sudsmaster
Well-known member
When the family moved from Connecticut to San Francisco in 1963, we were all in a state of shock. No more seasons, for one. For another, the skies in the inner Sunset district were mostly gray from May to December. No fall leaves/colors, no snow, no spring thaw, no swimming in the ocean (without freezing), etc. But over the years I came to accept the new environment, and also discovered the wonderful natural world of the rest of the state of California. While the City is a place of culture and entertainment, I prefer the climate and slower pace of the East Bay. Here I can have a house with a large yard, grow citrus/avocados/tomatoes, etc. But still it's got that great Bay Area climate: mostly dry from May to December, warm summer days and cool summer nights (except for maybe a couple of weeks a year of "heat waves"). No snow to deal with in the winter, although it can rain seeminly endlessly.
There are downsides of course, but every place has their own. Here, it's the eternal threat of a major quake, dancing on the edge of drought (mandatory water rationing may be coming soon this summer). By the end of the summer one is longing for rain, not just to cool things down but also to wash away the accumulated dust. The climate is so generally benign and the landscape so beautiful that the area has become highly populated - some say overpopulated. The Bay Area also has some of the worst traffic in the country. I've passed on lucrative employment opportunities because they would mean fighting some of that gridlock around Silicon Valley. Did that for 9 years and don't need it any more. The cost of living is amongst the highest in the nation, and not just in the tonier sections.
There are downsides of course, but every place has their own. Here, it's the eternal threat of a major quake, dancing on the edge of drought (mandatory water rationing may be coming soon this summer). By the end of the summer one is longing for rain, not just to cool things down but also to wash away the accumulated dust. The climate is so generally benign and the landscape so beautiful that the area has become highly populated - some say overpopulated. The Bay Area also has some of the worst traffic in the country. I've passed on lucrative employment opportunities because they would mean fighting some of that gridlock around Silicon Valley. Did that for 9 years and don't need it any more. The cost of living is amongst the highest in the nation, and not just in the tonier sections.
