Have just been following this thread and wanted to chat with you about life as a writer in San Diego. I live in San Francisco, and am considering a move to SD for the better weather, lower cost of living (relative to SF), and I’m also not really into Tech and non-profits, politics, etc, which are definitely the more prominent industries up here in the Bay Area. I’m hoping that since LA has more diversity, I can pick up freelance (telecommute) gigs and open up shop in San Diego. Just wanted to get your perspective on how things work in SoCal.[/quote]
Hi, rashi. Interesting coincidence that you brought this thread back today, because in recent days my daughter has said she does NOT want to go back to the Bay Area (although she will). This has a lot to do (although there are other issues) with our recent trip up there to rent a room in someone else’s house, because there are no dorm rooms available. We spent a very stressful day touring Oakland/Berkeley rooms for rent.
It’s kind of funny, but only in retrospect. Maybe we just had bad luck. But I read Ben’s blog post this morning about people having to rent out rooms in their houses in FLA. This isn’t true in the Bay Area. Everywhere we went we were told that we were lucky we came in July rather than August because in August, “everything is already rented.”
Our daughter was sometimes grilled with 17 pre-printed questions (or required to submt a “Why I Deserve to Rent a Room in Your House”) One such “find” for a room was in an Oakland hovel. complete with barred windows. It was a $400/mo attic flat where six people were to share 1.5 bathrooms. She was also told at that place that “we don’t ever accept white supremacy here. We already have one white person and we’ve had numerous applications from other whites. We will only take one more white person, so your chances are not good.” Kinda funny for me…our kid had never before experienced reverse discrimination.
At another place, in Berkeley, there was a sign as big as “SURRENDER DOROTHY!” strung across the front porch, although it read “BUSH MUST DIE!” We’re libs, so that didn’t faze us too much, but the homeowner was surly and decided to hold the interview on the ground in her way overgrown but tiny crab grass backyard, even though I was wearing…well, not pristine, but not willing to permanently stain…white pants.
We did find a room with a reasonably eccentric person. We got back to the hotel and my daughter cried about the stress and rejection of the day. I started to laugh my head off and imitate the various people we had encountered, and soon she was doing the same. As a writer…well, you know, you can’t make this stuff up. I now sincerely doubt she wants to settle there permanently.
Rashi, back on topic: In this electronic age, as you know, you can live anywhere as a writer and make a living. It IS cheaper down here, and I can (if you PM me) tell you where writers live and thrive and aren’t bored with the city and get together for support.
A bit of advice: I’ve always been able to make a decent living as a freelancer because I’m a Baby Boomer and have been able to write and do research about every phase of the BB: first, being a teen; then, dating; then parenting. Now, it’s all about surviving without a pension (having depended on real estate appreciation), dealing with the generation we created, and sex and aging issues. You don’t have to be a BB to write for this age group.
