Glad to see that you made it to San Francisco safely. I’m not surprised at how expensive it is but I’m saddened by how tech has crushed the soul of the city (and probably soon, the rest of the country). Just last week, I got a jamon iberico bocadillo with truffle sauce on focaccia for 5.95€. $29 for a burger is nuts and I know that they run higher in other places but jeez. It’s funny that you mentioned the North Face jackets, though. This winter in Barcelona, they were the de rigeur outerwear fashion brand for almost everyone here under 60. I almost regretted getting rid of mine before we moved here.
After reading....I can only say. WELCOME TO AUSTIN! Prices there now that it is the Silicon Hills have made it almost, if not completely, impossible for up and coming artists and musicians. If time allows and you want to look at details....google Dale Watson...one of Austin's iconic musicians and the press conference where he stated WHY he was relocating to Memphis!
Great post Rocco. We used to take our two (now grown) kids to SF regularly when we lived in Sacramento 1990-2009 because there honestly wasn’t too much to do in Sac and The City was always an exciting time (we moved to San Diego in 2009). My daughter eventually decided to go to SF State and graduated in 2015. It was still a fun place to visit but in the numerous times we’ve visited since her graduation we’ve definitely noticed it’s not nearly as vibrant as it used to be. It’s not as bad of course as how it’s portrayed on the right wing news channels (rampant crime everywhere, trash everywhere, etc.) but it’s definitely not as fun to visit anymore. And like much of the U.S. it’s become almost-prohibitively expensive. It’s really sad actually. And another quick comment about North Face: when visiting Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia several months ago with my son, we noticed North Face jackets everywhere, mostly on the younger under-30 crowd. This prompted my son to buy a NF jacket as soon as we returned to the States (and no, he didn’t need another jacket…..but you know how kids are so influenceable!). Enjoy the rest of your trip, you’ll be back in your beloved Valencia before you know it.
Hearing that visa appointments in NYC were being given 3 months away we acted fast and got an August 6th date. Our paperwork isn't finished but my fingerprints will expire September 8th. Our orignal plans to leave September 13th felt too rushed.(not sure how long they will take to give us the visas). With that settled we decided that even if we get turned down we're still going to go over, so we adjusted the dates on the Airbnb and booked the flights for Ocotober 8th...woohoo!! As the plans fall into place I keep looking at my Brooklyn life and my American life. What do I love and what am I happy to leave behind. I appreciate these posts of yours as you share your observations. Something here has been lost and it's so brave of us to look for another place to be. I will miss this incredible bread a local guy makes and sells at the green market. It's like custard with crust. But I think the energy and community that you speak of will be a nice reward.
This is exciting!! It's a pretty weird and somewhat emotional process leaving, even when you know it's the right decision. For us, at least, it quickly became clear that, indeed, we made the right choice and can't imagine going back.
Fingers crossed and best hopes and wishes on all of it!!
As I write from a depressing feeling Target in San Francisco. I don't miss this shit at all.
Glad to see that you made it to San Francisco safely. I’m not surprised at how expensive it is but I’m saddened by how tech has crushed the soul of the city (and probably soon, the rest of the country). Just last week, I got a jamon iberico bocadillo with truffle sauce on focaccia for 5.95€. $29 for a burger is nuts and I know that they run higher in other places but jeez. It’s funny that you mentioned the North Face jackets, though. This winter in Barcelona, they were the de rigeur outerwear fashion brand for almost everyone here under 60. I almost regretted getting rid of mine before we moved here.
After reading....I can only say. WELCOME TO AUSTIN! Prices there now that it is the Silicon Hills have made it almost, if not completely, impossible for up and coming artists and musicians. If time allows and you want to look at details....google Dale Watson...one of Austin's iconic musicians and the press conference where he stated WHY he was relocating to Memphis!
Safe returns and good times!
Great post Rocco. We used to take our two (now grown) kids to SF regularly when we lived in Sacramento 1990-2009 because there honestly wasn’t too much to do in Sac and The City was always an exciting time (we moved to San Diego in 2009). My daughter eventually decided to go to SF State and graduated in 2015. It was still a fun place to visit but in the numerous times we’ve visited since her graduation we’ve definitely noticed it’s not nearly as vibrant as it used to be. It’s not as bad of course as how it’s portrayed on the right wing news channels (rampant crime everywhere, trash everywhere, etc.) but it’s definitely not as fun to visit anymore. And like much of the U.S. it’s become almost-prohibitively expensive. It’s really sad actually. And another quick comment about North Face: when visiting Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia several months ago with my son, we noticed North Face jackets everywhere, mostly on the younger under-30 crowd. This prompted my son to buy a NF jacket as soon as we returned to the States (and no, he didn’t need another jacket…..but you know how kids are so influenceable!). Enjoy the rest of your trip, you’ll be back in your beloved Valencia before you know it.
Hearing that visa appointments in NYC were being given 3 months away we acted fast and got an August 6th date. Our paperwork isn't finished but my fingerprints will expire September 8th. Our orignal plans to leave September 13th felt too rushed.(not sure how long they will take to give us the visas). With that settled we decided that even if we get turned down we're still going to go over, so we adjusted the dates on the Airbnb and booked the flights for Ocotober 8th...woohoo!! As the plans fall into place I keep looking at my Brooklyn life and my American life. What do I love and what am I happy to leave behind. I appreciate these posts of yours as you share your observations. Something here has been lost and it's so brave of us to look for another place to be. I will miss this incredible bread a local guy makes and sells at the green market. It's like custard with crust. But I think the energy and community that you speak of will be a nice reward.
This is exciting!! It's a pretty weird and somewhat emotional process leaving, even when you know it's the right decision. For us, at least, it quickly became clear that, indeed, we made the right choice and can't imagine going back.
Fingers crossed and best hopes and wishes on all of it!!
As I write from a depressing feeling Target in San Francisco. I don't miss this shit at all.