[chipotle_coyote]

Renting just a room isn't always feasible, depending on how much baggage you have in both the literal and figurative sense. When I moved out here 11 years ago from a one-bedroom apartment in Tampa Bay, I did indeed rent just a room from a friend -- and I had to sell a lot of furniture. I've since bought new furniture, and I would not be particularly inclined to give it up. I realize this is my choice, but it's one that you're more likely to face once you get into your 30s (or at any point if you get a family, of course).

And, I think my larger concern about prices still stands. That $825 a month could get you a 1BR place with W/D included in many other cities. Actually, it could get you at least a 1BR/1BA place with W/D in many other cities, and we're not talking "middle of nowhere" type places, either. There are still certainly reasons to live in the Bay Area rather than those other places, but we're paying an awful lot for the privilege.