> The quality of life in metro Detroit is horrible compared to the Bay Area

I don't know about that... I pay less than 1200 for my own apartment in a literal mansion in downtown Ann Arbor--11ft ceilings, marble fireplace, etc. My friends are UM grad students and staff, I walk five minutes to work at my job at a YC company's HQ, shop at a local food coop across the street, fly anywhere out of DTW, and spend my free time boating on the river that's a 10m walk from my front door.

Can you do that in SF?