It's unfortunate because the Bay Area is paradise. Perfect weather, space, resources, jobs, money, nature, surfing, hiking, skiing. All that and the Bay Area mega-region has a paltry 8 million people with even fewer houses.
An economically comparable NY-Phily corridor has around 30 million. Much smaller regions effortlessly crack the 10 million mark.
It sets a minimum 6-figure bar to afford rent with roommates. This means only tech people can live here, and the monoculture has become suffocating.
Similar to OP, I've lived across Boston, NYC, and SF. On paper, all 3 places are equally expensive. But go 10 miles from the city center, and NYC/Boston prices plummet. The Bay Area stays unaffordable across its entire 100 miles.
It's pretty easy to find a room under $1000 in NYC/Boston. This in happening and safe neighborhoods with vibrant nightlife, transit access, and a sub-30-minute work commute. I've seen the rent number go as low as $500.
No one person is going to fix cultural issues of the bay. But, building more housing would allow the 'culture creators' to move into the city.
