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A comment on Why the Great Divide Is Growing Between Affordable and Expensive U.S. Cities. Parent comment

Re:Why the Great Divide Is Growing Between Affordable and Ex... by tikhonj on Sunday July 10, 2016 @08:28PM (#12068021)
I spent a bit of time living in New York, and I was never short on something to do even without spending much—if any—money. There's just so much to explore and enjoy on foot on top of free scheduled events. The museums vary in price but some are definitely affordable (including the Met where you can pay any price for a ticket). Just the parks and the city itself—eminently accessible thanks to the incredible subway system—are worth it on its own.

I'm back in the Bay Area now and, well, it's not New York, but it's still surprisingly accessible. Concerts with local bands, free lectures (on tech topics or not), free events at a park or on the beach... No magical subway system though: public transport exists but, especially if you're coming in from out of SF, it's a bit of a pain.

Point being that you can definitely experience a lot either for free or for pretty cheap. But there's no way to get around the high rent, except with a high salary.

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Re:Why the Great Divide Is Growing Between Affordable and Ex... by dllthomas on Sunday July 10, 2016 @10:38PM (#12068535)
If you're coming into SF from outside, consider the bus. Takes longer than BART to cover the same distance, but is far more comfortable and I find I am more able to make good use of the time.
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Re:Why the Great Divide Is Growing Between Affordable and Ex... by tikhonj on Monday July 11, 2016 @12:09AM (#12068833)
I've taken the bus to and from Berkeley before, but I highly prefer Bart. It's significantly faster and I actually find the train more comfortable, especially at off-peak times. The stations tend to be nice places to wait than outdoor bus stops too.

I do have some friends who prefer the busses, so it's clearly not clear-cut.

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Re:Why the Great Divide Is Growing Between Affordable and Ex... by JauntTrooper on Monday July 11, 2016 @04:55AM (#12069747)
I travel by bus, but mainly because the BART is so =loud=. The screechy breaks and rumbling is almost painful, especially when going in the tunnel from East Bay into the city.

It seems much louder than other subways in cities where I have lived. Have others experienced this?

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Re:Why the Great Divide Is Growing Between Affordable and Ex... by dllthomas on Monday July 11, 2016 @12:23AM (#12068882)
It's certainly a YMMV kind of thing.

> especially at off-peak times

Yeah, BART is a much more pleasant experience at off-peak times than anywhere near rush-hour. In my experience, I still find the NL line (at least) uncrowded enough to get a seat any time of day (unless there's significant BART trouble).

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