A few weeks ago I was at a (vaccinated) beach gathering in Santa Monica, where I came to realize that almost everyone was from San Francisco. A woman in a large hat unintentionally informed me as to why.
“Everyone is leaving San Francisco,” she said without remorse. “Seriously, everyone.”
"Really?" I asked. "And why is that?"
“Well,” she replied, “The bay is dead.”
It’s a conversation I’ve found myself having more and more lately. The exodus from the Bay Area into LA, Austin and Miami is well underway. Another person I spoke to, who I immediately disliked, recently left San Francisco after six years.