Friday Funny: San Francisco Changing Locations Due to Rising Rents

The Onion provides a new take on the "San Francisco is over" quip that has been a popular reaction to the rising cost of housing in the City by the Bay.

1 minute read

June 12, 2015, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


A lot of people are wondering what the end game for coastal cities with soaring housing coasts could possibly be. Well, let The Onion take a stab at imagining the conclusion of this runway train of real estate expense: "Saying that staying in its current location was no longer feasible, sources across San Francisco confirmed Thursday that the popular Northern California city would be shutting its doors at the end of the month due to rising rent."

The article, which is a fake, satirical article, and should not be considered real news, quotes a number of residents discussing the rising cost of living in the city, the difficulty in finding a new place to live, and the likelihood of having to leave the Golden Gate Bridge behind when all of the citizens 850,000 citizens vacate the premises on July 1.

One upside to the move noticed by not real, totally fake San Francisco resident Jaime Gonzalez: "Besides…for what we’re paying here, we can probably get a place that’s newer and way less cramped."

Thursday, June 11, 2015 in The Onion

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Washington

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing

A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

May 1 - Streetsblog USA

Bluebird sitting on branch of green bush.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire

Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

May 1 - AP News

1984 Olympics

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles

LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

May 1 - Newsweek

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.