Famed chronicler of a semi-fictitious San Francisco of the late 70s and 80s, Armistead Maupin, has moved back to the city with husband Christopher Turner after two years of trying to make a go of it in Santa Fe. Maupin's 2012 departure from the city he's so closely identified with was lamented in the local press and chalked up as yet another marker of unwelcome change. He and Turner sold their cute Parnassus Heights three-bedroom, which Maupin had owned for 20 years, for $1.2 million and moved to a new home in New Mexico.

Back in January, Maupin hinted they might be looking for a "pied a terre" back here. Now he tells Leah Garchik that they were "craving village life again" (i.e. they were getting really bored down there), and they're renting a ground-floor flat in the Castro somewhere while putting their Santa Fe place on AirBnB. They're keeping the Santa Fe place, because they love it, but maybe they kind of regret the move a little? In that January interview, in which he talked about how we should all ease off our tech hate, Maupin hinted that the decision was largely financial, and he's not exactly rolling in dough. "Riches and fame aren't the same thing," he said. "Writers have been enormously devalued."

Let this be a lesson to anyone thinking they want to cash out and give up on this city, should you be fortunate enough to already own real estate.

In other news, Maupin turns 70 this week, and the UK Guardian just put out this Tales of the City quiz in celebration. See how well you do.

[Chron]