San Francisco, CA
Two San Francisco Renters Fled the City for a Quieter Life. Would They Find It in Sonoma or Marin?
Nearly a decade as renters didn’t dampen Alexandra Andorfer and George Croton’s love of San Francisco. They made the most of their 950 square feet, even finding ways to grow their family — now with two dogs and two cats — in their two-bedroom just off Buena Vista Park, near the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.
But several years spent enjoying food-and-wine weekends with friends in the bucolic Sonoma Valley, about 50 miles north, inspired another possibility: Could the couple leave the city and find enough of what they loved about it in a small-town setting?
[Did you recently buy a home? We want to hear from you. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com]
It was, in part, a question of background. While Ms. Andorfer, 33, had mostly grown up in big cities (Pittsburgh and Baltimore) and attended college in Chicago, Mr. Croton, 32, was a product of Santa Barbara, Calif., and its rambling ambience. “Santa Barbara has that kind of ‘small city, large town’ thing going on,” he said. “It’s very beautiful, lots of outdoor stuff, but also lots of amenities and restaurants and fun things to do.”
Mr. Croton was warmer to the idea of leaving San Francisco, where the couple met in law school. Both of their jobs as attorneys were in the Bay Area, though each could telecommute several days a week, leaving room to imagine a different way of living. And Ms. Andorfer was somewhat surprised to find how much she looked forward to their getaways, especially to the town of Sonoma, a foodie haven with 11,000 residents set in the vibrant heart of Sonoma Valley wine country.
“I very quickly could see myself living there,” she said. “It doesn’t have city vibes, but it has restaurants and culture — a lot of things going on. I love to cook and I’m in a bunch of wine clubs, including several right in that area.”
It was Ms. Andorfer who suggested visiting some open houses in Sonoma — “just for fun,” she said. Mr. Croton added a wrinkle when he proposed including Marin County, about 30 miles south of Sonoma, with its coveted combination of rural feel and higher-end amenities.
At an open house in Marin County, the couple met Kristen Perry, an agent with the Kristie Martinelli Team at Coldwell Banker who previously was an executive at several tech startups.
“It’s always interesting when people leave the city,” Ms. Perry said. “Some take a very long time to get to the point of actually being ready to move. But Alex and George moved very quickly once they realized that they felt pretty sure about it.”
The couple scouted open houses for weeks, looking for a place with an airy feel and distinctive architecture. They hoped to remain within walking distance of shops and services, as they were in San Francisco, and wanted either a big yard or park access for their pets.
With some help from Mr. Croton’s mother for a down payment, they capped their budget at $1.35 million.
Among their options:
Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:
San Francisco, CA
Are the San Francisco 49ers playing today? NFL Week 14 schedule, matchups, teams on a bye
NFL Week 14 picks: Why we like Browns, Bengals and Eagles
Lorenzo Reyes is back with his best bets for Week 14 games. He explains why he likes Browns, Bengals and Eagles.
The San Francisco 49ers do not play on Sunday in Week 14 of the 2025 NFL season.
Norman High alum George Kittle and San Francisco are on a three-game winning streak.
Up next for the 9-4 49ers is a road game against the Tennessee Titans at 3:25 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14.
Here’s everything to know about the 49ers’ schedule:
No. The 49ers are off on Sunday.
There are four teams on a bye in Week 14, the final bye week of the season. The 49ers, Giants, Panthers and Patriots are on a bye this week.
All times are Central Standard Time
Record: 9-4
- AFC EAST: Buffalo Bills schedule, Miami Dolphins schedule, New England Patriots schedule, New York Jets schedule
- AFC NORTH: Baltimore Ravens schedule, Cincinnati Bengals schedule, Cleveland Browns schedule, Pittsburgh Steelers schedule
- AFC SOUTH: Houston Texans schedule, Indianapolis Colts schedule, Jacksonville Jaguars schedule, Tennessee Titans schedule
- AFC WEST: Denver Broncos schedule, Kansas City Chiefs schedule, Los Angeles Chargers schedule, Las Vegas Raiders schedule
- NFC EAST: Dallas Cowboys schedule, New York Giants schedule, Philadelphia Eagles schedule, Washington Commanders schedule
- NFC NORTH: Chicago Bears schedule, Detroit Lions schedule, Green Bay Packers schedule, Minnesota Vikings schedule
- NFC SOUTH: Atlanta Falcons schedule, Carolina Panthers schedule, New Orleans Saints schedule, Tampa Bay Buccaneers schedule
- NFC WEST: Arizona Cardinals schedule, Los Angeles Rams schedule, San Francisco 49ers schedule, Seattle Seahawks schedule
Complete NFL regular-season schedule 2025
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco labor unions push Overpaid CEO Act to close budget gap
San Francisco could soon see a new tax targeting the city’s largest corporations, as a coalition of labor unions launched a signature-gathering drive to qualify the so-called Overpaid CEO Act for next year’s June primary.
Supporters said the measure could help prevent major cuts to city services by adding a small tax on the most profitable companies. Opponents warn it could drive businesses out of the city.
Organizers said the act is designed to take from the ultra-wealthy to help residents in need. Supporters pointed to people like Lester Bruens and his caregiver partner, Julie Fisher, as examples of San Franciscans who could benefit.
“There’s a lot of fear and worry over what might happen if this doesn’t pass and if we do have to face reduced income,” Fisher said.
Fisher is an In-Home Support Services (IHSS) caregiver for Bruens, who suffered a brain aneurysm in 2017. Medicaid currently covers his care, but some fear federal funding could be cut, placing a heavier financial burden on the city.
San Francisco is already projected to face an $800 million deficit for the next fiscal year.
“The uncertainty — not knowing how bad it might get — casts a shadow over the day,” Fisher said.
Many community groups, unions, and elected leaders argue the only way to protect vital city services is to increase tax revenue. Volunteers are now collecting signatures to get the Overpaid CEO Act on the ballot.
“This is a very, very small percentage — actually, as a percentage, much smaller than what we’re asking them than what we’re asking regular San Franciscans who are going to be maybe paying a little more in a parcel tax or sales taxes,” said State Assemblymember Matt Haney.
Haney said the tax would apply only to corporations where top executives earn more than 100 times the median worker’s pay. It would target companies with over 1,000 employees and more than $1 billion in revenue. Organizers estimate the tax could generate over $200 million a year for San Francisco’s general fund.
“It is not on companies that are headquartered here. It’s not targeted at San Francisco-based companies. These are large companies that do business here, and will continue to do business here, maybe a company like Amazon that’s delivering you packages,” Haney said.
While the measure would affect only the largest corporations, opponents worry it could deter businesses and cost the city future jobs.
“This bill is about fairness, it’s not about just scaring our corporations away,” said Supervisor Chyanne Chen of District 11, who supports the measure.
“Being able to put this measure on the ballot would actually help the community, but also public services that are under attack,” said Sarah Perez, the San Francisco vice president of IFPTE Local 21.
For Bruens and Fisher, the tax represents a potential lifeline for some of San Francisco’s most vulnerable residents.
“I survived a brain aneurysm, and I’m doing all I can to keep moving forward the way things are. And when you take that away, it scares me,” Bruens said.
“If it passes, then all of us will be feeling a little bit relieved. It’s not going to solve everything, but it will get us over the current financial hump,” Fisher added.
Organizers need approximately 10,500 signatures to qualify the measure for the June primary ballot. They plan to collect signatures over the next two months and aim to submit them by the end of January.
San Francisco, CA
FIFA World Cup 2026 match-ups for San Francisco Bay Area games announced
The FIFA World Cup 2026 match-ups that will be played at Levi’s Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area were revealed on Saturday.
The Bay Area will be hosting six matches at Levi’s Stadium, which will be known as the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium during the World Cup. Five of the games will be group-stage matches, and one of them will be a Round 32 knockout match.
FIFA World Cup 2026 San Francisco Bay Area schedule
- Match 8: Qatar vs. Switzerland on Saturday, June 13, 12 p.m. PST
- Match 20: Australia vs. Jordan on Tuesday, June 16, 9 p.m. PST
- Match 31: TBD (Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo) vs. Paraguay on Friday, June 19, 9 p.m. PST
- Match 44: Jordan vs. Algeria on Monday, June 22, 8 p.m. PST
- Match 60: Paraguay vs. Australia Thursday, June 25, 7 p.m. PST
- Match 81, Round of 32 Knockout Game: First in Group D vs. TBD (Third from Group B, E, F, I or J) on Wednesday, July 1, 7 p.m. PST
When does the World Cup start?
The World Cup will begin on June 1 at 12 p.m. in Mexico City, and the final match will be played at MetLife Stadium on July 19.
-
Alaska1 day agoHowling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
-
Politics5 days agoTrump rips Somali community as federal agents reportedly eye Minnesota enforcement sweep
-
Ohio4 days ago
Who do the Ohio State Buckeyes hire as the next offensive coordinator?
-
News5 days agoTrump threatens strikes on any country he claims makes drugs for US
-
World5 days agoHonduras election council member accuses colleague of ‘intimidation’
-
Texas2 days agoTexas Tech football vs BYU live updates, start time, TV channel for Big 12 title
-
Politics6 days agoTrump highlights comments by ‘Obama sycophant’ Eric Holder, continues pressing Senate GOP to nix filibuster
-
Politics7 days agoWar Sec Pete Hegseth shares meme of children’s book character firing on narco terrorist drug boat