Yesterday was our first day in the new office. We moved the office from 201 Cal to 425 Cal. Being in the commercial real estate business, you would think that I am used to office relocations. But the fact remains that moving stinks for all parties involved. To make matters worse, my whole morning routine has to be re-jiggered to accommodate the new digs. While only 2 blocks apart, 201 Cal (for all its shortcomings) has a couple major advantages over 425 Cal.
First and foremost, the old building, 201 Cal, has a parking garage in the lower level of the building. I could ride my bike straight into the garage, jump in the freight elevator, and be in my office in seconds. I stored my bike in my cube and the world seemed safe. 425 Cal has no parking in the building. Furthermore, it has a beautiful new lobby and new elevator cabs. As such, the ownership does not allow any bikes whatsoever in the building. This causes me great pains. Rather than storing my bike in my office within my sight, I now have to lock it up at a neighboring building's garage. Not only can I not keep track of my bike, but there is a sign clearly stating that bikes are left at the owner's risk and the building takes no responsibility ... blah, blah, blah. In other words, if you leave your bike here, it is probably not safe. So I bought a chain lock and a U-Lock and am praying every day when I go to get my bike for the ride home. It makes matters worse that my bike is the only bike worth more than $100 bikes in the rack. the rest of the bikes are 10+ year old beaters and cruiser bikes. My bike stands out like a sore thumb screaming, "Please take me!"
The next bummer of the new building is that 425 Cal does not have a shower where 201 Cal does. I was never impressed with the shower at 201 Cal, but at least it was there. The room is maybe 12 x 12 feet with just a toilet, sink and shower. The carpet was moldy and I am certain that the janitors have never cleaned the room. I actually did an experiment a year or so ago where I left an old Band-Aid on the soap dispenser in the shower. Over a period of months, that Band-Aid did not move or get cleaned but a layer of dust started to cover over it. Gnarly. But I was able to drop my bike in the office, grab my clothes and head back down the elevator to get cleaned up. Now, after I park my bike, I have to walk a block to the office, grab my clothes and shower gear, walk back another block to the gym (which I obviously had to pay to join), shower up and then walk back to the office again. It is not as bad as it sounds on a nice day like today. But I expect it to be an absolute nightmare when the winter rains come.
Thanks for listening to my rant this morning. It is a small price to pay for the luxury of riding my bike to work. And not only do I get to share my fat spandex body with everyone in my office, but I now get to share with Sansome and California Streets. In two days, I have yet to bump into anyone that I know on the streets. But it is inevitable that it will happen soon. That will be a treat for both of us.
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