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.’ 

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Amazon’s signature smiley blue logos are spreading across southeast San Francisco’s industrial landscape. And not everyone is happy about it.

The second most valuable company in the world, Amazon has been gobbling up space throughout the southeast corner of the city, taking advantage of zoning meant to preserve blue-collar jobs in a market in which housing and office space has typically generated higher revenues.

At 888 Minnesota St., at the foot of a slow street and across from Esprit Park, Amazon has established an UltraFastFresh logistics center. A half-mile southeast at 435 23rd St., just to the south of the Potrero Power Station, a large sign outside a 75,000 square foot warehouse says “welcome Amazonians.” And further to the south, at 749 Toland St., Amazon has a 112,000 square foot delivery hub.

But Amazon’s biggest and most controversial incursion into San Francisco is a proposed 725,000 square foot delivery hub at 900 7th St., a six-acre rectangular parcel in Showplace Square Amazon bought for $200 million. For decades that site was home to garbage trucks, a fleet of 300 that each morning would rumble out onto the streets of Showplace Square at an hour the streets were still dark and most city residents still in bed.

Now the trash trucks are gone — the garbage company Recology relocated them to Brisbane — but a proposal from the new property owner is causing consternation from neighbors who say that a heavy industrial use no longer fits in a creative neighborhood that has evolved into a mix of housing, design and artist spaces, light “advanced” manufacturing and an expanding California College of the Arts campus.

Amazon plans to expand into San Francisco by turning this location at 900 7th St., and others, into facilities for the company.

Samantha Laurey/The Chronicle

David Meckel, senior adviser to the president at CCA, said three daily shifts of 400 workers would generate 2,800 car trips, in addition to the 70 Amazon trucks that will be coming and going from the facility. The traffic could create a pedestrian nightmare for CCA’s 1,600 students as well as for residents at 888 7th St, a 224-unit that overlooks the future Amazon site.

“To me it’s not about Amazon, it’s about the intensity of the use,” said Meckel. “I’d have the same concerns if it were FedEx or UPS. For me it’s about urban design.”

Will Roscoe, who lives at 888 7th St., said the pollution and traffic would worsen air quality in a neighborhood in which freeways and Caltrain already generate high levels of particulate matter. About a decade ago, Roscoe, who works for a nonprofit, was evicted from a building in the Western Addition. He feels like the Amazon project will once again force him to move.

“Hundreds of people now have come in to make this their neighborhood and this just really turns the clock back to a massive usage that is antithetical to a livable neighborhood for people with children, seniors,” he said. “It’s contrary to that.”

But while a busy distribution center may feel out of sync with Showplace Square’s current vibe, it is in fact just what city zoning calls for. And Recology only decided to sell the site after neighbors had rejected an earlier 2018 plan to build about 1,000 units of housing there.

At a pre-application meeting at the site on June 27, 2019, a packed room of Dogpatch and Potrero Hill residents lambasted the idea of ​​building housing on the site. One called it a “a land grab and giveaway to developers.” Another resident said San Francisco suffered from a “PDR crisis” — PDR stands for production, distribution and repair — and that the property should remain zoned for industrial uses. One attendee called it “a bad project,” while another argued that “housing is not needed in the neighborhood.”

If the vocal opposition was intended to give Recology cold feet, it worked. Recology first cut the number of proposed units in half. Then, facing an uphill approval process that was likely to drag on three or four years, not including delays from environmental lawsuits common in San Francisco, the rubbish company gave up and sold the six-acre site to Amazon.

“We received an offer and determined it was in Recology’s interest to accept it,” said Eric Potashner, the Vice President & Senior Director of Strategic Affairs at Recology.

While the housing plan would have required a series of zoning changes and conditional use authorizations, Amazon’s proposed 57-foot high warehouse is consistent with the Eastern Neighborhoods land use plan adopted in December of 2008 after a decade of debate. The site is part of a block of parcels roughly bounded by 7th Street, Division Street, Potrero Avenue and 16th Street, that were zoned for industrial uses.

Ken Rich, who was project manager at the Planning Department for the Eastern Neighborhoods rezoning, said the city tried to strike a balance between protecting industrial jobs and creating room for new housing. The plan has generated thousands of new housing units in Dogpatch and Potrero Hill. It has also prompted property owners at sites like 1 DeHaro, 100 Hooper and 150 Hooper to build PDR spaces for advanced manufacturing.

The Eastern Neighborhood Plans goal of protecting light industrial jobs on a swath of land that would otherwise have been gobbled up by tech office and housing developers has done what it was intended to do, according to Anne Taupier, director of development at the Mayor’s Office of Economic and workforce development.

“A clear set of rules to play by were established and it really hasn’t changed since then,” said Taupier. “We think it has worked and is continuing to work.”

The opposition to Amazon’s 7th Street plan is motivated not just by land use issues but by the company’s track record of crushing unionization efforts and reputation for grueling work conditions, according to JR Eppler, a board member with Potrero Boosters.

Eppler said that neighbors around 888 Minnesota St. have had success over the last year working with Amazon on issues like traffic, parking and security. Friends of Jackson Park is in talks with Amazon about the company possibly contributing funding to badly needed improvements. But the labor issues are harder to negotiate, he said.

In a recent SF Standard article two San Francisco Board of Supervisor members, Aaron Peskin and Shamann Walton, suggested that the city had been overly receptive to Amazon’s project and less than upfront with residents and other stakeholders about the project.

Taupier said Amazon is at the very beginning of its approval process and there would be ample time for residents and elected officials to shape the project.

“We are going to have conversations with Amazon about supporting our local small businesses, including our brick and mortar retail businesses,” said Taupier. “We will make sure they understand that San Francisco has expectations that if you are going to do business here you are going to be part of the community.”

In the meantime the empty rectangular lot feels like an island in a neighborhood that has moved on. To the north is the condo building at 888 7th St., which houses many senior Chinese immigrants. To the south on Hooper Street is headquarters for Adobe and a new SFMade building that houses a roster of manufacturing businesses including robotics groups, a distillery and a fabricator of everything from drapes to bags to hydrogen tanks for the automobile and industrial markets.

Scott Mason, a San Francisco commercial real estate broker who specializes in industrial properties, said Amazon is among a select group of well-funded users who qualify for PDR sites but have far deeper pockets than the typical family run auto body or plumbing supply company. He said mom and pop PDR companies needed to make a city like San Francisco function can not compete in a market dominated by Amazon.

“Your every day smaller company in San Francisco is having a tough time,” he said. “The venture-backed tech-driven company can pay more per square foot because they are not working off a regular balance sheet.”

Stephen Maduli-Williams, Amazon’s manager of economic development policy, said construction at the old Recolgy site would not start for 18 to 24 months. He said there would be retail at the site and Amazon would work with local residents and businesses to determine what sort of goods might be sold. He said the company is looking into how Amazon could support Jackson Park.

“We intend to use this time to listen to and engage all of our neighbors and stakeholders, with the goal of reaching a shared vision not only for the project, but to also create long lasting partnerships” he said.

For Dogpatch and Potrero residents there is an increasing sense that Amazon “has the neighborhoods surrounded,” said Eppler. Roscoe said he is concerned that some neighborhood groups will successfully squeeze Amazon to fund various needs, leaving residents to live with the trucks with the blue smiles coming and going.

“Nobody speaks for our building,” said Roscoe. “We don’t want it. Nobody I’ve talked to is like, ‘Oh yes, good idea.’ The others in the coalition are going for community benefits — but what community benefits could they give us? Free gas masks? Lifetime cancer screening? The benefit we need is to not be subjected to traffic and pollution.”

JK Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen

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In answer to the Chronicle reader survey on housing: What I hear from many of my neighbors when it comes to adding “affordable” housing in our Portola neighborhood is fear … fear of the other. The “other” being a recently homeless family or a family of color.

I’m in support of building more housing in San Francisco. And especially housing that service people who work here can afford.

How can we do that? The time is now to answer that question. I hope to see new apartment buildings in the Portola before the end of the decade.

Keith Ferris, San Francisco

Neighbors matter most

I consider myself strongly pro-housing. I don’t see a way to increase housing affordability in the Bay Area without increasing the supply (in San Francisco and in surrounding communities). This may include both luxury and below-market housing; I don’t think we will build enough just by relying on the city/state.

As far as neighborhood character is concerned, the most important thing to me is walkability and general liveliness of the streets. I don’t consider building architecture to be nearly as important — a neighborhood is its people, and that should include diversity of income, race, family structure, etc.

I would rather live next to an ugly new building that families can afford than all expensive Victorians that house only the wealthy or retired people who bought their places 40 years ago.

Gretchen Ehrenkaufer, San Francisco

We need a healthy mix

I am a 21-year San Francisco resident, having migrated here from the East Coast. My husband and I own a flat in a two-unit condo building in the Inner Richmond, on a block that includes single-family, two-unit and multi-unit buildings. Our block is a prime example of how housing of all different types can work well together to form a vibrant and cohesive neighborhood.

Without more luxury housing, people in the market for high-end housing will just buy more lower-end housing — displacing people who otherwise could afford it — and spend hundreds of thousands fixing it up. We see that every day in our neighborhood. And the people selling their property take the considerable profits and move out of San Francisco permanently. This is sad and unfortunate.

“Neighborhood Character” is people. I believe we are at our best in neighborhoods where people of different backgrounds — financial, ethnic, cultural, racial — can live and learn from each other.

I consider myself “progressive” on housing. The most important housing issue to me is additional housing of all types, from luxury to below market. But San Francisco also needs to build much better public transportation, particularly on the west side, to accommodate additional people and cut down on car traffic.

Can San Francisco remain the city so many love if it changes its cityscape to make room for newcomers? Of course. Cities must always evolve or they die. San Francisco has plenty of room for greater density all over. But in what other city can just about every resident find a beautiful park within a 10-minute walk? Or world-class sporting events, museums, restaurants, farmers’ markets, performing arts and outdoor spaces?

I would not want to live anywhere else in the world.

Carol Brewer, San Francisco

Affordable housing key

I have worked in real estate development in San Francisco and the other core Bay Area counties for over 20 years. And I am progressive with respect to the need to build more housing.

The most important need is affordable housing. “Affordability” and market-rate housing don’t fit together in San Francisco, as construction costs are so high that a market-rate developer can only develop for the highest rents or sales prices on the market. Thus, in San Francisco, it will only be possible to provide affordable housing built by true affordable housing developers who have access to capital sources specific to these types of buildings.

I also believe that affordable housing should be spread throughout different neighborhoods, subject to having good availability to transit. Those living in affordable housing developments are typically those that work in-person jobs. Also, housing can be built much more affordably when in-building parking is minimized, making transit near housing imperative.

How can a city love itself if only people who make $200,000 or more can live here? The city does not just belong to the wealthy.

Vickie Nyland, San Francisco

City can get even better

Neighborhood character is a more politically acceptable way of saying keep it the way it is, and keep those “other people” out, maintaining a lack of diversity.

There is a great need for housing at all income levels. New market-rate housing, with all of the demands made for approvals, is necessarily expensive. More new housing being built will mitigate the demand for existing units being converted to luxury housing. San Francisco today (or at least in 2019 pre-pandemic) is the best it has ever been. And I expect it to get even better.

As I grow older over the next 20 years, I expect that living in a three-story house will become more of a challenge. When I reach that point, I hope to move to an elevator building located within or near my neighborhood.

A final thought: I live in ZIP code 94114, recently reported as one of the most affluent in the country. I would like to see more diversity.

Alan Marling, San Francisco

Stop calling it ‘luxury’

As the former executive director of the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition, I’d like to throw in my two cents’ worth. I object to using the term “luxury housing” as a catchall when describing new housing production. It’s inflammatory and does little to illuminate the debate around our housing affordability crisis.

I suspect little of San Francisco’s paltry current production is actually luxury housing, which generally includes amenities like sweeping views, concierges, fancy fitness rooms, etc. It is also limited to certain neighborhoods. There is no luxury housing being built in the Tenderloin, Sunset, Western Addition, Bayview and many other city neighborhoods.

Unfortunately, for a variety of complex reasons, ALL new multifamily housing in San Francisco is really expensive to build. The culprits are stratospheric costs for scarce skilled labor and building materials, high land costs, expensive and lengthy process and permitting costs, and the very high taxes and fees we put on new market-rate housing to subsidize “affordable housing.” A modest 30-unit building in the Richmond District with smallish unit sizes, no views or amenities, and limited parking generally faces the same obstacles as a 30-story glass and steel tower on the waterfront.

The problem with calling all new housing “luxury” is that most of it simply is not. In public debates, what we call things matters. No matter how it’s approached, solving our housing crisis demands that we dramatically increase housing production in all of our neighborhoods. Using false arguments to oppose this should not be accepted. Besides, it’s perverse that folks who live in neighborhoods where homes run for $1.5 million (San Francisco’s median sale price) or more should be taken seriously when they oppose new housing on the grounds that it is too expensive.

Tim Colen, San Francisco

Some context needed

I grew up and lived most of my life in the Minneapolis metropolitan area. For the past 12 years or so, since my retirement, I have lived in San Francisco. As a rule of thumb, housing in the Minneapolis metropolitan area costs about 20% what it costs in San Francisco.

San Francisco is a major international city. However, many residents still want it to be the funky small town of the 1950s. To solve the housing problem, people here must first accept the fact that change is inevitable.

San Francisco just needs to build more housing! All types of housing!

There is plenty of land available to build. Affordable housing, middle-class housing and, yes, housing for the wealthy. There is nothing wrong with building high-end condos for the wealthy billionaires from around the world who would like to live in San Francisco. Their condos pay real estate taxes and are only occupied a fraction of the time.

San Francisco needs to embrace the fact that it is a dynamic, diverse, exciting international city.

Bill Drake, San Francisco

A gathering of ideas

When we speak about urban design in the profession, and as students, there are many movements. From prefabrication to cohab housing, the village and assembly line manufacturing, urban renewal/slum clearing, placemaking, urban transportation, visual aesthetics of large and small, parks and streets, neighborhoods, living communities, market spaces, and squares.

It’s historic. Yet it evolves with history, culture and community.

We have to constantly be asking those questions of our community. What could we be? Where do we want to be?

We have the creativity and knowledge right here San Francisco. Let’s do something right and have a charette in front of City Hall to do some serious planning ideas and invite the community!

April Rosenlund Ford, San Francisco

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fFor years, underground San Francisco drag performer and cinephile Peaches Christ has been filling the city’s renowned Castro Theater with her Midnight Mass series, juxtaposing cult film screenings with live drag parody re-enactments and stage interviews. These loving but irreverent late-night events are an integral part of LGBTQ+ culture at the city’s preeminent art-house theater, itself one of the most visible landmarks in San Francisco’s most famous gay district.

As Peaches Christ puts it, “Cinema was my religion and the Castro is our Vatican.”

And now, a month after hosting the US premiere of The Matrix Resurrections and a few months before its 100th birthday, the owners of the opulent 1,400-seat movie palace have announced that it will soon become primarily a live entertainment venue and will no longer screen many films at all.

Wednesday’s news sent shockwaves through the city’s artist and film communities and revealed a partnership between Castro and Another Planet Entertainment (APE), a Bay Area concert promoter. Known for preserving other historic venues – and for producing Outside Lands, a three-day music festival usually held in Golden Gate Park every August – APE announced that it is planning a major renovation of the interior and the famous marquee, as well as a dramatic transformation in the kind of events that the Castro will host.

“We want to present all types of programs in the theater – comedy, music, film, community and private events and more,” the organizer said in a press release.

Cast members stand at the premiere of The Matrix Resurrections on December 18th. Photo: Noah Berger/AP

The news stunned local filmmakers and festival programmers, who urged APE to seek input from the community – so much so that the promoter rushed to placate the reeling city, saying nothing unexpected would happen overnight.

Century-old movie theaters and single-screen theaters have been disappearing from San Francisco for years, victims of rising operating costs and the popularity of streaming services well before the pandemic hit. But as a cultural institution, the Castro Theater is unique. It is home to numerous festivals and premieres and matinee screenings of Camp Hollywood classics such as Gray Gardens and Auntie Mame. A destination for American film buffs, where you might watch a painstakingly restored 1940s noir, witness director Peter Bogdanovich belittle Cher during a Q&A session, or just sing along to Grease.

Already dark for 15 months during Covid, the Castro reopened in June 2021 to host the 45th edition of Frameline, San Francisco’s long-standing LGBTQ+ film festival.

Continuing a longstanding tradition of prefixing every film with live music from the in-house organ – no longer a “Mighty Wurlitzer,” but arguably the world’s largest pipe-digital hybrid organ – the return of the theater embodied the dawn of last summer’s optimism in California briefly eased its pandemic restrictions on indoor gatherings. It’s also very, very gay: San Francisco, the Judy Garland-revived theme from the 1936 disaster film of the same name, is always the last song before the curtain goes up. Consequently, the theater’s large and vocal queer fanbase was particularly saddened at the prospect of losing it forever.

“We know there won’t be the same amount of screenings at this venue and of course we’re very saddened by that,” said James Woolley, Executive Director of Frameline.

However, he did confirm that the 46th iteration of the festival, an anchor of San Francisco’s Pride Month celebrations, is still ongoing in June.

Peaches on stage at the Castro. Photo: Courtesy of Peaches Christ

Although Peaches Christ was initially dismayed, a call to APE put her mind at ease.

“They assured me that the programming would be very well thought out. They’re not going to program it like they would Bill Graham, or remove the seats,” she said, referring to a much larger venue that welcomes EDM DJs and mainstream musicians.

While concerned that the Castro might devote itself entirely to live performances, Peaches noted that comedy festivals like Sketchfest had long since broadened the scope of what the theater was doing. Second screenings were hardly his bread and butter.

“As much as I would hate to see the repertory calendar disappear when you went to the screenings, nine times out of ten it was less than half full,” she said. “I ran a cinema and have been in the business for a long time. I knew it wasn’t a sustainable model.”

Peaches is optimistic about APE as a local entity that’s much smaller than national companies like LiveNation. They promised her they would honor her existing contract and also assured her that they would install a new cinema screen, improve accessibility for people with disabilities, and make other necessary repairs.

“What the general public doesn’t see is that the Castro needs a huge electrical upgrade,” she said. “The old wiring sometimes caused circuit breakers to trip. It was stressful.”

Still, the underlying economics are what they are, which is why many San Francisco theaters are now derelict (or repurposed as gyms).

“Theater business is tough, and I think it’s especially tough for independent historic single-screen arthouses. You can only charge so much for a movie ticket,” said Lex Sloan, filmmaker and executive director of the 110-year-old single-screen Roxie Theater, the oldest such venue in San Francisco. “We are more than just cinemas. We are places where people make memories and make new friends. Places like the Castro and its programming are the quintessence of what makes San Francisco weird and wild.”

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With hands exhausted from sewing face masks, Sasha Vermel, a designer and seamstress in Oakland, came to her husband one day and said she was going to see homes in Missoula, Montana for the weekend.

They moved in there by Thanksgiving and joined the thousands of Californians who have moved to Montana in recent years.

The couple has been considering moving, with Vermel saying that they normally do “property tourism” on Zillow. Asheville, North Carolina; Austin; and Ashland, Oregon, were also among their choices, but they settled in Montana because Vermel has relatives there.

They sold their home in Oakland and used the money to buy a large piece of land in Missoula. “The opportunity to sell a home in the Bay Area meant we could have a lot more,” said Vermel. “We went from 1,600 square feet with houses around us to a 180 degree mountain view.”

However, the transaction to acquire the property was no walk in the park – until the seller learned that Vermel “wasn’t really from California”.

Several Montana residents are not happy with the crowd of overseas residents arriving and buying homes, and they have been open about it.

Vermel said her friend was harassed with California license plates at a gas station. Her father, who also lives in town, had to fight to get her back to Montana.

Carolyne Calvin, Keller Williams Montana real estate agent, said that in 2019, 85% of her clients were non-state. Calvin said this year home sales in and around Bozeman have gone crazy. Bay Area, Texas, Seattle residents were aware of the housing market and even paid for properties they don’t physically see.

However, Calvin said that local buyers were left behind as they were banned from the immediate market as state buyers came in.

Despite moving to Montana, Vermel still misses great restaurants in the Bay Area. However, she shared that she loved how her kids can explore the neighborhood as there were children of her own age on the street.

With the state of Montana being 88% white, Vermel says it’s diversity that she misses most in the Bay Area, SFGate reported.

“People have figured out what a great place this is,” said Lance Trebesch, CEO of Eventgroove, noting that Bozeman’s diversity has grown over the years. “The level of outdoor activities is first class. A technology cluster is created. The schools are excellent … it’s not perfect, but why not live in a place like this? “

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Officials with the FBI’s San Francisco Division on Thursday announced a new strategy to combat hate crimes – amid an increase in hate crimes reported against Asian Americans and Pacific islanders.

As part of the new strategy, the FBI will train more special agents to investigate hate crimes and civil rights, as well as contact community groups, religious organizations and minority groups to build trust and encourage the public to report hate crimes.

To further raise awareness and promote the reporting of hate crimes, the FBI launched a public awareness campaign on social media and through ads on Muni trains in San Francisco.

The strategy also aims to work with local and state law enforcement partners across Northern California to provide assistance and training on federal hate crime laws. In addition, law enforcement partners are encouraged to refer possible federal hate crime cases to the FBI, which in some cases could aid the investigation as the federal investigation could run in parallel with and in coordination with local law enforcement investigations.

By working with local law enforcement agencies, the FBI will provide resources such as forensic expertise and experience in identifying and demonstrating hate-based motivation even when no charges are brought against the federal agencies.

Residents who believe they may have been a victim of a hate crime are encouraged to contact the FBI’s San Francisco Division at (415) 553-7400 or https://tips.fbi.gov.

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RENO (AP) – Burning Man’s cancellation for the second year has met with mixed reactions in northern Nevada. Some companies and tourism officials say they will miss out on the festival-goers’ economic boom, but health officials are glad they will not do anything to increase the risk of the spread of COVID-19.

The counterculture festival in the Black Rock Desert, about 100 miles north of Reno, typically attracts nearly 80,000 people, who spend an estimated $ 63 million in Nevada.

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Officials at Reno-Tahoe International Airport were among those hoping the event would return in late August after last year’s cancellation due to the pandemic.

Festival attendees walk through dust at the 2014 annual Burning Man event on Playa in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada. (Andy Barron via AP)

“Let’s be honest, our world needs Burning Man now. If you want to celebrate that a pandemic breaks out, Burning Man is perfect, ”said airport spokesman Brian Kulpin.

“We missed her last year and we will miss her again this year,” he told the Reno Gazette Journal.

Health officials’ concerns were based in part on the fact that the event draws people from around the world to locations with a wide variety of COVID-19 cases, vaccination rates, and virus variants.

“I’m sure it was a tough decision to cancel Burning Man this year, but I think the right call was made in terms of public safety and reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission” said Kevin Dick, district health officer for Washoe County.

According to Dick, health officials are seeing outbreaks of COVID-19 in a number of countries, “in areas where highly contagious COVID-19 variants are of concern and where vaccination rates are low”.

Janet Davis, chairwoman of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, shared these concerns as most of the burners traverse the tribe’s reservation to get to the Playa Desert.

“We are trying to protect our people and that influx of people would be a risk to our tribe,” said Davis.

Davis said that after speaking with Burning Man organizers earlier this year, she felt confident the event was moving forward. She believes the recent cuts in vaccination rates and the unknowns involving participants from abroad likely led to the cancellation.

“It’s a mixed blessing,” said Davis, finding tribal businesses will miss out on the seasonal spike in sales.

Many Reno companies – from hardware stores to grocery stores – see their best sales reports in August, largely due to Burning Man, but most local businesses seem to get the decision.

Lisa Martin runs the Melting Pot World Emporium, a eclectic midtown boutique that caters to Burners’ needs for things that are blurry and colorful.

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For several years now, the shop has not relied on Brenner anyway, as many of them shop online.

“We have more home decor and incense and lots of sage,” said Martin.

Despite the cancellation of the official event, at least one community, Gerlach, plans to welcome Burners en masse.

About 3,000 to 5,000 distillers gathered on Black Rock Desert Playa last year to celebrate. They brought in a number of art installations, art cars, and even some makeshift representations of the “man”. Some graciously called the gathering “Not Burning Man”.

Lacey Holle, who owns Bruno’s Country Club in Gerlach, said she was hoping for the same this year.

“Our Burning Man season last year lasted until October, people just kept coming,” said Holle.

Gerlach, a town of around 100 residents on the edge of Playa, is the last stop for amenities, even if limited. The city’s few businesses make the most of their annual income from the month before Burning Man and the month after.

While last year couldn’t keep up with the revenue from the actual event, the unofficial distillers at least provided some financial cushion.

Last year Burning Man organizers advised against any gathering in the desert to some extent. But this year they admitted that many would go to Playa for a party. They reminded people that they had to be self-sufficient.

Officials from the Bureau of Land Management, which normally oversees Burning Man, also said they had no special plans on site for the week of the now-canceled event. Several police officers patrolled the area last year, mainly to prevent people from burning structures.

Back in Reno, the people at the airport have to wait another year for the colorfully dressed festival goers to parade, who usually pique their curiosity.

Kulpin said he enjoyed watching other travelers react.

“A couple of times I’ve seen someone wearing a dark blue or black suit and they see someone coming back from dust-covered playa,” he said. “You can see the fear in their eyes, ‘Oh man, I hope I’m not sitting next to this person.'”

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