Is it easier to get into PE shops working in SF or NYC?

Based on what I've seen firsthand, I would argue it's no easier or harder as long as you come from a comparable group. I would argue that because it's easier for NY shops to recruit from NY and West Coast shops to recruit from the West Coast, that you'll see more of the SF analysts staying on the West Coast. You'll probably see more NY analysts going to the West Coast for buyside jobs than vice versa simply becuase of the glut of talent coming out of NY. The industry group I worked for had an SF component and all of them placed very well (with big West Coast shops, I might add). I attribute this placement entirely to the small size of the group and the relationships they were able to build with senior MD's, definitely a big advantage to being in a small group with good deal flow, your seniors get to know you very well.

Alot of it is just logistics. If you're a West Coast analyst looking to interview in NY, you have to fly in the night before your interview and by the time you get back, your day is over. So one final round can take up a full day and a half, which is hard to justify when you're working so much.