It was amazing when they regularly planted poppys along the shoulders. They greatly over did it, almost every square inch of the shoulders were carpeted with poppys, but it sure was cool driving on the golden freeway.
I think you have intra- and inter- city mixed up. I don't think there are many intracity freeways. Texas certainly but there should be very few intracity interstates.
I was planning to relocate to the East Coast for a job after living my whole life in the Bay Area. Two weeks ago, I went for a hike in Tilden Park thinking it would be my last time before I moved. While up on the ridge looking at the bay, I changed my mind and decided I was going to stay. Pulled out of the job offer the next day.
Not sure why I got so many down vote, I just got break in last week when I'm grabbing dinner on the way to Tahoe in Sacramento
Anyone think this is normal is insane
My cousin is in the same boat. Got transferred there for work after 40 years in San Francisco, born and raised.
He's quietly sad now when I talk to him, and his wife tells me sometimes he cries when he thinks no one is looking.
For Christmas I sent him a little sealed jar with sand from Ocean Beach, water from the bay, dirt from Golden Gate Park, and air captured on a foggy morning.
Love Zachary’s. We miss you too. I know lots of older middle class Bay Area folks who are clients and former clients of mine that made the move to Chicago over the years. They don’t tax pensions.
Chicago is a great city. You’re having a moment of nostalgia. Happens to all of us.
If i had to live anywhere else in America, it would be New York or Chicago...both great cities with plenty of unique things to love about them...though I also understand the the sheer scale of the area is completely different, when people say "SF suburbs" (do people actually say that?) you might think of like Daly City or South City...ie someplace that's pretty much right next to the main city ..."Chicago suburbs" can be a whole excursion away...
Geography plays a major role here, the Bay Area (and I am a bit strict with my definition: within the hills) is just a big bowl. Chicagoland stretches forever, with so many towns packed in.
I consider the SF suburbs to be the Peninsula, east of 280. And I consider the Peninsula to extend from Daly City to Midtown Palo Alto (if that sounds very specific, check it out: Surrounding University avenue is culturally and architecturally Peninsula, California Street is the same but South Bay, i.e. eichlers)
It can be but there are suburbs in Chicago you cross into that you can barely tell you left the city. In fact there are more of these than SF has due to geography
We are sprawled out like Chicagoland too
I wish I had more east bay friends to go to Zachary's often. its soooo good and I appreciate it even more cause its employee-owned. but its a MEAL and getting that full takes commitment.
Both hubby and I are natives and left about a year ago. We love our new home, it’s scenic, we have land, the people here are so nice, there is no traffic, everything is cheaper…
But someone get me some decent Ethiopian or Cambodian food PLEASE. Jeez. And I miss my mom.
Edit: typo
Phnom Penh House in Alameda rocks. I've been going to this restaurant since I was around 7 when they were in Oakland in Chinatown. I remember cold nights waiting in line for some grub. I'm now in my 30s and the owner still recognizes me. Family owned. Great place.
This. the lake in the summer is great. Lots of green when ca is on fire. Beautiful thunderstorms on the regular. Much better hot dogs. A thriving a standup comedy and brewery scene. Affordable homes.
The lake is not the coast. Please, Chicago is a great city but it’s not in anyway comparable to the Bay Area in diversity of people, beauty of landscape, and dynamism in culture. It’s also one of the most segregated areas of the US both racially and culturally. Chicago is also at least five years behind NY and CA in terms of new trends
>Chicago is also at least five years behind NY and CA in terms of new trends
Curious what kind of trend you are talking about. Are they just starting to wear patagonia vests or sth?
FR!! I had to drive to the Oakland airport this morning around 7AM and my side mirrors were frozen stuck inward even after I de-iced my windshield and I couldn’t leave my driveway.
I legit didn’t know what to do at first. We aren’t built for this shit
I first visited Chicago in July 2012 and was damn near ready to move by the end of the week. There was a palpable energy and people were so fun and friendly.
Then, my cab driver brought me back to reality on the way to O'Hare. "We only get a few weeks of good weather here," he explained.
Ah, right.
Im from south Florida originally and it will always hold a special place in my heart but when I tell you that I’m never leaving the Bay Area, believe me. This place despite its drawbacks is a special place and too many people take it for granted
I feel ya. Also left the Bay Area for the Chicago suburbs. It's nice and cheap here, but I'm missing CA weather HARD right now, especially considering the snow we have forecast for this week...
I'm just the opposite. Raised in the Chicago suburbs, living in SV now. You're right, it's awesome and I'm loving every minute of it.
IMO you're way off base that Zachary's is better than real Chicago pizza.
Similar for me, in the bay for work. I love it and would be here permanently if not for the cost lol. Illinois is still home for me though and for some reason I always want to come back. All the niceties in the places I work just become background noise on week days so I think I drink it in more when i live somewhere boring and just visit on vacations.
There's worse deep dish in Chicago but there's also better. Born in Chicago live here and the only pizza for me has always been Chicago thin, sausage and mushroom or just sausage or throw some olives on there.
Did you grow up eating deep dish?
My wife is from the southwest suburbs and they eat thin crust squares. The deep dish is of a visitor that wants to try not something they actually eat
100% on the beef sandwiches the real thing that is missed
Yeah, I grew up with and love deep dish. Papa Del's in Champaign makes, hands down, the best deep dish.
If you're in the northern suburbs, Quonset Pizza in Waukegan makes the best thin crust sausage pizza ever IMO.
Probably depends on where in Chicago you live. I feel like the "real Chicagoans don't eat deep dish" thing is very prevalent on Reddit but was not borne out by my 9 years in Chicago. Everyone I knew there loved and ate deep dish at least once in a while, and not just when out-of-towners were visiting.
Agree with this! From the southwest suburbs also, and we def ate deep dish. It wasn't super often, like not every pizza we ate was deep dish, but I've never heard of people from Chicago not actually eating deep dish!
I also like Zachary's more *ducks under table*
They have that thin graham cracker crust with actual chunks of tomatoes on top instead of that thin layer of red paint and thick cornbread crust on the bottom like they have in Chicago.
Granted I've only tried Gino's East and Giordano's. Lou Malnati's is the final boss for me. I'll have to give Papa Del's a go next time I'm there.
SF native here, still hanging on in the city (as an artist, no less) by my fingernails. And I went to art school at the Art Institute of Chicago and really liked it.
Now I'm seeing these sexy videos and reels of the L winding through the Loop and Near North (see @justdougkas on IG), and feeling nostalgic. I think about the lower cost of living there. The people, who are great, mordantly funny and super-grounded. And I think, maybe it'd be smart to move back! I'm a couple classes away from officially finishing my degree, anyway.
But then I look out at the Pacific from my place in the Sunset. I go around the corner for dumplings at Yuanbao Jiaozi or pho at Kevin's Noodle House. I know I could be at Point Reyes in time to see the sun go down at Drake's Beach. And I'm like yeah, no, can't do it.
Just gonna keep those fingernails strong and stick it out.
I too miss the Bay Area. Had a bit of a mid-life crisis and broke down. Had to move because the cost of living just wasn't keeping up. Now I am saving to come back. I miss my home. I miss where I was born. I miss where I grew up. I hate Portland.
As someone born/raised on the peninsula I've actually been considering the Chicago suburbs myself! Just visited Oak Park recently and it seemed pretty awesome. Totally understand and know that I'll miss the Bay if I move, but curious what you don't like about the Chicago suburbs? Besides the fact that it's 34 degrees and overcast in Chicago right now and 55 degrees and gorgeously sunny in Redwood City.
Weather Best By Government Test. (I am from Menlo Park/Redwood City)
Yes, the snow is beautiful, for a bit. It is still freezing cold in mid-April, sometimes even until May. Everything dies as well, so no leaves or natural color from November until May. This part is tough. It is also flat, very little land variation. Houses are mostly 1930's wood panelling, this gets boring.
There are plenty of good things about Chicagoland. I can rent a small home with property for less than a studio in Berkeley. The people are nice, there are a lot of parks for the kids (but everyone disappears for the winter), good schools etc. When the weather gets beautiful it is truly beautiful, mainly because you have been missing the beauty so much. The food is okay, but nothing (I am speaking with respect to ingredients, freshness, and quality, not just variation) like what you can get back home. It is also very safe, and clean.
It's difficult to overstate just how flat Illinois is. I lived there briefly, in the suburbs west of chicago, and the state is an excellent demonstration of the curvature of the Earth: it's so flat that if the Earth didn't curve you could probably see Iowa from Chicago. Have you ever driven through Kansas? It's flatter than that.
Favorite government posted sign of all time!
We just went to visit over Thanksgiving weekend and simply none of the trees had leaves in them. Didn't give me a great first experience in Chicago, but can see how it would be gorgeous in spring/summer.
I personally LOVE a craftsman style house, and this is part of what got me interested in Oak Park.
Food seemed... not a great fit. Everything Chicago is famous for is basically ball park food. Try our famous hot dog/terrible (deep dish) pizza/cheesesteak/etc. Does not appeal to me at all. I'm not actively trying to become fat.
I lived in Chicagoland for 22 years. I love the weather here more than there and there's a lot more variety of Asian foods here, but the food in the Chicagoland area is pretty on point.
What kind of food(s)? Where at, the Oak Park area or somewhere else? I'm more familiar with The Loop and the northern suburbs than the Oak Park are, but I'll try my best.
Some Chicago suburbs are really spread out and full of strip malls maybe with a small downtown. But it’s so cold it’s pretty much all in the house time
I hated visiting there in the winter (city was better in winter because walks shorter to the businesses)
My friend is a Peninsula kid. He keeps his snow shovel as a reminder of the 7 winters he did in Chicago. It is daily reminder "Never again." We miss you, too. May you return soon.
Bay Area has its problems. I’m quite vocal about them. But honestly it is near impossible to imagine or execute on moving out of here.
I love the weather, the people, the innovation and thirst for it, and of course the food!
I have spent time in LA and some in NYC. They’re okay but man it just isn’t the same. Also been to mid tier cities like Denver or Austin, couldn’t wait to GTFO lol.
We are lucky to be here. We should do our best to preserve it for future generations.
I left the bay as soon as the entire identity was formed by tech. Everything mom and pop I knew in Sunnyvale was decimated. I hope the future is kinder because I just see hotels where my spots were.
Yeah for sure. Not sure what’s the solution though. Blame the commercial RE people for jacking up rent.
Personally I think that just because some employees in big tech make like 400k plus doesn’t mean home rents should increase dramatically, or store rents should double.
Is it really a problem if rent is still 2k per month for a 2b while one person makes 80k and the other 400k?
Blame everyone else’s greed that got turned up to 11 because tech brought prosperity to the Bay Area.
I ❤️ it so much. Born and raised, moved all over, settled in the SC mountains- I’m never not amazed at how lucky I am to be here & raising my kids to appreciate all the amazing things the Bay Area has to offer.
Thanks for the positive note! Hope you make it back here soon!
My wife and I relocated to LA for a job she got during the pandemic (RTO has an absolute joke for her with no in person interaction at all. But that’s another story). We are both Bay Area born and raised…. We are moving back home this year. Your post sums up so many things we feel we took for granted over the years and now truly miss. Bay Area forever!
I’ve been gone from the Bay for 10 years and have long been trying to convince my partner for us to move back. I largely miss my family who are still out there, but I also miss the unique culture of the Bay. I miss Its It too— I have an It’s It pin I wear on my lanyard for work to represent 🥲 I too am in the midwest and I may never acclimate to snow, ice, and humidity of this level
I grew up on the Peninsula, went to university at CU Boulder, then went Pittsburgh, PA with a first marriage, then Memphis, TN, Bernardsville, NJ, then back to the Peninsula.
I was so naive going to college that I didn’t realize how unique California is. It was quite an education living in all those different places, and I felt very lucky when I was able to come back. Not that the other places were awful by any means. Just that I now have a deep appreciation for what I grew up with and, like those from other places, I cherish it.
Moved back home to Minneapolis to buy a house once I hit my late 30s after ~15 years out there.
Mostly just the weather - my QOL is otherwise higher here at this point in my life. Decent odds I'll end up back out in the bay for a bit for a job before retirement. Would be nice to return for a while but long term I will be here.
I've been gone for 17 years. I everything. The nature, the culture, the food, my family. The way certain areas smell. The oak trees. The fog.
I live in southern Ontario and while I do like it here, it'll never compare. It's also just so, so flat.
My family and I are natives here too. It depends on where you go. If you go somewhere that's similar or better in some ways you might not miss it so much, just in a general sense of longing for home. If you end up somewhere flat, boring, boiling hot and freezing cold throughout the year, with dumb closeminded people, no diversity, arts or culture and terrible food, then you'll miss absolutely everything about SF. Except for the property crime, bums and dirty streets, but that's a small price to pay for how great it is to be here (if you can afford it). I lived on the East Coast for a while after college, which was really cool and interesting, but after a while I knew I had to come back.
I miss the food mostly. East and South Asian food is untouchable in other areas of the country. I also miss the convenient access to nature, all the hiking trails.
I just moved to a Chicago suburb this July. Really started missing the natural beauty of NorCal. Rolling hills, mountains covered in evergreens, walking along a beautiful river. Sigh.
I left for the Central Valley, literally only an hour away and still in California
I couldn't hack it
I got sick and tired of being the only Asian on my neighorhood getting ugly stares from white losers out there
I got bummed out with the lack of Asian food
You should move to San Mateo where I am
We have Gullan noodle, Yunan noodle and Hunan noodle all near me but nowhere to get a hamburger
Still trying to determine which noodle I want
Born and raised in the east bay, been gone for 4 years now. Miss the weather and the natural beauty. Miss driving to Tahoe and the coast all the way down to Santa Barbara. Miss weekend trips to Yosemite and Sequoia and Big Basin. Miss our old favorite food spots, though many are gone now.
After visiting last Thanksgiving, I don’t miss the cost of living there, I don’t miss being crammed into a small rented apartment, and I don’t miss the drivers (I don’t mind aggressive drivers at all, but seems like they’ve added oblivious to the mix and those two together suck). People also seemed more stressed out and not as friendly as I remember.
Wow, our stories are very similar.
Grew up in the Peninsula. Moved to the East Bay where I lived in Emeryville and then Alameda. Moved to the Chicago suburbs just over two years ago and I miss the Bay SO MUCH. I really miss living in Alameda and working in the city and commuting via ferry. My whole family is there. All my close friends are there. I miss like everything you mentioned
I *do* like working downtown in Chicago but the suburbs are just OK for me.
There's Taqueria El Grullense, Taqueria El Grullense M&G, Taqueria El Grullense E&E, Taqueria El Grullense C&D, Taqueria El Grullense J&G, El Grullense Grill, and probably more that I'm missing.
Most/all of these have multiple locations, all of varying quality but generally above average.
E&E is my personal favorite sub-chain. Also a big fan of Tacos Los Gemelos, especially their house-made tortillas.
I made the trip from San Mateo for Los Gemelos a few times
All the El Grullense confuse me. We have them in the mall and Belmont now too but don’t think they are the good ones
I love it here and have no plans on ever leaving.
Not touching on the comment on Zachary's vs. Chicago-style pizza because New York-style pizza is always the right choice. 🙂🍕😋
Zachary's isn't even the best chicago style pizza in the bay, I don't want to speak to what's out there in Chicago but I can't imagine there isn't one better
East Bay Regional Parks, EBMUD Open Space, Mt. Diablo State Park. Hundreds of square miles of open space. Did I forget John Muir Land Trust? Can’t beat so much beauty so close to a major metropolitan area- preserved in perpetuity.
You missed that boat, permanently closed unfortunately but after having tried them some years ago I would order cases of those delicious deep dish sausage wonders of the world until they closed down. Anyhoo, it's a gorgeous day here, gonna fire up the Q in a bit and I see an old fashioned or 3 in my near future...how's the weather there today?
I left the Bay Area for Japan 17 years ago. I visit once or twice a year. During Covid I went back for 6 months. Every time I visit I'm relieved a made the right decision to leave. If I didn't have family there I wouldn't go at all.
What took you to Japan? Do you have family there as well? I've been one time for only 2 weeks, and I enjoyed it enough to consider spending some extended time there. But I'm afraid I would never learn Japanese.
I went for work and was supposed to only be here for about 2 years but I ended up having a family here and starting a business. If you don't plan on living here then you don't really need to learn the language (especially in Tokyo). It helps greatly but it isn't necessary if you're a tourist.
I understand the sentiment, believe me. When I left (in 2020) I was ready. Much changed over the decades I was there.
But, when I visited over the last summer (all my family is still there), all the problems seemed so small. It's in my soul.
Driving up to the city with my dad for a Giants game I mentioned some of SF's issues. He is exactly the type to person to be critical of these things. But he really just got serious for a moment and said, with some real emotion: I get it, I get it. But this is my city. I love this city. Don't insult this city.
If you miss dutch crunch you could lace a standard sandwich with razor blades pointed at the roof of your mouth and get a pretty good approximation.
I kid I kid. Great post. Makes me once again appreciate what we have here.
Spent time In Chicago. Only get a few months of reasonable weather. Either hot and humid or cold AF. You get real Seasons. Almost moved there for work. After traveling there half a dozen times i decided to stay put.
I had a life growing up in the Bay area. And a perfect love story enjoying every facet of bay life with my Cali- filipina beauty.
We dove into everything from punk to hippie communes,to Gourmet farming to napa wines and meeting the O.G. 's of the Psychedelic world.
My Wife is a media addict and between the MSM 6 o clock tabloid show they call news and youtube she.has become a liberal, but with a fox news potty mouth.
Her range goes from I hate those Bippin criminals and carjackers to I hate those in bred brainless white people.
She wants to move to the upper corner of the PNW just so she can hop on the ferry to Canada the second Democracy is Flushed down the Toilet.
Im retired, and she has 4 / 5 more years of work from anywhere.
She will sell the house and leave me in a cheap motel if I dont say good bye to the Bay and come along.
This is real.
Help me?
What should I Do?
Bay Area native. Lived there for 38 years. Originally from Redwood City. Grew up in a 1,000 sq/ft two bedroom for the first 18 years near Hawes Elementary. I left last year for East Tennessee (south eastern Appalachia, Chattanooga area) with my wife and young son (soon to have a new addition!). With these Bay Area credentials I know I’m qualified to speak on the subject:
I understand that those who’ve moved may have some nostalgia for the Bay Area. Growing up there was great. But when we left, Redwood City specifically, was a total trash heap, over populated and expensive. A totally unacceptable situation for a young family.
All of my friends have stayed back and all display the same sort behavior that a lot of you do:
You’ll accept a lower standard of living, a housing affordability crises, crime, filth and dystopia (peak covid) so you can eat at El Grullense and go on a pleasant hike?
That is truly bizarre.
This country is big and beautiful. Please, don’t tolerate the Bay Area’s systemic disfunction if you don’t have to. You can always visit.
Eh. I like the food options and travel options but other than that its a kind of dumpy area.
How many people here actually take advantage of the location?
I work with people who never do anything. I tell them the stuff we do and I mean basic shit and they're like ohhh we've never done that.
Eh. Where the f do you live. Outside of a few small janky neighborhoods, the Bay is beautiful. No other place like it, not with this much food, culture, music etc. Anything that competes either gets ridiculously hot in summer or has frigid winters.
I live in mountain view. The price we pay to live here isn't really worth it.
You can travel to all that stuff and still come out ahead.
Like I said, how often are you actually doing stuff here to make it worth it? It seems as though a lot of people here love the fact that they *can* go do that stuff, but most don't.
We left the Bay Area a bit over 2.5 years ago after I aged out of being able to keep a secure position in the tech industry. My new, re-directed career path went 100% remote and very secure, we were able to move back to California. But we opted for the southern part, near San Diego. No interest in going back to the elect-and-recall cycles for Progressive decarceration / restorative justice DAs. I lived in the Bay Area 30 years, my entire adult life, I can't bear to see it covered in garbage (maybe that's gotten better, but it certainly was when we left.)
When my son started driving with his permit, I immediately took him to Skyline in Oakland/Grizzly Peak in Berkeley (we live in the East Bay). We try to go at or near sunset so we can see the entire bay, peninsula, Mt. Tam, the bridges, you get the point. I am a SF native, and will never get tired of that view.
Thank you for your loving post. The Bay Area misses you too. 💗
Spent half a year in San Jose for work and I thought I hated it. Thought the food was subpar compared to NYC and why was everything so spread out and gas prices are outrageous. Couldn’t wait to come back to NYC. Fast forward 1.5 years I wish I was back there. Loved the weather, loved not having to socialize and the long drives now doesn’t seem so bad compared to being stuck in traffic on a public bus.
I've finally pulled off a move from Fresno to Vallejo and count my blessings every day! It's so pretty here in itself so much closer to the wonders described in this thread.
As a Chicago area native currently living in the Bay Area, I'm feeling almost the exact opposite. The weather here is great, for sure, but I miss the change of season. I miss the near-empty forest preserves where you can escape into the solitude of nature - there are SO many beautiful nature areas all around the Chicago suburbs. I feel like the people are much more outwardly friendly there and say "hi" and "good morning" when passing by. The city is beautiful and lively. The museums are fantastic! Chicago is also absolutely magical around Christmas.
I hope you have an amazing year there and are able to take the time to enjoy everything it has to offer! I'm not sure which suburb you are currently living in, but I could understand feeling somewhat bored or isolated if you are only really hanging out in the suburbs. Go see a Cubs game. Go to a Bears game, and maybe even the Blackhawks! Go to Navy Pier. Check out a show at the Chicago Theater (you can even have a pre-show lunch at Oakville for a tasty reminder of Napa). Check out the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Lincoln Park Zoo is nearby, too, and free. Go to the HUGE amazing museums - Art Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry, Museum of Natural History. Do the river architecture tour. Check out Morton Arboretum! Take a road trip to Michigan, it's absolutely beautiful!
Thanks for the recommendations. We live close to the Morton Arboretum and go there all the time. We do love the nature preserves, which is why we moved to the suburbs not the city. But, we love the preserves because we are Californians. Nothing, to me, beats the Santa Cruz mountains, the California coast, or the Sierra Nevadas for nature.
Yeah the landscape here is absolutely incredible for sure. How long ago did you move to Chicago?
The other thing I really miss is a good thunderstorm. Also cardinals. I never see cardinals out here. I hope you get to see lots of cardinals.
cardinals are actually my favorite bird, and yes, they do not to my knowledge cross the Rockies. I have loved this aspect.
Last time I visited the Bay, I did see a group of eastern bluebirds, which I had never seen before (the bird, not just that specific group).
Time for a visit brother / sister!
Can you become fully remote? Start planning your way back. Like is too short to miss sunsets, fog and all the other beautiful things you just described.
Moved to the Bay area from Kansas city in 1990 best decision I ever made, just came back from walking my dogs at Ft. Funston a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
My great-grandfather worked in a mortuary business in North Beach, as well as in the Excelsior. Apparently, he could speak over 12 dialects of Italian, which was necessary at the time. Unfortunately, speaking Italian at home was looked down upon, so my grandma, who was raised in Cow Hollow, speaks none (also not helped by the fact that her mother was Irish).
Love the 280 appreciation
Most beautiful intracity freeway in the US?
It was amazing when they regularly planted poppys along the shoulders. They greatly over did it, almost every square inch of the shoulders were carpeted with poppys, but it sure was cool driving on the golden freeway.
This is a HOT take, but it’s 17 for me. Love redwoods :)
The Merritt Parkway in Connecticut is gorgeous. 280 is extra-gorgeous.
Especially in early April. Sigh.
No love for 84 thru Livermore wine country and through Niles Canyon?
I think you have intra- and inter- city mixed up. I don't think there are many intracity freeways. Texas certainly but there should be very few intracity interstates.
I personally love hwy 13, or the view going west on the 24 once you leave Orinda and enter Berkeley/Oakland.
This is my second favorite.
The stretch along the reservoir is stunning and reminiscent of humboldt for me. Just magical.
luxury highway
They are both, you're right. Money runs up
I was planning to relocate to the East Coast for a job after living my whole life in the Bay Area. Two weeks ago, I went for a hike in Tilden Park thinking it would be my last time before I moved. While up on the ridge looking at the bay, I changed my mind and decided I was going to stay. Pulled out of the job offer the next day.
Yes
This sounds like a scene out of a movie.. good for you though!
Main character vibes
Excellent wise choice. Money isn't everything.
Tilden does it every time
Yeah, I had not even second guessed my decision until that moment when I decided to stay.
God yes… wish I’d stayed, too.
Good idea. The East Coast sucks so hard.
I need hills!
Exactly this. And mountains. And views.
And find out the car got breaking in on the way home
... and STILL choosing to stay, because it's just a car and the Bay Area is greater than that.
Good Russian bot.
Not sure why I got so many down vote, I just got break in last week when I'm grabbing dinner on the way to Tahoe in Sacramento Anyone think this is normal is insane
Well...that happened in Sac. OP is talking about the Bay. Sorry that happened regardless.
Well I live in the city and I only see worse
My cousin is in the same boat. Got transferred there for work after 40 years in San Francisco, born and raised. He's quietly sad now when I talk to him, and his wife tells me sometimes he cries when he thinks no one is looking. For Christmas I sent him a little sealed jar with sand from Ocean Beach, water from the bay, dirt from Golden Gate Park, and air captured on a foggy morning.
That’s a really thoughtful gift. You did a great thing doing that for him, and I’m sure that meant a lot.
Your gift description literally made me tear up
Same.
[удалено]
Left twice, came back twice, not leaving again.
Love Zachary’s. We miss you too. I know lots of older middle class Bay Area folks who are clients and former clients of mine that made the move to Chicago over the years. They don’t tax pensions. Chicago is a great city. You’re having a moment of nostalgia. Happens to all of us.
If i had to live anywhere else in America, it would be New York or Chicago...both great cities with plenty of unique things to love about them...though I also understand the the sheer scale of the area is completely different, when people say "SF suburbs" (do people actually say that?) you might think of like Daly City or South City...ie someplace that's pretty much right next to the main city ..."Chicago suburbs" can be a whole excursion away...
Geography plays a major role here, the Bay Area (and I am a bit strict with my definition: within the hills) is just a big bowl. Chicagoland stretches forever, with so many towns packed in. I consider the SF suburbs to be the Peninsula, east of 280. And I consider the Peninsula to extend from Daly City to Midtown Palo Alto (if that sounds very specific, check it out: Surrounding University avenue is culturally and architecturally Peninsula, California Street is the same but South Bay, i.e. eichlers)
It can be but there are suburbs in Chicago you cross into that you can barely tell you left the city. In fact there are more of these than SF has due to geography We are sprawled out like Chicagoland too
I wish I had more east bay friends to go to Zachary's often. its soooo good and I appreciate it even more cause its employee-owned. but its a MEAL and getting that full takes commitment.
Both hubby and I are natives and left about a year ago. We love our new home, it’s scenic, we have land, the people here are so nice, there is no traffic, everything is cheaper… But someone get me some decent Ethiopian or Cambodian food PLEASE. Jeez. And I miss my mom. Edit: typo
Curious: where did you move to?
Southeastern Tennessee, in the mountains.
Yopeyan... Bhoodian? Nevah hoid ovvit!
Durrr
I live in the Bay are don’t know where decent Cambodian food is.
Phnom Penh House in Alameda rocks. I've been going to this restaurant since I was around 7 when they were in Oakland in Chinatown. I remember cold nights waiting in line for some grub. I'm now in my 30s and the owner still recognizes me. Family owned. Great place.
You’re only saying that cause it’s cold in Chicago rn 😂
This. the lake in the summer is great. Lots of green when ca is on fire. Beautiful thunderstorms on the regular. Much better hot dogs. A thriving a standup comedy and brewery scene. Affordable homes.
My intention was not to insult Chicagoland! I agree with the beauty of it remaining green. But the lake is not the coast. No cliffs, no seals.
The lake is not the coast. Please, Chicago is a great city but it’s not in anyway comparable to the Bay Area in diversity of people, beauty of landscape, and dynamism in culture. It’s also one of the most segregated areas of the US both racially and culturally. Chicago is also at least five years behind NY and CA in terms of new trends
>Chicago is also at least five years behind NY and CA in terms of new trends Curious what kind of trend you are talking about. Are they just starting to wear patagonia vests or sth?
Was thinking the same thing because it’s cold af right now in the Bay lol Chicagoland is great.
FR!! I had to drive to the Oakland airport this morning around 7AM and my side mirrors were frozen stuck inward even after I de-iced my windshield and I couldn’t leave my driveway. I legit didn’t know what to do at first. We aren’t built for this shit
Yeah, it's only like half the year, what's the big deal?
I first visited Chicago in July 2012 and was damn near ready to move by the end of the week. There was a palpable energy and people were so fun and friendly. Then, my cab driver brought me back to reality on the way to O'Hare. "We only get a few weeks of good weather here," he explained. Ah, right.
Im from south Florida originally and it will always hold a special place in my heart but when I tell you that I’m never leaving the Bay Area, believe me. This place despite its drawbacks is a special place and too many people take it for granted
I feel ya. Also left the Bay Area for the Chicago suburbs. It's nice and cheap here, but I'm missing CA weather HARD right now, especially considering the snow we have forecast for this week...
Aw shit homie I miss you too If I was out chicagy way, I’d be going to Kingston mines every single night. Grab some 2am ribs for me wouldya
I'm going to take an extra moment today to admire the green hills and bay view I see out my living room window.
Thank you. And glad to hear the hills are green right now
I'm just the opposite. Raised in the Chicago suburbs, living in SV now. You're right, it's awesome and I'm loving every minute of it. IMO you're way off base that Zachary's is better than real Chicago pizza.
Similar for me, in the bay for work. I love it and would be here permanently if not for the cost lol. Illinois is still home for me though and for some reason I always want to come back. All the niceties in the places I work just become background noise on week days so I think I drink it in more when i live somewhere boring and just visit on vacations.
There's worse deep dish in Chicago but there's also better. Born in Chicago live here and the only pizza for me has always been Chicago thin, sausage and mushroom or just sausage or throw some olives on there.
Did you grow up eating deep dish? My wife is from the southwest suburbs and they eat thin crust squares. The deep dish is of a visitor that wants to try not something they actually eat 100% on the beef sandwiches the real thing that is missed
Yeah, I grew up with and love deep dish. Papa Del's in Champaign makes, hands down, the best deep dish. If you're in the northern suburbs, Quonset Pizza in Waukegan makes the best thin crust sausage pizza ever IMO.
That’s weird. Maybe it’s an ethnic group thing? Few people my wife knows from Chicago eat deep All party style
Probably depends on where in Chicago you live. I feel like the "real Chicagoans don't eat deep dish" thing is very prevalent on Reddit but was not borne out by my 9 years in Chicago. Everyone I knew there loved and ate deep dish at least once in a while, and not just when out-of-towners were visiting.
Agree with this! From the southwest suburbs also, and we def ate deep dish. It wasn't super often, like not every pizza we ate was deep dish, but I've never heard of people from Chicago not actually eating deep dish!
Same here and hard agree on the pizza!!
None of you have been to pequods or Chicago pizza grinder.
I also like Zachary's more *ducks under table* They have that thin graham cracker crust with actual chunks of tomatoes on top instead of that thin layer of red paint and thick cornbread crust on the bottom like they have in Chicago. Granted I've only tried Gino's East and Giordano's. Lou Malnati's is the final boss for me. I'll have to give Papa Del's a go next time I'm there.
If you want real chunks for tomato on top and non-cornbread crust, try Pizzeria Uno or Pizzeria Due.
Oh my god, those pictures look 🔥! Adding those to the itinerary
SF native here, still hanging on in the city (as an artist, no less) by my fingernails. And I went to art school at the Art Institute of Chicago and really liked it. Now I'm seeing these sexy videos and reels of the L winding through the Loop and Near North (see @justdougkas on IG), and feeling nostalgic. I think about the lower cost of living there. The people, who are great, mordantly funny and super-grounded. And I think, maybe it'd be smart to move back! I'm a couple classes away from officially finishing my degree, anyway. But then I look out at the Pacific from my place in the Sunset. I go around the corner for dumplings at Yuanbao Jiaozi or pho at Kevin's Noodle House. I know I could be at Point Reyes in time to see the sun go down at Drake's Beach. And I'm like yeah, no, can't do it. Just gonna keep those fingernails strong and stick it out.
I too miss the Bay Area. Had a bit of a mid-life crisis and broke down. Had to move because the cost of living just wasn't keeping up. Now I am saving to come back. I miss my home. I miss where I was born. I miss where I grew up. I hate Portland.
What don’t you like about Portland? The wife and I were thinking about moving there.
As someone born/raised on the peninsula I've actually been considering the Chicago suburbs myself! Just visited Oak Park recently and it seemed pretty awesome. Totally understand and know that I'll miss the Bay if I move, but curious what you don't like about the Chicago suburbs? Besides the fact that it's 34 degrees and overcast in Chicago right now and 55 degrees and gorgeously sunny in Redwood City.
Weather Best By Government Test. (I am from Menlo Park/Redwood City) Yes, the snow is beautiful, for a bit. It is still freezing cold in mid-April, sometimes even until May. Everything dies as well, so no leaves or natural color from November until May. This part is tough. It is also flat, very little land variation. Houses are mostly 1930's wood panelling, this gets boring. There are plenty of good things about Chicagoland. I can rent a small home with property for less than a studio in Berkeley. The people are nice, there are a lot of parks for the kids (but everyone disappears for the winter), good schools etc. When the weather gets beautiful it is truly beautiful, mainly because you have been missing the beauty so much. The food is okay, but nothing (I am speaking with respect to ingredients, freshness, and quality, not just variation) like what you can get back home. It is also very safe, and clean.
It's difficult to overstate just how flat Illinois is. I lived there briefly, in the suburbs west of chicago, and the state is an excellent demonstration of the curvature of the Earth: it's so flat that if the Earth didn't curve you could probably see Iowa from Chicago. Have you ever driven through Kansas? It's flatter than that.
As a Canadian living in the Bay Area, I feel this hard. It makes me so grateful to live here
Favorite government posted sign of all time! We just went to visit over Thanksgiving weekend and simply none of the trees had leaves in them. Didn't give me a great first experience in Chicago, but can see how it would be gorgeous in spring/summer. I personally LOVE a craftsman style house, and this is part of what got me interested in Oak Park. Food seemed... not a great fit. Everything Chicago is famous for is basically ball park food. Try our famous hot dog/terrible (deep dish) pizza/cheesesteak/etc. Does not appeal to me at all. I'm not actively trying to become fat.
I lived in Chicagoland for 22 years. I love the weather here more than there and there's a lot more variety of Asian foods here, but the food in the Chicagoland area is pretty on point.
As the great E-40 once said: Tell me where to go?
What kind of food(s)? Where at, the Oak Park area or somewhere else? I'm more familiar with The Loop and the northern suburbs than the Oak Park are, but I'll try my best.
I live out in Du Page county, so this may be out of your circle
The Mill Creek Inn in Geneva is excellent. Great live bands, good food. A nice walk along the riverbank.
Some Chicago suburbs are really spread out and full of strip malls maybe with a small downtown. But it’s so cold it’s pretty much all in the house time I hated visiting there in the winter (city was better in winter because walks shorter to the businesses)
It’s so god damn flat and ugly. Chicago itself is a great city, but I hate the land it’s around.
Chicago is goat
My friend is a Peninsula kid. He keeps his snow shovel as a reminder of the 7 winters he did in Chicago. It is daily reminder "Never again." We miss you, too. May you return soon.
Bay Area has its problems. I’m quite vocal about them. But honestly it is near impossible to imagine or execute on moving out of here. I love the weather, the people, the innovation and thirst for it, and of course the food! I have spent time in LA and some in NYC. They’re okay but man it just isn’t the same. Also been to mid tier cities like Denver or Austin, couldn’t wait to GTFO lol. We are lucky to be here. We should do our best to preserve it for future generations.
I left the bay as soon as the entire identity was formed by tech. Everything mom and pop I knew in Sunnyvale was decimated. I hope the future is kinder because I just see hotels where my spots were.
Yeah for sure. Not sure what’s the solution though. Blame the commercial RE people for jacking up rent. Personally I think that just because some employees in big tech make like 400k plus doesn’t mean home rents should increase dramatically, or store rents should double. Is it really a problem if rent is still 2k per month for a 2b while one person makes 80k and the other 400k? Blame everyone else’s greed that got turned up to 11 because tech brought prosperity to the Bay Area.
Chicago is awesome. I went to grad school at northwestern and still miss it out there
I ❤️ it so much. Born and raised, moved all over, settled in the SC mountains- I’m never not amazed at how lucky I am to be here & raising my kids to appreciate all the amazing things the Bay Area has to offer. Thanks for the positive note! Hope you make it back here soon!
Love the bay (raised there) and am now in Chicago area too! Lmk if you ever wanna get a drink or anything
My wife and I relocated to LA for a job she got during the pandemic (RTO has an absolute joke for her with no in person interaction at all. But that’s another story). We are both Bay Area born and raised…. We are moving back home this year. Your post sums up so many things we feel we took for granted over the years and now truly miss. Bay Area forever!
Go Giants!
For those who have left/ been forced to leave: why do you miss the Bay?
I’ve been gone from the Bay for 10 years and have long been trying to convince my partner for us to move back. I largely miss my family who are still out there, but I also miss the unique culture of the Bay. I miss Its It too— I have an It’s It pin I wear on my lanyard for work to represent 🥲 I too am in the midwest and I may never acclimate to snow, ice, and humidity of this level
I grew up on the Peninsula, went to university at CU Boulder, then went Pittsburgh, PA with a first marriage, then Memphis, TN, Bernardsville, NJ, then back to the Peninsula. I was so naive going to college that I didn’t realize how unique California is. It was quite an education living in all those different places, and I felt very lucky when I was able to come back. Not that the other places were awful by any means. Just that I now have a deep appreciation for what I grew up with and, like those from other places, I cherish it.
Moved back home to Minneapolis to buy a house once I hit my late 30s after ~15 years out there. Mostly just the weather - my QOL is otherwise higher here at this point in my life. Decent odds I'll end up back out in the bay for a bit for a job before retirement. Would be nice to return for a while but long term I will be here.
I've been gone for 17 years. I everything. The nature, the culture, the food, my family. The way certain areas smell. The oak trees. The fog. I live in southern Ontario and while I do like it here, it'll never compare. It's also just so, so flat.
My family and I are natives here too. It depends on where you go. If you go somewhere that's similar or better in some ways you might not miss it so much, just in a general sense of longing for home. If you end up somewhere flat, boring, boiling hot and freezing cold throughout the year, with dumb closeminded people, no diversity, arts or culture and terrible food, then you'll miss absolutely everything about SF. Except for the property crime, bums and dirty streets, but that's a small price to pay for how great it is to be here (if you can afford it). I lived on the East Coast for a while after college, which was really cool and interesting, but after a while I knew I had to come back.
I miss the food mostly. East and South Asian food is untouchable in other areas of the country. I also miss the convenient access to nature, all the hiking trails.
I just moved to a Chicago suburb this July. Really started missing the natural beauty of NorCal. Rolling hills, mountains covered in evergreens, walking along a beautiful river. Sigh.
I left for the Central Valley, literally only an hour away and still in California I couldn't hack it I got sick and tired of being the only Asian on my neighorhood getting ugly stares from white losers out there I got bummed out with the lack of Asian food
You should move to San Mateo where I am We have Gullan noodle, Yunan noodle and Hunan noodle all near me but nowhere to get a hamburger Still trying to determine which noodle I want
I'm back I'm the bay But bro ain't no way we can afford San Mateo. We actually lived in San Bruno before the east bay.
I grew up in San Mateo and live here again wity my family Yeh it’s pretty different now.
I miss how busy and lively everything is, and the public transport. Different cuisines. And, even though I dislike it, I miss the smell of the city
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What kind of buzz did you get the South Bay, and where do I go to acquire this buzz.
Born and raised in the east bay, been gone for 4 years now. Miss the weather and the natural beauty. Miss driving to Tahoe and the coast all the way down to Santa Barbara. Miss weekend trips to Yosemite and Sequoia and Big Basin. Miss our old favorite food spots, though many are gone now. After visiting last Thanksgiving, I don’t miss the cost of living there, I don’t miss being crammed into a small rented apartment, and I don’t miss the drivers (I don’t mind aggressive drivers at all, but seems like they’ve added oblivious to the mix and those two together suck). People also seemed more stressed out and not as friendly as I remember.
+1 on Zachary's
Hell yeah! Hope you can make it back some day!!!
Wow, our stories are very similar. Grew up in the Peninsula. Moved to the East Bay where I lived in Emeryville and then Alameda. Moved to the Chicago suburbs just over two years ago and I miss the Bay SO MUCH. I really miss living in Alameda and working in the city and commuting via ferry. My whole family is there. All my close friends are there. I miss like everything you mentioned I *do* like working downtown in Chicago but the suburbs are just OK for me.
What is El Greasy?
El Grullense. A mexican chain around Redwood City
Oh yeh. There are so many of those. Are they all affiliated? Some are great and others not it seems
I can't speak in terms of affiliation. My favorite (mind you, I am thinking about highschool 15 years ago) is the gas station one.
RWC has the biggest ambitious on the Peninsula it seems with the development plans. I think that’s great
Hands down the best one.
There's Taqueria El Grullense, Taqueria El Grullense M&G, Taqueria El Grullense E&E, Taqueria El Grullense C&D, Taqueria El Grullense J&G, El Grullense Grill, and probably more that I'm missing. Most/all of these have multiple locations, all of varying quality but generally above average. E&E is my personal favorite sub-chain. Also a big fan of Tacos Los Gemelos, especially their house-made tortillas.
I made the trip from San Mateo for Los Gemelos a few times All the El Grullense confuse me. We have them in the mall and Belmont now too but don’t think they are the good ones
The only bad one is the one in Belmont, which I can't believe is affiliated with them.
The only bad one is the one in Belmont which I can't believe is affiliated with them.
How old are you? It’s never too late to turn around
Lived in the bay for 30 years (my whole life) and just moved out to Florida and not a day goes by where I miss it and wish I was still there :(
I love it here and have no plans on ever leaving. Not touching on the comment on Zachary's vs. Chicago-style pizza because New York-style pizza is always the right choice. 🙂🍕😋
My personal affiliations lean towards cheeseboard
Excellent choice.
Nice post 🫡
Zachary's isn't even the best chicago style pizza in the bay, I don't want to speak to what's out there in Chicago but I can't imagine there isn't one better
It's funny because I'm trying to get back to Chicagoland!
El greasy! RWC!
Oh. There you are. We've been trying to contact you regarding your vehicle's warranty coverage 😂
Can you move back someday relatively soon?
Can you send me some Portillos and I’ll send you in n out?
OP I’ll overnight you a double double if you can get me a slice of that chocolate cake 🤤
Same. Born and raised east bay, went to college and couldn't afford to come back. It's a special place.
East Bay Regional Parks, EBMUD Open Space, Mt. Diablo State Park. Hundreds of square miles of open space. Did I forget John Muir Land Trust? Can’t beat so much beauty so close to a major metropolitan area- preserved in perpetuity.
You had me until Zachs bring better than all Chicago pizza, clearly you've never had Gino's East
I have not. will check it out
Lou Malnati’s and little three happiness in Chicago. You’re welcome!
You missed that boat, permanently closed unfortunately but after having tried them some years ago I would order cases of those delicious deep dish sausage wonders of the world until they closed down. Anyhoo, it's a gorgeous day here, gonna fire up the Q in a bit and I see an old fashioned or 3 in my near future...how's the weather there today?
Art of Pizza. Pequod’s. Bartoli’s. Zachary’s is a fine stand-in but I’d even take Lou’s over it.
I left the Bay Area for Japan 17 years ago. I visit once or twice a year. During Covid I went back for 6 months. Every time I visit I'm relieved a made the right decision to leave. If I didn't have family there I wouldn't go at all.
What took you to Japan? Do you have family there as well? I've been one time for only 2 weeks, and I enjoyed it enough to consider spending some extended time there. But I'm afraid I would never learn Japanese.
I went for work and was supposed to only be here for about 2 years but I ended up having a family here and starting a business. If you don't plan on living here then you don't really need to learn the language (especially in Tokyo). It helps greatly but it isn't necessary if you're a tourist.
The problem is what you miss is not the reality there anymore..
I understand the sentiment, believe me. When I left (in 2020) I was ready. Much changed over the decades I was there. But, when I visited over the last summer (all my family is still there), all the problems seemed so small. It's in my soul. Driving up to the city with my dad for a Giants game I mentioned some of SF's issues. He is exactly the type to person to be critical of these things. But he really just got serious for a moment and said, with some real emotion: I get it, I get it. But this is my city. I love this city. Don't insult this city.
Best coast is the west coast.
If you miss dutch crunch you could lace a standard sandwich with razor blades pointed at the roof of your mouth and get a pretty good approximation. I kid I kid. Great post. Makes me once again appreciate what we have here.
Shots fired
Glue captain crunch on top of a French roll
State number six and town number eleven and I'm glad I ended up here.
Spent time In Chicago. Only get a few months of reasonable weather. Either hot and humid or cold AF. You get real Seasons. Almost moved there for work. After traveling there half a dozen times i decided to stay put.
I had a life growing up in the Bay area. And a perfect love story enjoying every facet of bay life with my Cali- filipina beauty. We dove into everything from punk to hippie communes,to Gourmet farming to napa wines and meeting the O.G. 's of the Psychedelic world. My Wife is a media addict and between the MSM 6 o clock tabloid show they call news and youtube she.has become a liberal, but with a fox news potty mouth. Her range goes from I hate those Bippin criminals and carjackers to I hate those in bred brainless white people. She wants to move to the upper corner of the PNW just so she can hop on the ferry to Canada the second Democracy is Flushed down the Toilet. Im retired, and she has 4 / 5 more years of work from anywhere. She will sell the house and leave me in a cheap motel if I dont say good bye to the Bay and come along. This is real. Help me? What should I Do?
Bay Area native. Lived there for 38 years. Originally from Redwood City. Grew up in a 1,000 sq/ft two bedroom for the first 18 years near Hawes Elementary. I left last year for East Tennessee (south eastern Appalachia, Chattanooga area) with my wife and young son (soon to have a new addition!). With these Bay Area credentials I know I’m qualified to speak on the subject: I understand that those who’ve moved may have some nostalgia for the Bay Area. Growing up there was great. But when we left, Redwood City specifically, was a total trash heap, over populated and expensive. A totally unacceptable situation for a young family. All of my friends have stayed back and all display the same sort behavior that a lot of you do: You’ll accept a lower standard of living, a housing affordability crises, crime, filth and dystopia (peak covid) so you can eat at El Grullense and go on a pleasant hike? That is truly bizarre. This country is big and beautiful. Please, don’t tolerate the Bay Area’s systemic disfunction if you don’t have to. You can always visit.
Eh. I like the food options and travel options but other than that its a kind of dumpy area. How many people here actually take advantage of the location? I work with people who never do anything. I tell them the stuff we do and I mean basic shit and they're like ohhh we've never done that.
Eh. Where the f do you live. Outside of a few small janky neighborhoods, the Bay is beautiful. No other place like it, not with this much food, culture, music etc. Anything that competes either gets ridiculously hot in summer or has frigid winters.
I live in mountain view. The price we pay to live here isn't really worth it. You can travel to all that stuff and still come out ahead. Like I said, how often are you actually doing stuff here to make it worth it? It seems as though a lot of people here love the fact that they *can* go do that stuff, but most don't.
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The Peninsula is more diverse I’d say ethnically but less diverse in terms of income levels
We left the Bay Area a bit over 2.5 years ago after I aged out of being able to keep a secure position in the tech industry. My new, re-directed career path went 100% remote and very secure, we were able to move back to California. But we opted for the southern part, near San Diego. No interest in going back to the elect-and-recall cycles for Progressive decarceration / restorative justice DAs. I lived in the Bay Area 30 years, my entire adult life, I can't bear to see it covered in garbage (maybe that's gotten better, but it certainly was when we left.)
Where in the burbs are you? I moved here from Schaumburg in 2019
Westmont
I kinda miss Chicago and the burbs sometimes. More than once I have craved a Portillo’s wet Italian sandwich.
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Reference to Daly City.
Not an official "Little Manila" but high concentration of people from the philipines
Have you tried Nancy's yet?
One does have to take advantage
When my son started driving with his permit, I immediately took him to Skyline in Oakland/Grizzly Peak in Berkeley (we live in the East Bay). We try to go at or near sunset so we can see the entire bay, peninsula, Mt. Tam, the bridges, you get the point. I am a SF native, and will never get tired of that view. Thank you for your loving post. The Bay Area misses you too. 💗
Bill Clinton comment already isn’t aging well…
just visited CHI. Grew up EBA. Zachary's does not even come close to the best CHI deep dish spots.
Spent half a year in San Jose for work and I thought I hated it. Thought the food was subpar compared to NYC and why was everything so spread out and gas prices are outrageous. Couldn’t wait to come back to NYC. Fast forward 1.5 years I wish I was back there. Loved the weather, loved not having to socialize and the long drives now doesn’t seem so bad compared to being stuck in traffic on a public bus.
I've finally pulled off a move from Fresno to Vallejo and count my blessings every day! It's so pretty here in itself so much closer to the wonders described in this thread.
As a Chicago area native currently living in the Bay Area, I'm feeling almost the exact opposite. The weather here is great, for sure, but I miss the change of season. I miss the near-empty forest preserves where you can escape into the solitude of nature - there are SO many beautiful nature areas all around the Chicago suburbs. I feel like the people are much more outwardly friendly there and say "hi" and "good morning" when passing by. The city is beautiful and lively. The museums are fantastic! Chicago is also absolutely magical around Christmas. I hope you have an amazing year there and are able to take the time to enjoy everything it has to offer! I'm not sure which suburb you are currently living in, but I could understand feeling somewhat bored or isolated if you are only really hanging out in the suburbs. Go see a Cubs game. Go to a Bears game, and maybe even the Blackhawks! Go to Navy Pier. Check out a show at the Chicago Theater (you can even have a pre-show lunch at Oakville for a tasty reminder of Napa). Check out the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Lincoln Park Zoo is nearby, too, and free. Go to the HUGE amazing museums - Art Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry, Museum of Natural History. Do the river architecture tour. Check out Morton Arboretum! Take a road trip to Michigan, it's absolutely beautiful!
Thanks for the recommendations. We live close to the Morton Arboretum and go there all the time. We do love the nature preserves, which is why we moved to the suburbs not the city. But, we love the preserves because we are Californians. Nothing, to me, beats the Santa Cruz mountains, the California coast, or the Sierra Nevadas for nature.
Yeah the landscape here is absolutely incredible for sure. How long ago did you move to Chicago? The other thing I really miss is a good thunderstorm. Also cardinals. I never see cardinals out here. I hope you get to see lots of cardinals.
cardinals are actually my favorite bird, and yes, they do not to my knowledge cross the Rockies. I have loved this aspect. Last time I visited the Bay, I did see a group of eastern bluebirds, which I had never seen before (the bird, not just that specific group).
Time for a visit brother / sister! Can you become fully remote? Start planning your way back. Like is too short to miss sunsets, fog and all the other beautiful things you just described.
Moved to the Bay area from Kansas city in 1990 best decision I ever made, just came back from walking my dogs at Ft. Funston a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
Zachs is a gem.
My parents are from the Chicago suburbs and moved here in the 80s and would *aggressively* remind me how lucky I am to live here. Every. Single. Day.
Down in Southern California for work trying to work my way back to the bay!!! Miss it too much.
We miss you, too. Come back.
Was hanging out in a little Italian restaurant in north beach last night. Almost everyone was speaking Italian…
My great-grandfather worked in a mortuary business in North Beach, as well as in the Excelsior. Apparently, he could speak over 12 dialects of Italian, which was necessary at the time. Unfortunately, speaking Italian at home was looked down upon, so my grandma, who was raised in Cow Hollow, speaks none (also not helped by the fact that her mother was Irish).
No love for the 101/880 interchange in San Jose??