Location, Location, Location...
2-Part Question.
New York vs Chicago vs Los Angeles vs London vs Other
1.) This question is probably a no brainer, but IYO, which is best for IB?
2.) Personally, which location would you prefer?
2-Part Question.
New York vs Chicago vs Los Angeles vs London vs Other
1.) This question is probably a no brainer, but IYO, which is best for IB?
2.) Personally, which location would you prefer?
| +195 | Investment Banks Ranked By Your Divorced Blue Collared Uncle | 17 | 1h |
| +156 | Think Twice before Recruiting for HOUSTON IB!! | 65 | 2d |
| +137 | UBS Exits 2026 | 39 | 12m |
| +58 | Congrats on the ROs. I Still Don’t Know Which One You Were | 8 | 9h |
| +40 | Mid-Level UBS Departure for another BB (Grass Isn’t Greener…) | 31 | 3d |
| +39 | Did not get a return offer due to headcount, but happy to move on. | 8 | 16h |
| +37 | IB RO Discussion | 6 | 3d |
| +32 | GS - Low Bonus | 23 | 22h |
| +29 | Lied about bonus to future employer | 17 | 32m |
| +28 | Early VP promo timeline | 15 | 1d |
Career Resources
Seems like a beautiful city and the surrounding suburbs are really nice. At least thats what Ive heard.
Im not sure how much of a player Chicago is when it comes to IB, but Im pretty sure UBS has a group in Chicago.
1) NYC or SFbay (especially 4 Tech) 2) LA 3) Elsewhere
NY is my preference, it's lively and dynamic. There's something for everyone there. Transportation is convenient. There's shopping, culture, and incredible diversity of people.
New York is the only place where many other people work as much as you do. Everybody hits the bars hard and late, as opposed to earlier elsewhere. Also, the money and opportunities are in NYC. Chicago is pretty 2nd rate for banking and LA... the hardworking culture doesn't seem to fit. San Francisco would be better than LA.
New York.
if you want to do tech banking, SF bay area is the hot spot
Same goes for Healthcare, west coast is where you want to be
New York is sweet...I hope to check it out when I'm finished with banking in New York.
i have worked in new york and london. you might think new york is the best, but actually there is more m&a in europe right now.
if you live in london, getting paid in pounds is key. when you go back to the us you can treat everyone for dinner because the US everything is so cheap...
london is also nice because the work / life culture is more balanced. lots of cheap airfare to continental europe - spain, italy, switzerland are only a few hours away.
are investment banks found just in big cities? (I live in the suburbs (about 1hr from NYC))
Aut quaerat a veritatis possimus blanditiis. Facilis ea et dicta facilis eos.
Eveniet dolor sint porro voluptas animi voluptatem. Quasi quo laborum aliquid aliquid consequatur. Odit in quisquam sunt molestiae soluta vel rem. Sequi sed expedita illo iure velit.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...