undefined | Better HN

0 pointspmiller29y ago0 comments

But, housing prices essentially are the issue. A region where teachers, baristas, and janitors can't afford to live just can't function.

0 comments

11 comments · 4 top-level

dekhn9y ago· 5 in thread

When I was in grad school in SF in 95-01 I lived on a $25K salary. I did this by sharing a place with several people, in the outermost part of SF. I had to spend about 1.5 hours on MUNI a day. It was pretty miserable but it was the only place I could afford.

Prices have appreciated, but if you're not trying to buy a house, and you're willing to compromise a lot, I think you can live in the city on a teacher salary ($60K/year).

mroset9y ago

That lifestyle as a teacher is probably only desirable or realistic for the young. Once you want to settle down/have kids/whatever, you probably want to either buy a house, or not compromise quite so much. Does that mean that SF will have only young teachers? Most the experienced ones will move somewhere more affordable. Is that a problem for the city?

jdmichal9y ago

Or, all the teachers marry high-income partners and can thereby afford to continue living there.

~~I'm trying to find an article I'm sure I've seen on HN of marriages mapped by occupation. I'll edit if I can find it, but I believe I remember that teachers tended to "marry up".~~

EDIT: et-al found the link I was looking for. However, it doesn't seem to support my memory of teachers "marrying up".

1 more reply

swuecho9y ago

Young people come here for a temporary period and then leave. Only the ones become affluent enough stay.

throwaway911119y ago

Why would any teacher do that when they could live comfortably on that salary pretty much anywhere else in the country?

fpgeek9y ago

Well, teacher salaries are lower in other parts of the country (though it is also true that salary vs cost of living is less out of whack in most of them).

coldtea9y ago· 2 in thread

I'll give you teachers and janitors, but region "just can't function" without baristas? That is, glorified people who serve coffee?

gozur889y ago

I know people who wouldn't live in a place without a Pete's or Starbucks.

skewart9y ago

Leave it to the person with the username 'coldtea' to be skeptical of baristas!

gozur889y ago

But it does. I'm a software developer who could barely afford to live in SF. And yet people clean the floors, make coffee, and teach children there. Because they don't live there - they commute from cheaper areas.

Like just about every other major city.

ubercore9y ago

I agree they'd be a huge part of it. I guess I'm just trying to call out that you can't completely discount the influence the tech industry has had on the bay area by looking at _just_ housing prices. I'm certain there's more to it than that, even if it's the single biggest issue.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

11 comments · 4 top-level

dekhn9y ago· 5 in thread

Prices have appreciated, but if you're not trying to buy a house, and you're willing to compromise a lot, I think you can live in the city on a teacher salary ($60K/year).

mroset9y ago

jdmichal9y ago

Or, all the teachers marry high-income partners and can thereby afford to continue living there.

~~I'm trying to find an article I'm sure I've seen on HN of marriages mapped by occupation. I'll edit if I can find it, but I believe I remember that teachers tended to "marry up".~~

EDIT: et-al found the link I was looking for. However, it doesn't seem to support my memory of teachers "marrying up".

1 more reply

swuecho9y ago

Young people come here for a temporary period and then leave. Only the ones become affluent enough stay.

throwaway911119y ago

Why would any teacher do that when they could live comfortably on that salary pretty much anywhere else in the country?

fpgeek9y ago

Well, teacher salaries are lower in other parts of the country (though it is also true that salary vs cost of living is less out of whack in most of them).

coldtea9y ago· 2 in thread

I'll give you teachers and janitors, but region "just can't function" without baristas? That is, glorified people who serve coffee?

gozur889y ago

I know people who wouldn't live in a place without a Pete's or Starbucks.

skewart9y ago

Leave it to the person with the username 'coldtea' to be skeptical of baristas!

gozur889y ago

Like just about every other major city.

ubercore9y ago

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse