San Francisco: what the richest US state hides and its real

Exploring San Francisco and Silicon Valley through expat life. The video covers the offices of major technology companies, city districts and tells about the real cost of living in one of the most expensive regions of the United States.

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place
Start
Сан-Франциско, Соединённые Штаты Америки
End
Сан-Франциско, Соединённые Штаты Америки
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travmap
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  1. Сан-Франциско, Соединённые Штаты Америки

Useful for your trip

Tip
Bay Area is actually one large city on both shores of the bay, separated by 5-6 bridges. There are no clear boundaries between cities, so plan routes taking into account the distances between districts.
Where to stay
Programmers and IT workers are trying to live closer to the offices of companies in the cities of Sunnyvale, Mountain View, San Jose, Palo Alto. On the other side of the bay (East Bay), housing is cheaper, but the road to offices is long.
Tip
In Silicon Valley, within a radius of 50 km, the headquarters of Apple, Google, Meta, Nvidia, OpenAI are concentrated. It is the main center of technological innovation and venture capital investment in the world.
Timing
On weekends (Saturday, Sunday), the offices of large tech companies are usually closed to the public or work in a limited mode. Schedule visits on working days.
Transport
Google Visitor Center is located in Mountain View, about 10 minutes by car from some offices. It is a place accessible to the public with a shop and exhibitions.
Tip
Lake Tahoe is located on the border of California and Nevada. It's a place to relax and rejuvenate with nature – perfect for confronting the hustle and bustle of the city.
Tip
Yosemite National Park is a popular hiking and nature tourism destination in Northern California. Plan enough time for the visit.
Food
In American cities, good restaurants and bars are usually concentrated on a special street, often called Downtown. Such a street can be one for a large city and not always nearby.
Tip
In the areas of Palo Alto, Mountain View, and San Francisco, mainly IT specialists live. On the other side of the bay (East Bay) live people of manual labor, many Mexicans, housing is more affordable.
Avoid
Many houses in California are built 20-100 years ago and require paint renewal. Expect that even in affluent neighborhoods, buildings can look a bit old despite the high cost.
Tip
Americans often buy things on credit and change them every 2-5 years, unlike expats from Eastern Europe, who prefer quality things for the long term.

Video on this route

What the richest state in the US is hiding. California: the price of the American dream

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