spoiler alert: there is life and civilization outside the "Bay Area"

And inside the Bay Area you can get a car or a bicycle for less than a million dollars too.

There is an abundance of open space available to the public in the forms of national, state, county and city parks, Midpeninsula Open Space to name the most prominent. It's a much better set of resources than a private individual could possibly accumulate in what most consider an urbanized area in the USA. I'm happy to contribute my tax dollars for these assets for all. I have lived in urban/suburban areas where all the land has been bought up by private interests and there is a distinct paucity of outdoor opportunities in those areas by comparison.

Well said. Cities that make it hard for people to get out in nature drive people crazy over time.

When I lived in San Francisco (in a tiny room in a shared house in the Mission) a couple of years ago, I'd spend a little time after Sunday brunch every now and then walking around Mount Sutro. If you live in the city, I can't recommend it enough for your dose of forest bathing:

https://www.inside-guide-to-san-francisco-tourism.com/mount-...