Working in NYC or Bay Area?
Wanted to know people's opinions on working in NYC or the Bay Area. Have an EB offer in NYC and an EB offer in the Bay. I'm interested in technology, primarily fintech. At both places, I would be exposed to tech teams.
I'm honestly pretty turned off by the Bay Area due to the crime rates and open drug use, was wondering if I should reconsider. My goal is to exit after a few years to a 50ish person high growth startup in a somewhat senior BD role.
EDIT: I am bullish on Miami long term and that is where I want to be in my mid to late 20s. I don't think it will be long before SF proper has a complete exodus.
I forgot to add, I would be working in SF proper for this firm, so the crime and drug use is particularly in my face.
Have you ever spent significant time in SF? As someone who spends 4-6 weeks a year there and who has family that lived there, I don’t think crime or drug use is anywhere near “in your face” (although to be fair I haven’t been there during the pandemic due to travel restrictions). If you live in a nice area (assuming you would) and work in the standard areas I don’t see much of a problem.
I personally like nyc more, but SF has a lot going for it (skiing, beaches, napa, national parks all very close). You can find a lot to do in the area and have lots of great weekend getaways. Also, since you are interested in tech, being in SF will be an advantage.
At the end of the day, it’s a personal preference. NYC is pretty different than SF, and if you’ll be happier there go with that, but from a purely career perspective, SF seems to have the slight edge.
Idk where you are getting your information on SF regarding crime and drug use, I'm assuming the news but that is nowhere even close to accurate. Like any larger city there will be pockets crime and whatnot but that is generally concentrated in certain areas, probably not where you will be. I live in Chicago and news outlets like to prop it up as some kind of warzone but that is far from the truth.
SF will probably open more doors into a high growth startup. I would go based on which EB has a stronger tech group-- I'd assume it's SF. Personally, the Bay Area is a great place to be, although I'd still prefer NYC. Haven't encountered any issues with crime or drugs, but I'm unaware of the statistics.
I've lived in both and those aspects that you're worried about aren't really worse in SF than they are in NYC at the end of the day. Which city you'll like will also really depend on your interests. SF is great is you're into surfing, beaches, skiing, hiking, napa and the like but NYC has better nightlife. Another factor is that you don't need to stay in SF after your analyst stint. Many of the tech opportunities at startups are in the South Bay and there are many high-quality cities there with some of the lowest crime rates in the nation. Or you can pursue startup opportunities elsewhere after.
I would mostly suggest focusing on the offer itself and it's difficult to give an opinion on the specific offer without knowing the EB. If it's a place like Qatalyst and you're interested in tech, I would 100% take that no questions asked. Go with the offer with the better tech group. It'll more likely be the one in SF but not necessarily
Can I send you a PM with the firm names? Honestly not sure how to weigh the two.
Go for it. Using this account for anonymity
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