Moving to San Francisco?

Currently, my wife and I live in Maryland. She's been to San Fran and loves it, while I'm content here, though I could care less about Maryland. All I have here is good friends, no family. She has family, but wouldn't bother her to be cross country from them. So I'm doing a fair amount of research into San Fran and surrounding areas. I certainly wouldn't mind being within driving distance of Yosemite, right now all I can do is dream about it. I'm a master plumber and she's a registered dietician, so our jobs can go anywhere. What do you all think of the area in general? Any major pro or cons? Any areas to absolutely avoid?

We are going to take a trip out there next year because we love traveling in general. Unfortunately on our week long trips, I only get one day of climbing. All lot can be done in one day, but never as much as I want to.

I grew up in the LA area and spent about 6 months working near SF last year (actually Walnut Creek, about 30 minutes outside of the city). I'll comment on the climbing as I spent most of my time working or climbing, didn't really take advantage of the city or cultural stuff. There is a ton of awesome climbing 4-6 hours away, Yosemite obviously, and all the rest of the Sierras. There just isn't as much for day trips. Now, I never checked out the local stuff so take this with a grain of salt, but my local friends said the same things. There are some crags but not of the calibre of the 4-6 hour drive stuff. Just something to keep in mind. Also, getting across the Sierras to access the eastside (Owens, Buttermilks, Pine Creek, Whitney Portal, etc) and Red Rocks is a pretty long drive and you're beholden to the passes being open unless you take a very long detour around the southern tip of the sierras. In LA, Red Rocks is a favorite winter destination and I think it's pretty hard to get to from SF that time of year.

Don't take that as trashing on SF, I think it's a great area and there is PLENTY of climbing to be had. Also, for after work, there are some world class gyms depending on your location (Touchstone gyms and Planet Granite). Great mountain biking north of the city if you're into that.

I've lived in the Bay Area since 1990 and love it. I used to live in SF, but now live in a small coastal town about 1 hr North of the city. One thing~San Francisco (and the outlying areas) are insanely expensive. There use to be lower cost options close by--but those options are drying up as Google and Facebook take over Northern California. On the flip side, there is a ton of construction going on and wages tend to be really high.

The climbing in close proximity to SF (within an hour) is not exactly world class and longer road trips are needed to access the really good places. Aside form that, there is a lot to do and the area strikes a great balance of indoor/ outdoor activities.

However, if your prime motivation was climbing, I'd look hard at some other places first. My 2 cents--good luck!

Scott, I grew up on the east side of the bay (Walnut creek area). Jonathan is correct, it's getting insanely expensive. I now live in the Sacramento area, which is about 2 hours from San Fran and drivable to Tahoe (1.5hr hr), Yosemite (3hrs), etc. We have some decent climbing in Auburn (see Auburn cliffs), 30 minutes toward Tahoe. The allure of the Sacramento area is it's relative affordability and central location. Something to consider.

SF peninsula native, the area is pretty awesome. Yes it's expensive (rent) but you have surf, forest, Mtn biking, some sandstone climbing, hiking, camping etc etc. lakes, rivers blah blah. East bay is more affordable than peninsula. Traffic is a drag but a master plumber here may make $100/hr or more so you'd do just fine with dual income. Roseville, rockin, Sacramento and Folsom have been booming for a decade or more and have nice downtowns and closer proximity to the mountains. Home pricess are much much better and for your professions that may be a viable alternative. Winters are milder here than east coast as well. Good luck.

I moved out of the Bay Area last year. I agree with the recommendations to check out the East Bay. There's a lot of good stuff around, but if you hit traffic, it can be somewhat of a nightmare to get in/out of town, especially if you have to deal with bridges (I lived in the city and on the peninsula).

Here's an idea: live in the city for a few years, groove on the urban experience (not having to drive except for work, and not really having to drive far if you do), and re assess later on. Maybe you want to stay, maybe not. You' can make enough, and maybe save enough, that once you've lived on the Google/Facebook periphery for a while, you can move anywhere. SF is expensive to move to; it's easy to move from.