Living in SF and commuting to PA/Menlo?
Starting my FT gig at a bank in Palo/Menlo area, but have heard that the place is a pretty desolate area compared to SF. How feasible is it to commute from SF (or South SF/Daly City) to Palo? Do people usually do this? Or are people just living in the area?
If you have any experience with this, lmk thanks
Is there good public transpo? Would a bank pay for an Uber that far home? How long/rough do y’all think the commute would be?
You'll have to pay the uber in the mornings which will set you back 40 bucks a day at least.
Why would you commute daily to PA when you have no time to enjoy SF anyways? I'd rather drive or walk to work for 5 mins/day then commute into the city on the weekends if/when you actually have free time
All the alumni I know working in MP/PA live in MP/PA
Would not recommend. Not sure you want to commute / drive 30-40 minutes to and from work (so ~1hr+ round trip per day, depending on traffic) with the hours you're pulling in IB. Will cut into your sleep and frankly increase your risk of having a car accident (speeding on the highway sleep deprived at 4am is a bad move) PA and Menlo are very boring places but you can just work there during the week and go up to SF when you want to go out.
Definitely not ideal since driving sucks, but it can be done. You’ll definitely want a car. I live in SF and face either 30-35 min commute to SF with public transportation, or 40-45 min commute to Palo Alto by driving and assuming no traffic. As long as the bank is flexible on arrival time, and as long as they’ll give you a round trip Uber back if you’re working really late, you’ll be fine. Lots of if’s but it can be done.
Not worth as an analyst. It's an option if you have a more predictable workload / life
Don't do it. I lived/worked in the valley pre-COVID and my colleagues who commuted from the city routinely saw 70min commute times when driving, and catching CalTrain can be a real drag. Especially if you live in the Marina, Sunset, Richmond, PacHeights, Nob Hill etc.
Maybe consider living in some of the younger areas on the peninsula? Burlingame, Redwood City, and San Carlos are all nice enough and have plenty to do at night.
I did it, but wasn't in IB. Would do it again, but not if I was working more than I was (~55/60hrs a week). I got in early pre-market so missed traffic on both ends most days.
The commute sucks and I couldn't imagine doing it with IB hours. That said, you're right that Palo Alto is kind of boring in your early 20s.
FWIW I knew a guy at EVR Palo Alto who lives in SF and he seemed to hate his life more than a standard analyst.
Short answer: no. Long answer: driving it'll be 60 miles minimum roundtrip. Gas adds up, going south in the morning on 101 or 280 is a fucking nightmare. Caltrain is possible, but'll take an hour out of your morning. Uber would be too expensive. PA isn't as desolate as everyone says, and it won't matter if you live in SF bc you won't have time to do anything
Did the commute from SF to PA and it's basically an hour minimum down and back. Used to almost fall asleep every morning down because of how stop and go it is. If you don't want to die, live close by. As someone mentioned, there are some small pockets along the peninsula where other young people do reside and have fun.
Don’t be stupid. Live PA or redwood city area which is starting to get a young fun vibe. That commute every morning is stupid, once ur ready to settle down... start looking at Hillsborough/Atherton/Portola Valley
Your best bet is to live downtown and to take the caltrain every morning (don't think it runs late at night so good luck getting back).
I was at a Palo/Menlo bank and half my office commuted from SF. I lived in Palo/Menlo and drove up to the city on weekends. The extra sleep was worth it!
Animi doloribus pariatur qui sunt nostrum. Doloribus dolorem quia aperiam facere neque officia sed. Eos enim velit quidem deleniti consectetur vel sunt ducimus. Id in laudantium occaecati eaque. Laboriosam consequatur quia amet sed quas laboriosam optio sed.
Excepturi et ea quo sunt cupiditate. Eum explicabo non reiciendis sed. Est atque voluptatibus ex quos ut.
Molestias ratione accusantium tempora aut debitis commodi iusto. Ut nulla ut enim aut similique expedita.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...