A Bay Area Life, Measured in Square Footage

I think I've had a fairly typical experience for a San Franciscan. I came to the city after college, lived with roommates for a few years and then moved in with my future wife. Eventually we had kids and moved to Berkeley.

What you notice in life is that the amount of personal living space doesn't get bigger as you grow older — it gets smaller.

These are my last six homes (and the amount of room I had for myself).

1. Cow Hollow apartment with roommate
Square footage per person: 400

2. Parkmerced apartment with roommate
Square footage per person: 500

3. South Beach Marina apartment with girlfriend
Square footage per person: 317

4. Avalon Mission Bay apartment with girlfriend
Square footage per person: 390

5. FolSoMa home with wife...
Square footage per person: 500

...and then a baby
Square footage per person: 333

6. Berkeley house with wife and two children
Square footage per person: 289.5

The bottom line: I was much better off with the roommates. (It also seems unlikely I will ever have room for a proper "man cave.")