[electroagenda]

From a European perspective (from Spain) it is so weird to read this kind of texts...

Quite often here, the US and silicon valley are presented as the paradise for tech people, but now it seems to me that it is a paradise only if you can afford a really wealthy area.

Here in Spain salaries can be terrible compared to the US, but even the more "dangerous" cities (like Barcelona or Madrid) are way safer than the SF described by the OP.

[bombela]

And the experience of the OP is actually mild at that. I lived 2 blocks from Union Square, on Geary st, back in 2011/2012. I witnessed Sin City. Dead bodies, naked and drugged prostitute offering services, homeless woman blowing a homeless man for hit of his crack pipe, pimps beating a prostitute. Gangs shooting at each others a killing a tourist...

At the time I couldn't afford to live in the nice neighborhood. But even then, it's insane that all of that happens 400m away from Macy's, jewelery stores, expensive and fancy restaurants etc.

[foogazi]

> the US and silicon valley are presented as the paradise for tech people,

The value comes from colocation - there is a LOT of tech value here - and that makes the location expensive

it’s a bet that doesn’t pay off for everyone

Also, the conflicted areas of SF are not the whole Bay Area by a long shot