Remote work is reshaping San Francisco, as tech workers flee and rents fall
These HN comments don&#x27;t seem to grasp that there are two distinct groups of people here, and these trends can&#x2F;will counteract eachother: the ones that are in the city for work, and the ones that are in the city because they love cities. COVID creates an exodus of one, but people in the latter category are also moving into cities as well as prices drop and they are no longer priced out.<p>HN folks love to complain about the lack of value of cities (SF in particular), but as someone in NYC, the pandemic has only affirmed that I want to be here and see value in it. Even in the limited state, so many things I have access to simply wouldn&#x27;t be in other areas, and I know many people who moved away temporarily for economic reasons who are very much not doing as well mentally and are looking forward to being back in the city.<p>I don&#x27;t see why we have to polarize or categorize this trend as it seems like a win&#x2F;win if this continues: people who don&#x27;t like cities move out, that lowers prices, and suddenly more people who do enjoy city living can afford them. This has the potential to solve diversity issues in cities, both in class&#x2F;culture (potentially slowing or even reversing gentrification) and industry (less tech people in SF). This sounds like it could be a second wave of white flight, sans racism, and I&#x27;m here for it.<p>If you don&#x27;t like cities, I am truly happy for you to move out, both for your own mental state and happiness and for freeing up space in the city for people who will be happier. How long this trend lasts as remote work lessens along with the eventual (macro) end of the pandemic, we will have to wait and see.