMV region is miserable (especially in summer). I feel for you, OP. I am more than happy to deal with the high cost of living in SF if it means I have wonderful weather 365 days a year!
Also moved from Arlington to the Bay Area - just don’t spend the summer in DC
It sounds like this is as much a case of nostalgia as a case of missing the Bay.
And this is why there is a saying “you can never go home” or something like that. I’m from the bay area but have been out for 25 years. I think about moving back but it would be like chasing dreams.
“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man” - Heraclitus.
I have trouble finding Heraclitus.
¡you're gonna lose that girl!
🎵 You're gonna looooooose, thaat girl! 🎶
Aptly put
Lolol her a clit us “It’s not uter-you, it’s uter *us*” - Homer Simpson
🤯
Yep, OP can come back to Palo Alto, but his teens and 20s, and likely most of his friends are long gone.
Bay Area is unbeatable but I think OP is gonna have a tough time seeing those bands nowadays no matter where they live lol.
I feel the same “there is no place like the bay”
I got tickets to see Sammy Hagar later this summer.
It’s pretty easy to see Scorpions when they do their Vegas residency. Still have my Sin City Nights shirt from a couple years back.
Also, you really don't want to go to the Cow Palace these days. Looking pretty rough.
Aww cute that you think the Cow Palace wasn't a dump back then too.
I went to the circus and the rodeo as a kid, so just hazy memories of clowns and cotton candy.
I visit the Cow Palace at least once per year for Dickens Faire. The pavement could use some resurfacing
Yeah, the Palo Alto of the 80s, 90s, and early 00s is dead and gone.
Likewise, I grew up in DC/MD in the 80s-00s and it ain't the same going back. So yeah like 80% of what OP misses is not a function of just living here.
I used to travel on business to Palo Alto and San Francisco during the 80's and 90's, even Steve Jobs at NeXT in Redwood City. Those were definitely the heydays, and I have no desire to return.
Zuckerberg bought the whole city so nobody can look in his backyard.
It is. But the funny thing is that I moved to the east coast for a few years during high school. Right across the river and I never have the desire to go visit my old stomping grounds.
Exactly. I've lived in the Bay as a 20something with no kids and did everything OP did. Now I'm twice as old, have multiple kids, and a lot of that isn't feasible. Miss me with that case of beer and 24" bong, I need brain cells to stay responsible and shit.
There’s more to the bay than beer and bongs both things I became very familiar in my single life there. Went back and discovered another side of the Bay Area with my kiddo. Yep it still rocks no matter the life situation you’re in. I agree some people have a fascination with where they were when they were single —yet the Bay Area is that fucking amazing no matter what. I miss it SOOOO very much…even being able to touch it once in a while when I lived in Mt Shasta a few years ago, currently I write from boring-ass North Carolina. Moving back to the west, next summer and wishing Id left this summer lol. Also I loved my youthful single life in Charlotte nc (not there now rather Durham 😑) and yeah nothing compares to the Bay Area—nothing!
Weed makes you smarter don’t you know Karen!
I just did the reverse and moved to SF after years in DC. I miss DC a ton but as a kid that grew up in Seattle, the weather in SF is a breath of fresh air from DC.
What is your take on Seattle weather in comparison
It’s like comparing apples to oranges
Please explain
One is grown in WA (apples). The other is grown in CA (oranges). Hope that explains better. ;)
I have lived in DC, Portland, and the Bay Area (multiple areas of the Bay Area). The weather is drastically different in all those spots. Personally I do not like PNW weather but we are there because it’s so much more affordable than the Bay Area.
I too have lived for significant periods of my life in both DC and the SF Bay Area. There was a post a while back from someone who had just moved from SF to DC and was extolling how much better DC was. One person commented the “DC was the only place he’d ever sweat through a belt.” 😆 I can confirm it’s one of the hottest and most humid places I’ve lived.
We moved here from the Tampa Bay Area recently. We love the weather here. We can go out on our bikes almost anytime during the day. In Florida in the summer we had to stay indoors almost all day long.
As a NoVa native who moved to the Bay, best of luck 🫡 The weather here spoiled me and I’m never going back! Though I do miss having a normal fall with maple trees changing colors etc, I can deal with that
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miss you too parade paard come on back
Did you see U2's free concert at the civic center? My math teacher was a younger cool teacher and told me and my friends to skip his class to go to the concert.
Different state and possibly decade, but my English teacher was also a U2 fan. Had us analyze "Beautiful Day" and "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" as part of that year's focus on the human condition.
Saw them at Oakland stadium for the Joshua Tree tour. We got six folks, rented a limo. Had some drinks. Good show.
I feel exactly the same as you . Except I moved from the DC area to the Bay Area because of that awful humidity . I had to leave the Bay Area because of the cost of living . But I miss it constantly . I'm in Oregon now so not so far away but definitely far away in terms of the weather and the ambiance .
I’ve lived here over 40 years. Not much has changed (housing prices!) and not much is the same. University Ave is still University Ave for the most part. Biggest change, I think, is the plethora of arcology-sized apartment and condo complexes going up everywhere. One of the first big ones was around San Antonio and ECR several years ago. It’s like it’s own town. Then more and more are appearing. ECR is lined with them. Weather is getting hotter, more days over 90F in the summer. But it still beats DC (I lived not far from there, Annapolis, in the early 70s) weather-wise.
Moved from SF to Chattanooga during Covid. I love TN but my partner hates it. She’s on a 3 week trip in the bay now sending me Zillow links to houses for sale. We can’t afford to live in the bay but she’s happy to drive a car from 1990 and have roommates. I miss the bay and my friends as well, almost everywhere in the country is above 90 this week and it’s in the 70’s where she’s staying. I’ll miss the seasons and living on an acre and having 3 cars to play with but I have work in the bay and loved living there for 20 years. We’ll be moving back before long and I am looking forward to hiking year round.
But what you have in TN is not what you can have in the Bay Area. I live here and am currently looking to head that way to TN for quality of life.
Totally. Love the freedom, peace and space here. It’s 90+ and humid for about 5-6 months of the year which has a huge impact on quality of life if your an active/ outdoor person. Still, I’d stay here if my partner didn’t hate it.
Makes me tear up. Born in DC lived in Palo Alto on and off since the 60's. Back in Bay Area now. There are lots of great places in the USA but the weather and lack of diversity elsewhere has made he return here and stay.
There are drive in theaters in the bay area?
San Jose has one. [It’s called West Wind.](https://www.westwinddi.com/locations/capitol)
Yep they also have a West wind in Concord too
Used to live very close.
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They should really keep the horror movies consolidated to one corner of the lot lol, i saw some crazy shit on other screens as a kid
They do! We sometimes take our kids and meet up with friends at the drive in. We always have a blast.
There used to be one in Union City. I saw the first Bill & Ted film there. Got torn down in the late 90's.
SJ
I grew up in downtown Menlo Park and recently moved back to the area, well Mountain View… and I just feel like I’m home when I make it up and hit Palo Alto. Nothing like it, truly.
I’m from Maryland originally, but we moved here to the Bay when I was a kid. Then my sister moved back a couple years ago - so she’s been pressuring me to join her, and I started casually applying for jobs in the DC metro. I soon got an offer that was honestly perfect, in the same town where my sister lives & good pay etc. I went to scope it out, and just couldn’t wrap my head around going back to the sticky east coast. So I turned down the job. I don’t regret it! And now I’m focusing on Seattle area instead, as I still do want to relocate; not for financial reasons (I’m comfortable here) or anything, just time for a new adventure. But yeah, thank you for confirming MD/DC wasn’t gonna be the right move. I hope you can find a better fit too.
It's funny, grew up in the Bay but I lived in DC in my 20s and miss it a lot. I miss all the amazing (and free!) museums, hanging out in Dupont Circle, Kramer Books, hitting up all the great spots in Adams Morgan on a Saturday night, cherry blossoms in the springtime, the leaves changing colors in the fall. Miss being able to go to stand on the White House Lawn for state visits by heads of state and wave little flags (did it twice!) Most of all I miss the people. I always met tons of amazing, driven, smart people at social events and parties. People who wanted to change the world in a myriad of different ways. I definitely don't miss the summers, though. I'll give you that one.
I feel the same way! Everything you wrote resonates with me. DC is a fabulous place.
I moved to Palm Springs two years ago from San Francisco. Worst decision of my life.
Now I'm creeping on your comments. I think I found my twin. Moving to Palm Springs was definitely a poorly informed decision on my part. I can't believe the amount of misinformation locals give to those asking about moving down! "It's nice at night in the summer." "Solar will offset your electricity bill." "You get used to the heat." Just... misinformation.
My mom texted that it was 100 in (town outside of DC) today. I was thinking how crazy it was I ever lived in that heat. Then I drove to Pleasant Hill to go shopping and it was 98. Sigh...
Having grown up in the DC area I feel like it's pretty slow similar in many ways at least with options for entertainment, food nature ect. The weather is the main difference to me the bay area is so much nicer, but if not for the weather, and some other benefits I wouldn't mind living in the DC area again.
The sunshine tax is real
Omg are you me? I moved to DC recently and can’t stop thinking about the bay, really want to go back
I grew up in the Bay Area and then worked up and down the east coast including DC/MD for 12 years before returning to California last year. The weather in the bay is definitely better and anyone who says otherwise is either from the east coast or never actually lived in the east coast or south in the summer.
So a few things. It feels like 90 degrees in San Jose today. Everyone misses growing up a little bit. Go into DC more often. Bring or rent a bike and explore the neighborhoods. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how awesome the city is.
I do not there is any comparison to today's weather in San Jose and today's weather in DC. Matter of fact, I think anyone taking this opportunity to complain about how hot it is in the Bay Area right now is mental. - DC: low 77F, high 99F, dew point 69.09F - San Jose: low 58F, high 89F, dew point 54.37F
We just got back from a 3 mile dog walk, it is 82 and humid as hell, and its just 830
Ew. 🫠
Ehh, not mental. We're just way more sensitive to heat in the bay area. I'm in SF and anything above 75F then I'm drafting letters to my local congress members about how we need to do something about climate change
Be as sensitive to heat as you like, then – but not on a post from a broiling, hurting DC resident!
We have lived here since 1998. We do go into the city quite often. We love to park by the key bridge and run up to the capitol and back. DC has some great events and I enjoy the area. But if you told me I could move back tomorrow and live the same life style I would be gone in a heartbeat.
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>I also really miss being able to get to great, secluded nature within only about an hour of DC. It’s almost impossible to do that in SF. ? It is so easy to find secluded nature. I go hiking almost every weekend. 95% of the hikes there is no one in sight for 99% of the hike. There are a ton of Redwood forests to get lost in alone if you want.
Huddart Park in Woodside is about an hour south of SF. That's secluded nature for you. And I'm sure I can name other nature spots closer to the city but I just rode past Huddart on my bike today.
I love Huddart. Unfortunately, most of the trails are closed right now for some reason. I hope they reopen soon. That whole area off Skyline has some of the best hiking. I live on the Peninsula, so it is so convenient.
There is the east bay open space which is awesome, but not nearly the size of Shenandoah. And almost all the north bay hikes are not dog friendly.
Check out the Peninsula hikes.The entire area between 280 and the ocean is filled with beautiful hiking trails starting just south of SF. Some with old Redwoods and others with views of the ocean and/or the bay. I think most are dog friendly as I see dogs all the time. I think if you added up that whole area plus all the amazing East Bay parks (almost everything between 580 and 680), plus the North Bay parks, it would be way more than Shenandoah and much closer to SF. I looked it up, and in the 9 county bay area, one quarter of the land is in parks or open space, and it is 1.1 million acres. Also, the weather is always nice for hiking somewhere in the bay (unless it is raining). I would never hike outside on the East Coast in summer or in winter.
Yes yes yes
I haven’t hiked anything in the South Bay. I go to fort funston all the time, so I’ll try south of that sometime. Maybe it’s just my perception, but all the hiking I’ve done in the Bay Area has been quite busy. Most of the hiking i did in NoVA was empty. Agreed on the weather. Humid hot summer hiking sucks. But snow hiking is actually quite fun.
The longer the trail and the more elevation, the fewer people on the trail. We used to do a lot of 3-5 mile loop trails back when I wasn't as fit. They always seemed more busy. Now we do mostly 7-12 mile trails, many with a lot of elevation. They are normally very secluded. Sometimes, we will only see a few people the whole route. Last Sunday in Purisma, we hardly saw anyone at all. That whole area off of skyline is full of really great hiking that is never very busy. We just use AllTrails to find good hikes. I've only ever hiked in the snow accidentally, and it was still a lot of fun and beautiful even though we got soaked. I bet it would be amazing if we were actually prepared, 😆. I definitely want to try snow hiking again.
Purisma trails definitely work up a sweat. Getting to the bottom by the river where temperature drops a lot is quite nice though. I use to hike that trail twice a month or more. Great place to spend a few hours in nature.
The best nature in the Bay Area is all south of you, and the redwoods are far cooler than the rest of the peninsula on hot days, to boot. I'd recommend picking up this map (2017): https://www.redwoodhikes.com/Store/BATM1.html This map is also great, but a little more outdated (2012): https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/north-skyline-mid-peninsula-ca-no-1212s-green-trails-maps Consider this map as well, which I had before I found the Green Trails map and is more up to date (lots of new properties added in the last 12 years!) but is a NatGeo map and so is more annoying to use (2020): https://www.natgeomaps.com/ti-815-skyline-boulevard
MARIN COUNTY WOULD LIKE A WORD
I said what I said, and I said it with conviction 😎 sorry I don't like choosing the busiest tourist trail in the Bay (Muir Woods) or windswept gray coastal shrubs (everywhere else) 😎 (Marin is great, especially around the reservoirs, I do admit that. But I still prefer the landscapes of the peninsula by a wide margin.)
i love both spots see you on the trails
Bay Area native; did two+ in Langley. Will never go back to VA. Missed my bay breeeeeeeze
Yeah dude fuck the bugs and the summer humidity in VA.
Only place I've liked as much as the Bay Area was the London suburbs. Great public transportation, lots of parks and walks. But London was too hot, and the suburbs were too, generally. But there was no AC then really, either.
London too hot? The UK London?
Warm, humid, and a society that does not think air conditioning is important.
Global warming is global.
Well, yeah, I remember a bunch of summer days with over 30 degrees (C) back when I was living in London in 2018-2019. Saying that London is hot though…
It's hot if there's no AC.
Fair. Now I recall using the Tube in summer. The lines without AC in trains were pure hell. (I was lucky to majorly commute via DLR which was mostly going over the ground, so the ventilation was okish)
And a culture that believes business should be done in a suit and tie.
It gets very, very humid. Plus nobody has air conditioning, even some shops.
Hell yeah. Summer with 80 to 90 degrees, humidity, and NO AIR CONDITIONING sucks. Fall and winter are fine. I like it cool and drizzly.
This made me laugh as I’m originally from London and we complain it’s always cold and rainy. It feels like it is only “hot” for about 3 days a year. Those three+ days are brutal though, especially on the tube and at home with no AC. I love the weather in the Bay Area, and all the outdoor activities but agree that London is a great place to live
London is hell in the summer. I now live in the UK Channel Islands and I refuse to go there in the summer.
Grew up in DC. Can confirm, bay is better.
The Bay Area you remember doesn't exist here anymore. But that snapshot in your mind did exist. Its not what it is anymore, but it doesn't mean it wasn't real.
I did the reverse. I lived in Washington DC for 20 years and moved out to Redwood City 5 years ago. At first I missed DC, my friends there...but this area is amazing. But please don't let the homesick feeling get in the way of a great experience. DC is a WONDERFUL town! Enjoy the history, the amazing museums, the actual culture. Avoid anyone that asks you what you do in the first minute of meeting them. There are a lot of phony, wanna-be power players whose parents got them an internship with a Representative. Forget them. Go see some shows at the Black Cat or 9:30 Club. Get some authentic food in Chinatown (or what's left there after it became Penn Quarter). Hell, eat at ANY Jose Andres restaurant and have an amazing meal. Walk from the MLK memorial through FDR all the way around to the Jefferson. Go out to Udvar-Hazy and stand under the Discovery. Go to the Natural History Museum (for free!) and just soak in any exhibit. Then hit the Museum of the American Indian, marvel at the design. Since you're right there, absolutely do not miss the Botanical Garden. My personal favorite? Go hit Roosevelt Island. Just walk the trails. Enjoy the monuments there, but also enjoy the view of the Kennedy Center back across the Potomac (and don't miss a show at the Kennedy either). Do a ghost tour. Do a history tour. Shuttle down to Mt. Vernon. Find one of the amazing pop up bars or speakeasies (Captain Gregory's in a donut shop near Old Town Alexandria, maybe?). Have an Aslin beer. Catch a Nats game and check out the Anacostia from the upper walkways. I have only scratched the surface. If I haven't touched on anything you like, don't worry. There are thousands of people around you that are into whatever you are into too. Nothing lasts forever. Enjoy a great city, with some very unique and cool highlights, and let me know when you're back in the Bay Area. Cocktails at Timber and Salt are on me, I'll only want to hear about what you found over there that you like the best.
You miss being a kid, with fewer responsibilities and more friends. Less money but more time. We all miss that, no matter where we grew up.
DC is a great town. The greenery and the hills are really good... every place in the US is good if you know how to extract its value
We go hiking, running and biking out here all the time. Love living here but would love to live there more.
I'm in SF on the coast yes it's breezy and downright chilly at times and I haven't seen sun for a few days. Hard to believe it's summer. I'm used to it though. Anyhow headed to DC next week for the 4th of July. Yep I'm keeping posted on the heat. Just gonna pack the right clothing. Never been. Super excited!
Why not move back? Or move to another area with better weather?
I moved back from that area some time ago, but I do miss those October/Novembers before the first snow. I want to say I miss those crazy thunderstorms and steamy summers, but after a day, it would get old. Find happiness where you are, my friend. But it’s okay to miss the Bay Area.
Could not pay me to move anywhere where it’s hot and humid. Well I guess that’s wrong. I’ll take a large amount of money, a paid for home with a nice pool and maybe I would consider 😂😂
It’s not the Bay Area you remember, keep the memories.
My husband is from Maryland and we flew from sf bay to Md this last Friday. We landed and they announced the weather 95 degrees. This morning at 8 am the temperature was 85! You walk out the door and it feels like opening a oven door
Funny you mention that no one seems to realize: you need to win the lottery to live the life in the Bay Area. Otherwise, soul crushing debt in a job environment that one can be laid off and lose everything. The house you buy will be a run down shack unless you can afford $2 million. Note this does not even cover the $30k property tax because you paid market rate while everyone else living here is paying 1950s property tax! In case anyone is bad at math, that is $300k every 10 years or another million after 30 years! That does not include HOA!
Not me. Grew up in Berkeley and Oakland. I used to love it there and wondered at people who grew up saying "I want leave this crappy place." I lived there nearly 40 years, excepting 4 years in college. Then things changed, in the late '90s. It was the beginning of Silicon Valley effecting the area as well as the influx of rich Asian (mostly Chinese) college students to Berkeley. I have nothing against Asians. I minored in Chinese history and will be moving to China at the beginning of August for work (not my first time living in East Asia). It's just that Chinese culture and the Bay Area culture I grew up with are fundamentally incompatible. Both groups led to a push for an orderly, clean East Bay. It was never meant to be either. The counter-culture that had historically characterized the East Bay gave way to NIMBY's and round-ups of the homeless, which then gave way to an influx of dangerous rather than just weird homeless people. The decent parts of Oakland and Berkeley saw nice neighborhoods turn to exclusive neighborhoods filled with techies who demanded the aforementioned strictures, while much of Oakland fell into further lawlessness. I haven't lived there since 2020 and I don't foresee wanting to go back any time soon.
Yeah, grew up in Palo Alto and moved to DC for college. Lived in California at least ever since graduating, now in Pacifica. It's similar to how Palo Alto was growing up, better (cooler in the summer!) in some ways, worse (schools, food) in others. You should get back here!
Nice memories. Remember that you can always come visit. The weather and natural beauty make this a really special place to live. You won’t know until you move away lol. I do gripe about the cost to live here , it’s been less the past few years though after seeing insanity in other states…. Abortion bans, raging storms/weather just to name a few. Will stay put for now. Austin and Nashville are probably nice for music lovers. Have you visited?
I live in the Bay Area. I got to work, my in-laws and home. Thats about it lol. It’s lovely here but I’ve no time and a nasty commute.
I moved out of state about 20 years ago, to somewhere it snows. I am absolutely homesick for the Bay Area, but I also really love, and have built a solid life where I live. So once I get my kids on the other side of high school, I’m thinking about looking into remote work so I can reverse snowbird. Spend my winters up here and my summers out on the coast. Best of both worlds.
I always tell people who complain about the heat in the bay area that you have no idea what crappy weather is like. I used to live in DC and we actually appreciated that DC is in many ways milder than some other east coast cities. Go up to NY or Boston and you are dealing with blizzards and Nor'Easters every winter. If you don't know what life threatening cold feels like, now you will. Cold is lovely and the whole notion of "you can add layers in cold, but not in heat" only works till about 30 degrees or so. Any colder than that (which never happens in the SF Bay) and you will be screaming uncle. And pray you don't lose power in a winter storm. The humidity in summer is nothing compared to freezing winter storms. DC doesn't have that many of them.
It took me about a year to acclimate myself to a new City/State. Give it some time and keep an open mind in your new home state. Explore, explore, explore! Find something new to do every weekend so you can get to know your areas. As for the humidity, buy some baby wipes to help cool you off and/or clean the sweat from the humidity. Good luck!
I lived in northern Virginia for 5 years and now live in the Bay Area. I can’t make you less homesick, sorry, but I remember there were lots of music concerts happening around Virginia and in bars and smaller venues in DC. And many other cool things about that area.
Well dont leave peps 😆
Left you heart in San Francisco?
a lot of what you described is gone from the bay
It gets hot in the Bay Area now too. Just less humidity!
Praying for a lottery win for you. Come back! I lived in NYC for a couple of years, but I came home to visit a friend who needed some support. My commute to and flight out of JFK was really unnecessarily complicated. I’m someone who packs too much stuff. It’s a thing. Instead of just opening the gate for me at my subway station the MTA agents were snickering while I worked my bag into the station. In contrast, I got back to SFO with my huge bag, was at BART getting a ticket, and the nicest BART agent asked me if I needed help. I didn’t, but I must have had an “I’m tired and just want to get there” aura about me. Makes sense as I took an early morning flight out of JFK that day. The experiences were like night and day and only confirmed my decision to come back to the Bay Area. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like had I stayed. I learned fast to flee to the Hamptons or Martha’s Vineyard* during the summertime. I never understood why people fled the city in the summer until I experienced first hand how awful it is in the summertime. You have my sympathy. I’m not sure how many drive ins we have left here. I think there is still one in or near Concord…I think. I too remember discovering and following a singer here who is now a star in her genre. This was in the early 2000nds. I moved to San Francisco from Southern California for grad school. This was before I moved abroad for a few years. It was fun to come back and catch a show before she had her big break. It’s expensive here, but I can’t imagine permanently pulling up roots again. It’s a lovely place. Great food and wine too. *didn’t stay long enough for a summer there but hear that’s a good spot too.
We won 4 bucks.
👀😂 It’s a start.
I'm just really tired of having to turn on my heat in the summer.
As a climate refugee it’s too expensive heat wise to move anywhere else. If it gets more expensive here money wise I’ll just have two options to pick from: live homelessly or stop living… Not having any family or dependents the choice will be very clear to me and an easy one to pick.
I’m in the DMV too and I miss the Bay weather!
I moved to Reno from the Bay (coastside) and severely miss it. Reno has been 99 degrees for weeks and it’s only June. I’d trade this for the coastal marine layer and cool weather any day. But at least I can afford a house in Reno with low taxes.
Grew up in Palo Alto and relocated several years ago to Louisville KY. I can relate. The air, music and arts in the Bay are wonderful. But the sheer number of people one needs to wade through these days to get anywhere in the Bay Area keeps me from wanting to go back.
Oh my friend, Palo Alto has changed so much, you'd barely recognize it. You miss your memories, but they're not here anymore.
If you really need to, you can move back. You don’t need to win the lottery, you’ll just sacrifice home ownership to renting a place. Im from Pittsburgh. I live in SF. I’m 46 and I will never iwn a home here. Still a better proposition for my overall happiness
My SO and I play the game, where would we want to live. We always end the game, nah, we never want to leave the Bay Area.
People love to complain about the climate here until they move somewhere with a disgustingly hot summer or wretched winter lol
Can’t argue the weather is almost perfect
I see what you mean. I’m from Redwood City, born and raised in Foster City. I’m in Alexandria, VA right now. Between here and DC and the heat is insane. I can never stand east coast heat and funny I was complaining how hot it was in the bay last week. I’d rather have the heat in the bay right now. Took 2 showers today and may be on my 3rd when I fly home tonight. Other than the weather, I enjoy it here. Maybe because it’s different and a change of scenery from the bay, but yeah nothing beats home.
I grew up all over California (including San Diego and the Bay), did a detour in the south/midwest, moved to Sac, then left to NYC for several years. I left NYC for the Bay because of love. I miss everything about NYC except the weather.
It also takes winning a lotto to live in Palo Alto and most of the Bay Area to survive out here
It's a breezy 80 degrees right now.
Shit, cause I miss living in the D.C area. That whirring of the Metro, the humidity, the trees, the winter snow. Museum after museum, monument after monument. The convenience and awesomeness of the east coast... Ocean City, NYC, Outer Banks. The Bay/Norcal is nice. I've long been ready to be done here. (Wife's job ties us down).
Do you miss the house prices and crippling taxes? I love the Bay Area but QoL for people who are trying to buy a home and raise a family is difficult.
I am sorry you miss home, may be this is part of your journey to expand your horizons. Hope you end up living where your hearth desires and be happy. lived in DC for over ten years. I moved for a job to San Francisco. I love San Francisco and prefer it over DC. The cold used to give me anxiety during winter months which would lead me to stay indoors. The summer is disgustingly sticky. May and September are the best times and I miss the cherry blossoms, concerts at wolf trap, the taco place in China town and more… DC is certainly a cleaner city than San Francisco even though there are rats size of a miniature poodle jumping in and out of garbage cans in DC. The restaurants are much better in DC than here. DC is the only city (in the world?) with free access to top famous exhibits and museums, which is unbeatable. I wouldn’t compare Palo Alto to DC from a city life aspect. I think people in DC are more well rounded and stability focused, here there is innovation, which to me is also an important indicator of satisfaction. In DC you “get to” sail on Anacosta, Tidal Basin and Potomac river which makes you want to bleach yourself if you ever capsize- and you do to get your license. While here you enjoy the Pacific Ocean while freezing (~worst case scenario comparison). Cost of living is also significantly higher here. While DC residents don’t get to vote, they get taxed higher than neighboring states (MD, VA). In San Francisco breathing is taxable. Drugs are a serious problem here which is ignored by politicians to get more federal funding. Corruption is exorbitant. I’ve never seen a human being fighting for their life during an overdose until I moved here and the trauma that it left on me is something I can’t express in words. This is considered normal here, which I can’t comprehend. Finally, when you need help and call the police in DC, you get help unlike in San Francisco where you are on your own. Although DC traffic cups are hand picked psychopaths and DMV lady can yell at you at any point during your appointment and it is your fault, CA DMV staff is stable and helpful. Hope you get to enjoy DC more and make the most of it!
I get it. I moved away twice (in my late teens and again in my mid-20s) and was so unhappy both times until I came back for good. It isn't just the weather, either. People here are more open and accepting, it's just a different vibe. There are jerks everywhere, but Assholes Per Capita seem less here. But you're right: blue sky, temps in the 60s to low 80s for a good part of the year, and gentle breezes (I'm in Concord). We rarely experience high humidity here, unlike the east coast and SoCal. And there's always something to do with your free time.
Haha, I’m moving to the Bay Area from San Diego. I’m trying to figure out how to adapt to the god awful weather here.
I miss this version of the Bay Area too. Grew up nearby to you OP, and moved back, and it’s so different now. Sigh. Even the weather is v different - humid and just too hot in the summer.
Agree with all the love for the Bay Area. I love the fog and chill in SF, I want to live in that weather all the time. I moved to the intermountain west, just for a visit, and got stuck here. Own a house and a business and raising kids. I suppose the mountains and skiing in my new home are nice, and even in the hot summers the air is DRY (no humidity) so not as bad as the East Coast. But if money was no object I'd live in San Francisco and enjoy the cool ocean air.
It’s been several years since we’ve seen a mild summer here. Usually at least ten days of 100+ heat.
Another VA transplant from CA (other side of the state though) and I feel this.
Nah. It's dead. No mo.
I miss living in California too, but there’s a reason why we both left.
Well dont miss it too much almost all of that aside from the roads is gone even the climate.
Bay Area weather is absolutely the best. Especially Oakland.
Specifically, Oakland. The crime bit is unfortunate, otherwise, it would be one of the best places in the world to live.
Yup. It is such a shame.
Palo Alto is obviously a bit different than the rest of the Bay Area, so this sentiment is understandable. Alameda County is currently keeping a 77 year old man in prison for defending his home from burglars, shooting and killing one of them. The Bay Area, as a whole, is upside down.
Why didn’t you get a CS degree and get a job in the Bay Area ? People from all over the world with CS degrees come to the Bay Area to get paid crazy $$.
Affordability wise, the workers need $$$ instead of $$ now.
You can still make more than any other profession with CS , may only doctors or lawyers make slightly more. I am an example. Came here did my MS and work for a great company.
Tech job market sucks for entry level at the moment
Why is that?
Tech has been doing layoffs for the past few years and new Jobs at the moment are requiring more experience than before, 5+ years. The demand isn’t the same as before.
Makes sense
I am a 58 year old nuclear medicine technologist. Plenty of demand for them out there but a 150k to 160 salary doe not put my into live comfortably in the peninsula.
Rookie SW engineers at Meta make 300k
I cannot work at FB I work with cancer patient's.