NYC:

-awesome 24hr subways

-unlimited neighborhoods and cultures

-warm, caring good vibe people

-people not as independent as SF (Im still noticing it, NYers are a little more clingy to each other friendwise)

-summer sucks

-people are very clean, smell good, take showers

-people take better care of themselves compared to SF (lookswise)

-sometimes pretentious

-more into image

-seems a little more conservative

-lots of people everywhere

-energetic

-not as hip

-confident

-very attractive women

-inviting

SF:

-more bums per capita

-SHITTY mass transit (i lived in fillmore 3 miles from sfsu and it take me 1 hour to get to school, compared to 125th st in harlenm to 14st unionsq in 20 min on subway, that 100+blocks!)

-trains close at 9pm

-busses lag

-DT and many other areas smell of piss & feces

-also inside the trains/busses

-step out of your house..gonna be asked for change every 10 minutes on the street

-honestly, SF club venues FADE NYC! Sorry, if your a club goer or into independent music, SF scene is great and better than NYC. There are more venues coming and going compared to NYC’s same old venues just getting renamed. BUT, nyc doesnt have that dumb 2am drink limit. So it evens out.

-age demographic is majority 20-late 30s, not too many gray hairs.

-not even close to NYC cultural diversity

-independent

-good food ratio, NY seems to still have too many crap spots mixed in with good spots

-nice weather

-anti image

-anti american

-very european attitude

-conceited

-too into themselves

-takes their time

-dilly dally

-openness to meeting new people

…

Im a little on both sides on this; but, maybe not fair as I am very new to NY. Here are my 2 cents anyways (maybe even a pocket full of change)

Im just reading through a few google comparos b/n the 2 cities, and find many replies entertaining. Much of them are vague generalizations, as well with a few great replies. As stated many times already, comparing SF and NYC is like comparing a cat and a microwave. It also truly depends on the individual’s likes, dislikes, age, culture, background, etc., etc.

So far I find nyc to be overwhelming in just about everything. When I first touched down, I had kind of a denial about nyc - regarding vibe, food, people, etc. (a common trait to SF, where they are bigheaded and too into themselves thinking they are #1 mentality). But, as each day passes and as I get more and more used to this grand megalopolis, the more and more I fall in love with it.

I used to think SF has the best quality food (quality over quantity) than nyc, and every other day I find an equivalent or better place here (not to mention even new introductions to cultural food that is not available in SF (or prolly never will be; ie: west indies, african, latin, jamaican, etc.). Yes, some of my SF faves are Burma Superstar, Bamboo Village, TuLan for soul viet and so on, but I can find it here in nyc too.

I left SF because like someone else mentioned here, I felt it’s “boundaries” quite quickly after the first 2 years. Yes, you can venture outside the city if you like the outdoors, wine country, the burbs, (and farmland valleys lol). But, as aforesaid, that depends on YOU. And Im not really into the burb, desolate areas (as i was raised in them and sick of them). I can already tell that living in nyc even for many years that there will always be a strange and new neighborhood, culture, people and opportunity that will arise. Sorry, but in SF, there is not much to explore as compared to nyc.

Someone also mentioned the unreplicable experiences with crossing the brklyn bridge, etc, etc. Ive done all that in nyc already and it is great. SF also has beautiful things to do like crossing the GG bridge, viewing the city from the lookout on marin, hiking up bernal heights for a skyline view, hiking up twin peaks for a diff angle of the skyline, etc. I’d say I enjoy the SF views a little more as they seem more serene.

Now the People; many people here say SF is cliquey. I totally have to disagree with that as I find nyc people to be just that (maybe I have only had a handful of experiences, so I cannot truly say). SF only contains like 30% natives, everyone else is a transplant or immigrant. This makes for a very open to meeting new people kind of attitude. As where nyc, it seems that they do not like making new friends as often (but still do much more than compared to many other cities, so dont get me wrong)

BUT, at the same time SF people can be quite cold, snooty, snobbish, rude, complain alot, too serious (no humor, very rare for people to be sarcastic). This is a big reason I wanted to leave SF. Although I made many friends in SF, I felt nyc people to be much more open, inviting, hospitable, warm, caring..all while still having the big city attitude.

SF can be very rude towards tourists, non-natives. NYC people are very nice in this regard and ive never heard any shit talking towards tourists. Example I overheard while on a bus: A group/family of german tourists about to board a bus ask the bus driver directions. At the same time a few people sitting next to me sneer, maddog the tourist and speak under their breath “stupid fucking tourists!”. This happens ALL the time. It seems that SF “tries” too hard to have a big-city attitude by being rude, etc. Also, I always see people (hipster kids) spitting on cop cars, kicking cop cars, other rude behavior, etc. I actually dont mind, as Im a young kid at heart too and find it kinda amusing; but, you might not like it.

In contrast, nyc people are super warm amd caring towards tourists needing directions, comforting frazzled tourists/non-natives, nice towards cops, etc. This is what I LOVE about nyc. It feels soo humanistic that SF will NEVER be. But, sometimes, nyc people can be a tad too confident at times and sometimes need to take a deep breathe and think things through without rushing (SF has no problem with this and this is def what I like about SF, they take their time, maybe too much time for an east coaster). I guess Ill just have to get used to nyc’s confident fast ways. When I do, then all the greater.

And someone also said and a replier asked: SF celebrates culture, nyc has alot of culture. I can def see this. NYC no doubt had the most cultural diversity in the US and also celebrates it; but, with SF, when a new culture comes about, SF embraces it with everything it has and welcomes it. As where nyc, it is nothing new to them and is an everyday occurrence so it isnt as “special”. I heard on a photographer documentary, “SF “tries too much to be like europe”, and it does and is also successful at it, especially the snobbish attitude against american patriotism (which i also dont mind one bit, but some will).

I can keep writing my opinions and generalizations, but im getting tired of comparing for now. These are just brief positives and negatives about both.

If you want SF steez, this would be very possible in nyc. Greenpoint and Williamsburg (as well as prospec heights, park slope, etc.) seem very much like SF, architecture, people, chill, vibe, wise. NYC just has everything you want, need or are looking for (well, maybe not the magnificent views of bernal heights or twin peaks, lol

good luck

NYC is all about what you know - it’s about the neighborhoods (Williamsburg, Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Ft Greene, LES, East Village, West Village, etc), small restaurants that no one visiting would necessarily go to, the boutique shops, etc. I HATED NYC (for many reason mentioned - overcrowding, feeling like a number) when I first moved here but once you find your way, it’s an amazing city. You have everything you need here - and you find your communities.

Interestingly enough, when I recently visited SF in October, I likened it to a mini Manhattan (Union Square/Market St) with Brooklyn being like all the neighborhoods within the city. Brooklyn Heights being like Pacific Heights, Noe Valley being like Park Slope, Bernal Heights like Williamsburg (or what B’burg used to be like before it became ultra popular) and so on and so forth…which I LOVED. Because for me, NYC is all about the community and SF felt the same way.

Yes, we have amazing museums, renowned restaurants, large corporations driving business, but it’s the communities that make up the heart of this city. There are definitely areas I don’t travel to as much (UWS, UES, Tribeca) simply because I don’t necessarily have to so I don’t have much to say about those neighborhoods. I tend to love Brooklyn - seems a little more down to earth. I lived in Manhattan for awhile but couldn’t find a community like I could in Brooklyn. Just my personal experience.

As far as real estate, we pay $3000/month for a 2 BR, 2 1/2 bath, new condo unit on the border of Williamsburg in Greenpoint. Williamsburg is quickly pricing out people - and we make a decent living. We have a son though and needed space. We have 1700 sq ft in Greenpoint for the same price as what 900 would have landed us in Williamsburg. Literally just a street away from the border. And a 1 BR in Williamsburg is going for around 700K.

I have to say that what I miss most about the West coast is the quality of life. I miss hiking, biking, etc - and we’re outdoorsy people. And East coast snowboarding - well, it just sucks. The access to anywhere to go hiking etc, is pretty far. You’re looking at about 45 minutes driving to get ANYWHERE outside of the City and that’s without traffic. Last weekend, it took me an hour just to get to the Holland Tunnel. 9 miles away.

NYC is really about just that, NYC and all that it has to offer. I say that it takes about a year to get yourself fully accustomed to the way of life, subway traveling, exactly where to go for the best food, or where to shop for exotic groceries (like Jackson Heights, Queens for Indian Food) or East Williamsburg for the amazing Italian Bakeries (like Fortunato Brothers).

Regarding coffee, SF may have us beat but there are definitely pockets of good places. Don’t look for them in mid-town or any other touristy area though. They are around though. Trust me.

The San Francisco Bay Area is far more diverse (geographically) than the greater New York area, making for far better weekend getaways. SF is surrounded by greenbelts, a beautiful (but cold water) coast, and plenty of organic farms that provides SF with some of the freshest, healthiest produce. Couple that with the vineyards of Napa, the oyster farms and dairies of western Marin, and the salmon and dungeoness crab that roam our Pacific coast for some good eating. And if you’re adventurous enough, you can even go collect your own abalone! All within an hour or two of the city. Back to the weekend getaways… If you’re willing to go a bit farther, say 3 to 4 hours away, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Mendocino, Monterey, are all right there.

As for the city proper, both cities have their shortcomings. Public transportation in San Francisco could definitely improve, but population densitiy is a general requirement for an efficient public transit system (e.g. Tokyo and Hong Kong), as well as other goods and services. From a population density standpoint, I’d say SF is just about perfect for my taste. Enough people to consume/provide a diversity of goods and services, but not so much that it’s always crowded everywhere.

SF and NY are both ethnically diverse, but different. SF has a higher percentage of Asians and Mexicans, while New York has more non-Mexican Hispanics, and more Africans. NY definitely has a far greater variety of South American, Carribean, and African restaurants, something I wish SF had a bit more of.

In any case, this is really a silly comparison, because everybody has different needs/desires. I’ve thought about relocating to NYC temporarily, but have since lost that desire after several subsequent visits. At least people in NYC are more polite than they used to be (maybe it’s my imagination).

Quality of life is definately better in SF! People here care about having a life! It’s not a badge of honor to say you work 15 hour days. In fact, most people in SF would consider you a loser if you bragged about that. In NY, people are so busy trying to “get ahead” and outdo each other it gets to the point they are work-obsessed –too bad there’s no time to enjoy it all the money they make!

Nightlife in SF bites! Clearly if you’re into the club/going out scene NY is WAY better! There’s a ton to choose from, places are open until 4am, it’s a lifestyle of having fun at night. Clubs are completely lame and boring in SF…then again, everything closes by 2am since people are active and want to get up early to do healthy athletic stuff. Here it depends if you’re 20-30 something and want to hook up and go out it’s the place. If you’re settled or not into that scene any more SF is much more relaxed and free time is spent doing healthy endeavors.

Food I think is equal for both although NY has more choice - then again, you can’t beat the wine country within proximity to SF or all the great produce from local farmers

Weather - freeze your ass in the winter(NY), freeze your ass in the summer(SF)…you pick!

Real estate - you definately get more for your $$ in SF - you may pay the same costs up front for an apt, but you have a garage included in that price (yeah you can have a car in sF and it’s not a total nightmare!!!) and don’t have to pay 1000s for doormen(or their tips at the end of the year)…

People - ny there is way more variety and fewer total geeks than SF…I’ve seen so many movie/TV/political/corporate starts walking around the streets of NY …in SF? hmmm… I saw Willie Brown the other day chatting up a girl half his age at Myth restaurant…

Proximity to cool places …SF -Mexico, Hawaii…NY - Europe, Carribbean…you decide

…..so in the end my friends it all adds up to what you’re looking for…I think either way you can’t go wrong!

NYC has better food and vibe. SF has better weather in the winter. Both have overpriced real estate with NYC having better selection, quality and value. Both have crappy public schools, but nobody sends their kids to public school anyway.

Aside from NYC and SF (and maybe Chicago), there is not much character in US cities.