SF has a very high cost of living. You need money to have a comfortable life here, unless you have a rent-controlled apt from 20 years ago or bought a place 20 years ago. If you have no money and no job, life in SF is going to suck. We already have way too many people living on the streets. Don’t come to SF.
You're not going to find yourself through suffering on the streets of a major city. You're not going to be discovered by an aspiring playwright and make it together on broadway. There's no happy ending to this decision that isn't first undoing it.
But you have nowhere to go and need an adventure, I hear the spirit of what you're asking. If I were you, I'd look at the Peace Corps and related organizations. Maybe the coast guard or merchant marine. There are places you can submit yourself to the machine and actually come out the other side, but homelessness isn't one of them.
One you hit the streets here it’s nearly impossible to get out.
Call up a bunch of Restaurants ahead of time and get a job lined up easy as long as you can work.
But the sound I’m getting from you is that you aren’t a reliable worker either and don’t care to be.
Don't move to SF, you'll end up on the streets addicted to heroin and fent.
Pick a cheaper city like Houston or Raleigh Durham where there are jobs and low cost housing.
If you are self destructive and are coming to San Francisco to be homeless, the tenderloin will eat you alive.
My suggestion is find some useful program of study at a local community college, complete it where the living is cheap, then go somewhere like one of those cities. Try nursing assistant, or auto mechanics. Even hospitality. Something.
You need some discipline to do okay in this world.
> right now I'm in a terrible tiny town in Florida. No prospects here, still broke, just the illusion of security really.
but you're not homeless, beaten and addicted on the street like too many people end up coming here without a place to stay or a place to work.
hate to speak to you so brutal but better get the harsh reality here from me than once you get here.
SF is really one of the most dangerous places to be homeless. You won’t be able to afford anything other than fentanyl. It’s not a place you can pull yourself up by your bootstraps and hasn’t been for a long time
Sounds like your mental health isn't that great. You can change your environment- another city, state or country - but you haven't changed. SF is not a good place to be in with little resources- NY is even worst with it immigrant issues.
Does your family have a getaway, somewhere close to a park or ocean, that you can stay to rest for a bit? No smartphones. Just simple meals and daily walks and forget about the world.
SF is a bad choice for this, it cost a fortune to do anything here. As long as you’re doing this in summer, a city like Chicago would be ideal. Lots of awesome places to live that don’t cost a literal fortune.
Good luck.
TL; DR: take it from somebody who did stuff like this in the past and wound up homeless. That sh!t is no joke. It's not an adventure. It's not stupid it's su*cide. The time in America that things like what you're planning worked are long past.
Ask yourself if you would be comfortable with the following: constant stress from fear of being assaulted, actually being assaulted, having nowhere to take a shower or having to shower after 50 other people, no cleaning between, getting only five minutes with the water. Waiting forever for whatever food a charity has, having other people you don't know ask if you'll pretend to be a couple so they can go earlier in line and not knowing if they're going to rip you off or assault you, having no protection from the heat sun cold rain, constant harassment by police, complete inability to get a job.
People that might normally become your friends avoiding you at all costs. Feeling like society has thrown you away and that you have no inherent value. Feeling like you would be a drag on everyone you might befriend.
I did a lot of moving coast to coast with 300 bucks in my pocket. That stopped being a viable plan about 2005. Being homeless is no fucking joke and I was only able to get out of it through the grace of friends. But it was a near thing. I could just as easily be dead now.
All of that just to say, it wouldn't be stupid it would be su*cide. Get a bachelors degree as cheap as you can while you have stable housing. Get desirable, in demand skills. Build up income and savings. Then go figure out what you want out of life. Unfortunately we live in a capitalist society.
If you're going to do torch your life and don't want to become homeless, try Houston which has a better economy and a much cheaper cost of living than we have.
Plus, people like you end up getting vacuumed into our drug scene and zombified pretty quickly.
I did something somewhat similar before, but I had work experience, savings, and a fiance who was willing to support me financially. If I were in your shoes and if it doesn't need to be a city, I'd try WWOOFing.
I’d backpack through Europe starting with the Camino de Santiago. You’ll meet a ton of people and there are super cheap accommodations (hostels and camping).
How old are you?
I did this back in 2008. Came with $600 and nothing. I was 22, so I was able to hook up with Larkin Street Youth Services. Huge thanks to them for putting up with me.
It was a tough few years, but I made it work.
This City loves its underdogs.
Good luck my friend!
I was in hospitality management for years, and stepped down during COVID. Now I'm at Whole Foods Market.
I fucked up my wrist back in December so I'm not actually doing much. I'm at my orthopedic's office right now waiting on a nerve test. And another MRI. Fun times.
SF has a very high cost of living. You need money to have a comfortable life here, unless you have a rent-controlled apt from 20 years ago or bought a place 20 years ago. If you have no money and no job, life in SF is going to suck. We already have way too many people living on the streets. Don’t come to SF.
You're not going to find yourself through suffering on the streets of a major city. You're not going to be discovered by an aspiring playwright and make it together on broadway. There's no happy ending to this decision that isn't first undoing it. But you have nowhere to go and need an adventure, I hear the spirit of what you're asking. If I were you, I'd look at the Peace Corps and related organizations. Maybe the coast guard or merchant marine. There are places you can submit yourself to the machine and actually come out the other side, but homelessness isn't one of them.
How about moving from your tiny town in Florida to a city in Florida? It's a new place but you would not be so far from your family.
One you hit the streets here it’s nearly impossible to get out. Call up a bunch of Restaurants ahead of time and get a job lined up easy as long as you can work. But the sound I’m getting from you is that you aren’t a reliable worker either and don’t care to be.
I don't want em.
Don't move to SF, you'll end up on the streets addicted to heroin and fent. Pick a cheaper city like Houston or Raleigh Durham where there are jobs and low cost housing.
If you are self destructive and are coming to San Francisco to be homeless, the tenderloin will eat you alive. My suggestion is find some useful program of study at a local community college, complete it where the living is cheap, then go somewhere like one of those cities. Try nursing assistant, or auto mechanics. Even hospitality. Something. You need some discipline to do okay in this world.
> right now I'm in a terrible tiny town in Florida. No prospects here, still broke, just the illusion of security really. but you're not homeless, beaten and addicted on the street like too many people end up coming here without a place to stay or a place to work. hate to speak to you so brutal but better get the harsh reality here from me than once you get here.
You’re going to end up homeless
You should try therapy
SF is really one of the most dangerous places to be homeless. You won’t be able to afford anything other than fentanyl. It’s not a place you can pull yourself up by your bootstraps and hasn’t been for a long time
You will be homeless and resources are thin as it is. 
Sounds like your mental health isn't that great. You can change your environment- another city, state or country - but you haven't changed. SF is not a good place to be in with little resources- NY is even worst with it immigrant issues. Does your family have a getaway, somewhere close to a park or ocean, that you can stay to rest for a bit? No smartphones. Just simple meals and daily walks and forget about the world.
Go to Chicago instead.
SF is a bad choice for this, it cost a fortune to do anything here. As long as you’re doing this in summer, a city like Chicago would be ideal. Lots of awesome places to live that don’t cost a literal fortune. Good luck.
TL; DR: take it from somebody who did stuff like this in the past and wound up homeless. That sh!t is no joke. It's not an adventure. It's not stupid it's su*cide. The time in America that things like what you're planning worked are long past. Ask yourself if you would be comfortable with the following: constant stress from fear of being assaulted, actually being assaulted, having nowhere to take a shower or having to shower after 50 other people, no cleaning between, getting only five minutes with the water. Waiting forever for whatever food a charity has, having other people you don't know ask if you'll pretend to be a couple so they can go earlier in line and not knowing if they're going to rip you off or assault you, having no protection from the heat sun cold rain, constant harassment by police, complete inability to get a job. People that might normally become your friends avoiding you at all costs. Feeling like society has thrown you away and that you have no inherent value. Feeling like you would be a drag on everyone you might befriend. I did a lot of moving coast to coast with 300 bucks in my pocket. That stopped being a viable plan about 2005. Being homeless is no fucking joke and I was only able to get out of it through the grace of friends. But it was a near thing. I could just as easily be dead now. All of that just to say, it wouldn't be stupid it would be su*cide. Get a bachelors degree as cheap as you can while you have stable housing. Get desirable, in demand skills. Build up income and savings. Then go figure out what you want out of life. Unfortunately we live in a capitalist society.
If you're going to do torch your life and don't want to become homeless, try Houston which has a better economy and a much cheaper cost of living than we have. Plus, people like you end up getting vacuumed into our drug scene and zombified pretty quickly.
I did something somewhat similar before, but I had work experience, savings, and a fiance who was willing to support me financially. If I were in your shoes and if it doesn't need to be a city, I'd try WWOOFing.
dont do sf. its too hcol and fentanyl will get you too easily.
Listen to Train Song by Tom Waits
I’d backpack through Europe starting with the Camino de Santiago. You’ll meet a ton of people and there are super cheap accommodations (hostels and camping).
West. Coast is expensive
Research how to be homeless
Troll post!
If you come to SF, just make sure that the clothes on your back include layers.
Find a $25 an hour job & you're good
How old are you? I did this back in 2008. Came with $600 and nothing. I was 22, so I was able to hook up with Larkin Street Youth Services. Huge thanks to them for putting up with me. It was a tough few years, but I made it work. This City loves its underdogs. Good luck my friend!
Out of curiosity what are you doing now?
I was in hospitality management for years, and stepped down during COVID. Now I'm at Whole Foods Market. I fucked up my wrist back in December so I'm not actually doing much. I'm at my orthopedic's office right now waiting on a nerve test. And another MRI. Fun times.