Moved to sf and I hate it - any advice ?
Monkeys - moved to SF for tech PE job after 2 years in NYC for IB gig last July and I’m hating it.
Has anyone done a similar move and have tips on how to adjust? Wouldn’t say I’m in my hedonist phase of life still but it’s been hard making friends, everything closes early, and hours still suck
Appreciate any tips, fighting the temptation to quit and go back to nyc
Your best bet is to quit and move back to NYC. Trust me, I was in the exact same boat and it won’t get much better
How long did you stick it out for and was it hard finding a PE gig in nyc as a lateral?
Stuck it out for a year for the bonus and it was not pretty. Not easy to find another gig but it's doable. IMO, wasn't worth living life in SF. Felt like I was wasting away my mid-20's. It's as simple as that. Again, just my opinion and to each their own. Unfortunately a lot of sought-after tech PE/growth/VC gigs are out there but for those who don't like SF already, you will either learn the hard way (like I did) or suffer through the associate years and come back (or perhaps, find an SO out there and stay if that's your thing).
Same exact advice. Same exact boat as you (hated it 2-3 months in). Ended up quitting and did fine. Think a lot of ppl in finance know SF is just not it.
Check this thread, some good advice there. What neighborhood are you living in? What are your hobbies?
https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/private-equity/why-does-sf-suck-s…
Bay Area native here. A few problems for finance expats.
1. it’s a tech city and it shows in every way
2. it closes super early, almost no true night life compared to other big cities I’ve lived in (NYC/London). Fine if you’re in tech and are ready to go out at 7Pm but not helpful otherwise
3. most activities are outdoor/daytime/day trip (Monterey/Lake Tahoe/big sur) which is great if you’ve already got a social circle and have ample free time (because you work in tech) but not helpful otherwise.
move back to nyc if u can afford to find a new job. needed just one day visiting a friend in sf to realize: 1) public transit is sh*t, 2) city is not being managed well, 3) lack of diverse ppl, 4) no nightlife, etc.. props to all sf ppl, but not my cup of tea
Sf is as if not more diverse than nyc what? Esp the nyc that finance people hang out in which is a rectangle below 14th st
NYC is in a league of its own in terms of attractiveness for young people. You can’t fairly compare it to any other city in the US. I was sorely disappointed when I moved to SF thinking it was a nuanced but West Coast equivalent to NYC. For career purposes, if you are a tech investor or interested in startups, the Bay Area is the best in the world. For lifestyle, it’s helpful to understand the dynamic of the Bay Area.
First off, this place is in many ways insular but at the same time penetrable. If you are doing interesting things professionally and you put effort into meeting relevant people, you will make friends. Social life and professional life are more intertwined here than any other place I have lived. If you don’t put any effort into meeting people or are not doing something relevant to the people you are meeting, it’s much harder to make friends. A lot of social life involves invite only events mixed with some sort of commercial interest - explicit or implicit. One way to penetrate the social scene is by going to industry or vendor events.
If you want to remove yourself from this dynamic, you have to have hobbies you are actually interested in. And on this front, it can be any hobby or interest, and you’ll find a group of people who share it. It could be as passive as an interest in a type of music and going to concerts. It’s harder to make friends by just going to bars and clubs.
Do you ski? Best way I've seen of newcomers making a huge group of friends is joining a ski lease for the winter in tahoe
SF is a shit hole
Just moved to SF from nyc too, adjusting hasn’t been the easiest. Hours are an outlier in the 9-2pm tech culture.
Anyone in the same boat wanna do a group happy hr or something? Feel like there are a lot of us
Definitely up for that happy hour
LA is the elite city of the West Coast, not SF
SF certainly isn’t for everyone but I’m someone that’s surprisingly enjoyed my time thus far (moved from east to west coast as well). First the bad. Although people are generally nice, everyone is very career oriented and generally keeps to their own circles. On top of that, there is very little diversity. I’m welcoming of all walks of life but all of my friends seem to be wealthy Asian / Indian Americans or International professionals. They are amazing people but my circle here is much different than it was in nyc. Just stating a fact and not trying to offend anyone. For the positive. I’m very active and enjoy essentially being able to run outdoors, golf, and tennis near year round. The weather is also incredible and has had a very positive impact on my mental well being. I’m not even going to mention cost of living because it is what it is. Nyc is also not cheap but SF is somehow a different animal. Still, I’ve never had to stress about money and have plenty left over to spend on whatever I choose.
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