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So I've been visiting Seattle a lot lately (I live In Montana) and I like Seattle a lot from what I've seen this far in total. That said I've been to San Francisco but it's been quite some time since I've given it a visit.
First I will say that I HATE SNOW. I'm very tired on Montana for this reason and perhaps just like Seattle we have cloud cover in the winter that sometimes lasts for weeks without sun.
I know that even in the coldest months in Seattle like January it can still reach 50 and they rarely get snow. The San Francisco area is warmer and I AM A FAN OF WARM WEATHER. I also know that it rains a ton in Seattle. So here's the thing as a city I'm a bigger fan of Seattle but weather wise I think I would prefer SF.
That said I am betting that I am still a bigger fan of Seattle weather VS Montana weather where I currently live. Why should I pick one city over another? Also I don't like all of California's numerous laws/regulations, and I don't like how expensive SF is.
It's hard to choose. What do you guys say? What should I do?
While you may like SF's winter weather more, if you like "warmer" weather you may not like it's summer weather lol. SF is expensive and can be a bit too much for some people. Places like Oakland and Berkeley still offer a more traditional urban environment but not as dense as SF. Other areas in the SF Bay Area are cheaper and offer better weather (ie warmer and sunnier) than the actual city of SF, so they may be worth looking into as well as opposed to just SF proper.
Neither places get much snow. Do you mean San Francisco or the San Francisco Bay Area? There is a difference there. San Francisco Bay area has many micro climates. It can be kind of chilly some places, or it can be blazing hot in others.
I saw your post in the Seattle forum. I think Seattle would be better for you, considering where you're coming from. San Francisco and the Bay Area may be too fast for you coming from a small, less populated area. People in Seattle really aren't nearly as shady, the area is safe, and you won't find yourself walking into a lot of trouble as much. This is a reality in the Bay Area. I would only recommend SF for people who are very use to big and fast cities.
Seattle is big enough to feel like a big city, but small enough not to have a lot of the big city problems (or at least comfortably ignore them). So Seattle is your best bet.
Neither places get much snow. Do you mean San Francisco or the San Francisco Bay Area? There is a difference there. San Francisco Bay area has many micro climates. It can be kind of chilly some places, or it can be blazing hot in others.
I saw your post in the Seattle forum. I think Seattle would be better for you, considering where you're coming from. San Francisco and the Bay Area may be too fast for you coming from a small, less populated area. People in Seattle really aren't nearly as shady, the area is safe, and you won't find yourself walking into a lot of trouble as much. This is a reality in the Bay Area. I would only recommend SF for people who are very use to big and fast cities.
Seattle is big enough to feel like a big city, but small enough not to have a lot of the big city problems (or at least comfortably ignore them). So Seattle is your best bet.
LOL, whose reality? Certainly not mine or anyone else I know in the Bay Area. Shady? Walking into a lot of trouble? WTF lol?
Also the Bay Area doesn't get ANY snow where people live ever.
LOL, whose reality? Certainly not mine or anyone else I know in the Bay Area. Shady? Walking into a lot of trouble? WTF lol?
Also the Bay Area doesn't get ANY snow where people live ever.
The whole dynamic of you "wandering" into a bad area at the wrong time of night, or taking a wrong turn is certainly a reality in the Bay Area. This isn't so much a reality in Seattle. Seattle has it's shady spots, but real stuff doesn't happen in Seattle really. What people consider "bad" in Seattle wouldn't be "bad" anywhere else. Whatever crime is in the Bay Area is legit, far more legit and dangerous. The Bay Area is definitely a place where you need to be far more aware of your surroundings. In Seattle, stuff happens, but you can bet for the most part you're pretty safe most places you go. Even the "ghettos" in Seattle aren't that bad. Compare that to a ghetto in the Bay Area.
And I feel if you're a small town guy, and may be a little green, Seattle is far more accomodating to that type of person. I feel that in the Bay Area, you need big city type alertness, especially when you're in certain areas of Oakland.
The whole dynamic of you "wandering" into a bad area at the wrong time of night, or taking a wrong turn is certainly a reality in the Bay Area. This isn't so much a reality in Seattle. Seattle has it's shady spots, but real stuff doesn't happen in Seattle really. What people consider "bad" in Seattle wouldn't be "bad" anywhere else. Whatever crime is in the Bay Area is legit, far more legit and dangerous. The Bay Area is definitely a place where you need to be far more aware of your surroundings. In Seattle, stuff happens, but you can bet for the most part you're pretty safe most places you go. Even the "ghettos" in Seattle aren't that bad. Compare that to a ghetto in the Bay Area.
It's a reality in SF, Oakland, and maybe a few other places but certainly not the entire "Bay Area" in general. Outside of SF and Oakland it's pretty hard to just "wander" into a bad area that is actually that bad. Most of the Bay Area isn't like SF or Oakland.
Well and that's the thing the "Bay Area" is like a huge mega-city so it's hard to specify where around that area you're talking about. I was also looking at Pleasanton. It looks like it has a very LOW UNEMPLOYMENT rate (though that could be because of retirees I don't know).
It seems like you get the best of all words there. You get great weather in the winter (no snow). You have a smaller town you're in that's not part of SF. If you want to go the the big city though for the night life etc. You're only 30 minutes from the oakland area, and only about 40-45 from San Francisco.
It was just a thought. WHAT DO YOU THINK? Is Pleasanton easier to get a job and cheaper to live? Beyond that point I might have to agree brahn Seattle might be better and at least it can still be in the 50s without snow in Seattle in the winter. I don't like that but to me it's much better than the snow here.
Well and that's the thing the "Bay Area" is like a huge mega-city so it's hard to specify where around that area you're talking about. I was also looking at Pleasanton. It looks like it has a very LOW UNEMPLOYMENT rate (though that could be because of retirees I don't know).
It seems like you get the best of all words there. You get great weather in the winter (no snow). You have a smaller town you're in that's not part of SF. If you want to go the the big city though for the night life etc. You're only 30 minutes from the oakland area, and only about 40-45 from San Francisco.
It was just a thought. WHAT DO YOU THINK? Is Pleasanton easier to get a job and cheaper to live? Beyond that point I might have to agree brahn Seattle might be better and at least it can still be in the 50s without snow in Seattle in the winter. I don't like that but to me it's much better than the snow here.
I'm not sure about Pleasanton. I guess it may be ok, but not sure. First, I'm not sure what is your experience in metro areas, but it's better not to look at a suburb like Pleasanton as it's own small self-contained town. While technically it's autonomous, it does make up the Bay Area, and generally is apart of that overall economy. That's the first thing.
Secondly, I don't know what type of work you do, or plan on doing, but if you're a computer programmer, I don't know of many of those type of jobs around that area. I'm sure there could be somewhere around there, but it may be limited. If you move to the Bay Area, you have to probably get realistic that you're probably not going to work anywhere where you live. People who live where they work are generally considered blessed, as that's not the case for most people.
With that said, a good majority of the jobs are concentrated in San Francisco and the South Bay (Silicon Valley). Those areas are expensive, but that's understandable considering the stuff that's around those areas. If you're only looking at Pleasanton, chances are you'll be looking at an area with a limited amount of jobs.
So with that in mind, you have to think about where you're likely to be working, and if you're ready to deal with the daily commute. And trust me, commutes in the Bay can be hellish for some people. If you don't mind it, then you can always find a cheaper surrounding area. There are a lot of people in the Bay who commute from Sacramento for example. They have a 3 hour drive each way, but it is what it is.
If you don't care for night life, or being close to where a lot of jobs are, Contra Costa county is pretty affordable too. I know I had been staying with my cousin out there (who doesn't make a ton of money), and she seems to live well. But again, your commute is just going to suck living out there, and you're not going to get the better jobs if you plan on just hanging out in Contra Costa county.
sav858 is right about snow, it practically never falls in the Bay Area aside from a light dusting on mountaintops(no one lives there) and that is relatively rare. As far as snow sticking to the ground on the coast or in any populated areas, I believe it happened last once in the 1970s.
lol
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