I grew up in the Central Valley (Stockton/Sac) but I have lived in the South Bay for 10 years. Overall, the Bay Area sucks. I don't like it at all. The Central Valley Sucks too.
About ten years ago, SF used to have a more artistic vibe, but now it doesn't. That artistic vibe was the only thing going in that city to be frank. San Fran is a lot cleaner and Safer, but it's sort of lost it's soul now.
The women suck in the Bay. Especially San Fran. I prefer women to have ass and t*ts and feminine faces. The women in SF are all these masculine/feminist/hipster Asian/white females that I have no attraction to.
In the South Bay, there are some Decent-to-above-average Mexican females in East Side San Jose, and the Vietnamese Girls tend to look good, but I overall, the women really aren't my type. San Jose has a lot of really attractive Habesha and Somali women, but they only date their own kind. You have basically three types of women in the Bay- Hipster/Masculines, North East Asian Golddiggers (who really aren't that attractive and leech of old white men), and the Asian Professional women (Horn Rimmed Glasses, no ass, no t*ts, no personality, boring, drives a cammry). You could throw the Indian Women into the mix, but they just as boring as the Asian women and they are usually less attractive. The Bad Indian girls that you see on TV are really rare. They do exist though.
In Stockton/Sacramento, there were PAWGs, those Thick Cambodian/lao/Hmong girls, Redbones, and better looking Black/hispanic girls overall. At least to my tastes. I have to admit that LA women look A LOT better, but I don't like LA as a city.
Then there is the cost of living.
In San Jose, I saw a new Housing Development (on the EAST SIDE) from KB homes. These were just normal track houses, and there was a sign that said "Starting from ONLY a 1 million". 1 million for 1000 sq ft track house with no backyard? I don't get it. Wages are very high in the bay area, but unless you make 300k+ combined income with your wife... good luck on trying to survive anywhere except the East Bay.
I went to a house sale once (everything is sold by auction out here). It was a very small house. Every person bid 1 milllion+ and was going to pay in Cash. CASH! You aren't going to buy any houses without at least 200K+ down.
Basically, if you aren't working at a start-up or company with great a ESPP (employee Stock Purchase plan) or Stock Option plan, you ARE NOT going to be able to live out here. Even as an engineer making 150K it's going to be tough to live out here.