Scared of San Fransisco and New York!

[D_Fluoridia Bidet]

Well I am making a big career move and I am scared to move away but I hate this dump Houston. I just want to know if San Fransisco is a nice place or would New York be more of a exciting place. Just to let you all know Houston really does suck. I am sorry but there isn't anything here. It makes me sad.

 

[snoozan]

Generally when you move your person, you bring your baggage right along with you.

 

[Mr. Snakey]

Relax. Think positive. Think of it as the begining of a great new journey. New places and new people. :smile:

 

[musclebutt2]

San Francisco is one of the most expensive places to live in this country; it will make your move easier if all your financial ducks are lined up beforehand.

Either you will hate it or love it here, but chances are, if you hate San Francisco you will love Southern California... they are that opposite. The Left Coast approach towards life is much more mellow and easy going than along the Atlantic; however, having said that, San Francisco is the oldest city here and likes to think of itself as the Beacon of Culture for an area stretching from Vancouver down to Baja. It's a very cosmopolitan and approachable city within the larger framework of the Pacific Rim. While NYC is turned towards Europe, SF is influenced by Asia, and of course, Central America--this is partly reflected by the population and local cuisine.

NYC has a frantic pace while San Francisco is on cruise control. Don't get me wrong, life here is fast, but you decide at what speed to coast along, not the other way around. The City allows you to control your life while in other places life controls you. Hope this helps.

 

[SpeedoGuy]

Well I am making a big career move and I am scared to move away but I hate this dump Houston. I just want to know if San Fransisco is a nice place or would New York be more of a exciting place. Just to let you all know Houston really does suck. I am sorry but there isn't anything here. It makes me sad.

I lived in San Francisco or the surrounding area for the first half of my life. Its a great place to live: scenic beauty, entertainment, mild weather, cultural diversity, employment opportunities. Its just frighteningly expensive to live around there.

 

[Wntabigone]

I've only lived here for about two years, but I enjoy it thoroughly. There are always things to do, places to see, and people to meet. Folks are quite friendly, and the attitude is very open to most everything (leaning way towards the liberal, which I prefer).

The Bay Area is expensive, but so is New York. I think they are about the same that way. However, along with the expense of living here, the income is typically higher than other areas. There is also plenty of things to do that are free or very inexpensive. It just depends on what you want to do and how you spend your money. Rent and buying real estate are the most costly.

I hope to stay for a long time.

 

[ActionBuddy]

New York!... But find a nice, no strings, sugar daddy and get out of there in the Winter and Summer...

Or if you chose San Francisco, find a nice, or wanna-be nice, no strings, sugar daddy, and get out of there in the Summer...

What was it that Mark Twain said?... something like: "The worst Winter I ever spent, was Summertime in San Francisco." Beware.

Please note... helpful hint: If you go to San Francisco, be sure to wear a flower in your... dang! The phone rang!

OK... back again...

If you move to San Francisco... if you call it Frisco, San Fran, S.F., etc... you will immediately expose yourself as a newcomer. If you wish to move in established circles, you should always speak of it as "San Francisco" or more directly, as "The City"... and I mean with a capitol "T & C"! There is only one other "City", and that is on that other continent... over there... before it was given up to the Nazis... Oh, never mind, it doesn't matter anymore. There is only one City and it is San Francisco... and the rest of the Bay Area is just where people happen to sleep.

I am not kidding!... Yes, I am!... No I'm not!... You are, too!... argghhh!

Give New York a go while you are young, you'll never regret it... even in the stench of July... San Francisco will always be there to entrap you later.

Onan

(I'm also sorta kidding about the sugar daddy angle... but how will you afford either of the 2 most expensive cities in the USA?)

 

[drumstyck]

"Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in California once, but leave before it makes you soft."

 

[D_Fluoridia Bidet]

From what I am reading SF sounds like a better place to move to. Ｉ am not worried about the money issue I just don't like staying here in Houston. My career here won't do me any good I wouldnt benefit.

 

[simcha]

Crissy Snow,

I know someone who made the move from Houston to San Francisco for work reasons and he loves it. I think if you don't mind not having a lot of "stuff" because of the expense of living here, but you like natural beauty within a short distance, then you'll like it here. Also, if you like 65 degrees all year round you will love living in the City. Sometimes it gets up in the high seventies there, but mostly high 60s...

The closest I ever got to living in New York was Baltimore, so I can't say that I'd be an expert on life in New York. I've heard it said that it's every bit as expensive as San Francisco. It's much bigger and the pace is much faster. And as another poster said, it's oriented more toward Europe where San Francisco orients itself more toward Asia, the South Pacific, and Central America. Having visited New York, I now I'd prefer San Francisco. I grew up in Chicago. I'd like to make it back there some day.

Having moved to both coasts and in the middle of the country, I'd say pick the job with the career you would like the best. You will be spending so much of your time at work that you might as well be happy there. The rest of your life will follow.

San Francisco is only more mellow if you don't mind people telling you how to be liberal, being anti-tobacco in a big way but very much pro-marijuana smoke, anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian, majorly politically correct, compulsive about their food, and there is this whole scent-free Nazi thing going on here. People are just as uptight here as anywhere else.

New York I think is more of a realist's city. It's gritty. It's vibrant. It has more of an art culture, music culture, and just about any other kind of culture going on than San Francisco. You can find anything you would like to find in New York. San Francisco is much more limited.

Just make sure you like what you do, and if you have any friends close by either place, pay a visit to each place before making your decision.

Blessings on your path...

 

[D_Fluoridia Bidet]

New York!... But find a nice, no strings, sugar daddy and get out of there in the Winter and Summer...

Or if you chose San Francisco, find a nice, or wanna-be nice, no strings, sugar daddy, and get out of there in the Summer...

What was it that Mark Twain said?... something like: "The worst Winter I ever spent, was Summertime in San Francisco." Beware.

Please note... helpful hint: If you go to San Francisco, be sure to wear a flower in your... dang! The phone rang!

OK... back again...

If you move to San Francisco... if you call it Frisco, San Fran, S.F., etc... you will immediately expose yourself as a newcomer. If you wish to move in established circles, you should always speak of it as "San Francisco" or more directly, as "The City"... and I mean with a capitol "T & C"! There is only one other "City", and that is on that other continent... over there... before it was given up to the Nazis... Oh, never mind, it doesn't matter anymore. There is only one City and it is San Francisco... and the rest of the Bay Area is just where people happen to sleep.

I am not kidding!... Yes, I am!... No I'm not!... You are, too!... argghhh!

Give New York a go while you are young, you'll never regret it... even in the stench of July... San Francisco will always be there to entrap you later.

Onan

(I'm also sorta kidding about the sugar daddy angle... but how will you afford either of the 2 most expensive cities in the USA?)

Dude are u serious? That's just crazy... well like I said before money isn't an issue.

 

[simcha]

Dude are u serious? That's just crazy... well like I said before money isn't an issue.

Yeah, he's serious about "The City" thing. They're very insistent about it. And they are quite snobbish as a general rule. There's a classist thing about it too considering you must spend much more money to live in San Francisco...

Personally I much prefer living in Oakland and visiting San Francisco is nice occasionally. In Oakland we have trees and open spaces and birds and hills and the sun, oh yeah, the sun and it's almost always in the 70s year-round. It has the largest population of coupled GLBTs in the country, sorry San Francisco... And we are entirely integrated in every aspect of life here. San Francisco is more segregated...

Oh and don't let those snobs over in San Francisco scare you away from Oakland. It's every bit as dangerous over there as it is here. Oakland gets a bad rap. That's OK though because it keeps rents lower here... It's a secret to those of us who have found our home, and live in peace in Oakland.

 

[Bajan]

I live in a place that is quite expensive myself but have found that while SF can be expensive you can always work around it. in the few months i've been there a couple times and found it has a special charm and relaxing effect while still having the usual city draw. Given the choice I'd chose SF over NYC any day of the week. Good luck with your move.

 

[ActionBuddy]

NYC has a frantic pace while San Francisco is on cruise control. Don't get me wrong, life here is fast, but you decide at what speed to coast along, not the other way around. The City allows you to control your life while in other places life controls you.

This, of course, is just THC driven bullshit, but at least MuscleButt2 called it "The City"! ...Now.... where did he put his surfboard?

The only way you will be able to live well and relax, living in San Francisco, without well-established friends and family, is to have a 6 digit income.

 

[SpeedoGuy]

.... well like I said before money isn't an issue.

That's great because there are some killer places to live in The City if money is of little impediment.

Its true about the weather being chilly in the summer. The sea breeze and its fog can reduce a pleasant summer afternoon into a howling, drizzy misery. But, I've experienced the summer heat and humidity of NYC as well as its winter snows and cold and I'll tell ya, I much prefer SF for climate.

 

[Osiris]

I loved San Francisco. I first lived in Novato (Northern Marin County) and I liked being able to escape the city for the Southern California feel of the burbs. It is pricey, but if you can afford it, a great place to live and you probably won't need a car too much as mass transit in San Francisco is awesome. If you have the funds and the desire to live in the city, I'd suggest North Beach, Telegraph Hill, or Pacific Heights.

 

[simcha]

I loved San Francisco. ... If you have the funds and the desire to live in the city, I'd suggest North Beach, Telegraph Hill, or Pacific Heights.

If you like fog, try the Sunset, Richmond, Seacliff, or even the Presidio.

Yeah, stay away from the Castro. The place becomes infested with homeless people and pick pockets by about 1am. The Mission is another place to stay away from.

 

[ActionBuddy]

Osiris... props to ya, but you live in Bellevue or Kirkland or somewhere on the exceedingly staid Eastside of Lake Washington, right? Living in Novato is nothing like living in San Francisco. That's like comparing it to downtown Seattle, when actually you live 35 miles away in the safety zones of Mill Creek or Issaquah Heights.

Onan

 

[musclebutt2]

Yeah, he's serious about "The City" thing. They're very insistent about it. And they are quite snobbish as a general rule. There's a classist thing about it too considering you must spend much more money to live in San Francisco...

Personally I much prefer living in Oakland and visiting San Francisco is nice occasionally. In Oakland we have trees and open spaces and birds and hills and the sun, oh yeah, the sun and it's almost always in the 70s year-round. It has the largest population of coupled GLBTs in the country, sorry San Francisco... And we are entirely integrated in every aspect of life here. San Francisco is more segregated...

Oh and don't let those snobs over in San Francisco scare you away from Oakland. It's every bit as dangerous over there as it is here. Oakland gets a bad rap. That's OK though because it keeps rents lower here... It's a secret to those of us who have found our home, and live in peace in Oakland.

Oakland is not San Francisco, as is the Bay Area. The same can be said about Jersey City and Manhattan in the context of metropolitan NYC. I am not a San Francisco snob by any stretch of the imagination; I actually need to leave it once in awhile to appreciate it more. The smugness here becomes irritating, but leaving the bubble demonstrates how fucked up the rest of the country is, and I always return glad to be home. I have lived in San Francisco for 13 years now off and on and have much to compare it to. Before settling here I have also lived in London, Berlin, Hanoi, Tahiti, Berkeley, and other diverse locales. For comparison, the most dangerous areas in The City are nothing like the most dangerous areas in Los Angeles or even New Orleans. San Francisco IS limited in certain cultural aspects versus NYC but MUCH more generous in terms of variety of experience. Atlantic City is probably similar to Reno, but has nothing on Las Vegas; Napa Valley is closer than Tuscany; Tahoe and even Mammoth are better than the Alps, and the scenic beaches along the California coast are legendary. Heck, if that doesn't impress you hop on a $300 roundtrip flight to Hawaii for even better scenic beauty.

Oh, and a note on the weather... we have Indian Summers here so our warmest temperatures are usually now or in October. We are a city of hills and Twin Peaks is the biggest divider. It is almost smack dab in the middle of the peninsula. Anything west of Twin Peaks will get overcast crap weather while most neighborhoods east of Twin Peaks are usually sunny. I live in the Mission District which is part of the "banana belt" of San Francisco. It is protected and warm (but not humid) enough here to grow bananas and other subtropicals outdoors year round. Oakland and the East Bay are usually about 5-10 degrees warmer than San Francisco proper. The City is a peninsula surrounded on three sides by water, that can be a good and a bad thing. BTW, San Francisco has very clean air, all the pollution is blown towards Oakland and then trapped by the Oakland and Berkeley hills. This might be a consideration if you are sensitive to smog.

 

[ActionBuddy]

The Mission is another place to stay away from.

HA!

Best, friendliest and most affordable food north of the border!