living in san francisco vs. nyc | one year later

0:00 intro
1:10 weather and nature
3:20 transportation
5:02 homelessness
6:04 generalization #1
7:11 generalization #2
8:11 summary
9:40 reflections

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#sanfrancisco #sf #newyorkcity #nyc

[el_puma_real]

I agree, pick a city that suits your way of life. I was born and raised in SF so I have a bias. But I have a lot of family in NYC so I can appreciate it for what it is. To me, SF is a scaled down version of NYC with better/closer access to woodlands and you're into that.

[mrmotomoto]

100% it comes down to relationships. You could be in the most beautiful place on the planet and without someone to share it with, it won’t be as meaningful. On the flip side, you could be surrounded by people who love you and make you feel special in any hotel room in any city, and be content.

[timlinator]

As a native New Yorker who moved to SF Bay Area 30 years ago to start my career in tech. Mostly agree with you. NYC better for transportation and SF better for weather and outdoor activities. NYC is probably more walkable but many parts of SF are very walkable. Issue on homeless being more visible maybe because the weather allows you to sleep outside in SF year round, whereas in NYC you will freeze to death in the winter. There are tent cities in SF because the weather permits it.

[danielmrtns]

If faced with the choice between NYC and SF, know that these are cities “from different shelves”. NYC can be better compared to São Paulo, Mexico City, Shanghai, Paris. These are centers of the universe, and you know it when you’re there: pace, vibe, energy, crowd, etc. SF “feels” so much more like a midsize city. It’s much less crowded, slower paced, more spaced out. In fact, SF often reminds me much more of Queens (except the weather), not Manhattan.

[fergman]

Tahoe is 200 miles from That like saying one of the benefits of living in Manhattan is hiking in Washington DC.

[suecox]

San Francisco's 750K population doesn't begin to compare with New York's 8 million. New York is busier, more crowded, and higher energy, but San Francisco is a small city with big city muscles. The climate and the easy access to a variety of outdoor activities help it to win on points and the city also punches above its weight, with national sports teams, a world class symphony and ballet company, a vibrant art scene, hundreds of terrific restaurants, and a lot of the other major city "must haves." I'm a fan.

[woofytwoshoes]

I prefer SF, but one cool thing about NYC is the SHEER CONCENTRATION of diversity within a square block. As accepting and diverse as SF is, it's not integrated near the level of NYC which makes for an interesting local culture.

[themisportsnetwork]

Totally agree with the more laid-back energy of SF compared to NYC and having visited NYC recently, I would say SF is most similar to Brooklyn out of the five boroughs.

[AChagoyen]

I love your analysis. I grew up in NYC and have lived in SF for 5 yrs. I would say you're pretty spot on.

[melbaker]

From someone who moved here in 1992. We are in drought so you usually do need an umbrella in the Winter months. Normally wet Winters do give you a sense of season here, rainy season turns the hills green with Winter rain, Summer is bathed in our wonderful fog and fall is Summer. The hills change color from green to gold to brown. Also, the streets are generally more full of people, but the pandemic changed that. Once things are back to normal you will see a lot more people out and about at all times of day and night. (A new law will also allow venues to stay open to 4 am, which will help give you that sense of a 24/7 city.) The initial tech boom of the last decade did reduce the arts and nightlife, because the newest generation of young people who came to the city were hyper focused on their careers, working more and playing less. The San Francisco of old tended to be more focused on people discovering themselves. I moved here from the east coast 30 years ago giving up a high powered career to experience that culture. Now NYC and SF have more in common when it comes to people being career focused. Welcome to the city by the bay. Any place can be a home, if you engage with its history, culture and people Make sure whichever place you choose, that you come to contribute and engage with it, not simply consume it. That's good advice for anywhere you wish to settle.

[misterkiller]

This is a cool analysis, I used to live in NYC and now live in SF. Def a different vibe, but they're both cool in completely different ways.

[davidrice]

As someone who lives in Manhattan and visits S.F. often....I would say that this is a very good and compact assessment of both cities. And, yes...who you associate with is very important irregardless of where you chose to live.

[danielgloverpiano]

Excellent summary, Michael. I had the great privilege of living in both Manhattan and San Francisco over 15 years each. I agree about just about everything. Walkability is really at the top of my list. I lived for one year between the two in the US Virgin Islands. Talk about contrast! The homeless visibility has to do with the climate mostly. NYC simply doesn’t have space to set up tents, and businesses would chase them out in no time. It’s about tolerance, too. As a professional classical musician, NYC has way more going on, but it got overwhelming after a while. SF has just the right amount and I don’t feel as if I’m always missing something. SF is definitely more laidback, and as we get older this can become more desirable. The almost manic energy of NY becomes almost too much at times. It would be ideal to have an apartment in each city, and when you get tired, you can go to the other one.

[californiaxfresh]

dude, this vid had such good energy/vibes. well said!

[nathandessalegne]

Love the concise and calm explanation of it. I think people look too much outwardly on making living decisions instead of being honest with what they really want!

[mrmarzo]

SF certainly has all types of people. Whether you want to hang out with an artistic group, outdoor hikers, techies, gamers, to socialites. You can choose your crowd albeit in a more smaller city.

I’ve been living here for 20 years now but one thing I notice is how dirty the city is getting. It wasn’t as bad before but I’m noticing it spreading in the downtown area more and more. Everywhere else is still really clean. I live in Nob Hill so maybe I just need to move to a different neighborhood. I’m glad you’re enjoying what the city has to offer. I’d recommend checking out Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods for some awesome weekend hiking.

[luplew]

Your video brings back a lot of great memories from my 3 week trip to the SF/Oakland area 4 years ago. Loved SF/Oakland except for the Tenderloin of course. Chinatown is definitely one of my favorite memories, the food, walking across the golden gate bridge, the beach with a great view of the bridge, and the streetcar ride (talk about hills). I grew up and worked my whole life in the NYC/NJ metro area so I am a bit bias. But SF is a beautiful city. I cannot wait to get back there! Great video. Thanks for sharing!

[natalieohlsson]

Love this. I lived in SF for 10 years with no car, zero problem for me. Plus, cars get broken into a lot there and parking can be a pain.

[unstablecoin]

This deserves a lot more views. Great video, chill vibes, clear information, high quality shots... 👌

[jerryjavier]

Its nice hearing what other thinks, though I have to say I 100% disagree that you need a car in SF. I got rid of my car when I moved here. It’s very walkable. You get used to the hills (plus they equal great views and toning!). Most things in the city are in walking distance, plus you can bike, scooter, bus, BART or MUNI underground. Plus, the temperate weather is very inviting for a walk.