Californian cities are not attractive to everyone. Numerous places in the Golden State were among the top 14 major cities from which (adjusted for population size) more people moved away than moved in.

Business Insider examined negative net domestic migration estimates for U.S. metropolitan areas for the period July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. Negative net domestic migration means that more people left those metropolitan areas for another U.S. location than people moved there from the U.S. We adjusted these estimates based on each metropolitan area's population as of July 1, 2022, to get migration rates per 1,000 residents.

Before adjusting for population size, the negative net internal migration effect was most pronounced in the New York City metropolitan area, with a value of -238,494. Next was Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California, with a value of -154,634, and then Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Illinois-Indiana, with a value of -71,310.

Los Angeles continued to be notable in adapting the subway Areas by population size. Six of the 14 metropolitan areas with the highest negative net internal migration rates per 1,000 residents were Californian metropolitan areas. These include San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont – as well as Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim.

New Orleans-Metairie, Louisiana, stood out However, the most negative net internal migration rate per 1,000 inhabitants is among the major cities, which stands at -17.5.

Below are the cities from which people most often flee, based on the net domestic migration rate per 1,000 people.

The post High Cities People Are Fleeing, Together with San Francisco and LA appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Affordable real estate in Cali city hotspots is hard to come by – so much so that wealthy citizens are increasingly fleeing inland to a city dubbed ‘the armpit’ of the golden state.  

Enter Bakersfield – a locale that’s a far cry from its Bay Area brethren – and better known for its heat and pollution. 

It’s comprised mostly of cows and open farmland – and now, real estate data shows, thousands of coastal Californians. 

Local influencers have also hopped on the trend, though some aren’t as thrilled about the new phenomenon, fearing gentrification could push up house prices. 

But as costly cities like LA and San Francisco are ravaged by crime, homelessness and drug crises, there is no stopping the influx of newcomers looking to escape the ‘rat race’.  

Affordable real estate in Cali city hotspots is hard to come by – so much so that wealthy citizens are increasingly fleeing inland to a city dubbed ‘the armpit’ of the golden state 

TikToker @mbtrama (at right) recently shared a video chronicling her life in the rural getaway, showing how she and her fiancée (at left) moved there after leaving LA in 2022

Enter not-so-scenic Bakersfield – a locale that’s a far cry from its Bay Area brethren, located in California’s sprawling Central Valley

Newcomer Alvarado Vazquez, a SoCal mortgage analyst, left LA satellite Tustin for the town this past year and says he and his wife have yet to look back, citing the small city’s ‘slower pace of life’. 

‘People need to understand that living in Orange County is just a rat race,’ he told SFGate of his past life in the notoriously expensive LA metro area, where his mortgage was $2,600 more than it is now.

 ‘It’s paycheck by paycheck.’  

He said he with wife Elizabeth Vasquez plan on using the extra cash to travel, after selling their four-bed, 1,8000 square foot for $1.1million.

They now own a home with a pool purchased for the fraction of the cost – $459,000 to be exact, he said.

‘It may be hotter,’ he said of the city’s infamous heat, ‘but now, I’ve got a swimming pool.’

Statistics and posts on social media show how the couple are not alone, following a trend of fed-up Californians fleeing the coast to smaller, cheaper towns following the pandemic.

Often emboldened by jobs that allow for remote work, many have moved to the Central Valley – the broad, elongated expanse of land that dominates the interior of the state.

Within that valley sits cities like Stockton and Fresno, both of which are urban and known for abnormally high crime rates.

However, more eagle-eyed homebuyers may also stumble upon relatively rural Bakersfield, which, with its rolling countryside and mountains, boasts a decidedly different feel.

Located only a two hours’ drive from LA, some have dubbed it the ‘Texas of California.’

Influencers (pictured) have also hopped on the trend, as some aren’t as thrilled about the  phenomenon

The small city is surrounded by rolling countryside, including the scenic Lake Isabella (seen here) and Sequoia Mountains (in the background)

It’s comprised mostly of cows and open farmland – and now, real estate data shows, thousands of coastal Californians

Over the past four years, eagle-eyed homebuyers have continued to stumble upon the relatively rural paradise, which, aside from its rolling plains and mountains, is located less than 100 miles from SoCal

It sports several oil refineries and no shortage of cattle, as well as a massive Amazon fulfillment center that opened just months after the first Covid case was detected in the US.

There, workers, by and large, are paid $15-an-hour – compensation that would not get one far in the competitive housing markets seen in California’s coastal cities.

But in Bakersfield, rents for a one bed could be as low as $800 and as a result it recently ranked among the places with 100 percent-plus increases in the number of people looking to move there following the pandemic.

The top origins of homebuyers moving into the agricultural and energy hotspot from out of town were Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area and Tampa, Florida, a 2021 report by Redfin.com found.

More recent data recorded from January to March of 2024, meanwhile, showed how thousands of LA residents searched for homes in Bakersfield during those months – drawing more interest than any other city on the platform.

In second place was none other than San Francisco, which typically ranks among the top three most expensive cities in the country, several studies have shown.

Like Alvarado – and others who spoke to The New York Times about the relatively new phenomenon – they’ve been captivated not only by the city’s abundance of parks and trails, but its cost of living.

‘It’s like the American dream,’ said Edlin Gonzales, then 33, after leaving her studio apartment near LA’s bustling Miracle Mile in January 2021. She has lived in Bakersfield – in a spacious three-bedroom – ever since, she told the paper.

‘My parents were immigrants, so that’s the idea of success,’ she said of her now home that came complete with hardwood floors, a yard, and a pool – all for just $342,000.

Remembering how a friend from New York was impressed during a visit, Gonzales recalled: ‘She was like, “I love this. I want to move to a place like this.'” 

Like other transplants, Gonzales works remotely – as was the case with Autumn Paine, a 45-year-old lawyer who gave up on her old home the Bay Area in 2020. 

Evening view of the Fox Theater along H street in Bakersfield’s Downtown District, where many of the newcomers have moved

Newcomers are undeterred by the pump jacks scattered across the vast, surrounding countryside of Kern County, which endlessly pump petroleum and send fumes into the skies overhead. Pictured: Landscape of the Kern River Oil Field, where oil pump jacks work endlessly

Data recorded by Redfin from January to March of 2024, meanwhile, showed how thousands of LA residents searched for homes in Bakersfield during those months – drawing more interest than any other city on the platform

The smell of petroleum throughout the city’s streets has not stopped influencers for hopping on the transplant train, taking to their respective platforms to talk up the town and its affordability

They are seen marveling at the concept of monthly rents less than $1,000, as the city’s population increased by just under 40,000 over the past four years

She told the paper how she and her husband, fed up with the hustle and bustle, wanted a home in place where they could forgo their cars and the infamous Bay Area traffic

During a visit to Kern County in the spring of 2020, they stumbled upon Bakersfield, and were almost-immediately sold.

‘We were like, ‘Should we do this?’ she recalled of the conservative California hotspot also known for its walkability, at a bar steps away from her front door.

‘Like, who moves to Bakersfield?’

After the move Paine could walk a block to work everyday to an office near the city’s courthouse, in a neighborhood rife with museums and restaurants.

Gonzales, meanwhile, said she also enjoys being closer to her parents, who live in fellow farm town Delano, while also being just 100 miles from her old home along the coast.

Her Doberman pinscher, she added, appreciates the big yard, while she’s just thankful the city’s cost of living has enabled her to become a homeowner while still in her 30s.

Thousands of others whom have followed suit since are likely similarly inclined, descending on the town in search of square footage as housing markets tighten around them.

They’ve been undeterred by the pump jacks scattered across the vast, surrounding countryside of Kern County, which endlessly pump petroleum and send fumes into the skies overhead.

Temperatures that typically top the triple digits – sometimes for two months at a time – have also failed to scare away transplants, likely motivated by the prospect of a backyard, extra bedroom or commute measured in minutes.

In 2020, when state demographers recorded California’s first-ever population decrease, Bakersfield saw its population jump to 400,000, up from about 380,000 the year before.

Today, it boasts around 416,100 citizens, growing at a rate of 0.66 percent annually, per the US Census. 

This makes it fastest-growing city in the entire state, while being poorest in terms of air quality in the country. 

The smell of petroleum, moreover, is often detectable around the city, but this has not stopped influencers for hopping on the transplant train.

In 2020, when state demographers recorded California’s first-ever population decrease, Bakersfield saw its population jump to 400,000, up from about 380,000 the year before

Today, it boasts around 416,100 citizens, growing at a rate of 0.66 percent annually, per the US Census

‘Why Bakersfield is the best city to move to in California,’ outlined TikTok Realtor Charles Peyton in a 2023 post published just weeks before. ‘It’s centrally located,’ he continued, explaining how residents are ‘only an hour-and-half hours from the coast’

On TikTok and Instagram, realtors and homebuyers alike relish in the reality of West Coast life that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.  

‘I recently left my life in the LA area and moved to Bakersfield to live with my fiancé,’ TikToker @mbtrama recently said in November video that chronicled her new life in Bakersfield after leaving LA. 

‘It’s been one amazing & crazy year!’ she said, over a video that showed her and her partner exploring the surrounding landscape.

‘My fiancé has been a competitive athlete most of his life,’ she added.

‘We are both in our late 50’s and love to be active. He is a runner and we both like to hike. 

‘Come follow us on our new life together,’ she concluded, as others urged onlookers to capitalize on the Bakersfield buying craze.  

‘Why Bakersfield is the best city to move to in California,’ outlined TikTok Realtor Charles Peyton in a 2023 post published just weeks before. 

‘It’s centrally located,’ he continued, explaining how residents are ‘only an hour-and-half hours from the coast.’

Not only that, he said, ‘you’re one-and-a-half hours from skiing and snowboarding’ further inland at the ski resort Alta Sierra – Shirley Meadows, which features a mile and a half of the state’s best slopes. 

You’re also an hour-and-a-half hours from the scenic Sequoia Mountains, he said – citing the majestic views  the mountains off of the county’s characteristic countryside.

What’s more, ‘the home you can get in LA for $2million, you can get in Bakersfield for around $500,000 to $550,000’, he added.

‘A lot of people are moving to Bakersfield,’ he continued, pointing to publicly available statistics.

‘If you’re looking to start a new life, [in] a place that is exciting with a lot of growth, Bakersfield is the place to be,’ he said. ‘It’s also a great place to start a family.’

Others expressed more of the same, marveling at the concept of monthly rents lower than $1,000.

But there have also been naysayers – some of whom have been put off by the city’s new crowd, and the rising price-tags that come with it. 

‘A lot of people are moving to Bakersfield,’ one influencer said, pointing to publicly available statistics. ‘If you’re looking to start a new life, [in] a place that is exciting with a lot of growth, Bakersfield is the place to be,’ he went on. ‘It’s also a great place to start a family’

But there have also been naysayers – some of whom have been put off by the city’s new crowd, and the rising price-tags that come with it. Pictured: Doc’s Bikes shop Barber shop in Bakersfield on June 21, 2004

‘Gentrification is the wolf that lurks on my shoulder all the time,’ Lorelei Oviatt, Kern County’s planning director, said in 2021, as the trend started to take hold. ‘How do you lift the quality of the community while preserving the culture?’

They are skeptical that Bakersfield – once a refuge for Oklahomans fleeing the Dust Bowl – will eventually suffer the same fate as other white-collar California exurbs, as new residents continue to commute to places like LA for work.

‘Gentrification is the wolf that lurks on my shoulder all the time,’ Lorelei Oviatt, Kern County’s planning director, said in 2021, as the trend started to take hold.

‘How do you lift the quality of the community while preserving the culture?’

She and others also claim that wealthier newcomers like Alvarado, Gonzales, and Paine could widen the already present gaps seen in the community, where most  work in farming, fishing and forestry and earn a median wage of $16 per hour, data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows.

By contrast, many of the new homeowners migrating from coastal cities have flexible jobs in tech, sales and management, local realtors said – adding that these customers often buy properties in cash. 

This new demand continues to raise the price of previously affordable homes.

In 2021, the median price of a house in Kern County, the mostly rural expanse that includes Bakersfield, was $340,000, less than half of that of the state. 

As of February 2024, the median sale price of a single-family home was nearly 60 percent higher than in 2019, at around $400,000.

Back in 2021, The median price of a house in Kern County, the mostly rural expanse that includes Bakersfield, was $340,000, less than half of that of the state

That’s still $400,000 cheaper than the average from the rest of the state, with access to much better views – not to mention less crime

Meanwhile, debate as to whether to change the kinds of jobs available – and to market the city less as an outer borough of LA and more as a gateway to California’s central farmland – continues, as an ‘incredible amount of people’ continue to move there from LA, San Francisco and Orange County,

Still, that’s some $400,000 cheaper than the average for the rest of the state, with a great deal less crime.

Apartment vacancies being at historic lows has also sparked fears transplants will push out residents, with single-family homes currently spending just a median of 31 days on the market, data on Redfin shows.

That’s a nine-day decrease year over year from last year, which itself was down from previous, pre-pandemic years.  

That said, while home values have increased, experts also say there have yet to be any real signs the market is spiraling out of reach, with homes in Bakersfield still a great deal cheaper than somewhere like LA, where a single family home regularly fetches $1.2million.

Speaking to the Times, Jenny Schuetz, an urban economist with the Brookings Institution, said of this relative affordability: ‘It’s still a bargain, price-wise, compared to most places in California.’

Debate as to whether to change the kinds of jobs available to residents – and to market the city less as an outer borough of Los Angeles and more as a southern hotspot for California’s landlocked farmland – continues.

Meanwhile, an ‘incredible amount of people’ continue to move to Bakersfield from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orange County, Redfin real estate agent Tenia Williams said.

Citing ‘a slower pace of life, she told SFGate: ‘I think that’s what people like. Especially when they’re coming from a place like LA.’ 

The post Rich residents are fleeing LA, San Francisco and Orange County to little-known metropolis dubbed the ‘armpit’ of California – however some locals are FURIOUS about invasion appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

• Bakersfield’s a far cry from its brethren in the Bay Area and Southern California
• It features cows and open farmland – and recently, a wave of coastal Californians
• They’re fleeing inland to find affordable housing, and some locals aren’t happy

Affordable real estate in Cali city hotspots is hard to come by – so much so that wealthy citizens are increasingly fleeing inland to a city dubbed ‘the armpit’ of the golden state.  

Enter Bakersfield – a locale that’s a far cry from its Bay Area brethren – and better known for its heat and pollution. 

It’s comprised mostly of cows and open farmland – and now, real estate data shows, thousands of coastal Californians. 

Local influencers have also hopped on the trend, though some aren’t as thrilled about the new phenomenon, fearing gentrification could push up house prices. 

But as costly cities like LA and San Francisco are ravaged by crime, homelessness and drug crises, there is no stopping the influx of newcomers looking to escape the ‘rat race’.  

Affordable real estate in Cali city hotspots is hard to come by – so much so that wealthy citizens are increasingly fleeing inland to a city dubbed ‘the armpit’ of the golden state TikToker @mbtrama (at right) recently shared a video chronicling her life in the rural getaway, showing how she and her fiancée (at left) moved there after leaving LA in 2022 Enter not-so-scenic Bakersfield – a locale that’s a far cry from its Bay Area brethren, located in California’s sprawling Central Valley

Newcomer Alvarado Vazquez, a SoCal mortgage analyst, left LA satellite Tustin for the town this past year and says he and his wife have yet to look back, citing the small city’s ‘slower pace of life’. 

‘People need to understand that living in Orange County is just a rat race,’ he told SFGate of his past life in the notoriously expensive LA metro area, where his mortgage was $2,600 more than it is now.

 ‘It’s paycheck by paycheck.’  

He said he with wife Elizabeth Vasquez plan on using the extra cash to travel, after selling their four-bed, 1,8000 square foot for $1.1million.

They now own a home with a pool purchased for the fraction of the cost – $459,000 to be exact, he said.

‘It may be hotter,’ he said of the city’s infamous heat, ‘but now, I’ve got a swimming pool.’

Statistics and posts on social media show how the couple are not alone, following a trend of fed-up Californians fleeing the coast to smaller, cheaper towns following the pandemic.

Often emboldened by jobs that allow for remote work, many have moved to the Central Valley – the broad, elongated expanse of land that dominates the interior of the state.

Within that valley sits cities like Stockton and Fresno, both of which are urban and known for abnormally high crime rates.

However, more eagle-eyed homebuyers may also stumble upon relatively rural Bakersfield, which, with its rolling countryside and mountains, boasts a decidedly different feel.

Located only a two hours’ drive from LA, some have dubbed it the ‘Texas of California.’

Influencers (pictured) have also hopped on the trend, as some aren’t as thrilled about the  phenomenon The small city is surrounded by rolling countryside, including the scenic Lake Isabella (seen here) and Sequoia Mountains (in the background) It’s comprised mostly of cows and open farmland – and now, real estate data shows, thousands of coastal Californians Over the past four years, eagle-eyed homebuyers have continued to stumble upon the relatively rural paradise, which, aside from its rolling plains and mountains, is located less than 100 miles from SoCal

It sports several oil refineries and no shortage of cattle, as well as a massive Amazon fulfillment center that opened just months after the first Covid case was detected in the US.

There, workers, by and large, are paid $15-an-hour – compensation that would not get one far in the competitive housing markets seen in California’s coastal cities.

But in Bakersfield, rents for a one bed could be as low as $800 and as a result it recently ranked among the places with 100 percent-plus increases in the number of people looking to move there following the pandemic.

The top origins of homebuyers moving into the agricultural and energy hotspot from out of town were Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area and Tampa, Florida, a 2021 report by Redfin.com found.

More recent data recorded from January to March of 2024, meanwhile, showed how thousands of LA residents searched for homes in Bakersfield during those months – drawing more interest than any other city on the platform.

In second place was none other than San Francisco, which typically ranks among the top three most expensive cities in the country, several studies have shown.

Like Alvarado – and others who spoke to The New York Times about the relatively new phenomenon – they’ve been captivated not only by the city’s abundance of parks and trails, but its cost of living.

‘It’s like the American dream,’ said Edlin Gonzales, then 33, after leaving her studio apartment near LA’s bustling Miracle Mile in January 2021. She has lived in Bakersfield – in a spacious three-bedroom – ever since, she told the paper.

‘My parents were immigrants, so that’s the idea of success,’ she said of her now home that came complete with hardwood floors, a yard, and a pool – all for just $342,000.

Remembering how a friend from New York was impressed during a visit, Gonzales recalled: ‘She was like, “I love this. I want to move to a place like this.'” 

Like other transplants, Gonzales works remotely – as was the case with Autumn Paine, a 45-year-old lawyer who gave up on her old home the Bay Area in 2020. 

Evening view of the Fox Theater along H street in Bakersfield’s Downtown District, where many of the newcomers have moved Newcomers are undeterred by the pump jacks scattered across the vast, surrounding countryside of Kern County, which endlessly pump petroleum and send fumes into the skies overhead. Pictured: Landscape of the Kern River Oil Field, where oil pump jacks work endlessly Data recorded by Redfin from January to March of 2024, meanwhile, showed how thousands of LA residents searched for homes in Bakersfield during those months – drawing more interest than any other city on the platform The smell of petroleum throughout the city’s streets has not stopped influencers for hopping on the transplant train, taking to their respective platforms to talk up the town and its affordability They are seen marveling at the concept of monthly rents less than $1,000, as the city’s population increased by just under 40,000 over the past four years

She told the paper how she and her husband, fed up with the hustle and bustle, wanted a home in place where they could forgo their cars and the infamous Bay Area traffic

During a visit to Kern County in the spring of 2020, they stumbled upon Bakersfield, and were almost-immediately sold.

‘We were like, ‘Should we do this?’ she recalled of the conservative California hotspot also known for its walkability, at a bar steps away from her front door.

‘Like, who moves to Bakersfield?’

After the move Paine could walk a block to work everyday to an office near the city’s courthouse, in a neighborhood rife with museums and restaurants.

Gonzales, meanwhile, said she also enjoys being closer to her parents, who live in fellow farm town Delano, while also being just 100 miles from her old home along the coast.

Her Doberman pinscher, she added, appreciates the big yard, while she’s just thankful the city’s cost of living has enabled her to become a homeowner while still in her 30s.

Thousands of others whom have followed suit since are likely similarly inclined, descending on the town in search of square footage as housing markets tighten around them.

They’ve been undeterred by the pump jacks scattered across the vast, surrounding countryside of Kern County, which endlessly pump petroleum and send fumes into the skies overhead.

Temperatures that typically top the triple digits – sometimes for two months at a time – have also failed to scare away transplants, likely motivated by the prospect of a backyard, extra bedroom or commute measured in minutes.

In 2020, when state demographers recorded California’s first-ever population decrease, Bakersfield saw its population jump to 400,000, up from about 380,000 the year before.

Today, it boasts around 416,100 citizens, growing at a rate of 0.66 percent annually, per the US Census. 

This makes it fastest-growing city in the entire state, while being poorest in terms of air quality in the country. 

The smell of petroleum, moreover, is often detectable around the city, but this has not stopped influencers for hopping on the transplant train.

In 2020, when state demographers recorded California’s first-ever population decrease, Bakersfield saw its population jump to 400,000, up from about 380,000 the year before Today, it boasts around 416,100 citizens, growing at a rate of 0.66 percent annually, per the US Census ‘Why Bakersfield is the best city to move to in California,’ outlined TikTok Realtor Charles Peyton in a 2023 post published just weeks before. ‘It’s centrally located,’ he continued, explaining how residents are ‘only an hour-and-half hours from the coast’

On TikTok and Instagram, realtors and homebuyers alike relish in the reality of West Coast life that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.  

‘I recently left my life in the LA area and moved to Bakersfield to live with my fiancé,’ TikToker @mbtrama recently said in November video that chronicled her new life in Bakersfield after leaving LA. 

‘It’s been one amazing & crazy year!’ she said, over a video that showed her and her partner exploring the surrounding landscape.

‘My fiancé has been a competitive athlete most of his life,’ she added.

‘We are both in our late 50’s and love to be active. He is a runner and we both like to hike. 

‘Come follow us on our new life together,’ she concluded, as others urged onlookers to capitalize on the Bakersfield buying craze.  

‘Why Bakersfield is the best city to move to in California,’ outlined TikTok Realtor Charles Peyton in a 2023 post published just weeks before. 

‘It’s centrally located,’ he continued, explaining how residents are ‘only an hour-and-half hours from the coast.’

Not only that, he said, ‘you’re one-and-a-half hours from skiing and snowboarding’ further inland at the ski resort Alta Sierra – Shirley Meadows, which features a mile and a half of the state’s best slopes. 

You’re also an hour-and-a-half hours from the scenic Sequoia Mountains, he said – citing the majestic views  the mountains off of the county’s characteristic countryside.

What’s more, ‘the home you can get in LA for $2million, you can get in Bakersfield for around $500,000 to $550,000’, he added.

‘A lot of people are moving to Bakersfield,’ he continued, pointing to publicly available statistics.

‘If you’re looking to start a new life, [in] a place that is exciting with a lot of growth, Bakersfield is the place to be,’ he said. ‘It’s also a great place to start a family.’

Others expressed more of the same, marveling at the concept of monthly rents lower than $1,000.

But there have also been naysayers – some of whom have been put off by the city’s new crowd, and the rising price-tags that come with it. 

‘A lot of people are moving to Bakersfield,’ one influencer said, pointing to publicly available statistics. ‘If you’re looking to start a new life, [in] a place that is exciting with a lot of growth, Bakersfield is the place to be,’ he went on. ‘It’s also a great place to start a family’ But there have also been naysayers – some of whom have been put off by the city’s new crowd, and the rising price-tags that come with it. Pictured: Doc’s Bikes shop Barber shop in Bakersfield on June 21, 2004 ‘Gentrification is the wolf that lurks on my shoulder all the time,’ Lorelei Oviatt, Kern County¿s planning director, said in 2021, as the trend started to take hold. ‘How do you lift the quality of the community while preserving the culture?’

They are skeptical that Bakersfield – once a refuge for Oklahomans fleeing the Dust Bowl – will eventually suffer the same fate as other white-collar California exurbs, as new residents continue to commute to places like LA for work.

‘Gentrification is the wolf that lurks on my shoulder all the time,’ Lorelei Oviatt, Kern County’s planning director, said in 2021, as the trend started to take hold.

‘How do you lift the quality of the community while preserving the culture?’

She and others also claim that wealthier newcomers like Alvarado, Gonzales, and Paine could widen the already present gaps seen in the community, where most  work in farming, fishing and forestry and earn a median wage of $16 per hour, data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows.

By contrast, many of the new homeowners migrating from coastal cities have flexible jobs in tech, sales and management, local realtors said – adding that these customers often buy properties in cash. 

This new demand continues to raise the price of previously affordable homes.

In 2021, the median price of a house in Kern County, the mostly rural expanse that includes Bakersfield, was $340,000, less than half of that of the state. 

As of February 2024, the median sale price of a single-family home was nearly 60 percent higher than in 2019, at around $400,000.

Back in 2021, The median price of a house in Kern County, the mostly rural expanse that includes Bakersfield, was $340,000, less than half of that of the state That’s still $400,000 cheaper than the average from the rest of the state, with access to much better views – not to mention less crime Meanwhile, debate as to whether to change the kinds of jobs available – and to market the city less as an outer borough of LA and more as a gateway to California’s central farmland – continues, as an ‘incredible amount of people’ continue to move there from LA, San Francisco and Orange County,

Still, that’s some $400,000 cheaper than the average for the rest of the state, with a great deal less crime.

Apartment vacancies being at historic lows has also sparked fears transplants will push out residents, with single-family homes currently spending just a median of 31 days on the market, data on Redfin shows.

That’s a nine-day decrease year over year from last year, which itself was down from previous, pre-pandemic years.  

That said, while home values have increased, experts also say there have yet to be any real signs the market is spiraling out of reach, with homes in Bakersfield still a great deal cheaper than somewhere like LA, where a single family home regularly fetches $1.2million.

Speaking to the Times, Jenny Schuetz, an urban economist with the Brookings Institution, said of this relative affordability: ‘It’s still a bargain, price-wise, compared to most places in California.’

Debate as to whether to change the kinds of jobs available to residents – and to market the city less as an outer borough of Los Angeles and more as a southern hotspot for California’s landlocked farmland – continues.

Meanwhile, an ‘incredible amount of people’ continue to move to Bakersfield from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orange County, Redfin real estate agent Tenia Williams said.

Citing ‘a slower pace of life, she told SFGate: ‘I think that’s what people like. Especially when they’re coming from a place like LA.’ 

The post Rich residents are fleeing LA, San Francisco and Orange County to little-known metropolis dubbed the ‘armpit’ of California appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Founders, Silicon Valley investors, and executives are returning to San Francisco after fleeing during the pandemic almost four years ago.

Technology founders even boasted about their success in securing funding outside the Bay Area and pushed for remote work among their employees. 

But despite the city suffering high levels of crime and homelessness, virtually rendering parts of downtown a no-go area, slowly but surely those involved in the tech industry are making a return to the City by the Bay.

Notable tech figures, like Elon Musk who has long criticized San Francisco’s political culture, has been back in the city since October 2022 when he purchased Twitter, now X together with its headquarters. 

Entrepreneurs and investors are returning with the city now at the forefront of the latest revolution in emerging tech, as AI slowly becomes more mainstream, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

Notable tech figures, such as Elon Musk , who has long criticized San Francisco’s political culture, has been back in the city since October 2022 when he purchased Twitter, now X together with its headquarters.

The headquarters of X occupies a pride of place position in San Francisco’s downtown area

After a pandemic-induced exodus from San Francisco by founders, Silicon Valley figures, and tech execs, there is a notable return to the city, driven by new tech. Pictured, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco

Companies like OpenAI, which run ChatGPT, are leasing new buildings in the city while other Bay Area tech companies are reinforcing return-to-office mandates, with Robinhood Markets and Chime now implementing stricter policies for staff.  

OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, has his main home in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood. 

Tech institutions like Y Combinator are also expanding their presence in San Francisco, while some co-founders, like those of fintech startup Brex, have returned after initially moving to other cities during the pandemic.

In 2020, venture capitalist Keith Rabois encouraged startup founders to leave San Francisco altogether for Miami, citing the latter’s safety, lower taxes, and tech-friendly mayor.

OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, has his main home in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood

Companies like OpenAI which run ChatGPT are leasing new buildings in the city

The city’s longstanding tech reputation, proximity to renowned universities for engineering talent and a recent AI boom are all factors drawing people back

Rabois, now at Khosla Ventures, but who has had significant success with Airbnb and DoorDash, described San Francisco as ‘miserable on every dimension’ in a tweet.

But now that strategy has changed and it appears the tide is turning with several of the startups he supported now relocating or establishing offices back in San Francisco in order to improve their  ability to attract engineering talent. 

Rabois, an early executive at PayPal recognized in Silicon Valley for both his outspoken opinions and successful investments, relocated to Miami a year after joining Founders Fund. 

In Miami, he purchased a $29 million waterfront property and established a new office for the firm. 

This move coincided with a period of low-interest rates, fostering a surge in startup funding and prompting various venture firms to expand their presence nationwide.

Miami’s mayor, Francis X. Suarez, even declared the city as the world’s crypto capital.

But last year, venture investment in Miami saw a massive 70 percent plunge with just $2 billion invested last year.

Keith Rabois, now at Khosla Ventures, but who has had significant success with Airbnb and DoorDash, had previously described San Francisco as ‘miserable on every dimension’ 

Howie Liu, CEO of enterprise startup Airtable, has increased his time in San Francisco to meet with sales customers after spending a significant part of the pandemic in Los Angeles

Henrique Dubugras, co-founders of the fintech startup Brex, returned to San Francisco 

One AI startup, Delphi, secured funding from Rabois in Miami and has moved the HQ to San Francisco.

Traba, a contracting startup also initially backed by Rabois three years ago, opted to open an office in New York, where a majority of its employees now operate. 

Similarly, OpenStore, an e-commerce venture co-founded by Rabois in 2021, established a new engineering hub in the Bay Area last year, although Rabois notes the  majority of the startup’s workforce remains based in Miami.

Nevertheless, Silicon Valley leaders are beginning to engage in local politics once again and looking out for the safety of families and businesses moving back to the area.

Despite a 12 percent decline in investment for Bay Area startups to $63.4 billion last year, San Francisco has demonstrated resilience compared to smaller tech hubs like Austin (27 percent decrease) and Los Angeles (42 percent decrease).

Plenty of others are also returning. Mo Koyfman, the founder of venture firm Shine Capital, believes San Francisco has staying power having had its tech businesses built over the last several decades with the pandemic being a mere blip in terms of time. 

Ben Horowitz, co-founder of venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, chose to reside in Las Vegas during the pandemic, where he continues to live

Peter Thiel, a billionaire investor and founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies and the Founders Fund, has made Los Angeles his home

Erik Torenberg, an investor in startups Scale AI and Figma, recently moved from Miami to San Francisco, where he is working on a new media company

Last year, Henrique Dubugras and Pedro Franceschi, left, co-founders of the fintech startup Brex, returned to San Francisco after coming under investor pressure

Prestigious universities such as Stanford are a key reason as any why top-tier venture firms must maintain a presence in the Bay Area, Koyfman believes.

Shine opened an office in San Francisco this January despite its HQ being in New York City.

Last year, Henrique Dubugras and Pedro Franceschi, co-founders of the fintech startup Brex, returned to San Francisco under investor pressure after relocating to Los Angeles, New York City, and then Miami during the pandemic. 

Despite the company’s valuation soaring to $12 billion, Brex laid off 20 percent of its workforce earlier this year.

Howie Liu, CEO of enterprise startup Airtable, has increased his time in San Francisco to meet with sales customers after spending a significant part of the pandemic in Los Angeles. 

Erik Torenberg, an investor in startups Scale AI and Figma, recently moved from Miami to San Francisco, where he is working on a new media company.

Elon Musk temporarily moved Tesla’s headquarters to Austin from northern California during the pandemic but he has been spending time in the city overseeing X and xAI, the artificial intelligence startup incorporated last year.

Max Gazor, a general partner at venture firm CRV and board member at Airtable, emphasized that the intellectual talent in San Francisco remains unparalleled, particularly in the field of AI, where companies have innovated at lightning speed.

In recent weeks, Bay Area tech companies have been enforcing return-to-office mandates with stricter measures. 

Trading app Robinhood Markets announced in January that managers would monitor employees’ office attendance based on badge swipes after an earlier policy failed. 

Fintech company Chime also implemented return-to-work policies, requiring local employees to come in two days a week.

But not all tech leaders who left San Francisco in recent years have returned. 

Ben Horowitz, co-founder of venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, chose to reside in Las Vegas during the pandemic, where he continues to live. 

Peter Thiel, a billionaire investor and founder of Founders Fund, has made Los Angeles his home.

San Francisco owns one of the worst crime rates in the nation, and is ranked as safer than just 1 percent of US neighborhoods, according to crime tracker Neighborhood Scout 

San Francisco is reeling from soaring crime, an emptying downtown, and residents moving away to safer, cheaper areas 

Despite CEO’s and investors showing they’re open to return, it is a different story when it comes to retail.

One recent snap, taken in the heart of the city’s famed shopping district earlier this month shows tourists wandering down a gutted Powell Street.

Instead of being graced with an array of shops, cafés, bars, and restaurants, the party is seen encountering countless shuttered storefronts.

More shots from photographer Erica Sandberg show more of the same, and how the thoroughfare that runs adjacent to the city’s Downtown, all the way from Market to Fisherman’s Wharf, has become a shell of its former self.

The sights, while startling, should come as no great surprise to anyone keeping up with the now-years-long saga of the crime-ridden, homeless-overrun city, which recently had two nets installed around its seminal bridge to prevent suicides.

One snap, taken in the heart of the city’s famed shopping district , shows a group of tourists wandering down a gutted Powell St – a way once bustling with businesses.

Instead of being graced with an array of shops, cafés, bars, and restaurants, the party is seen encountering countless shuttered storefronts

‘This pic infuriates me,’ wrote Sandberg, a self-employed San Francisco correspondent, in an impassioned post to X that laid bare the city’s current state

‘Tourists, who do a little thing called SPEND MONEY, walking down a gutted Powell St.’, she continued.  

‘[It] should be buzzing with shops, cafes, bars, restaurants, theaters, venues.’

Sandberg, in turn, categorized the fruits of her effort as both ‘depressing [and] embarrassing’ – not to mention a blow to the city’s still-struggling shopping scene.

A homeless camp is pictured in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district in December 2023

More shots from independent commentator Erica Sandberg show more of the same, and how the thoroughfare that runs adjacent to the city’s Downtown has become a shell of its former self

The sights, while startling, should come as no great surprise to anyone keeping up with the now-years-long saga of the crime-ridden, homeless-overrun city, which recently had two nets installed on both sides of its seminal bridge to stop suicides.

A short walk through the area will reveal how there are more closed storefronts than open ones, as businesses continue to flee due to high rents and diminished foot traffic

As mentioned, the 1.4 mile thoroughfare connects Market Street (seen here in this map of store closures) – once one of the most photographed spots Downtown – to Union Square, North Beach, Nob Hill, and Russian Hill before ending at the bay

That said, the district is merely one of many left a husk by the city’s continued homeless and crime crises, which took a turn during the pandemic and have since persisted.

The 1.4 mile thoroughfare connects Market Street – once one of the most photographed spots Downtown – to Union Square, North Beach, Nob Hill, and Russian Hill before ending at the bay, making it a prime destination.

Moreover, its southernmost point is only a stone’s throw from another famed shopping area, the Bay Area’s Mission District, which was recently rocked by a slew of restaurant closures on the equally iconic Valencia Street.

The roadway, located right on the cusp of the city’s embattled Downtown, was once considered one of the most sought-after strips of real estate, but today, like Powell, is reeling from store closures brought on by high rents and diminished foot traffic.

In comments to the San Francisco Chronicle, restaurant owner Rafik Bouzidi explained how he had seen a seemingly endless stream of terminations since opening his eatery in April. 

‘If you took me back before I signed the lease, I would have opened somewhere else,’ he told the paper in a recent interview.

‘Before COVID there was no way in hell you could find an available space on Valencia Street. Now, it seems like another restaurant shuts down every week.’

A few blocks away, restaurants on one of San Francisco’s Valencia Street, also one of the most storied in the country, are closing at an alarming rate – and owners say it’s because of crime

In comments to the San Francisco Chronicle, business owners recently explained how high rents and high rates of homelessness have led to a seemingly endless stream of terminations 

Homeless are seen returning to the streets in the Tenderloins district close to San Francisco’s Moscone Center where the APEC conference was recently held

A homeless encampment is seen along Leavenworth Street in the Tenderloin district, only a few blocks from Powell

Headlines featuring the phrases ‘garbage city, ‘ruined city’ and ‘fallen city’ capture how crippling drug issues and widespread homeless problems continue to remain an issue for residents.

The street then runs more than a mile north along some of the city’s most problem areas, which, as the photos of the stripped storefronts show, are continuing to affect businesses

There, right outside the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, drug dealers set up shop in full view of the public on a daily basis, with users injecting and smoking with no interference from law enforcement 

The famous thoroughfare runs for more than mile along the city’s embattled Downtown, where open-air drug use is rife

Meanwhile, the situation at Powell – set on one of the stops of the so-called ‘Doom Loop’ of Union Square, City Hall, and Tenderloin and Mid Market – is even worse, with Union currently serving a hive of unsavory, post-pandemic activity, particularly on the street’s terminus on Market Street.

There, right outside the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, drug dealers set up shop in full view of the public on a daily basis, with users injecting and smoking with no interference from law enforcement.

The street then runs more than a mile north along some of the city’s most problem areas, which, as the photos of the stripped storefronts show, are continuing to affect businesses.

Crimes like robberies and homicides, meanwhile, are on the rise, statistics show – and the city stands to lose $200 million a year in revenue through its business exodus – which has seen major hotels and retailers flee the city center.

Retail stalwart Old Navy announced they would be shuttering their flagship store in the area In October, after Nordstrom also announced they would be closing all of their locations in the city. 

Last April, Whole Foods announced it was closing all their locations, with Anthropologie and Office Depot having also made the same decisions leading some analysts to predict that the city has entered a ‘doom-loop’ of permanent decline.

The situation at Powell – set on one of the stops of the so-called ‘Doom Loop’ of Union Square, City Hall, and Tenderloin and Mid Market – is indicative of the current state of the city, with Union serving a hive of unsavory post-pandemic activity on the street’s terminus on Market

Late last year, the city was widely mocked by Chinese media as it prepared to host its President Xi Jinpingat the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit – spurring it to clear out its encampments in the notorious Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods.

US Chinese Radio used the headline ‘Ghost town San Francisco to have major blood exchange as APEC will bring the safest week in history to the city.’

Other headlines featuring the phrases ‘garbage city, ‘ruined city’ and ‘fallen city’ capture how crippling drug issues and widespread homeless problems continue to remain an issue for residents.

The post San Francisco’s huge tech revival: How embattled CEOs are shifting BACK after fleeing the Democrat metropolis – with the Bay Space nonetheless holding its place as ‘brainpower’ of AI regardless of booming investments in Texas and Miami appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

• After a pandemic-induced exodus from San Francisco by founders, Silicon Valley figures, and tech execs, there is a notable return to the city, driven by new tech 
• There are still challenges such as crime and homelessness but some CEOs and founders are returning after initially relocating during the pandemic
• The city’s longstanding tech reputation, proximity to renowned universities for engineering talent and a recent AI boom are all factors drawing people back 

Founders, Silicon Valley investors, and executives are returning to San Francisco after fleeing during the pandemic almost four years ago.

Technology founders even boasted about their success in securing funding outside the Bay Area and pushed for remote work among their employees. 

But despite the city suffering high levels of crime and homelessness, virtually rendering parts of downtown a no-go area, slowly but surely those involved in the tech industry are making a return to the City by the Bay.

Notable tech figures, like Elon Musk who has long criticized San Francisco’s political culture, has been back in the city since October 2022 when he purchased Twitter, now X together with its headquarters. 

Entrepreneurs and investors are returning with the city now at the forefront of the latest revolution in emerging tech, as AI slowly becomes more mainstream, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

Notable tech figures, such as Elon Musk , who has long criticized San Francisco’s political culture, has been back in the city since October 2022 when he purchased Twitter, now X together with its headquarters. The headquarters of X occupies a pride of place position in San Francisco’s downtown area After a pandemic-induced exodus from San Francisco by founders, Silicon Valley figures, and tech execs, there is a notable return to the city, driven by new tech. Pictured, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco

Companies like OpenAI, which run ChatGPT, are leasing new buildings in the city while other Bay Area tech companies are reinforcing return-to-office mandates, with Robinhood Markets and Chime now implementing stricter policies for staff.  

OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, has his main home in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood. 

Tech institutions like Y Combinator are also expanding their presence in San Francisco, while some co-founders, like those of fintech startup Brex, have returned after initially moving to other cities during the pandemic.

In 2020, venture capitalist Keith Rabois encouraged startup founders to leave San Francisco altogether for Miami, citing the latter’s safety, lower taxes, and tech-friendly mayor.

OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, has his main home in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood Companies like OpenAI which run ChatGPT are leasing new buildings in the city The city’s longstanding tech reputation, proximity to renowned universities for engineering talent and a recent AI boom are all factors drawing people back

Rabois, now at Khosla Ventures, but who has had significant success with Airbnb and DoorDash, described San Francisco as ‘miserable on every dimension’ in a tweet.

But now that strategy has changed and it appears the tide is turning with several of the startups he supported now relocating or establishing offices back in San Francisco in order to improve their  ability to attract engineering talent. 

Rabois, an early executive at PayPal recognized in Silicon Valley for both his outspoken opinions and successful investments, relocated to Miami a year after joining Founders Fund. 

In Miami, he purchased a $29 million waterfront property and established a new office for the firm. 

This move coincided with a period of low-interest rates, fostering a surge in startup funding and prompting various venture firms to expand their presence nationwide.

Miami’s mayor, Francis X. Suarez, even declared the city as the world’s crypto capital.

But last year, venture investment in Miami saw a massive 70 percent plunge with just $2 billion invested last year.

Keith Rabois, now at Khosla Ventures, but who has had significant success with Airbnb and DoorDash, had previously described San Francisco as ‘miserable on every dimension’ Howie Liu, CEO of enterprise startup Airtable, has increased his time in San Francisco to meet with sales customers after spending a significant part of the pandemic in Los Angeles Henrique Dubugras, co-founders of the fintech startup Brex, returned to San Francisco

One AI startup, Delphi, secured funding from Rabois in Miami and has moved the HQ to San Francisco.

Traba, a contracting startup also initially backed by Rabois three years ago, opted to open an office in New York, where a majority of its employees now operate. 

Similarly, OpenStore, an e-commerce venture co-founded by Rabois in 2021, established a new engineering hub in the Bay Area last year, although Rabois notes the  majority of the startup’s workforce remains based in Miami.

Nevertheless, Silicon Valley leaders are beginning to engage in local politics once again and looking out for the safety of families and businesses moving back to the area.

Despite a 12 percent decline in investment for Bay Area startups to $63.4 billion last year, San Francisco has demonstrated resilience compared to smaller tech hubs like Austin (27 percent decrease) and Los Angeles (42 percent decrease).

Plenty of others are also returning. Mo Koyfman, the founder of venture firm Shine Capital, believes San Francisco has staying power having had its tech businesses built over the last several decades with the pandemic being a mere blip in terms of time. 

Ben Horowitz, co-founder of venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, chose to reside in Las Vegas during the pandemic, where he continues to live Peter Thiel, a billionaire investor and founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies and the Founders Fund, has made Los Angeles his home Erik Torenberg, an investor in startups Scale AI and Figma, recently moved from Miami to San Francisco, where he is working on a new media company Last year, Henrique Dubugras and Pedro Franceschi, left, co-founders of the fintech startup Brex, returned to San Francisco after coming under investor pressure

Prestigious universities such as Stanford are a key reason as any why top-tier venture firms must maintain a presence in the Bay Area, Koyfman believes.

Shine opened an office in San Francisco this January despite its HQ being in New York City.

Last year, Henrique Dubugras and Pedro Franceschi, co-founders of the fintech startup Brex, returned to San Francisco under investor pressure after relocating to Los Angeles, New York City, and then Miami during the pandemic. 

Despite the company’s valuation soaring to $12 billion, Brex laid off 20 percent of its workforce earlier this year.

Howie Liu, CEO of enterprise startup Airtable, has increased his time in San Francisco to meet with sales customers after spending a significant part of the pandemic in Los Angeles. 

Erik Torenberg, an investor in startups Scale AI and Figma, recently moved from Miami to San Francisco, where he is working on a new media company.

Elon Musk temporarily moved Tesla’s headquarters to Austin from northern California during the pandemic but he has been spending time in the city overseeing X and xAI, the artificial intelligence startup incorporated last year.

Max Gazor, a general partner at venture firm CRV and board member at Airtable, emphasized that the intellectual talent in San Francisco remains unparalleled, particularly in the field of AI, where companies have innovated at lightning speed.

In recent weeks, Bay Area tech companies have been enforcing return-to-office mandates with stricter measures. 

Trading app Robinhood Markets announced in January that managers would monitor employees’ office attendance based on badge swipes after an earlier policy failed. 

Fintech company Chime also implemented return-to-work policies, requiring local employees to come in two days a week.

But not all tech leaders who left San Francisco in recent years have returned. 

Ben Horowitz, co-founder of venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, chose to reside in Las Vegas during the pandemic, where he continues to live. 

Peter Thiel, a billionaire investor and founder of Founders Fund, has made Los Angeles his home.

San Francisco owns one of the worst crime rates in the nation, and is ranked as safer than just 1 percent of US neighborhoods, according to crime tracker Neighborhood Scout San Francisco is reeling from soaring crime, an emptying downtown, and residents moving away to safer, cheaper areas

Despite CEO’s and investors showing they’re open to return, it is a different story when it comes to retail.

One recent snap, taken in the heart of the city’s famed shopping district earlier this month shows tourists wandering down a gutted Powell Street.

Instead of being graced with an array of shops, cafés, bars, and restaurants, the party is seen encountering countless shuttered storefronts.

More shots from photographer Erica Sandberg show more of the same, and how the thoroughfare that runs adjacent to the city’s Downtown, all the way from Market to Fisherman’s Wharf, has become a shell of its former self.

The sights, while startling, should come as no great surprise to anyone keeping up with the now-years-long saga of the crime-ridden, homeless-overrun city, which recently had two nets installed around its seminal bridge to prevent suicides.

One snap, taken in the heart of the city’s famed shopping district , shows a group of tourists wandering down a gutted Powell St – a way once bustling with businesses. Instead of being graced with an array of shops, cafés, bars, and restaurants, the party is seen encountering countless shuttered storefronts

‘This pic infuriates me,’ wrote Sandberg, a self-employed San Francisco correspondent, in an impassioned post to X that laid bare the city’s current state

‘Tourists, who do a little thing called SPEND MONEY, walking down a gutted Powell St.’, she continued.  

‘[It] should be buzzing with shops, cafes, bars, restaurants, theaters, venues.’

Sandberg, in turn, categorized the fruits of her effort as both ‘depressing [and] embarrassing’ – not to mention a blow to the city’s still-struggling shopping scene.

A homeless camp is pictured in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district in December 2023 More shots from independent commentator Erica Sandberg show more of the same, and how the thoroughfare that runs adjacent to the city’s Downtown has become a shell of its former self The sights, while startling, should come as no great surprise to anyone keeping up with the now-years-long saga of the crime-ridden, homeless-overrun city, which recently had two nets installed on both sides of its seminal bridge to stop suicides. A short walk through the area will reveal how there are more closed storefronts than open ones, as businesses continue to flee due to high rents and diminished foot traffic As mentioned, the 1.4 mile thoroughfare connects Market Street (seen here in this map of store closures) – once one of the most photographed spots Downtown – to Union Square, North Beach, Nob Hill, and Russian Hill before ending at the bay

That said, the district is merely one of many left a husk by the city’s continued homeless and crime crises, which took a turn during the pandemic and have since persisted.

The 1.4 mile thoroughfare connects Market Street – once one of the most photographed spots Downtown – to Union Square, North Beach, Nob Hill, and Russian Hill before ending at the bay, making it a prime destination.

Moreover, its southernmost point is only a stone’s throw from another famed shopping area, the Bay Area’s Mission District, which was recently rocked by a slew of restaurant closures on the equally iconic Valencia Street.

The roadway, located right on the cusp of the city’s embattled Downtown, was once considered one of the most sought-after strips of real estate, but today, like Powell, is reeling from store closures brought on by high rents and diminished foot traffic.

In comments to the San Francisco Chronicle, restaurant owner Rafik Bouzidi explained how he had seen a seemingly endless stream of terminations since opening his eatery in April. 

‘If you took me back before I signed the lease, I would have opened somewhere else,’ he told the paper in a recent interview.

‘Before COVID there was no way in hell you could find an available space on Valencia Street. Now, it seems like another restaurant shuts down every week.’

A few blocks away, restaurants on one of San Francisco’s Valencia Street, also one of the most storied in the country, are closing at an alarming rate – and owners say it’s because of crime In comments to the San Francisco Chronicle, business owners recently explained how high rents and high rates of homelessness have led to a seemingly endless stream of terminations Homeless are seen returning to the streets in the Tenderloins district close to San Francisco’s Moscone Center where the APEC conference was recently held A homeless encampment is seen along Leavenworth Street in the Tenderloin district, only a few blocks from Powell Headlines featuring the phrases ‘garbage city, ‘ruined city’ and ‘fallen city’ capture how crippling drug issues and widespread homeless problems continue to remain an issue for residents. The street then runs more than a mile north along some of the city’s most problem areas, which, as the photos of the stripped storefronts show, are continuing to affect businesses There, right outside the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, drug dealers set up shop in full view of the public on a daily basis, with users injecting and smoking with no interference from law enforcement The famous thoroughfare runs for more than mile along the city’s embattled Downtown, where open-air drug use is rife

Meanwhile, the situation at Powell – set on one of the stops of the so-called ‘Doom Loop’ of Union Square, City Hall, and Tenderloin and Mid Market – is even worse, with Union currently serving a hive of unsavory, post-pandemic activity, particularly on the street’s terminus on Market Street.

There, right outside the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, drug dealers set up shop in full view of the public on a daily basis, with users injecting and smoking with no interference from law enforcement.

The street then runs more than a mile north along some of the city’s most problem areas, which, as the photos of the stripped storefronts show, are continuing to affect businesses.

Crimes like robberies and homicides, meanwhile, are on the rise, statistics show – and the city stands to lose $200 million a year in revenue through its business exodus – which has seen major hotels and retailers flee the city center.

Retail stalwart Old Navy announced they would be shuttering their flagship store in the area In October, after Nordstrom also announced they would be closing all of their locations in the city. 

Last April, Whole Foods announced it was closing all their locations, with Anthropologie and Office Depot having also made the same decisions leading some analysts to predict that the city has entered a ‘doom-loop’ of permanent decline.

The situation at Powell – set on one of the stops of the so-called ‘Doom Loop’ of Union Square, City Hall, and Tenderloin and Mid Market – is indicative of the current state of the city, with Union serving a hive of unsavory post-pandemic activity on the street’s terminus on Market

Late last year, the city was widely mocked by Chinese media as it prepared to host its President Xi Jinpingat the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit – spurring it to clear out its encampments in the notorious Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods.

US Chinese Radio used the headline ‘Ghost town San Francisco to have major blood exchange as APEC will bring the safest week in history to the city.’

Other headlines featuring the phrases ‘garbage city, ‘ruined city’ and ‘fallen city’ capture how crippling drug issues and widespread homeless problems continue to remain an issue for residents.

The post San Francisco’s large tech revival: How embattled CEOs are transferring BACK after fleeing the Democrat metropolis appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

‘Rampant crime has become a regular part of life’: CNN reporter witnesses 3 thefts in 30 minutes at a San Francisco Walgreens — here’s why retailers say they’re fleeing the Bay Area

America’s most-robbed Walgreens was the victim of at least three thefts within 30 minutes in July, according to CNN Senior National Correspondent Kyung Lah — one of the latest examples of brazen crime at the location.

The thefts were witnessed during the filming of a televised report at the Walgreens in San Francisco’s Richmond neighborhood. According to Lah, Walgreens has identified this location as having the “highest theft rate” — hit more than a dozen times a day — of the pharmacy chain’s nearly 9,000 U.S. stores.

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Shoplifting had become so bad in the Bay Area store that staff resorted to securing certain items with padlocks and chains. But they were ordered by corporate to remove them “because of the negative messaging,” Lah said.

Still, many other products at this location, including ketchup and mustard, remain locked behind plastic casings.

Other stories across the city have also resorted to locking up more products like cosmetics, frozen food and even coffee.

San Francisco resident Richie Greenberg, who toured the Richmond Walgreens with Lah, described what he felt after previously seeing the chained-up items.

“This was bizarre, something I’d never seen before,” he said. “This is just more icing on the cake. Telling us that rampant crime has become a regular part of life.”

A retail exodus

Several retail giants — including Nordstrom, H&M, Marshall’s, Gap, Banana Republic, Anthropologie and Office Depot — have announced they’re pulling the plug on some San Francisco locations.

When Whole Foods announced in mid-April that it was temporarily closing its store at Trinity Place in the city’s Tenderloin District, a spokesperson for the grocer expressed concerns about “the safety of our team members” due to criminal activity near the store.

Story continues

Read more: It’s going to be ugly’: This CEO issued a dire warning about U.S. real estate, saying areas will be ‘destroyed’ — but he still likes 1 niche

These issues, while significant in San Francisco, are not isolated to the Bay Area.

According to a study by the National Retail Federation, organized retail crime and theft are growing in both scope and complexity across the U.S.

To combat this, Home Depot CEO Ted Decker announced in June that the home improvement company would be “investing in more security guards” to protect the safety of its employees and customers. This sadly follows the deaths of two Home Depot employees during theft incidents.

Concern for commercial real estate

Many cities have seen retail store closures in recent months. Insider recently reported that as many as 2,373 major retail stores are set to close this year across the U.S — not all down to crime, but some due to dwindling foot traffic in the age of online shopping and economic factors like rising interest rates.

These trends are causing headaches for commercial real estate investors, since they present more challenges for the already shaky and debt-ridden sector.

In particular, office real estate is under immense strain due to the rise in remote and hybrid work during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising borrowing costs are also squeezing property owners and complicating real estate financing.

In recent months, high-profile investors — including Elon Musk — have sounded the alarm about a potential market crash.

Real estate investing expert Patrick Carroll said the commercial real estate market is tumbling toward a crash that could be as devastating as the 2008 crisis.

“The party’s over, unfortunately,” he said. “The office market’s going to be destroyed, hotels are going to be destroyed — it’s going to be ugly.”

What to read next

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

The post CNN reporter witnesses 3 thefts in half-hour at a San Francisco Walgreens — this is why retailers say they’re fleeing the Bay Space appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

• Rising housing costs have helped push Americans into parts of the country more vulnerable to climate change. 
• US counties that have the most at-risk homes are all growing in population.
• The trend shows how the burden of climate change is falling disproportionately on less affluent people.

The skyrocketing cost of housing has pushed many Americans to trade their lives in big coastal cities like New York and San Francisco for more affordable ones in Sunbelt cities and Southern suburbs. 

But that move could cost more in the long-run. 

These more affordable regions of the country are also facing much more severe impacts of climate change, including extreme heat, wildfires, floods, and droughts. People are pouring into flood-prone Florida, moving into Houston not long after Hurricane Harvey devastated the city in 2017, and relocating to parts of the West and Southwest dealing with the worst droughts and wildfires in the country. 

Rather than leaving areas at high risk of natural disasters and other climate issues, more Americans are moving into them. US counties that have the most at-risk homes are all growing in population, while those with the fewest at-risk homes are almost all losing residents, according to a 2021 Redfin analysis.

The pandemic exacerbated this trend. There’s been a recent spike in people moving from more expensive cities to lower-cost, smaller places farther from large metros and closer to natural amenities, in part due to the rise in remote work. These locations – like Bend, Oregon, which is vulnerable to wildfires — tend to be more at risk of natural disasters. The number of loan applications for homes in high-risk areas rose from 90,462 in February 2020 to 187,669 in February 2022, Freddie Mac reported.

In the longer-term, this trend will put many more Americans at risk of losing their homes to wildfires and floods, or being hurt or killed by extreme heat, or suffering from a lack of water. Rich people are already better able to protect themselves from natural disasters and other climate impacts, whether by fleeing, hiring private firefighters, or retrofitting their homes. But if lower-risk cities continue to price people out, the burden of climate change will fall even more disproportionately on less affluent communities. 

Experts say there are ways that local, state, and federal governments can help to reverse this dangerous trend. 

A recent Brookings Institution report recommended several ways that policymakers can encourage Americans to seek climate safety. First, the researchers say that Congress and the the Federal Housing Finance Agency should work with mortgage lenders and property insurers to factor climate risk into their rates, charging homeowners more based on how much risk they’re taking on.

Often, homebuyers don’t know what kinds of climate risks their property faces, so state and local governments should develop rules about what information needs to be disclosed to a potential homebuyer and then impose higher taxes on riskier property. 

“Higher fees in risky areas serve two purposes: they encourage price-sensitive households to choose safer locations, and they also provide local governments with more revenue to upgrade the climate resilience of infrastructure,” Jenny Schuetz and Julia Gill of Brookings write.

Zoning and other land-use regulations, they argue, should be reformed to encourage more dense development in safer places and less sprawl into particularly climate-impacted areas. 

Homeowners and landlords in riskier places also need to do more to retrofit homes to make them more fire and wind proof and more energy efficient. The researchers recommend that local policymakers think more carefully about where to invest infrastructure — including roads, schools, and water and sewage capacity — in climate-impacted areas to either discourage or encourage people to move to certain areas. 

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When people retire, they often move to another state. And in 2021, older residents in some states, in particular, would pack up and leave.

Recently, SmartAsset reviewed data from the US Census Bureau’s 1-year 2021 American Community Survey and pulled out information showing which states have a high percentage of residents ages 60 and older who have chosen to relocate.

Below are the states getting the cold shoulder from the older set.

10. Colorado

Retrieved from markuliasz / Shutterstock.com

Net number of residents aged 60 and over this state lost in 2021: 5,249

Colorado experienced robust population growth for two decades. But in 2021, migration into the state slowed dramatically, and a significant number of older residents began to seek homes elsewhere.

9. Va

JoMo333/Shutterstock.com

Net number of residents aged 60 and over this state lost in 2021: 5,963

Virginia has seen a steady stream of people leaving the state in recent years. But the over-60s, seeking warmer climates, are moving away in largest numbers.

8.Minnesota

Edgar Lee Espe / Shutterstock.com

Net number of residents aged 60 and over this state lost in 2021: 6,451

Breaking news: Minnesota is cold. Who can blame elderly residents for spending years living in one of the nation’s veritable coolers after a change of scenery?

7. Pennsylvania

Songquan Deng/Shutterstock.com

Net number of residents aged 60 and over this state lost in 2021: 6,808

People are leaving Pennsylvania at what has been described as an “alarming” rate. One city in the state — East Stroudsburg — is also among the “10 Worst Places to Buy a Home If You Want It to Appreciate in Value.”

6. Washington

RF Clark / Shutterstock.com

Net number of residents aged 60 and over this state lost in 2021: 8,659

Many older people are leaving Washington State. However, the knife cuts in both directions here: Older people also make up one of the largest segments of newcomers.

5. Massachusetts

Yuri Kriventsoff / Shutterstock.com

Net number of residents aged 60 and over this state lost in 2021: 8,747

More than 110,000 residents have left Massachusetts since April 2020. In a Boston.com report, Mark Melnik, director of economics and policy research at the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute, described the figure as “pretty staggering.”

4. New Jersey

Rachel Grazias / Shutterstock.com

Net number of residents aged 60 and over this state lost in 2021: 13,545

A 2021 study by United Van Lines found that more people left New Jersey that year than any other state. The state was also ranked #2 on a list of the “15 Worst States for Retirees in 2023.”

3. Illinois

f11photo / Shutterstock.com

Net number of residents aged 60 and over this state lost in 2021: 26,287

Illinois is another state that has lost many residents in recent years. It is also among the “15 Most Expensive States for Retirees in 2023”.

2. New York

Luciano Mortula LGM / Shutterstock.com

Net number of residents aged 60 and over this state lost in 2021: 46,709

As we reported in 10 States Losing the Most Residents, residents of all ages are leaving New York in large numbers.

1. California

IM_photo / Shutterstock.com

Net number of residents aged 60 and over this state lost in 2021: 71,828

While New York has lost many residents in recent years, no state has experienced an exodus to match California’s. We recently reported that two California cities — San Francisco and Los Angeles — are losing more residents than any other metro in the country.

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A 36-year-old man who attempted to flee to Amsterdam from San Francisco International Airport with a 16-year-old Redwood City girl he planned to marry has been sentenced to four years in prison, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office .

In June, Dylan Raymos, a San Francisco resident, was arrested in Redwood City for allegedly having unlawful sex with the girl and was ordered not to have contact with her, prosecutors said.

However, he disobeyed the order, picked up the girl at her home on July 7, and went to the airport. Prosecutors said that US Customs and Border Protection approached him on the plane and learned he was violating a court order and fleeing the country. Raymos admitted email contact and said the girl had agreed to travel with him to Portugal through Amsterdam, and he planned to marry her, prosecutors said.

The victim’s family statements gave in court that persuaded the judge to go beyond the two years initially considered and go with four years, prosecutors said. He was also ordered not to contact the victim for 10 years.

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As hospitals battle workforce shortages, part of their struggles come from workers leaving their jobs at hospitals for various reasons. Some have left because of emotional exhaustion while others have retired early.

But there is another factor contributing to the shortages: housing costs. For some hospitals, the issue has become so valuable they are building employee housing.

Although the nation’s mover rate has been decreasing for several years, almost half of all movers in 2021 cited housing-related reasons for moving, according to a US Census Bureau report released March 7.

Mary Broadworth, vice president of human resources at Burlington-based University of Vermont Medical Center, told Becker’s earlier this year there are hurdles when it comes to nurse recruitment and retention, including a lack of housing options because of migration to the state.

“We have a housing shortage, pretty much no inventory,” Ms. Broadworth said. “And there aren’t a lot of other industries for career advancement in the state. For example, we have someone who moves up [to Vermont] with a partner, the partner is challenged to find a job outside of healthcare.”

To address this, the University of Vermont Health Network announced in March that it is investing $2.8 million to help finance housing in South Burlington that can be used for its workers. UVM Health Network officials told Becker’s on March 10 that the health system will take a 10-year master lease on 61 new one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments that are being built, then make those units available first to its workers, potentially at a subsidy for eligible employees.

Where are people moving?

To determine the top 10 moving destinations for 2021, moving truck rental company Penske examined one-way consumer truck rental reservations made through the company’s website, calls to its 1-800-GO-PENSKE call center and via one-way reservations made at Penske’s More than 2,500 truck rental locations.

To find the metro areas with the highest and lowest housing costs for a family of four, 24/7 Wall St. analyzed data from the Economic Policy Institute’s 2022 Family Budget Calculator.

The top 10 moving destinations for 2021, according to the Penske list, which was released May 2:

1. Houston

2. Las Vegas

3.Phoenix

4. Charlotte, NC

5. Denver

6.San Antonio

7.Dallas

8. Orlando, Fla.

9. Austin, Texas

10.Chicago

The 10 metro areas where families pay the most for housing and the estimated annual housing costs, according to the 24/7 Wall St. analysis:

1. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkely, Calif.: $42,636

2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.: $36,612

3. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif.: $36,252

4. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, Calif.: $28,488

5. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Mass. and NH: $28,032

6. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, Calif.: $25,488

7. Urban Honolulu, Hawaii: $24,876

8. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calif.: $24,696

9. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY, NJ and Pa.: $24,636

10. Napa, Calif.: $24,216

The 10 metro areas where families pay the least for housing and the estimated annual housing costs, according to the 24/7 Wall St. analysis:

1. Jefferson City, Mo.: $8,136

2. Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC: $8,316

3. Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn. and Va.: $8,412

4. Dothan, Ala.: $8,472

5. Decatur, Ala.: $8,496

6. Gadsden, Ala.: $8,604

7. Anniston-Oxford, Ala.: $8,676

8. Johnstown, Pa.: $8,688

9. Fort Smith, Ark. and Ocla.: $8,736

10. Pine Bluff: Ark.: $8,748

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