Tony Bennett repeatedly sings of how he left his heart there, but if you are planning a move to San Francisco, California, then you are truly in for a wonderful ride. The San Franciscan way of life is one like no other. Aside from the warm climate and the sun, sea, and sands of the Bay Area, there are few excuses for why you couldn’t enjoy living in San Fran. It’s the place where theatre really opens (before making a trip to Broadway), where legendary comedian and actor Robin Williams got his start, and a multicultural hub of museums (with exhibitions dedicated to Asian, African, Jewish, European, Spanish, and American Culture).
Wherever it is in San Francisco that you end up, you’ll never be far away from something fun and exciting to take part in. Before you get there, however, there are a few things you should know.
Why are you moving there?
There are many reasons to visit this part of California, but to actually move to San Francisco is a huge decision and one that requires a great deal of thought. A lot of people spend their vacations in the San Francisco Bay Area for its culture and events there, but at the end of their trip, they tend to come home. Without wanting to put a damper on things, the truth is that there are few good reasons to relocate to a completely different part of the U.S., and they normally involve better opportunities, a fresh start or to be closer to parents or other family members. The pre-requisite to all of those circumstances is that there is usually something already in San Francisco to move towards.
Unless you’re relocating from a nearby area like Los Angeles, it’s a good idea to make doubly certain that you are doing the right thing. One of the more unfortunate reasons that people have been known to move, is to be closer to a boyfriend, girlfriend, or partner that they met online via social media and have continued online dating. Sadly, there are too many people that find out post-relocation that they have been involved in a catfishing scam and the person they have met online does not actually exist in real life. The good news is that due to the popularizing of video chat and the continuing efforts of concerned parents and friends, catfishing is not as effective as it once was. Still, before making the move to a completely new city to be closer to an online partner (and that is to say that those relationships do exist as well) be sure to learn how to tell if you’re being catfished first. Force Protection’s website has some very helpful information to tell if your online partner is a real person and not a fake profile, so check it out quickly before you rent a San Francisco apartment.
When you find yourself in San Francisco…
You may not have found much love before moving there, but after a little while in San Francisco, you might be willing to enter into the dating scene. Now, you might be the type of person who prefers to meet a date through online dating sites (which is certainly a viable option and a great way to keep things private), but if you prefer your meetups to a human-only experience, then have a mutual friend set you up on a blind date. These could the best way to learn more about the city too, with a walk through Golden Gate Park or a sit-down meal in a restaurant within San Francisco’s huge Chinatown area.
The city of San Francisco is home to one of the biggest Pride festivals in the world, and the people really are supportive of all people. Unlike some of the more traditional cities (which is a polite way of saying they need to get with the times), you can feel truly at ease regardless of your sexual orientation and tastes in romantic partners. Who knows, after a few successful blind dates, you might meet the person you are meant to be with, in which case San Francisco is a delightful place to have a wedding.
Of course, there are plenty of opportunities too.
Of course, after successfully relocating to San Francisco you are going to need to find work. San Francisco is an eclectic city, but it is an expensive city as well. Luckily, there are a multitude of opportunities available for work (even if the pandemic has caused a few of them to operate from home). Just try to organize something before the move. You won’t have a lot of time to figure out how to pay rent, and the cost of living in San Francisco should be taken very seriously.
Just over the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge are the Golden Gate Park, Muir Woods, and Mt. Tamalpais for those more rural workers who enjoy conservation and tourism efforts. If you are a bit more of a techie, then Silicon Valley is the place to find work. The first thing to do (even before moving) is finding work, or else you’ll be playing catch up on costs from the get-go.
With cultural events abounding, you won’t have a hard time finding something to do. For now, it’s just a waiting game until COVID-19 relaxes off our social interactions a little bit. However, you can use the time to research the city, and a move to San Francisco will be much more realistic.
