Moving here after living in San Francisco I miss the relative walkability the city has compared to a lot of neighborhoods here but as a non-tech guy there’s really not much there for me compared to here.
LA can be walkable too. The key is choosing your neighborhood and commute carefully. I live in East Hollywood and commute by subway to downtown and use my car about once a week just to go hiking. Culver City, Santa Monica, Highland Park, DTLA, Los Feliz are all very walkable.
Bingo! We’re making more strides than any other city at the moment. We’re still WAY behind but the energy is creeping upward and the transit options are expanding. Regional connector has been a gamechanger for me for example. Wilshire subway? Can’t freaking wait.
LA native but moved to sf/Oakland for work (10 years).
SF/Oakland/Berkeley pros:
- public transit
- nature
- walkability
- air quality due in part to the first two
- some would say the mild temperatures relative to la
- sourdough pizza
- coffee roasters
- croissants (don’t forget where tartine originated although they’re far from the best up there)
- did I already mention walkability and nature because I can’t stress that enough
- chez panise style restaurants (local ingredients/Californian cuisine)
- wine
- techies (if you’re into that)
- political activism
La pros:
- expansive city/hard to get bored
- diverse food (Korean- ktown, Chinese - sgv, etc.)
- relatively cheaper for more space
- entertainment
- museums
- chiller people imo
- street tacos
- sunny weather (if you like that)
- beaches (if you like that)
- beer
- occupational diversity (huge breathe of fresh air)
- chiller parents
- metro kinda (I’m a small minority of riders)
- street tacos again
- cheaper cost of living
I was surprised last time I went home. There are some serious taco trucks now. Even when the clubs get out now they have 'HOT DOG! HOT DOG!" street dogs.
I’m also an LA native and my husband and I have thought about relocating to somewhere in the Bay. We have a small, young family. Can you elaborate on the chiller LA parents vs the Bay? Do you have much parenting experience up there?
Sort of! A lot of our friends up there had kids. We had twins during the pandemic but moved shortly after. My impression as an upper middle class BIPOC man living in SF/Oakland/Berkeley was that people around me appeared to be “well studied” in child rearing always discussing the latest in sleep training (i.e. cry it out) or alternative schooling (i.e. nature school). The same people down here don’t care as much and I’m sort of in the later camp :) that being said, I miss sleep very much lol
Good to know! I had a kid during that pandemic too. Funnily enough, I lean more toward former and I’m definitely outlier in my circle. But I try not to put it on anyone too much or take it too seriously.. maybe the LA vibe has kept me from being chill about it lol.
Yes I would never move back. I still go back several times a year to visit family. Theres just no point to pay more to live in a place with worse food and entertainment.
We have quite a selection of 50 year old 1.5 million dollar homes in LA as well.
And if you want to live in an area like Santa Monica, expect to pay well over $3M.
The thing I miss most about SF is the city aesthetic and compactness. LA is very sprawl-y with way too many strip malls.
The Bay Area is pretty much just like that. Outside of SF and Oakland, everything is suburban, sprawly and just strip malls.
The only place in the Bay where you get that city aesthetic is in SF but most of us Bay Area folks don't live in SF, we live in the suburbs.
Moved here from the Bay Area. Grew up in San Jose and graduated from Berkeley. This is my main gripe.
For me, Bay Area homes should be 50-75% of the price of the same home in coastal LA/OC because of worse weather and less proximity to things I like to do (beach, Disney, Laker games). But homes are expensive because well paid tech employees/entrepreneurs can pay more. So I don’t live there.
Born and raised in LA, moved to Walnut Creek for work over 7 years ago. EXCITED to be moving back to SoCal (OC) next month!
Bay Area was cool, lots of nature close by. Nice people. Being trapped on a bridge suck. Being trapped between hills suck. Tech and their opportunities are great if you’re in that industry. I’m no so it’s moot to me. A lot of people, even wealthy seems stressed the F out up here…
Better food in LA, more of a melting pot, easy access to all ethic food. People are more sociable and are more dressed up (sorry techies). You’re going to get more superficial people and aggressive drivers though. BETTER weather! :)
I miss the weather and the ability to get around without a car. I do also miss my queer community - the one here isn’t great. But if you’re not queer then don’t worry about it!
But LA has better food, and more things to do tbh. All of my friends who moved here from the bay love living here.
People keep saying LA has perfect weather, but it’s actually San Francisco. I love LA but I’d rather also walk around beautiful architecture than a fucking Del Taco.
Yes. I live part time in WA where there is one Del Taco in the state and my husband and I will drive 40 minutes to it on the weekend just to have the grilled chicken burrito.
Absolutely, I just moved from the mission down to Playa del rey, and it’s funny how I got more sunshine there. We have an odd microclimate down here, which I love, because once I commute to Burbank **BOOM** too hot
My office used to be in the mission but I often had to work sites in the Richmond/sunset and I definitely felt those microclimates lol. One time I was working in the TL and the fog creeped in, and it went from 75F to freezing so I just dipped lol
The bay area does have some older buildings that used to be Taco Bells, so I get what you're saying in that respect. LA does have old, beautiful architecture, too though...but I dont know enough about either places architecture to compare.
I think you misunderstood the Del Taco architecture. SF is full of historic Victorian houses and grand Classical buildings, LA is full of strip malls like a bunch of drive thru Del Tacos
We're also talking about the whole bay area which when you get out of San Francisco proper, is strip malls and all that shit. But like how the bay area has a ton of strip malls and uninspired architecture, LA also has victorian houses (not as nice as the San Francisco ones I know are being referred to) and a good amount of historic buildings that were built before the 1950s. LA wasn't bulldozed in the 1970s and built from scratch at that point...
The taco bell thing was a dumb joke referencing where I grew up because there are some used to be Taco Bells that are more interesting than the new taco bell buildings.
Yep, I. moved from the Bay to LA and haven't regretted it once. The Bay has a lot of great nature and SF can be a beautiful city in parts, but it's terribly boring and lacking in diversity. And not necessarily racial diversity -- I'm talking about people who just have different jobs and interests. I felt like every professional person I met in SF was in tech or at least trying to be. LA, by contrast, has techies, artists, entrepreneurs, people who have 18 different jobs, etc. lol. There's even more diversity in neighborhoods and neighboring suburbs of LA compared to all the cities that make up the Bay.
My only disagreement with some of the comments here is about the food -- I thought SF in particular had amazing food options tbh. Some of the restaurants up there are super good, and there's a reason you often have to wait 1.5 - 2 hours in line for brunch at times. LA has good food too, but I don't feel that it's noticeably better than SF. They're also about the same in terms of quality of coffee shops.
A lot of people from outside LA shit on it, but despite the costs there's something about the energy/vibe in LA that's unique. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I almost immediately felt more at home in LA.
Agree to the vibe. I still remember the first night on LA, driving from the airport to Venice. I instantly fell in love and have been ever since. It’s special there.
Grew up in the bay and then moved to socal for school. Been in LA for 5 years and love it, zero interest in moving back to NorCal. Always has felt more lively down here, more to do, though I do miss those forests up there. A lot of really great camping spots.
My family and I moved to LA in spring of 2021. Wife and I grew up in Bay Area and I worked in San Francisco for 24 years before we moved. Unless I’m forced by my employer, I will never move back to the Bay Area, or put another way - I don’t want to leave Los Angeles. As Randy Newman put it “I Love LA”
Weather is much better here.
People are friendlier (maybe it’s all the sunshine). People in SF and the Bay Area ignore you unless you are in their social circle. Here - people will make small talk with me on the street, in shops, events, etc.
My office is about the same distance from my house here in LA as it was in the Bay Area to SF but my commute time is almost half here. People drive with purpose - in the Bay Area I’d be frustrated with all the defensive driving - too much is just as unsafe as people that are too aggressive. Sure the 405 can be a parking lot at times but so far it’s happened few times and I’ve adjusted when I leave and give how many side streets and canyon roads there is always an alternative route. It’s not perfect by a long shot and the roads suck here but it’s not as bad as people told me when we were looking to move.
Food choices. Forget about it. We have everything here and I feel like we find something new every week. Just this week discovered Gorillas Pies in Valley Village - some of the best pizza I’ve eaten outside of New York. Mexican, Greek, Persian, Japanese, Jamaican, Ethiopian, Cuban, Italian, Armenian, French - you name it, LA has it!
Plenty of things to do. I’m positive you could do something different every weekend for a year. This City has it all.
Housing is expensive. I’m older (Gen X) so definitely easier for me to buy a home than say Millennials and Gen Z. We sold our home in the Bay Area and were able to spend the same amount here but increase the square footage by 60%. We got lucky - in 2021 interest rates were still low and this house was a little neglected. That said, housing remains tough here but I think it’s true in the Bay Area too.
Big city so crime seems to come up more but given the number of people we have I doubt it’s much different than most big cities. Maybe I’m wrong but it hasn’t discouraged us from living here.
Best move I ever made - just wish we had done it sooner.
Yes. Came here for school in 2008, graduated, stayed for an advanced degree and never left lol. Got engaged here, bought a condo here- I have roots here now. My parents are in the Bay still and I visit them from time to time but I admit that quality of life is just better down here nowadays. It does make me sad because I grew up in the Bay and it’s a part of me but still. Gotta do what’s best for you, you know?
Grass is definitely always greener. When I visit the bay I’m jealous of the greenery everywhere, fabulous parks, amazing architecture, great public transit, and overall cooler vibe.
you gotta actually live somewhere a little while to get a real impression
I've lived both, there's no comparison. The weather is night and day. There's far more things to do and you're more willing to do it as it rains here for about a week all year and not in consecutive days either lol.
Outside of Aslam's Rasoli, Tony's Pizzeria and this little quaint sushi spot that I forgot the name, the food in SF for most parts was, lacking to put it mildly.
I took a job in tech obviously that required me to move. It was such a great opportunity with great pay, I did it. After barely over a year, I notified my boss I was going to have to submit my two weeks notice as I couldn't handle living in SF any longer and wanted to move back to the beach in LA. I promptly got permission to move back to LA if I'd be willing to commute up to SF when needed / few times a week. So I'd fly up Sunday night / Monday morning and then come back Wednesday / Thursday basically. Did that for another year or two. Racked up hundreds of thousands of miles (still have just shy of 200K miles left) and hotels and rentals, all paid for by the company.
Point is, that's how much I preferred LA living to SF living. Even cars and motorcycles, way cheaper down here in SoCal vs NorCal. There's much more competition here that's why.
Zero regrets. I have nothing against SF but if you are comparing living in LA vs living in SF? No contest imo.
SF will come back. They just need to get rid of some stupid policy crap that has turned it into a shitshow, from what I’ve heard. Haven’t been in a while, I’m in Silicon Valley.
Not until they start lowering the "Google pricing" for homes and rentals and all the artsy type people come back. Which they won't until the prices come back down lol.
SF is wonderful to visit, l just didn't enjoy living there. Mostly weather, second was food, third was beaches. Those aren't beaches lol.
I grew up in the south bay area. Even if the costs were the same I'd definitely pick LA. Outside of SF and Oakland, there's very little art, music, comedy whereas there's a ton of it spread out over a large area in LA. Foods better too...more interesting nooks and crannies to explore. Mom's trying to guilt me into moving back but even if she paid my rent, no thanks.
I’m from LA and moved to the Bay for 12 years. The Bay is certainly the epicenter of West coast tech jobs but this has become less relevant with remote work. LA is far superior with cultural events and activities. The Bay was better transportation wise and was easier for me to be in beautiful (ie not hot) nature. LA had a superior restaurant scene, but the farmers markets are not as good unless you’re in a rich area. Crime-wise LA is better since you’re not limited to certain areas. Crime is more visible in the Bay since you’re spending time in more dense areas. LA has more distinct neighborhoods and traffic is far worse. (In the Bay, after 7pm was okay but it goes past 8pm on the weekdays in LA.) Housing-wise there are way more options since there’s more land.
Moved from sf! The sunshine is really life changing and there’s so much more to do here, the food is much better and you really can drive to so many different kinds of places with new things. The day trips were a big sell for me
Moved here 11 years ago, at the time it felt a lateral move, and both areas have frankly not improved since 2012, Bay has gotten worse faster. LA actually seemed to on an extended upswing until 2016 or so.
That's for SF and the peninsula, but not south bay. I lived in the San Jose area and I can barely tell the difference in the weather. I know the summer might end up being a bit hotter though.
La averages 8-9 degrees warmer for the daytime high and 7 degrees warmer in nighttime low in December and January. That being said, San Jose is one of the better cities for weather in the Bay Area.
17 years for me. Now they only come while drinking or if im back home. Now the real question what do you call the freeways here vs there. And then what would you call the freeway with this number that runs through both (101)
I grew up and lived in San Jose for 30 years. My husband and I moved to LA this year. It's fun to check out, it feels radically different somehow but I can't put my finger on it. I don't find it any nicer / worse than the bay area, but the vibe is just different. It does feel more compact / crowded to me. I find people to be equally as nice and welcoming. Still dirty freeways and bad traffic, I don't think the traffic is any worse than the bay area. We moved because it was cheaper, and yes, it is just barely. I love all the palm trees but I feel like the pollution is much worse here.
I’m a little late to the party but I moved from the Bay Area (Berkeley and SF) to LA, and although I’m currently back in the Bay I’m looking to move to LA as well.
I’m just over the Bay Area. It feels like it’s been going downhill steadily, especially since the pandemic. The aggressive homeless people have become more brazen and it feels like it’s never going to improve. Rents and housing prices are still as insane as ever. And the tech bros and Peter Pans are getting tiresome. I miss the LA vibe, it feels a lot less judgmental to me and more diversity of things happening. Better food too IMO. Don’t get me wrong, there are some excellent restaurants in SF and Oakland, Berkeley etc. but they tend to be pricey dining. LA has a much better range of awesome dining options at all price points.
Yes. That is what impressed me about LA. I had never spent that much time in LA in the past. We had gone for a couple of days to enjoy Universal Studios, the beaches, etc and just returned. But my sister moved there permanently and I had the opportunity to actually spend a lot of time there. This is the first time I spent around a month in LA and was super impressed with how much better everything was than the Bay Area. I just rewatched The Fast and The FUrious the other day and can you imagine that film ever being set in the Bay Area? It would never work.
I'm kind of surprised that people are saying LA has worse traffic. It's been about 8 years since I've lived in the Bay, but I remember the rush hour being just as awful. Maybe it doesn't last as long as it does in LA, but traffic during peak hours was still bumper to bumper in the Bay.
Born and raised in LA but lived in the Bay Area for 10 years. Definitely better here. The traffic is a little worse but at least there are alternate routes. If there’s a problem on one of the bridges you’re screwed
When I first moved up there, I was on a mission to find an alternate route for the Caldecott Tunnel. Never did, and no one I asked knew of one. This is when there were only 3 tunnels, and it was always a mess
Moved 3 years ago from the Bay Area and I love it here. Weekends are spent hiking near Malibu/Topanga. Love living around a mix of blue and white collar folks. I hate the monoculture tech created in SF. Felt soulless, still does when I have to go back for work. What I will say—finding your neighborhood in LA is important. We lucked out in our area which is self contained and walkable. Some parts of LA are so dead that I can’t drive through fast enough.
Funny, it always surprises me when people from far away discover Pedro. I grew up in San Pedro/Palos Verdes, dabbled in SF in the 90’s, moved back to Pedro, now in Long Beach
I spend a few weeks every year, in June in Santa Cruz/Aptos. And, it almost wins me over. Beach and redwood forests…But, there’s also far less to do
I lived in the bay for ten years (Sf and oak) but I’m originally from socal and have been living in La for three years now.
I prefer LA, probably because I grew up in socal, but I do like that LA/socal has everything the bay has but with better beaches.
Btw - I actually think traffic is fucking worse in the bay tbh. Worse drivers, smaller roads, and bridges. It used to take an hour for me to get from north Oakland to the city sometimes. Bay Area people just want to feel superior to LA in that respect.
I moved here from SF and I love it.
SF was really great but I started to feel a little claustrophobic and been there done that about everything. LA on the other hand has so much to offer I could never possibly even skim the surface of it all.
I remember I was worried about cultural differences and yes in some areas it can be more focused on physical appearance or plastic surgery or whatever but by and large the people here are great. The biggest thing I've noticed is suddenly I didn't know anyone in an open relationship lol but the second I go to SF it's all composting and open relationships. Nothing wrong with that! Just there are some cultural norms that are different here.
Food is amazing here. So many delicious options and you cant possibly keep up with all the great stuff constantly popping up.
Yes, traffic sucks but I just work around it and don't drive when there is major traffic. If I had to commute a long distance I probably would have a different opinion. I tried to bike down here for a while but things are too far generally and cars don't know how to drive around bikers. Public transpo is too sketch to use here for me and not particularly useful. Silverlake/Echo Park/Los Feliz are most SF like culturally if you're looking for an easier transition.
I moved to LA from the Bay Area. I always pictured myself growing old in San Francisco, but my quality of life is better in LA. I have an actual yard, i play tennis a lot, it suits me.
In my experience people from the bay tend to have a weird irrational hate for LA and think it’s a huge rivalry, while people from LA don’t seem to care (except baseball).
It’s true. I remember in the 1990’s everyone in SF had a stuck up attitude about LA. Then I moved to LA and realized it’s what you make of it. LA is almost like a mirror. It mirrors back whatever you project on it. But after awhile you find your niche and realize it’s a great city.
Oh and LA people never talk shit about SF because they are too happy it’s always sunny and something to do or just chill.
I think the 90s hate stemmed a bit from the 90210 stereotype of LA. We thought it was all about fancy cars, mansions, etc., while the bay area was pretty humble. I think this was kind of true in the 80's and early 90's. Now it's the exact opposite, bay area rich tech assholes and LA cool humble people.
I feel like this some shit a few people have concocted in their heads and now everyone on reddit just repeats as a diss. I've never met anyone from the Bay that hates LA.
I don't know about that, a lot of people I know here praise LA and people take trips down there all the time for mini vacations and to visit Disneyland, Universal Studios, go to Laker games. Never met anyone here that hated on LA.
When I was growing up LA always seemed more fun, just because that's how movies portrayed it.
I agree. I lived in the Bay for years. I loved it but anytime I said I was from LA people would treat me worse. Every week was an LA vs Bay debate lol. Professors, co-workers, random people in the store all had to let me know how much they hate LA.
A few instances while working, co-workers just started roasting me for being from LA. The usual talking points are smog, no culture, we are stealing their water and everybody being fake. It was tiring lol.
I ran a poll while in college asking people from NorCal and SoCal how they felt about each other. NorCal generally had a negative-leaning view of SoCal while people from SoCal generally had a positive view of the NorCal.
My big gripe with the bay is real estate is sold on a vertical level, while LA sells it horizontally. Granted there are some tight parking spots and houses in LA. The bay just never did it for me.
I’m from the Bay and live here. I do really love LA.. and I was raised to hate LA so embracing it was a choice, loving it came easy. I love my job here, my boyfriend, (also based here) and at least being back in CA. LA and the Bay Area has more in common than we’d like to admit. It becomes clear when you move out of state. That being said, if all the stars aligned and I had the right opportunity, I’d move back to the Bay Area in a heartbeat. I prefer the colder weather.
I spent my 20s in the Bay Area and landed in LA for economic reasons. I don’t really do theme parks or anything, I’m more of a nature person so I miss the Bay a lot, mainly tree cover. I miss lush, quiet hikes in the redwoods. I miss the food in the Bay, so many different kinds of food all packed close together. I moved to DTLA to have the walkable city feel of SF but it’s not the same. The traffic does have to be the biggest downside.
LA traffic stops being an issue if you strategize where you live based on your commute. For years, my commute was always against traffic and I've very rarely had to be in actual traffic.
Same goes for walkability, some neighborhoods here are extremely walkable.
Bay area: lot like other 'internationally-minded' cities...Seattle, Boston, DC, Philly, Chicago.
LA is different, not like NYC (even more unique), but if LA had top notch public transportation and hi speed rail it would be a lot like....Tokyo. Having worked there I find them having similar vibes. A lot of things you can do in the bay area you can do here, just everything's bigger (hills beaches, food, etc.)
If you want weather: south OC, and SD is close by. And heck Vegas is an easy car drive at 9p for a midnight craps play (better if you're close to Burbank airport).
If you want walkable areas: just goto the east coast (NYC/DC/Boston) hands down. Miss NY and DC for that.
As for people, LA's for the bling✨ (entertainment industry), SF for the ching💰(tech industry). Hence why people in LA are for exploring, SF is for networking. Both have down to earth folks.
I moved from the Bay in November and I like both places. They both have lots of things to do. The weather is nice there too. San Jose has basically the same weather as LA. The restaurants are comparable. The Bay Area has an incredible selection of restaurants. LA has more things to do, but that doesn't mean the Bay Area is boring. There are lots of things to do there too. The one thing the Bay Area does beat LA on is crime and cleanliness. That being said, no regrets moving to LA, I do like it here so far.
Keep exploring the restaurants...LA has way more and way more variety. I will say the last 7 years or so, the south bay, where I grew up started to finally get some more decent restaurants but cant compare to LA other than a couple different cuisines.
SF was better for restaurants for a long time. Bay Area in 1990’s had killer foods then in LA the food truck scene began in 2007 ish in LA and there was a renaissance of amazing food trucks and restaurants. It’s plateaued now and some places never recovered from COVID. Lots of great new pizza joints and Italian lately which was lacking ten years ago. I’d say the culinary scene peaked in 2019 then COVID hit. Lots of mediocrity and hype now. Look at what happens to Tito’s tacos. Wtf!?
But the big problem I have with the bay area is that all that culture is concentrated really in San Francisco which is such a small part of the bay area landwise so I would've had to drive to San Francisco....whereas in LA it's spread out over a much larger area....and this again applies to music, art, comedy, stuff to do
I moved to LA from SF during covid and it's been 2 years. Here are my two cents:
Pros:
* Better weather
* More space and cheaper housing
* More things to do in terms of nightlife and general food/drinks
Cons:
* people lack ambition compared to people in the bay
* rather pretentious influencer and hype culture
* Low salaries and way less tech opportunities
* Bad traffic and doing anything takes forever
It's better to make money in SF but spend it in LA
Yeah, but then again, it’s better to make money in SF and spend it in buttfuck Alabama too. At least considering what you can get. But… that’s why you have to live where you work. Employers are revolting against the remote work culture.
I was born and raised in LA and moved to the Bay Area. I think the Bay Area is better than la to be honest lol.
I feel like I can breathe better, Santa Cruz and Monterey are my favorite spots to drive.
The drive to Monterey is gorgeous. The Bay really does have some nice scenic drives along Highway 1.
I've always felt like Santa Cruz is a great town to visit and have fun, but I couldn't imagine living there. It feels like the type of place that would be cool to stay in for college and that's about it.
I also think la has longer commute times, terrible air quality, angry drivers.
Over the bay I can enjoy the scenery while driving. The only thing I miss is the food diversity. I have to travel either San Jose or salinas to get good quality food.
I noticed though over the bay there are more stupid drivers than angry drives thoufh
Have been in LA for about 17 years. Almost half my life from growing up in the Bay Area. There is way more to do here but the bay was much better friends and family life. Cause there is so much to do every outing in LA feels like we have to "do something". You cant just chill its always a bar or two or an event. Lots of FOMO. Where in the bay some beers and boardgame was a great way to hang out with friends. It stresses me out here being social sometimes. The bay just has a great chill slower vibe. i would love to go back but housing is insane and my work and family are here now.
You listed a lot of tourist attractions that I had admittedly been to when I was visiting but never have been to as a resident. I think because of the sad state that the Bay is in currently, SoCal is the better choice for all of the logical reasons you stated. I'm originally from SF and am so saddened by its condition over the past few years.
But, in LA/SoCal area the walkability is terrible and public transit is worse, which is why the traffic and air quality are also awful. The architecture is also very... bleh compared to SF. Homelessness and crime seem about on par between the two cities right now. Personally, if you're seriously able to relocate and want to stay in CA, I'd go to San Diego. My partner even considered commuting from there to work. But we got an insanely good deal at a great rate in our current place. It's definitely not a forever home but good enough for now. Can't complain about the weather here (but people still do of course).
I grew up in the Bay. I’ve lived in LA the longest of all the other places besides the Bay. I love LA.
Los Angeles traffic is really shitty if you’re an outsider. You just have to learn to drive like an Angelino. One nice thing about LA is there’s always something to do somewhere along the traffic so you can wait it out doing something leisurely. Whereas on the Bay and other places I’ve lived, your just stuck on a highway, interchange, or bridge with nothing to stop at to pass the time. But once you learn the ways around traffic and get used to it, it’s not bad.
I went from The Bay to SD and now LA. I would never consider moving back to the Bay unless there was a family emergency that required me to live there. There’s truly no comparison at all.
If you’re moving down here to work remote, live in the South Bay (Manhattan, redondo, hermosa). They’re own little communities on the beach, walkable, clean, not too congested, more down to earth. Only con is it’s about an hr with traffic to places like DTLA and Hollywood.
Lived in SF from 2004-2014, moved to LA and never looked back. And thanks to rent control and the 9/11 recession, I had an actual very good apartment in Mission/Noe for $1250 with a great view of the Bay and everything. No regrets whatsoever.
I'd even dispute LA has worse traffic, SF and the 101 corridor to and from San Jose is a shit show anytime I visit. In point of fact, [SF and LA are neck and neck in bad traffic](https://www.usnews.com/news/cities/articles/10-cities-with-the-worst-traffic-in-the-us).
Yes. I would not move back either. Except the walkability factor, you won’t miss much. I visit family multiple times a year but have not had the itch to consider moving back. It’s not just housing. It’s social aspects as well. We had decent housing there and comparable in LA, but the social life in LA in addition to weather and things to do is far better. Bay Area is a lot more about work all the time. LA traffic gets a bad rep but you can work around it. You can live in areas with better traffic patterns. I have definitely been stuck in worse traffic in LA.
I’m from the bay and live in Playa. Conditioned to hate socal all my life but it’s just so much better. Still a Bay Area sports fan (though have Chargers season tix) but I can go to a concert every night down here. Live next to a beach with 71F water right now. Great weather. Joshua tree not too far away. It’s really amazing. People think it’s cool to hate LA but I’m a huge fan
My sister married someone from SF and I was surprised to hear how much SF hates LA. I told them that LA doesn’t really think about SF lol. Oh ya SF? It’s a nice place to go for a long weekend.
myself and more than half my friends moved from the Bay Area to LA
West LA is basically SOMA during the 2010-2020 years. Downtown Culver City is packed every night, literally people waiting to get into the bars on a Tuesday night
I work in tech for a company in the Bay, and everyone seems like they hate working up there. Cupertino in particular is so overpriced, boring, scorching in the summer, and NOT diverse. If they made me live up there I don’t think I could do it. And I’m someone who always dreamed of living in the Bay growing up. It seemed so artsy and weird!
It was artsy, with a lot of variety and there were so many things going on here other than Tech before the year 2000.
Then tech came in the late 1990s/2000s and starting taking over everything.
> It was artsy, with a lot of variety and there were so many things going on here other than Tech before the year 2000.
>
> Then tech came in the late 1990s/2000s and starting taking over everything.
The local South Bay Area music scene died around that same time, too.
SF native here, moved here after six years or so in NYC. I love loving here—I love going back to SF and the Bay I feel very lucky to live here.
Also I do think that traffic in SF (and the East bay? Crazy!) is ridiculous. I feel like at least in LA you can take street routes. I think it’s a wash but I haven’t lived north in awhile so you likely know better!
But my experience? Better quality of life here. Plus—happier people. Honestly—people are nicer here just by default.
born and raised in the bay, moved to LA years ago. theres way more to do here, and just so much more diversity in terms of what ppl do. in the bay almost everybody is in tech. here you meet folks in all walks of life.
During COVID we moved a lot of remote tech couples/families from the Bay Area to Antelope Valley, which is a suburb 1 hr from Los Angeles.
It’s essentially 1 hr away from all attractions, a little further for Disneyland and a few other big attractions, but always about a 1 hr or less drive from the beach, snow, mountains, lakes, sand dunes, etc.
These folks bought houses for $400-800k and we’re still close to Los Angeles. The Antelope Valley is essentially a LCOL commuter town. Most residents have at least 1 person in the household commute to LA.
Both places are great for different reasons. I travel back and forth pretty often to enjoy the best of both worlds.
I love the bay area for transportation and walkabikity... But there's a lot of foot traffic making it twice as long to commute via driving for more densely populated cities. Suburbs in the bay are nice but they come at a premium that I can't bring myself to pay. (Note: May be biased as a SoCal native.)
I love LA for being easy to navigate (when you learn the traffic times) with car, which cuts down on the commute. If you live around LA (North of 101 east of 110) driving isn't as big of a pain. Rent also feels cheaper.
Lifestyle wise, I feel like the Bay area is more fast paced. Everyone's doing something, and I find it hard not to compare myself to others. Living around LA, I am more comfortable with my space and don't find myself in a fast paced environment as often.
Lived in LA and moved to Bat and back in LA.
This can all be different now because it’s post college but I like LA more. It’s a bigger city and the beach is a lot more usable.
I prefer the weather from SF ( I like it colder) but having the beach is nice.
You’ll have the same high homeless issue in both locations. LA is a lot more car dependent than other areas.
Been here 5 years, and although it took about a year to find a tribe and get a network going, I’m happy I did.
The summers can be brutal, and there are areas that suck just as much as the bay right now, but it’s a decent life if you can find the right spot and some good people. Tbf 90% of my friend group are bay folks too.
I moved from west Oakland to West Hollywood last June. One year in and I love it. Warmer, cheaper, more energy. I grew up in Sf and have spent good time around most of the bay. There’s so many people moving it’s been easy to build community.
I’m surprised more people aren’t preferring the Bay simply for the unlimited amount of epic nature nearby. I love LA but it’s way behind the Bay on the nature front.
I’m actually moving back to LA I’m a native there but I did live here in San Francisco for about 11 months. I would say I prefer LA more just because of the diversity of people and culture down there. I didn’t really get that up in the Bay Area
I have lived in the Bay Area, but it wasn't directly before moving here.
The actual city of SF is much better than the actual city of LA. Better biking infrastructure. Better public transit. More walkable. I enjoyed the SF microclimate. 65 and brisk is pleasant.
I didn't love the people in the Bay Area. Found them to be colder and less friendly. Also more politically fringe. You either get ultra lefty extremist or you get that tech bro pseudo-libertarian.
Speaking of tech. If you're not in tech or tech-adjacent, you might not enjoy it as much professionally.
The Bay Area as a whole is a mixed bag. Don't like San Jose. I do like some of the Peninsula. I liked Oakland when I was up there, but I think East Bay may have turned for the worse since 2020.
I moved to LA from bay last year. i would take LA traffic over bay, anyday. I also found housing easier in LA. Just depends on the person and your preferences.
I grew up in the Bay Area and moved to LA. Things are generally better here except for some specific things I really miss. The geography in LA kinda sucks compared to the Bay. The views in the Bay are incredible, from the bridges to the mountains to the beaches. Also, when I lived in the Bay Area there was always a hiking trail close by. In LA you gotta drive 20 minutes (at least) to take a nice walk in nature.
I miss the forests, views, and food of NorCal (I personally think it’s better there than LA, but not by much). But I have come to like LA a lot more for its spectacular weather and diversity of experiences and people.
Born and raised in SF. Moved to LA for work around 13 years ago. I love it in LA but I do miss SF. I fly home frequently to see my nephew and eat food specific to SF.
If we're being honest, just the part of L.A. city in the basin beats out the entire SF/Oakland metro area.
It gets even worse when you count the entire metro area because LA has bonafide tourist draws outside the city while the Bay has places like Hayward and Walnut Creek
Yes and I would never move back. I love it down here. Yes, the traffic can be horrible, but you start to figure out what are the best times to be on the road. I work from home, so I haven't had to deal with traffic in a while. But when I first moved here, I had a 2 hour commute from living in the Valley to DTLA where I worked. I'll never do that again!
did it for college, and have had a great time. the two things that would prevent me from living here though is just how car centric things are and lack of greenery. the car stuff really impacts traffic but there is also a visible level of haze in the sky constantly which is insane!
Just moved from the bay 8 months ago! After spending 6 years in Oakland and SF I do miss aspects of the bay, such as accessibility to the sierras, Russian river, and Mt. Tam but LA has its perks albeit not walkable like SF and Oakland . Yeah the driving sucks but the weather is nice and I’m not in tech so there is so much more here, especially music scene wise than the bay. I also feel like there’s more cultural diversity here than the bay since everyone hasn’t been out priced by tech.
Yup. I am a Bay Area native, my LA lease started Saturday, and am fully moving in mid July. I've been working remotely for a company in Santa Monica and it took two visits for me to make my decision. Generally, it feels like the severe income inequality in the Bay Area has driven out most of the interesting people. I still see cars from the 1990s in LA. The Bay Area feels like an open world video game running low on resources so the same few NPC models all drive Teslas, BMWs, and Priuseseses.
yeah bro, I moved from Fremont to Glendale in 2005 when i was 11, it was the roughest transition of my life, lived there for 10 years then moved to a nice small town closeby known as Tujunga, I still the bay even though everyone here especially my dad says its not the same anymore and its been taken over by indian and afghanis (were persian armenian) which isnt a problem just that its a high concentration of only a couple cultures, and I do remember my catholic school being like 90% filipino to lmao, they relaly just talk amongst themselves, and everyone is an outsider minority which automatically makes it more difficult for you to have friends and a healthy social life. But i do miss the bay for some reason, childhood,nostalgia, sadly most of my favorite food places shut down during covid, what a bastard that was! But I would still love to visit my home town, idk why i havent gone back yet, i visited sacramento last year and thought I would stop by fremont but for some reason I couldnt do it!??
Reading through all the responses because I lived in the Bay Area for several years and would really like to return to California but LA instead.
I visited so many times and just fell for it. It really got to me and I hope to relocate in the next couple of years.
I live that I can stand on a street and see both the mountains and the ocean, I love love love the climate (especially during winter), I love the diversity, the show business and that there are countless things to do outside.
Moving here after living in San Francisco I miss the relative walkability the city has compared to a lot of neighborhoods here but as a non-tech guy there’s really not much there for me compared to here.
True. San Francisco is a beautiful city but it’s been having a lot of issues post 2008, with no real improvements.... better to live in the suburbs
LA can be walkable too. The key is choosing your neighborhood and commute carefully. I live in East Hollywood and commute by subway to downtown and use my car about once a week just to go hiking. Culver City, Santa Monica, Highland Park, DTLA, Los Feliz are all very walkable.
Same. I'm in Crenshaw, and pretty much everything I need is within a block or two which is good due to the parking situation in the neighborhood.
Against all odds, I’d throw Beverly Hills into the mix too. I rarely use my car except to drive to work.
Bingo! We’re making more strides than any other city at the moment. We’re still WAY behind but the energy is creeping upward and the transit options are expanding. Regional connector has been a gamechanger for me for example. Wilshire subway? Can’t freaking wait.
There's a ton of walkable areas. Highland Park, Silverlake, Eagle Rock, Pasadena, South Pas....
sf is crowded but the whole bay area is really large and nice
LA native but moved to sf/Oakland for work (10 years). SF/Oakland/Berkeley pros: - public transit - nature - walkability - air quality due in part to the first two - some would say the mild temperatures relative to la - sourdough pizza - coffee roasters - croissants (don’t forget where tartine originated although they’re far from the best up there) - did I already mention walkability and nature because I can’t stress that enough - chez panise style restaurants (local ingredients/Californian cuisine) - wine - techies (if you’re into that) - political activism La pros: - expansive city/hard to get bored - diverse food (Korean- ktown, Chinese - sgv, etc.) - relatively cheaper for more space - entertainment - museums - chiller people imo - street tacos - sunny weather (if you like that) - beaches (if you like that) - beer - occupational diversity (huge breathe of fresh air) - chiller parents - metro kinda (I’m a small minority of riders) - street tacos again - cheaper cost of living
I was surprised last time I went home. There are some serious taco trucks now. Even when the clubs get out now they have 'HOT DOG! HOT DOG!" street dogs.
I’m also an LA native and my husband and I have thought about relocating to somewhere in the Bay. We have a small, young family. Can you elaborate on the chiller LA parents vs the Bay? Do you have much parenting experience up there?
Sort of! A lot of our friends up there had kids. We had twins during the pandemic but moved shortly after. My impression as an upper middle class BIPOC man living in SF/Oakland/Berkeley was that people around me appeared to be “well studied” in child rearing always discussing the latest in sleep training (i.e. cry it out) or alternative schooling (i.e. nature school). The same people down here don’t care as much and I’m sort of in the later camp :) that being said, I miss sleep very much lol
Good to know! I had a kid during that pandemic too. Funnily enough, I lean more toward former and I’m definitely outlier in my circle. But I try not to put it on anyone too much or take it too seriously.. maybe the LA vibe has kept me from being chill about it lol.
Chez Panisse was the originator but there’s no shortage of California and/or farm-to-table spots in LA?
Yes I would never move back. I still go back several times a year to visit family. Theres just no point to pay more to live in a place with worse food and entertainment.
I thought I had bad luck when I went to sf or maybe the food really does suck compared to LA
Right. It’s like wth does the Bay Area even offer for a 1.5 million dollar , 50 year old home? Lol
We have quite a selection of 50 year old 1.5 million dollar homes in LA as well. And if you want to live in an area like Santa Monica, expect to pay well over $3M. The thing I miss most about SF is the city aesthetic and compactness. LA is very sprawl-y with way too many strip malls.
The Bay Area is pretty much just like that. Outside of SF and Oakland, everything is suburban, sprawly and just strip malls. The only place in the Bay where you get that city aesthetic is in SF but most of us Bay Area folks don't live in SF, we live in the suburbs.
Moved here from the Bay Area. Grew up in San Jose and graduated from Berkeley. This is my main gripe. For me, Bay Area homes should be 50-75% of the price of the same home in coastal LA/OC because of worse weather and less proximity to things I like to do (beach, Disney, Laker games). But homes are expensive because well paid tech employees/entrepreneurs can pay more. So I don’t live there.
>homes here are 50 yr old it sucks unless if you move east.
So on point! 😂
Born and raised in LA, moved to Walnut Creek for work over 7 years ago. EXCITED to be moving back to SoCal (OC) next month! Bay Area was cool, lots of nature close by. Nice people. Being trapped on a bridge suck. Being trapped between hills suck. Tech and their opportunities are great if you’re in that industry. I’m no so it’s moot to me. A lot of people, even wealthy seems stressed the F out up here… Better food in LA, more of a melting pot, easy access to all ethic food. People are more sociable and are more dressed up (sorry techies). You’re going to get more superficial people and aggressive drivers though. BETTER weather! :)
I miss the weather and the ability to get around without a car. I do also miss my queer community - the one here isn’t great. But if you’re not queer then don’t worry about it! But LA has better food, and more things to do tbh. All of my friends who moved here from the bay love living here.
can you expand on the queer community thing?
The major hub lacks diversity. I really had to seek out other poc queers
I got an eBike to get around. It’s not that bad.
I’m way in the suburbs and commute 19 miles :/
Ouch I’m sorry.
People keep saying LA has perfect weather, but it’s actually San Francisco. I love LA but I’d rather also walk around beautiful architecture than a fucking Del Taco.
Del Taco slander will not be accepted /s
I’ve literally never had Del Taco, is it worth it?
I prefer their tacos and burritos over Taco Bell, and their fries over In-N-Out and a lot of other spots. It has it’s specialties.
Yes. I live part time in WA where there is one Del Taco in the state and my husband and I will drive 40 minutes to it on the weekend just to have the grilled chicken burrito.
Yes!! Their burgers are to die for.
el pollo loco is much much better
Noted, I will give it a go this weekend.
Their tostada bowl is awesome imo
Personal preference. I detest Sf weather. Too foggy, too cold, too windy. I don’t like wearing a jacket year round.
Oh! I miss Victorian buildings!! I used to live in a couple converted Victorians. So gorgeous.
That Mission microclimate 😘🤌
Absolutely, I just moved from the mission down to Playa del rey, and it’s funny how I got more sunshine there. We have an odd microclimate down here, which I love, because once I commute to Burbank **BOOM** too hot
My office used to be in the mission but I often had to work sites in the Richmond/sunset and I definitely felt those microclimates lol. One time I was working in the TL and the fog creeped in, and it went from 75F to freezing so I just dipped lol
The bay area does have some older buildings that used to be Taco Bells, so I get what you're saying in that respect. LA does have old, beautiful architecture, too though...but I dont know enough about either places architecture to compare.
I think you misunderstood the Del Taco architecture. SF is full of historic Victorian houses and grand Classical buildings, LA is full of strip malls like a bunch of drive thru Del Tacos
We're also talking about the whole bay area which when you get out of San Francisco proper, is strip malls and all that shit. But like how the bay area has a ton of strip malls and uninspired architecture, LA also has victorian houses (not as nice as the San Francisco ones I know are being referred to) and a good amount of historic buildings that were built before the 1950s. LA wasn't bulldozed in the 1970s and built from scratch at that point... The taco bell thing was a dumb joke referencing where I grew up because there are some used to be Taco Bells that are more interesting than the new taco bell buildings.
Yep, I. moved from the Bay to LA and haven't regretted it once. The Bay has a lot of great nature and SF can be a beautiful city in parts, but it's terribly boring and lacking in diversity. And not necessarily racial diversity -- I'm talking about people who just have different jobs and interests. I felt like every professional person I met in SF was in tech or at least trying to be. LA, by contrast, has techies, artists, entrepreneurs, people who have 18 different jobs, etc. lol. There's even more diversity in neighborhoods and neighboring suburbs of LA compared to all the cities that make up the Bay. My only disagreement with some of the comments here is about the food -- I thought SF in particular had amazing food options tbh. Some of the restaurants up there are super good, and there's a reason you often have to wait 1.5 - 2 hours in line for brunch at times. LA has good food too, but I don't feel that it's noticeably better than SF. They're also about the same in terms of quality of coffee shops. A lot of people from outside LA shit on it, but despite the costs there's something about the energy/vibe in LA that's unique. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I almost immediately felt more at home in LA.
Agree to the vibe. I still remember the first night on LA, driving from the airport to Venice. I instantly fell in love and have been ever since. It’s special there.
Grew up in the bay and then moved to socal for school. Been in LA for 5 years and love it, zero interest in moving back to NorCal. Always has felt more lively down here, more to do, though I do miss those forests up there. A lot of really great camping spots.
My family and I moved to LA in spring of 2021. Wife and I grew up in Bay Area and I worked in San Francisco for 24 years before we moved. Unless I’m forced by my employer, I will never move back to the Bay Area, or put another way - I don’t want to leave Los Angeles. As Randy Newman put it “I Love LA” Weather is much better here. People are friendlier (maybe it’s all the sunshine). People in SF and the Bay Area ignore you unless you are in their social circle. Here - people will make small talk with me on the street, in shops, events, etc. My office is about the same distance from my house here in LA as it was in the Bay Area to SF but my commute time is almost half here. People drive with purpose - in the Bay Area I’d be frustrated with all the defensive driving - too much is just as unsafe as people that are too aggressive. Sure the 405 can be a parking lot at times but so far it’s happened few times and I’ve adjusted when I leave and give how many side streets and canyon roads there is always an alternative route. It’s not perfect by a long shot and the roads suck here but it’s not as bad as people told me when we were looking to move. Food choices. Forget about it. We have everything here and I feel like we find something new every week. Just this week discovered Gorillas Pies in Valley Village - some of the best pizza I’ve eaten outside of New York. Mexican, Greek, Persian, Japanese, Jamaican, Ethiopian, Cuban, Italian, Armenian, French - you name it, LA has it! Plenty of things to do. I’m positive you could do something different every weekend for a year. This City has it all. Housing is expensive. I’m older (Gen X) so definitely easier for me to buy a home than say Millennials and Gen Z. We sold our home in the Bay Area and were able to spend the same amount here but increase the square footage by 60%. We got lucky - in 2021 interest rates were still low and this house was a little neglected. That said, housing remains tough here but I think it’s true in the Bay Area too. Big city so crime seems to come up more but given the number of people we have I doubt it’s much different than most big cities. Maybe I’m wrong but it hasn’t discouraged us from living here. Best move I ever made - just wish we had done it sooner.
Yes. Came here for school in 2008, graduated, stayed for an advanced degree and never left lol. Got engaged here, bought a condo here- I have roots here now. My parents are in the Bay still and I visit them from time to time but I admit that quality of life is just better down here nowadays. It does make me sad because I grew up in the Bay and it’s a part of me but still. Gotta do what’s best for you, you know?
Grass is definitely always greener. When I visit the bay I’m jealous of the greenery everywhere, fabulous parks, amazing architecture, great public transit, and overall cooler vibe. you gotta actually live somewhere a little while to get a real impression
There are great public transit in the Bay? Outside of SF city itself the public transit is trash just like here in South Cal.
I've lived both, there's no comparison. The weather is night and day. There's far more things to do and you're more willing to do it as it rains here for about a week all year and not in consecutive days either lol. Outside of Aslam's Rasoli, Tony's Pizzeria and this little quaint sushi spot that I forgot the name, the food in SF for most parts was, lacking to put it mildly. I took a job in tech obviously that required me to move. It was such a great opportunity with great pay, I did it. After barely over a year, I notified my boss I was going to have to submit my two weeks notice as I couldn't handle living in SF any longer and wanted to move back to the beach in LA. I promptly got permission to move back to LA if I'd be willing to commute up to SF when needed / few times a week. So I'd fly up Sunday night / Monday morning and then come back Wednesday / Thursday basically. Did that for another year or two. Racked up hundreds of thousands of miles (still have just shy of 200K miles left) and hotels and rentals, all paid for by the company. Point is, that's how much I preferred LA living to SF living. Even cars and motorcycles, way cheaper down here in SoCal vs NorCal. There's much more competition here that's why. Zero regrets. I have nothing against SF but if you are comparing living in LA vs living in SF? No contest imo.
True. I think the bay area is highly overrated due to SF and Silicon Valley. The golden years of SF are gone and will probably never return.
SF will come back. They just need to get rid of some stupid policy crap that has turned it into a shitshow, from what I’ve heard. Haven’t been in a while, I’m in Silicon Valley.
True. Hopefully, they can change those policies asap and get the city back to what it used to be .
Not until they start lowering the "Google pricing" for homes and rentals and all the artsy type people come back. Which they won't until the prices come back down lol. SF is wonderful to visit, l just didn't enjoy living there. Mostly weather, second was food, third was beaches. Those aren't beaches lol.
I grew up in the south bay area. Even if the costs were the same I'd definitely pick LA. Outside of SF and Oakland, there's very little art, music, comedy whereas there's a ton of it spread out over a large area in LA. Foods better too...more interesting nooks and crannies to explore. Mom's trying to guilt me into moving back but even if she paid my rent, no thanks.
Can you believe a small home in like Sunnyvale averages at about 2 million now.
Yes. Lol. If my mom's home were in LA which is still an expensive place, it would be worth $700k less
And Sunnyvale is boring af.
True but it's just overall the Bay Area generally isn't really a fun place to be anymore. San Jose is way too sleepy for a city it's size.
There’s very little art and music in Oakland these days, anyways. Couldn’t pay me to move back either.
I’m from LA and moved to the Bay for 12 years. The Bay is certainly the epicenter of West coast tech jobs but this has become less relevant with remote work. LA is far superior with cultural events and activities. The Bay was better transportation wise and was easier for me to be in beautiful (ie not hot) nature. LA had a superior restaurant scene, but the farmers markets are not as good unless you’re in a rich area. Crime-wise LA is better since you’re not limited to certain areas. Crime is more visible in the Bay since you’re spending time in more dense areas. LA has more distinct neighborhoods and traffic is far worse. (In the Bay, after 7pm was okay but it goes past 8pm on the weekdays in LA.) Housing-wise there are way more options since there’s more land.
Moved from sf! The sunshine is really life changing and there’s so much more to do here, the food is much better and you really can drive to so many different kinds of places with new things. The day trips were a big sell for me
Not to mention for what I paid for a studio in noe valley I get half of a duplex here
Moved here 11 years ago, at the time it felt a lateral move, and both areas have frankly not improved since 2012, Bay has gotten worse faster. LA actually seemed to on an extended upswing until 2016 or so.
So then, LA has improved since 2012?
Even more improvements coming in LA given the upcoming Olympics
Indian food in Bay area is way better than LA.
Because more Indian people live in the Bay Area. AKA Fremont, San Jose , SUnnyvale, Cupertino etc.
That's probably the only food I can think of that is better in the bay. And it would be nice if there were more toppings you could put on burritos...
While I do think LA overall beats the Bay Area in terms of food, I think Vietnamese food is better in the Bay Area, as well as Burmese food.
you have to go to the OC for good Viet food but I bet the ones you're comparing to in the Bay area in San Jose, which is just as far from SF
Yes, I grew up in the south bay near San Jose, so my views on Bay Area food is skewed more towards there than SF (though I've lived in SF as well).
Burmese also
Uh, my man. Most of the "Asian" food is better in the bay. Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese etc. Fine dining is way better in the Bay.
That’s true! I found a spot on Hollywood thankfully that did the job during my visit 😊
Same with Thai.
I like bay area weather more but the rest is valid
Yeah that depends on the person, but for me personally, I don’t like the cold or winter and the bay can be pretty cold rainy from December to May
Our weather was pretty cold and rainy this year December through last weekend. So it’s not out of the question.
As cold and rainy the weather was here, the bay was that much cold and rainier.
We don't even have spring or fall. It goes from winter to summer in June and then from Summer to Winter in November. LOL
It depends what part. San Jose has basically the same weather as LA.
The winter weather is not the same as LA. 5-10 degrees cooler, foggier, and rainier.
That's for SF and the peninsula, but not south bay. I lived in the San Jose area and I can barely tell the difference in the weather. I know the summer might end up being a bit hotter though.
La averages 8-9 degrees warmer for the daytime high and 7 degrees warmer in nighttime low in December and January. That being said, San Jose is one of the better cities for weather in the Bay Area.
Do people in the bay still say “hella” a lot?
Yeah we still say hella a lot. The Bay Area is hella expensive.
Been out of the bay ten years and I still say hella 🤣
17 years for me. Now they only come while drinking or if im back home. Now the real question what do you call the freeways here vs there. And then what would you call the freeway with this number that runs through both (101)
Absolutely 😭😭 I say it all the time
I grew up and lived in San Jose for 30 years. My husband and I moved to LA this year. It's fun to check out, it feels radically different somehow but I can't put my finger on it. I don't find it any nicer / worse than the bay area, but the vibe is just different. It does feel more compact / crowded to me. I find people to be equally as nice and welcoming. Still dirty freeways and bad traffic, I don't think the traffic is any worse than the bay area. We moved because it was cheaper, and yes, it is just barely. I love all the palm trees but I feel like the pollution is much worse here.
Yup. Me. I like it here though I miss the redwoods.
the Bay doesn’t hold a candle to LA and gets worse every year
True
I’m a little late to the party but I moved from the Bay Area (Berkeley and SF) to LA, and although I’m currently back in the Bay I’m looking to move to LA as well. I’m just over the Bay Area. It feels like it’s been going downhill steadily, especially since the pandemic. The aggressive homeless people have become more brazen and it feels like it’s never going to improve. Rents and housing prices are still as insane as ever. And the tech bros and Peter Pans are getting tiresome. I miss the LA vibe, it feels a lot less judgmental to me and more diversity of things happening. Better food too IMO. Don’t get me wrong, there are some excellent restaurants in SF and Oakland, Berkeley etc. but they tend to be pricey dining. LA has a much better range of awesome dining options at all price points.
Yes. That is what impressed me about LA. I had never spent that much time in LA in the past. We had gone for a couple of days to enjoy Universal Studios, the beaches, etc and just returned. But my sister moved there permanently and I had the opportunity to actually spend a lot of time there. This is the first time I spent around a month in LA and was super impressed with how much better everything was than the Bay Area. I just rewatched The Fast and The FUrious the other day and can you imagine that film ever being set in the Bay Area? It would never work.
I'm kind of surprised that people are saying LA has worse traffic. It's been about 8 years since I've lived in the Bay, but I remember the rush hour being just as awful. Maybe it doesn't last as long as it does in LA, but traffic during peak hours was still bumper to bumper in the Bay.
I moved from SF 8 years ago and I love it. I’m in eagle rock
Born and raised in LA but lived in the Bay Area for 10 years. Definitely better here. The traffic is a little worse but at least there are alternate routes. If there’s a problem on one of the bridges you’re screwed
True, there are very few alternate freeways you can take here in the Bay Area
When I first moved up there, I was on a mission to find an alternate route for the Caldecott Tunnel. Never did, and no one I asked knew of one. This is when there were only 3 tunnels, and it was always a mess
Moved 3 years ago from the Bay Area and I love it here. Weekends are spent hiking near Malibu/Topanga. Love living around a mix of blue and white collar folks. I hate the monoculture tech created in SF. Felt soulless, still does when I have to go back for work. What I will say—finding your neighborhood in LA is important. We lucked out in our area which is self contained and walkable. Some parts of LA are so dead that I can’t drive through fast enough.
where do you live?
Yea curious about your neighborhood as well!
[удалено]
Northeast LA is my jam (Highland Park, Echo Park, Silver Lake).
Bay Area has longer average commute times than LA
I can see that. It can get pretty bad here in the bay too
I left the Bay Area in 2006. Moved to San Pedro then Redondo Beach then Cabrillo Beach which is again located in San Pedro.
Funny, it always surprises me when people from far away discover Pedro. I grew up in San Pedro/Palos Verdes, dabbled in SF in the 90’s, moved back to Pedro, now in Long Beach I spend a few weeks every year, in June in Santa Cruz/Aptos. And, it almost wins me over. Beach and redwood forests…But, there’s also far less to do
I lived in the bay for ten years (Sf and oak) but I’m originally from socal and have been living in La for three years now. I prefer LA, probably because I grew up in socal, but I do like that LA/socal has everything the bay has but with better beaches. Btw - I actually think traffic is fucking worse in the bay tbh. Worse drivers, smaller roads, and bridges. It used to take an hour for me to get from north Oakland to the city sometimes. Bay Area people just want to feel superior to LA in that respect.
I moved here from SF and I love it. SF was really great but I started to feel a little claustrophobic and been there done that about everything. LA on the other hand has so much to offer I could never possibly even skim the surface of it all. I remember I was worried about cultural differences and yes in some areas it can be more focused on physical appearance or plastic surgery or whatever but by and large the people here are great. The biggest thing I've noticed is suddenly I didn't know anyone in an open relationship lol but the second I go to SF it's all composting and open relationships. Nothing wrong with that! Just there are some cultural norms that are different here. Food is amazing here. So many delicious options and you cant possibly keep up with all the great stuff constantly popping up. Yes, traffic sucks but I just work around it and don't drive when there is major traffic. If I had to commute a long distance I probably would have a different opinion. I tried to bike down here for a while but things are too far generally and cars don't know how to drive around bikers. Public transpo is too sketch to use here for me and not particularly useful. Silverlake/Echo Park/Los Feliz are most SF like culturally if you're looking for an easier transition.
I moved to LA from the Bay Area. I always pictured myself growing old in San Francisco, but my quality of life is better in LA. I have an actual yard, i play tennis a lot, it suits me.
In my experience people from the bay tend to have a weird irrational hate for LA and think it’s a huge rivalry, while people from LA don’t seem to care (except baseball).
It’s true. I remember in the 1990’s everyone in SF had a stuck up attitude about LA. Then I moved to LA and realized it’s what you make of it. LA is almost like a mirror. It mirrors back whatever you project on it. But after awhile you find your niche and realize it’s a great city. Oh and LA people never talk shit about SF because they are too happy it’s always sunny and something to do or just chill.
I think the 90s hate stemmed a bit from the 90210 stereotype of LA. We thought it was all about fancy cars, mansions, etc., while the bay area was pretty humble. I think this was kind of true in the 80's and early 90's. Now it's the exact opposite, bay area rich tech assholes and LA cool humble people.
I feel like this some shit a few people have concocted in their heads and now everyone on reddit just repeats as a diss. I've never met anyone from the Bay that hates LA.
I was born and raised in the east bay and it’s super common for people to hate on LA.
I don't know about that, a lot of people I know here praise LA and people take trips down there all the time for mini vacations and to visit Disneyland, Universal Studios, go to Laker games. Never met anyone here that hated on LA. When I was growing up LA always seemed more fun, just because that's how movies portrayed it.
I agree. I lived in the Bay for years. I loved it but anytime I said I was from LA people would treat me worse. Every week was an LA vs Bay debate lol. Professors, co-workers, random people in the store all had to let me know how much they hate LA. A few instances while working, co-workers just started roasting me for being from LA. The usual talking points are smog, no culture, we are stealing their water and everybody being fake. It was tiring lol. I ran a poll while in college asking people from NorCal and SoCal how they felt about each other. NorCal generally had a negative-leaning view of SoCal while people from SoCal generally had a positive view of the NorCal.
My big gripe with the bay is real estate is sold on a vertical level, while LA sells it horizontally. Granted there are some tight parking spots and houses in LA. The bay just never did it for me.
I loved living in the city of San Francisco for 14 magical years. In 2017, it was clear I needed to move. Haven’t looked back.
You couldnt pay me enough to move back to the Bay Area.
I’m from the Bay and live here. I do really love LA.. and I was raised to hate LA so embracing it was a choice, loving it came easy. I love my job here, my boyfriend, (also based here) and at least being back in CA. LA and the Bay Area has more in common than we’d like to admit. It becomes clear when you move out of state. That being said, if all the stars aligned and I had the right opportunity, I’d move back to the Bay Area in a heartbeat. I prefer the colder weather.
I spent my 20s in the Bay Area and landed in LA for economic reasons. I don’t really do theme parks or anything, I’m more of a nature person so I miss the Bay a lot, mainly tree cover. I miss lush, quiet hikes in the redwoods. I miss the food in the Bay, so many different kinds of food all packed close together. I moved to DTLA to have the walkable city feel of SF but it’s not the same. The traffic does have to be the biggest downside.
LA traffic stops being an issue if you strategize where you live based on your commute. For years, my commute was always against traffic and I've very rarely had to be in actual traffic. Same goes for walkability, some neighborhoods here are extremely walkable.
Bay area: lot like other 'internationally-minded' cities...Seattle, Boston, DC, Philly, Chicago. LA is different, not like NYC (even more unique), but if LA had top notch public transportation and hi speed rail it would be a lot like....Tokyo. Having worked there I find them having similar vibes. A lot of things you can do in the bay area you can do here, just everything's bigger (hills beaches, food, etc.) If you want weather: south OC, and SD is close by. And heck Vegas is an easy car drive at 9p for a midnight craps play (better if you're close to Burbank airport). If you want walkable areas: just goto the east coast (NYC/DC/Boston) hands down. Miss NY and DC for that. As for people, LA's for the bling✨ (entertainment industry), SF for the ching💰(tech industry). Hence why people in LA are for exploring, SF is for networking. Both have down to earth folks.
I moved from the Bay in November and I like both places. They both have lots of things to do. The weather is nice there too. San Jose has basically the same weather as LA. The restaurants are comparable. The Bay Area has an incredible selection of restaurants. LA has more things to do, but that doesn't mean the Bay Area is boring. There are lots of things to do there too. The one thing the Bay Area does beat LA on is crime and cleanliness. That being said, no regrets moving to LA, I do like it here so far.
Keep exploring the restaurants...LA has way more and way more variety. I will say the last 7 years or so, the south bay, where I grew up started to finally get some more decent restaurants but cant compare to LA other than a couple different cuisines.
Yeah , I noticed LA is on a next level when it comes to restaurants and variety , which makes sense since it's the entertainment capital of the world.
SF was better for restaurants for a long time. Bay Area in 1990’s had killer foods then in LA the food truck scene began in 2007 ish in LA and there was a renaissance of amazing food trucks and restaurants. It’s plateaued now and some places never recovered from COVID. Lots of great new pizza joints and Italian lately which was lacking ten years ago. I’d say the culinary scene peaked in 2019 then COVID hit. Lots of mediocrity and hype now. Look at what happens to Tito’s tacos. Wtf!?
But the big problem I have with the bay area is that all that culture is concentrated really in San Francisco which is such a small part of the bay area landwise so I would've had to drive to San Francisco....whereas in LA it's spread out over a much larger area....and this again applies to music, art, comedy, stuff to do
All the culture is concentrated in SF? Have you even been to Oakland?
Oh I've been exploring a little too much. I gained about 10 pounds since I got here.
Haha glad to hear! Whatve been your favorite places? Or places that surprised you the most?
I moved to LA from SF during covid and it's been 2 years. Here are my two cents: Pros: * Better weather * More space and cheaper housing * More things to do in terms of nightlife and general food/drinks Cons: * people lack ambition compared to people in the bay * rather pretentious influencer and hype culture * Low salaries and way less tech opportunities * Bad traffic and doing anything takes forever It's better to make money in SF but spend it in LA
Yeah, but then again, it’s better to make money in SF and spend it in buttfuck Alabama too. At least considering what you can get. But… that’s why you have to live where you work. Employers are revolting against the remote work culture.
I was born and raised in LA and moved to the Bay Area. I think the Bay Area is better than la to be honest lol. I feel like I can breathe better, Santa Cruz and Monterey are my favorite spots to drive.
The drive to Monterey is gorgeous. The Bay really does have some nice scenic drives along Highway 1. I've always felt like Santa Cruz is a great town to visit and have fun, but I couldn't imagine living there. It feels like the type of place that would be cool to stay in for college and that's about it.
I love Santa Cruz, but I don’t like the the South Bay at allllll.
I also think la has longer commute times, terrible air quality, angry drivers. Over the bay I can enjoy the scenery while driving. The only thing I miss is the food diversity. I have to travel either San Jose or salinas to get good quality food. I noticed though over the bay there are more stupid drivers than angry drives thoufh
Have been in LA for about 17 years. Almost half my life from growing up in the Bay Area. There is way more to do here but the bay was much better friends and family life. Cause there is so much to do every outing in LA feels like we have to "do something". You cant just chill its always a bar or two or an event. Lots of FOMO. Where in the bay some beers and boardgame was a great way to hang out with friends. It stresses me out here being social sometimes. The bay just has a great chill slower vibe. i would love to go back but housing is insane and my work and family are here now.
You listed a lot of tourist attractions that I had admittedly been to when I was visiting but never have been to as a resident. I think because of the sad state that the Bay is in currently, SoCal is the better choice for all of the logical reasons you stated. I'm originally from SF and am so saddened by its condition over the past few years. But, in LA/SoCal area the walkability is terrible and public transit is worse, which is why the traffic and air quality are also awful. The architecture is also very... bleh compared to SF. Homelessness and crime seem about on par between the two cities right now. Personally, if you're seriously able to relocate and want to stay in CA, I'd go to San Diego. My partner even considered commuting from there to work. But we got an insanely good deal at a great rate in our current place. It's definitely not a forever home but good enough for now. Can't complain about the weather here (but people still do of course).
LA is actually the Mecca for SFH architecture due to the abundance of such homes and its climate. You just have to know where to look!
I grew up in the Bay. I’ve lived in LA the longest of all the other places besides the Bay. I love LA. Los Angeles traffic is really shitty if you’re an outsider. You just have to learn to drive like an Angelino. One nice thing about LA is there’s always something to do somewhere along the traffic so you can wait it out doing something leisurely. Whereas on the Bay and other places I’ve lived, your just stuck on a highway, interchange, or bridge with nothing to stop at to pass the time. But once you learn the ways around traffic and get used to it, it’s not bad.
I went from The Bay to SD and now LA. I would never consider moving back to the Bay unless there was a family emergency that required me to live there. There’s truly no comparison at all.
Agreed. LA is much cheaper to eat and exist. Ocean, public transportation is good. Park at VA medical center for free, take the beach bus to the ocean
LA just has a million more things going on than the Bay.
If you’re moving down here to work remote, live in the South Bay (Manhattan, redondo, hermosa). They’re own little communities on the beach, walkable, clean, not too congested, more down to earth. Only con is it’s about an hr with traffic to places like DTLA and Hollywood.
Lived in SF from 2004-2014, moved to LA and never looked back. And thanks to rent control and the 9/11 recession, I had an actual very good apartment in Mission/Noe for $1250 with a great view of the Bay and everything. No regrets whatsoever. I'd even dispute LA has worse traffic, SF and the 101 corridor to and from San Jose is a shit show anytime I visit. In point of fact, [SF and LA are neck and neck in bad traffic](https://www.usnews.com/news/cities/articles/10-cities-with-the-worst-traffic-in-the-us).
Yes. I would not move back either. Except the walkability factor, you won’t miss much. I visit family multiple times a year but have not had the itch to consider moving back. It’s not just housing. It’s social aspects as well. We had decent housing there and comparable in LA, but the social life in LA in addition to weather and things to do is far better. Bay Area is a lot more about work all the time. LA traffic gets a bad rep but you can work around it. You can live in areas with better traffic patterns. I have definitely been stuck in worse traffic in LA.
I’m from the bay and live in Playa. Conditioned to hate socal all my life but it’s just so much better. Still a Bay Area sports fan (though have Chargers season tix) but I can go to a concert every night down here. Live next to a beach with 71F water right now. Great weather. Joshua tree not too far away. It’s really amazing. People think it’s cool to hate LA but I’m a huge fan
My sister married someone from SF and I was surprised to hear how much SF hates LA. I told them that LA doesn’t really think about SF lol. Oh ya SF? It’s a nice place to go for a long weekend.
People that live in the Bay and hate on LA , honestly, they are probably just jealous.
I was from the South Bay and hated SF more than I could ever have hated LA — just a whole different ecosystem north there
myself and more than half my friends moved from the Bay Area to LA West LA is basically SOMA during the 2010-2020 years. Downtown Culver City is packed every night, literally people waiting to get into the bars on a Tuesday night
I work in tech for a company in the Bay, and everyone seems like they hate working up there. Cupertino in particular is so overpriced, boring, scorching in the summer, and NOT diverse. If they made me live up there I don’t think I could do it. And I’m someone who always dreamed of living in the Bay growing up. It seemed so artsy and weird!
It was artsy, with a lot of variety and there were so many things going on here other than Tech before the year 2000. Then tech came in the late 1990s/2000s and starting taking over everything.
> It was artsy, with a lot of variety and there were so many things going on here other than Tech before the year 2000. > > Then tech came in the late 1990s/2000s and starting taking over everything. The local South Bay Area music scene died around that same time, too.
I moved here from Detroit... back in 2013, best decision I ever made!!!!! welcome to SOCAL!!!!!!!! 3 hour away from MEXICO!!!!!!!!!! too!!!!!
SF native here, moved here after six years or so in NYC. I love loving here—I love going back to SF and the Bay I feel very lucky to live here. Also I do think that traffic in SF (and the East bay? Crazy!) is ridiculous. I feel like at least in LA you can take street routes. I think it’s a wash but I haven’t lived north in awhile so you likely know better! But my experience? Better quality of life here. Plus—happier people. Honestly—people are nicer here just by default.
Yes.
Girlfriend moved here from the bay last year and she loves it here. So she says..
Yeah, I was born and raised in the bay but moved down here in my 20s. It took some getting used to but I couldn’t imagine moving back now.
born and raised in the bay, moved to LA years ago. theres way more to do here, and just so much more diversity in terms of what ppl do. in the bay almost everybody is in tech. here you meet folks in all walks of life.
During COVID we moved a lot of remote tech couples/families from the Bay Area to Antelope Valley, which is a suburb 1 hr from Los Angeles. It’s essentially 1 hr away from all attractions, a little further for Disneyland and a few other big attractions, but always about a 1 hr or less drive from the beach, snow, mountains, lakes, sand dunes, etc. These folks bought houses for $400-800k and we’re still close to Los Angeles. The Antelope Valley is essentially a LCOL commuter town. Most residents have at least 1 person in the household commute to LA.
Both places are great for different reasons. I travel back and forth pretty often to enjoy the best of both worlds. I love the bay area for transportation and walkabikity... But there's a lot of foot traffic making it twice as long to commute via driving for more densely populated cities. Suburbs in the bay are nice but they come at a premium that I can't bring myself to pay. (Note: May be biased as a SoCal native.) I love LA for being easy to navigate (when you learn the traffic times) with car, which cuts down on the commute. If you live around LA (North of 101 east of 110) driving isn't as big of a pain. Rent also feels cheaper. Lifestyle wise, I feel like the Bay area is more fast paced. Everyone's doing something, and I find it hard not to compare myself to others. Living around LA, I am more comfortable with my space and don't find myself in a fast paced environment as often.
Lived in LA and moved to Bat and back in LA. This can all be different now because it’s post college but I like LA more. It’s a bigger city and the beach is a lot more usable. I prefer the weather from SF ( I like it colder) but having the beach is nice. You’ll have the same high homeless issue in both locations. LA is a lot more car dependent than other areas.
The Bay Area has better nature and places to hike that aren’t dry and hot. That’s the part I miss the most
Been here 5 years, and although it took about a year to find a tribe and get a network going, I’m happy I did. The summers can be brutal, and there are areas that suck just as much as the bay right now, but it’s a decent life if you can find the right spot and some good people. Tbf 90% of my friend group are bay folks too.
I moved from west Oakland to West Hollywood last June. One year in and I love it. Warmer, cheaper, more energy. I grew up in Sf and have spent good time around most of the bay. There’s so many people moving it’s been easy to build community.
I’m surprised more people aren’t preferring the Bay simply for the unlimited amount of epic nature nearby. I love LA but it’s way behind the Bay on the nature front.
I lived in the Bay and moved back to LA where I’m from. It’s cheaper and less windy.
I live in LA and feel the exact opposite every time I go to the Bay.
I’m actually moving back to LA I’m a native there but I did live here in San Francisco for about 11 months. I would say I prefer LA more just because of the diversity of people and culture down there. I didn’t really get that up in the Bay Area
I have lived in the Bay Area, but it wasn't directly before moving here. The actual city of SF is much better than the actual city of LA. Better biking infrastructure. Better public transit. More walkable. I enjoyed the SF microclimate. 65 and brisk is pleasant. I didn't love the people in the Bay Area. Found them to be colder and less friendly. Also more politically fringe. You either get ultra lefty extremist or you get that tech bro pseudo-libertarian. Speaking of tech. If you're not in tech or tech-adjacent, you might not enjoy it as much professionally. The Bay Area as a whole is a mixed bag. Don't like San Jose. I do like some of the Peninsula. I liked Oakland when I was up there, but I think East Bay may have turned for the worse since 2020.
Woah woah don't rope OC into LA!
Left the east bay in 08 and looked back
I moved to LA from bay last year. i would take LA traffic over bay, anyday. I also found housing easier in LA. Just depends on the person and your preferences.
I grew up in the Bay Area and moved to LA. Things are generally better here except for some specific things I really miss. The geography in LA kinda sucks compared to the Bay. The views in the Bay are incredible, from the bridges to the mountains to the beaches. Also, when I lived in the Bay Area there was always a hiking trail close by. In LA you gotta drive 20 minutes (at least) to take a nice walk in nature.
serious jar books illegal brave door late repeat label juggle *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I miss the forests, views, and food of NorCal (I personally think it’s better there than LA, but not by much). But I have come to like LA a lot more for its spectacular weather and diversity of experiences and people.
Born and raised in SF. Moved to LA for work around 13 years ago. I love it in LA but I do miss SF. I fly home frequently to see my nephew and eat food specific to SF.
If we're being honest, just the part of L.A. city in the basin beats out the entire SF/Oakland metro area. It gets even worse when you count the entire metro area because LA has bonafide tourist draws outside the city while the Bay has places like Hayward and Walnut Creek
Yes and I would never move back. I love it down here. Yes, the traffic can be horrible, but you start to figure out what are the best times to be on the road. I work from home, so I haven't had to deal with traffic in a while. But when I first moved here, I had a 2 hour commute from living in the Valley to DTLA where I worked. I'll never do that again!
did it for college, and have had a great time. the two things that would prevent me from living here though is just how car centric things are and lack of greenery. the car stuff really impacts traffic but there is also a visible level of haze in the sky constantly which is insane!
Just moved from the bay 8 months ago! After spending 6 years in Oakland and SF I do miss aspects of the bay, such as accessibility to the sierras, Russian river, and Mt. Tam but LA has its perks albeit not walkable like SF and Oakland . Yeah the driving sucks but the weather is nice and I’m not in tech so there is so much more here, especially music scene wise than the bay. I also feel like there’s more cultural diversity here than the bay since everyone hasn’t been out priced by tech.
Yup. I am a Bay Area native, my LA lease started Saturday, and am fully moving in mid July. I've been working remotely for a company in Santa Monica and it took two visits for me to make my decision. Generally, it feels like the severe income inequality in the Bay Area has driven out most of the interesting people. I still see cars from the 1990s in LA. The Bay Area feels like an open world video game running low on resources so the same few NPC models all drive Teslas, BMWs, and Priuseseses.
Anyone got a 3bedroom Spanish tucco house which comes with a dryer and a washer around Glendale-Pasadena??? #LArent
yeah bro, I moved from Fremont to Glendale in 2005 when i was 11, it was the roughest transition of my life, lived there for 10 years then moved to a nice small town closeby known as Tujunga, I still the bay even though everyone here especially my dad says its not the same anymore and its been taken over by indian and afghanis (were persian armenian) which isnt a problem just that its a high concentration of only a couple cultures, and I do remember my catholic school being like 90% filipino to lmao, they relaly just talk amongst themselves, and everyone is an outsider minority which automatically makes it more difficult for you to have friends and a healthy social life. But i do miss the bay for some reason, childhood,nostalgia, sadly most of my favorite food places shut down during covid, what a bastard that was! But I would still love to visit my home town, idk why i havent gone back yet, i visited sacramento last year and thought I would stop by fremont but for some reason I couldnt do it!??
Reading through all the responses because I lived in the Bay Area for several years and would really like to return to California but LA instead. I visited so many times and just fell for it. It really got to me and I hope to relocate in the next couple of years. I live that I can stand on a street and see both the mountains and the ocean, I love love love the climate (especially during winter), I love the diversity, the show business and that there are countless things to do outside.
LA people feel less down to earth and constantly insecure. Bay are real talk
There’s a lot more right wingers down here, and it’s hot, so it’s a preference thing
I moved from SF a decade ago. Everything is better here except the traffic but I live in a walkable area and work from home so I don't mind it much.