NYC vs. SF? Opinions needed. (1 Viewer)

[Grant B]

BM - (Before Married) I use to be in NYC all the times and it was a revolving door for many of my friends,
The density of the population is similiar not the population since a 7x7 chunk would almost fit in some of the parks in NY.

It is not a 24 hr city but fairly close in many ways and nightlife is always there and pretty concentrated here. Like NY you can get away without having a car and use taxis & public transportation
The 'stress level' is much lower in SF whereas in NYC just about anything can be a pain or $$$
I was commuting down to LA for work the past year and I was amazed on how cheap the housing gas etc was.....so it is pretty expensive.
$1M fixer upper are common and it is still rising.
Both are great places to live but I could never find a job in my field in NYC and it's hard to tell the boss you want to telecommute so can you take a missile home to work on.

 

[Shane Martin]

Having visited both in the past year, I'd take NYC over SF anyday. The advantage and the only one I felt SF had was the weather. Then again I don't mind snow or the heat(which it can get sticky in NYC I'm told).

Both are different yet similar in many ways. I found it odd that most of SF or atleast the areas I was in shutdown around 8:30pm even on a Saturday night. We were like WTF? Our mall closes at 9-10pm and the big one(we heard) in SF was closed at 8:30 max.

I also felt NYC was cleaner(except the subways). SF had alot and I do mean alot of poor street/beggar people compared to NYC. I was excessive at times.

Food wise it was about the same then again I couldn't find good pizza in SF.

I haven't lived in either, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

 

[Grant B]

You were probably down at Union Square which tends to cater to people who work there and tends to be dead late when everyone heads off to the suburbs. You will find the same shopping hours at the malls in the burbs so I am told.
There are very few huge chain stores in SF due to land prices (buy something knock it down and build again)and opposition to chains so local stores tend to have the hours they want which can be a pain
There is a lot of great food here but in the tourist areas it's the same garbage as anywhere else. Since you ate at the In&out at fishermans wharf you without a question hit the worst food in the City. I try to keep friends from going their if they are out of town since it is so bad. I haven't had to the need to go down there in years, Thank God.

Should of said something and I would have pointed you in the right direction ....I left the Midwest almost 30 years ago and except for the weddings & deaths, haven't been back

 

[Shane Martin]

Actually In-And-out was the only food we ate down there. We stayed up near Chinatown in a very nice and cheap($80 a night) hotel. Grant Plaza Hotel.

The other times we ate were at 2 local joints:

Sears Fine Food: Awesome
Louis Restaurant: Facing the water near the Sutro Baths. For breakfast food, awesome!

 

[Grant B]

Glad you got away

Today in the San Francisco Chronicle is the article
Bicoastal debate: moving between S.F. and N.Y.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...NGUNCQHKN1.DTL
Perfect timing too!

 

[LarryDavenport]

I never found it hard to find something to eat in the Mission District at 2am when I visited there.

 

[Lew Crippen]

May I say, "I told you so"?

 

[Shane Martin]

Lew,
I believe you told me to eat there IIRC. Didn't eat their world class pancakes though. Just Steak which was... needless to say Reasonable and stellar.

 

[Phil Kim]

I have lived in NYC for 9 years and SF for 6 years. Yes, NYC and SF are very different cities. NYC feels bigger and when it comes to nightlife, public transportation, and theater scenes, SF does not even come close. But in other aspects, SF is neck and neck, and in many cases, exceeds NYC.

Although SF is small, it is divided into many districts and it is not fair to judge the city based on impression of few areas. Downtown, for instance, which encompasses North Beach, Financial District, Union Square (and few other areas in between), isn't really suitable for residential living with all the tourists and homeless people (although some of my friends prefer to living among these scenes). Inner sunset (near UCSF), IMO, Noe, Hayes, etc. offer better night life with fewer tourist and homeless scenes.

The biggest advantage to SF, even more so than weather (which is wonderful), is the surroundings. Napa, Monterey, Tahoe, Yosemite, and Marin make fun and exciting weekend getaways, all within driving distance. NYC surroundings do not even come close. You like skiing or snowboarding? Tahoe. Wanna see the ocean? Monterey and Carmel Valley (even nearby Marin and Pacific/Half Moon Bay offer spectacular views). Like hiking? Head to Pacifica, Marin, Saratoga, and Yosemite. Gambling? Tahoe/Reno (lame compared to Las Vegas but drivable). You like crabs/oysters/lobster? Head north to Oyster Bay. World class wine tasting, hot spring, and picnic? Napa Valley.

Yes, nothing comes close to NYC pizza, buffalo wings, hot dogs, and knisch, but SF Bay Area is no slouch. If you like ethnic food, perhaps even better.

And if you are a techie, Bay Area is still the epicenter of high-tech jobs (computer and bio-tech). The job market has made a come back and people are a lot more optimistic now. The gas price and housing prices are extremely high though.

 

[Dave Mack]

Thanks, guys!

I am 37 and am engaged so the nightlife issue for me is unimportant. I have had 19 years of goin' out in NYC so I'm done. I have also worked in Time Square for 17 years and had to do subways at rushhour all that time so as far as lots o' people, crowds, touristos, I'm done too.
Less stress and more room and quiet is what I want.
Can anyone give a quick rundown on neighborhoods safety-wise and rent price money-wise? Coming from the Upper west side where rentals are through the roof,( Can't get a studio for under $1200 ), I will not find prices in SF shocking. And doing a search on CL shows many 1 beds for under $1500 in SF itself which is what we want.


http://www.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/se...&neighborhood=

Thanks again! Dave

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

Haggai, we need to share some Golden Bear memories one of these days! I was up on the hill that fateful day in November in 1982. What a day... what a day!

I have spent a lot of time in both SF and NY over the last thirty or more years as both a youth and as an adult. Both have some amazing advantages as well as a few disadvantages, but for me San Francisco/Bay Area would be an easy choice!

The geography alone makes the Bay Area one of the most desirable locations to live in this country, and even the world! Within driving distance, you have one of the most incredible coastlines, majestic ancient forests, romantic wine country, beautifully rugged Sierra Mountains, a mysteriously wondrous desert, and perhaps one of the greatest national parks, Yosemite. Moreover, these are just but a few worthwhile natural landmarks that are within reach of the Bay Area.

While SF does not have the 24/7 buzz that NY does, it does have a thriving nightlife fueled by an ever-growing creative community.

If you are a lover of the arts, while NY has more SQFT of space allocated towards the arts and their facilities, SF offers some of the finest artistic venues featuring amazingly talented artists. I never really liked opera until I went to a production by the SF Opera Company. The Symphony is world class, and the theater scene is fantastic! (I am talking about the stage, but the SF film scene is equally impressive)

The neighborhoods in and around SF have a very genuine feel to them, but it is important to take your time to find the area that suits you the best. Each area has its own personality, and thus attracts specific types of people.

I lived in Noe Valley about 15 years ago, which is a community in SF between Twin Peaks and Diamond Heights. The great thing about that neighborhood was the amazing weather (the surrounding hills would often keep the fog at bay), the great views of the city, and the wonderful classic Victorian architecture.

While NY has some truly amazing restaurants, I have always had a special place in my heart for the restaurant scene in SF. I especially loved all the small quaint restaurants that no one outside the city would have ever heard of before, and yet would often serve dishes so memorable that to this day I can still remember many of them!

Of course, there are sooo many more wonderful things one could say about both these cities, but for me, San Francisco would be an easy choice.

 

[Dave Mack]

What I'm gonna need is a JOB...
Sent a few resumes, haven't heard anything. Any ideas, y'all?

Thanx! d

 

[Dave Mack]

Well, we're in Cheyenne, WY for the nite. Rt. 80 road trip. Tough with 3 critters in the Sienna! Salt Lake City, Ut. tom'w then Winnemucca sun. then Berkeley by mon!!!!

Peace! D

 

[Dave Mack]

Well, after searching for a rental for a month we wound up getting a sublet in the Inner richmond district of SF. Kinda like Queens in NYC. AMAZING ethnic restaurant scene on Geary/Clement... Foggy almost ALL the time and barely gets above 70 during the day which is a blessing since NYC is over 90 nowadays.
The apt. is great, (old school one bedroom with foyer, bay windows etc...) but we just found out that we are in a "no pet" building which our subletter didn't tell us. (2 cats and a wiener dog) So the search begins again. Apt. prices are a bit less here than manhattan and in Berkely MUCH less. My fiancee just snagged a killer job there so we are now looking in Berkeley again.
Felt my first, (very, very slight...) quake too.

Thanks for all the input, guys...

d

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

If you are considering the East Bay, look around the Rockridge/Piedmont Area. The summer fog has a tendency to flow through the GGB straight over to Berkeley and then heads North through the Bay. For this reason the Rockridge/Piedmont location often gets several more days without fog than Berkeley.

The other nice thing about the R/P area is that it is very conveniently located near BART with quick access to all four directions (SF/Valley/North Bay/South Bay). R/P also have some really nice restaurants and shops along College Ave.

R/P is situated in the Oakland Hills so it is also possible to find a place with spectacular views of the Bay and SF!

Rent is probably a little higher than Berkeley, but I think you'll really enjoy the neighborhood!

(CLICK HERE for a map of the area)


Another location to consider is Emeryville. During the 80's Emeryville became the hot new location for the artistic crowds which came in and renovated several abandoned warehouses and turned them into living spaces. In the early 90's Emeryville began to attract several up and coming architects who continued the gentrification of Emeryville and the warehouse district creating some of the most sought after chic warehouse living spaces which have attracted a wide range of inhabitants from artists to engineers.

With the rebirth of Emeryville, several high profile companies and retail stores have moved into the area and have made it a very interesting and diverse neighborhood.

You can also find some rental units with excellent views of the Bay if you look at some of the taller warehouses and apartment buildings near the Bay.

 

[Dave Mack]

Thanx, Nils

We actually have looked at an apt. in the PPP building in Emeryville. (The tall one) It was a bit small, but they do have bigger one bedrooms. Gym and a pool would be nice too!
The one thing that's aggravating is the ratio of apts. that accept pets, (dogs in particular) to ones that don't is about 1:15....! So we are extremely limited. For example, I just typed into a craigslist search, one bedroom, $1500 or under... 262 apts. popped up. I add cats, dogs... there are only 16 left!!!!

:frowning:

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

BTW: I strongly recommend a few visits to the dog park at Point Isabel Regional Shoreline. This is one of the best dog parks in the country! They have areas for all types of breeds and personalities to enjoy including a beach area for the swimming dogs, huge tall grassy fields for the hunting dogs, short cut grassy fields for frisbee dogs, long wide trails for the running dogs, dense tree area for searching dogs, and plenty of areas for digging dogs.

On the weekends, you'll see just about every breed of dog there is at that park, and yet almost never do you see an aggressive altercation. It really is quite a remarkable dog park!

Here are some useful links:

(CLICK HERE for info on the Park by the East Bay Regional Park District)

(CLICK HERE for more info on the Park by Point Isabel Dog Owners club)

(CLICK HERE for info about the Mudpuppy's Tub & Scrub and the Sit & Stay Cafe located at the Park)

(CLICK HERE for a Google Map of the Park - the area highlighted in green is only one part of the park, it actually extends much farther North including the adjacent Peninsula, and all along the coast line to the jetty)

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

Dave,

If you are hunting for a rental or even to buy property, you might want to check out www.HousingMaps.com which has very cleverly combined the rental listings from www.Craigslist.com with Google Maps.

Just a quick look at the listings for the SF-East Bay showed quite a few properties - just remember to adjust the price range according to your needs, as they do not list all the properties for all price ranges at once.

 

[Dave Mack]

Thanx Nils!

We actually just got a rental in Berkeley as of last nite. Back 1/2 of a house. Duplex with yard.

Now all I need is a job! d

 

[Haggai]

Whereabouts in Berkeley did you guys end up, Dave?