--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's - the working class of San Francisco…" description: "\"It's - the working class of San Francisco and the Bay Area is being pushed out of its old neighborhoods because of the skyrocketing cost of housing, an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c54/george-packer-2917_bay-area_it-s-the-working-class-of-san-francisco_1517206.png" --- # It's - the working class of San Francisco and the Bay Area… ![“It's - the working class of San Francisco and the Bay Area is being pushed out of its old neighborhoods because of the skyrocketing cost of housing, and there's no real working class left because these are jobs for engineers and managers and designers - very smart people.” quote by George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c54/george-packer-2917_bay-area_it-s-the-working-class-of-san-francisco_1517206.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c54/george-packer-2917_bay-area_it-s-the-working-class-of-san-francisco_1517206.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c54/george-packer-2917_bay-area_it-s-the-working-class-of-san-francisco_1517206.png) > “It's - the working class of San Francisco and the Bay Area is being pushed out of its old neighborhoods because of the skyrocketing cost of housing, and there's no real working class left because these are jobs for engineers and managers and designers - very smart people.” [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rising housing costs displace San Francisco’s working class, replacing them with high‑paid tech professionals, eroding traditional labor communities. **In simple terms:** Housing unaffordability pushes out workers, replacing them with affluent tech workers. Key Takeaway Address housing affordability, protect diverse neighborhoods. Themes housing gentrification class displacement urban policy tech economy Mood urgent reflective Type analytical policy When to use this quote - city council decisions - housing policy reforms - community activism - real‑estate development Key Concepts economic inequality urban planning social cohesion housing market Questions to Reflect On - How can cities balance tech growth with affordable housing? - What policies can preserve working‑class neighborhoods? A Different Perspective May ignore benefits of tech-driven economic growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bay area](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bay-area/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [San francisco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/san-francisco/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Smart people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart-people/) [Working class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-class/) ## Related quotes > [“For several months they'd been drifting toward political involvement, but the picture was hazy and one of the most confusing elements was their geographical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/for-several-months-they-d-been-drifting-toward-political-involvement/) [Hunter S. 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That's just a big parking lot where you buy a hamburger for the trip to San Francisco.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/we-re-crazy-about-this-city-los-angeles-that-s-just-a-big-parking-lot/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [“She ran a streak of foundation under each eye, highlighter down the bridge of her nose, and bronzer beneath each cheekbone—a layer of armor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-taylor/she-ran-a-streak-of-foundation-under-each-eye-highlighter-down-the/) [Jessica Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-taylor/) > [I’m just mad for San Francisco. It is like London and Paris stacked on top of each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twiggy/i-m-just-mad-for-san-francisco-it-is-like-london-and-paris-stacked-on/) [Twiggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twiggy/) > [The initial spark that promoted me to start Not For Sale was human trafficking in the San Francisco Bay Area. This led me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-batstone/the-initial-spark-that-promoted-me-to-start-not-for-sale-was-human/) [David Batstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-batstone/) > [Your city is remarkable not only for its beauty. It is also, of all the cities in the United States, the one whose name,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-pompidou/your-city-is-remarkable-not-only-for-its-beauty-it-is-also-of-all-the/) [Georges Pompidou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-pompidou/) > [The San Francisco Bay Area has more VC firms and dollars invested than all East Coast cities combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ferreira/the-san-francisco-bay-area-has-more-vc-firms-and-dollars-invested/) [Jose Ferreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ferreira/) > [San Francisco has only one drawback—‘tis hard to leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/san-francisco-has-only-one-drawback-tis-hard-to-leave/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“McDonald's, meanwhile, continues busily to harass small shopkeepers and restaurateurs of Scottish descent for that nationality's uncompetitive predisposition toward the Mc prefix on its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/mcdonald-s-meanwhile-continues-busily-to-harass-small-shopkeepers-and/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Caen's San Francisco may not be the city we remember, but it is the city we want to remember.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-brown/caen-s-san-francisco-may-not-be-the-city-we-remember-but-it-is-the/) [Willie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-brown/) > [The Bay Area is so beautiful, I hesitate to preach about heaven while I'm here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-bay-area-is-so-beautiful-i-hesitate-to-preach-about-heaven-while/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco pushed back forcefully Thursday against efforts by Republicans and some in her own party to rewrite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/house-minority-leader-nancy-pelosi-of-san-francisco-pushed-back/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by George Packer > [I don't think they need to be nice to reporters, but the White House seems to imagine that releasing information is like a tap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/i-don-t-think-they-need-to-be-nice-to-reporters-but-the-white-house/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [So many writers grew up in tortured isolation, in revolt against their families. I and my sister were in a house where writing was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/so-many-writers-grew-up-in-tortured-isolation-in-revolt-against-their/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [Afghanistan can't police its borders, and its neighbors give sanctuary and assistance to insurgents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/afghanistan-can-t-police-its-borders-and-its-neighbors-give-sanctuary/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [Hillary Clinton's such a classic Democratic political figure and believes so much in institutions and in gradualism in the old way of reaching compromises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/hillary-clinton-s-such-a-classic-democratic-political-figure-and/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [“In other words, Foxx represented what Sarah Palin (speaking at a campaign fundraiser in Greensboro three weeks before the election) called “the real America,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/in-other-words-foxx-represented-what-sarah-palin-speaking-at-a/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [America's vast population of working poor can only get so poor before even Walmart is out of reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/america-s-vast-population-of-working-poor-can-only-get-so-poor-before/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [The Olympics are never just about sports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/the-olympics-are-never-just-about-sports/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > ['The Assassins' Gate' is a very tightly controlled story of the ideas that led to the war and the consequences of those ideas in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/the-assassins-gate-is-a-very-tightly-controlled-story-of-the-ideas/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [Amazon's identity and goals are never clear and always fluid, which makes the company destabilizing and intimidating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/amazon-s-identity-and-goals-are-never-clear-and-always-fluid-which/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [Ideology knows the answer before the question has been asked. Principles are something different: a set of values that have to be adapted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/ideology-knows-the-answer-before-the-question-has-been-asked/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [Everything seems set up for success in digital journalism - money, eyeballs, software, brands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/everything-seems-set-up-for-success-in-digital-journalism-money/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [Climate change joined immigration, job creation, food safety, pilot training, veterans' care, campaign finance, transportation security, labor law, mine safety, wildfire management, and scores…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/climate-change-joined-immigration-job-creation-food-safety-pilot/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [Much of the international unease with the Sochi Games has focused on the threat of terrorism, Putin's domestic repressiveness, and the Russian campaign of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/much-of-the-international-unease-with-the-sochi-games-has-focused-on/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [I've been interested in American politics since I was eight. That was in 1968. It was an interesting year. I was a huge Eugene…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/i-ve-been-interested-in-american-politics-since-i-was-eight-that-was/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [When I interviewed Paul Bremer in his office, he had almost no books on his shelves. He had a couple of management books, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/when-i-interviewed-paul-bremer-in-his-office-he-had-almost-no-books/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) [Explore all 144 George Packer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) ## More Bay area quotes > [Most of the time, I get around perfectly well on my bike and public transportation, even in spite of the Bay Area's almost comically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/most-of-the-time-i-get-around-perfectly-well-on-my-bike-and-public/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [“For several months they'd been drifting toward political involvement, but the picture was hazy and one of the most confusing elements was their geographical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/for-several-months-they-d-been-drifting-toward-political-involvement/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [I like beating the Bay Area traffic by getting into the office early, plus I get at least an hour most mornings to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baiju-bhatt/i-like-beating-the-bay-area-traffic-by-getting-into-the-office-early/) [Baiju Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baiju-bhatt/) > [The Bay Area is so beautiful, I hesitate to preach about heaven while I'm here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-bay-area-is-so-beautiful-i-hesitate-to-preach-about-heaven-while/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [The teams in the Bay Area have created a culture of winning, but the Cubs and Metsneed to learn how to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-byrnes/the-teams-in-the-bay-area-have-created-a-culture-of-winning-but-the/) Eric Byrnes > [I have been interested in the dialogue of abstraction and modernist painting - and the rich history of the grid. I also think I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-beal/i-have-been-interested-in-the-dialogue-of-abstraction-and-modernist/) [Stephen Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-beal/) > [I'm going to go back to the Bay Area, this is my thing, and I'm just going to open my own school of baseball.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-bonds/i-m-going-to-go-back-to-the-bay-area-this-is-my-thing-and-i-m-just/) [Barry Bonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-bonds/) > [I love the Bay Area and I'm excited to play there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-bosa/i-love-the-bay-area-and-i-m-excited-to-play-there/) [Nick Bosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-bosa/) > [From the small town in Iowa where I grew up, to Chapel Hill where I went to college, to the Bay Area and now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-barnes/from-the-small-town-in-iowa-where-i-grew-up-to-chapel-hill-where-i/) [Harrison Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-barnes/) > [Caen's San Francisco may not be the city we remember, but it is the city we want to remember.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-brown/caen-s-san-francisco-may-not-be-the-city-we-remember-but-it-is-the/) [Willie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-brown/) > [I was at Stanford University up in the West Coast Bay Area, so the biggest song of my freshman year was 'I Got 5…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-k-brown/i-was-at-stanford-university-up-in-the-west-coast-bay-area-so-the/) [Sterling K. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-k-brown/) > [“McDonald's, meanwhile, continues busily to harass small shopkeepers and restaurateurs of Scottish descent for that nationality's uncompetitive predisposition toward the Mc prefix on its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/mcdonald-s-meanwhile-continues-busily-to-harass-small-shopkeepers-and/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [San Francisco has only one drawback—‘tis hard to leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/san-francisco-has-only-one-drawback-tis-hard-to-leave/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Sometimes you hear about people who can't wait to leave their hometown. I did not have that feeling at all. 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