Best city to live in the US for an European

For someone working in an American bank in Europe who would like to do come to the US for a 18-24 months rotation ? In terms of lifestyle / weather / parties... 

I love the beach and surfing but can't bear a totally superficial culture. Obviously NYC seems to be at the top but isn't it too expensive? What about LA? 

Thanks for the insights :) 

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I've been considering moving too. I'm looking at Stamford, Chicago or Miami. Texas also sounds cool and I'd go to South Carolina if I got a good salary but nobody there does...

 
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I think the cities most Europeans would enjoy (if it’s a European-style city you’re looking for) are NY, Boston, and SF. I say that because those cities have lots of expats, a culture that is very international-focused rather than just American, and well-developed public transit systems, similar to a lot of European cities. Chicago might also fit the bill as well - although I’ll caveat that with the fact that Chicago has a Midwestern feel to it that is less international than the others above. Still a great city though that you could enjoy, you’re just much more likely to work with people that grew up in the Midwest and have ties to the region vs. NY where your coworkers might be from around the world.

Missing from my list that others might argue should be included: LA (incredibly sprawling, very limited public transportation, doesn’t really resemble Europe at all), Washington DC (government-focused with some finance but odds are that your bank won’t have an IB office there), Houston (surprisingly a ton of expats working in oil but the finance scene is a good old boys club of Texans that are generally more conservative than you’re used to), Philadelphia (not really an IB hub given proximity to NY).

 

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