How a random assault on a public street opened my eyes to reality of San Francisco

WHEN I FIRST moved to the Bay Area in 2022, I was adamant about living in the city. I have always been a city girl — I grew up in Mumbai, spent my teens in Delhi, and lived in downtown Chicago before moving to the Bay. So, a big, bustling city was the natural choice for me.

My husband, a long-time resident of the Bay, was hesitant about the move. He had spent his 20s in Santa Clara, pretty much not moving anywhere for almost half a decade. He liked his time in the suburbs, playing tennis with his friends over the weekends and eating at his favorite Indian restaurants. I was, however, determined to make the city move work. How bad could it be?