I've accepted a new position, put in my notice, and in a couple of weeks will be moving to SF. I've been an analyst at a well-known PERE company in Chicago for the past year and a half, and am taking a new role at a smaller, more entrepreneurial shop where I'll get to do a lot more (and make more).
I'm stoked about the job and I like SF from the times I've visited, but most friends I have that have lived there hated it. They mainly bitched about the homeless, the girls (i.e. the lack of hot ones), and the overall stuffy/lib culture.
What was the move like for other transplants to SF (from NYC, Chicago, or elsewhere)? Any advice is welcome.
There's a lot of threads about this:
https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/should-i-live-in-san-francisco-o…
https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/san-francisco-sucks
https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/san-francisco-quality-of-life
https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/bankingliving-in-san-francisco
There is a serious problem in California. San-Francisco. The homeless problem is beyond what even I can explain. After staying there with a bit, the homeless tents everywhere, needles and human feces defecation everywhere. The city program even gives clean needles to people who have a drug problem. Chicago is dangerous, there is a reason why they call the city Chiraq, the level of violence is unimaginable. It's your choice and decision.
I'm sorry that you have to live in SF. Thoughts and prayers.
sarcasm lol?
Nope. SF and Seattle are truly horrendous cities.
I would get rubber boots to help wade through hobo crap on the streets.
I've seen a few threads here where people shit on SF. While homelessness / lack of attractive women qualms carry water, the threads are disproportionately negative.
I grew up outside of NYC and lived in SF for ~5 years after college and I loved it. I visit whenever I can. While I do think certain aspects of the city have deteriorated of late, it is still a pretty cool place. Just depends on the neighborhoods you frequent.
Cons:
Homelessness / lunatics: this was not good when I first arrived and it has definitely gotten worse. But homelessness is getting worse everywhere. It was mostly confined to the tenderloin and parts of the fidi, but it has spread. And yes, you'll see needles on the street. If you are used to living in Chi/NYC this won't be too much of a shock.
Women: the 49er phenomenon is real. Dating there was lousy. And every time I went back to NY I was shocked by how I had forgotten that women could actually be physically attractive. Yes many of them are stuck up.
Tech culture: when I arrived, Uber was still limited to black cars and was barely known. The presence of the startups and money has definitely worn away some of the culture of the city.
Progressives: there are a lot of them but there are a lot of them everywhere in this era.
Pros:
Most of the neighborhoods are great to live in. PM me if you want suggestions. If you can get a rent controlled unit that's money in the bank.
Food/bar scene is great. I've never been a club person and the nightlife there was just my speed.
Football at 10am on Sundays/5:30pm on Mondays
Wine country / tahoe / marin. You can literally ski in the morning at heavenly and then drive back and surf ocean beach in the afternoon.
Weather is OK year round so you pay squadoosh for utilities.
Many others
In your opinion, do you think doing IB in SF, then moving back to NYC (to continue IB or some tech buyside gig) is doable? Or is it kind of “once you’re west coast you’re stuck there”. Hoping to move back to NYC in a few years due to family reasons..
Grew up in an affluent Chicago suburb and moved to the Bay Area after grad, so I agree with a lot of what's here. I'll also add that the Bay Area (outside of SF but even parts of SF) has many extremely nice suburbs, so the homelessness and other issues aren't a long-term problem if you decide to stay in the area. The hate for SF on these threads is definitely disproportionately negative - agreed there. If you're an outdoors person, there's a lot to love about the Bay. If you're looking for crazy nightlife, then NYC or LA might be more your place from my experiences. The girls point is fair. Again, NYC and LA are significantly better in that area, but I have still met many great women. I will just admit that it's noticeably more difficult.
Absolutely
There are really shitty parts of the city you need to avoid. Avoid those and you'll be fine. Tenderloin and certain southern parts of SOMA.
The people..... idk... i've lived here for a while now so I'm in a sense used to it. Maybe i even contribute to it but there's this backwards elitist feeling in tech not dissimilar to finance in NYC. The only difference is it's strangely more subtle lol
Make the best of a bad situation. Pick up a surf board and hit up Ocean Beach don't let the hipster, meth head techies keep you in doors.
Welcome to Cali. Can I still say that if I ditched it for AZ?
I’m so sorry ur gonna have to move here.
at least ull be able to enjoy $45 pasta for lunch
LOL i am so sorry. unless ur actually like the city and want to move there, ur NOT gonna like the city. an absolute shit hole to say the least
San Francisco is one of the worst cities in America - I would rather jump off the GGB than live in that garbage heap called a city
Haha rip
Great weather, and a great place to live if you are a millionaire.
What if ur not a millionaire?
Then you are f*cked
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