July 15, 2005
Everybody’s having it. at home, at work, on the bus… everywhere in San Francisco the same question… and what are we asking each other about?
“Sooo…. how much rent are YOU paying?”
We don’t normally discuss things like this. Just as our social mores dictate that questions about sexual habits or body weight are off-limits, questions that relate to money are taboo. Well, maybe if you live elsewhere in the country. But much like the public acknowledgment of a sex-change operation, what is a social taboo in most of the rest of the country is fair game here!
It’s one of the most beautiful cities in the country, if not the world, but the aftermath of the dot-com bust has left us struggling. Whether you’re renting or buying, the San Francisco housing market is becoming the worst in the country, inexorably altering the charming face of the city. But perhaps the solution is built into our geography! perhaps what we need is… an earthquake.
thanks to equuinoxx for the use of the track “terra firma”. check them out at their garageband website
11 responses to “#17: The San Francisco “Conversation””
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July 17, 2008 at 3:08 amDuprost….
Duprost….
July 15, 2005 at 5:47 pm
Hi Richard,
Dein neuer Podcast hat mich direkt auf der Arbeit “erwischt” :-) – Du bist aber früh dran!!
The answer to your question is: San Andreas Fault
Regards from Monika
P.S. Ich muss mir Deinen Podcast zu Hause noch mal in Ruhe anhören
July 15, 2005 at 5:47 pm
hi monika, ganz genau — du hast es völlig recht! did you know that you can see the path of that faultline from an airplane? there are places in california that you can actually stand IN it. crazy… bitte schreib mir wie das Podcast dir gefallen hat, nachdem du es “in Ruhe” zugehört hast! :)
posted by: richard – sparkletack on Fri, 7/15 10:35 AM EDT
July 15, 2005 at 5:48 pm
Ahhhh rats Monika got it…….
This podcast is the best….
If I could ask a question Richard…what do you do for a living, besides talk about housing costs in San Francisco?
John
July 15, 2005 at 5:48 pm
hi john… yeah, she was quick! so, what do i do besides complaining? :) among other things i run a small graphic design company… that’s the way the rent gets paid.
July 18, 2005 at 5:48 pm
What a great podcast series thanks!
As for today’s episode, guilty as charged. A survivor of the 1990’s dot con and 30 time visitor to San Francisco it is great to have an insiders view of your wonderful city. It is my favourite city next to my home town of Sydney.
I’m there again in a few weeks and I will be brushing up on my real estate spiel. Did I tell you about the cost of housing in Sydney ….
Mark
July 31, 2005 at 5:49 pm
thanks, mark… i’ve got a couple of australian friends who sing the praises of sydney to me on a regular basis… i’ll make a pilgrimage sooner or later. (30 times? THAT is impressive…)
July 29, 2005 at 5:49 pm
Best one yet Richard.
Quality content and quality delivery
Great stuff
August 5, 2005 at 5:49 pm
Hi Richard, I just discovered sparkletack, and am enjoying the blend of historical tidbits and modern views of SF. Nicht schlecht! I’ve been to San Francisco often, and it’s my 2nd favourite city… after my home base of Paris. In fact, there are many similarities between the two cities – ie. the street recycling you mention in sparkletack #1 is très Paris!
August 5, 2005 at 5:50 pm
i’ve never been to paris, and therefore have always taken those comparisons with a grain of salt. if you say, so, i’m happy to accept. :) viellen dank dafuer!
February 23, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Hi, Richard,
Ah, the “conversation.” Even now I find myself not asking very often, because I am one of the fortunate who moved into my apartment not long before the dot com boom hit. Only with those I know have similar circumstances as mine do I bring up the amount we pay. We don’t exactly brag, in fact keep it kind of quiet when there are others around us not as lucky, but we do thank our lucky stars for having landed in the right place at the right time.
If you still have not had the opportunity to visit Paris, you really must go! I went for a week (as part of a 3 week vacation in Europe), alone, and enjoyed every single day! It really is an amazing city. The subway system is more reliable than ours (sorry MUNI! Love you, but improvement is needed!), the parks are fabulous, the people are wonderful, the bars are friendly (well, actually, I only went to a couple, one repeatedly near the “red light” district – but that’s a long story), and the sites are undescribeable. I hope if you haven’t already that you get there soon.
Chloe