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Can somebody from New York or California forum please help me make a right decision here? I live in BC, Canada now planning to move to US for my work and my son's education. Main reason to move is for myself to get more opportunity in my career and for my son to get a better education and to get organic foods more easily. I did lots of research where to go but still cannot decide between New York and San Francisco. Here are the facts and what I am lookign for:
1. I may be able to get a job at around 100K as a computer professional. 10 times more opportunities to get a job in New York than San Francisco.
2. I am a single mom with no support. I need to manage everything by myself, time, money and emotional issues.
3. My Son is 5 years old, highly gifted currently attending Grade 2. I am looking for a decent public or private school for gifted children - I can afford only up to 15K/year though.
4. I like fast paced city life but don't mind living in little slow paced city.
5. I like driving and travelling a lot especially by car. Cannot live without a car. Like to have a getaway every weekend or whenever possible. I usually drive when I need to put my head together.
I have visited SF many times and worked for a month there. Been to New York only one time. More familiar with west coast.
It seems like the job factor favors New York, but a lot of the other factors favor SF. The car is a problem here. People have them but it's very expensive and driving around New York is not something I'd recommend to clear anyone's head. Commuting by car is just not done very often in NYC unless you have an extra several hundred or more per month for a parking spot near work and like sitting in lots of traffic. We are much more likely to walk or take public transportation.
New York is also more of a culture shock; the east coast is very different from the west coast, and is much farther away if you want to get back to the west or to British Columbia for a visit. There are some good public schools in the city, but you need to be careful about finding them and it takes a lot of legwork. Otherwise there are good schools in the suburbs, but that's a longer commute and not so urban a lifestyle. There is organic food in NY, but I think of SF as a mecca for that sort of thing.
Before taking such a big step, you might want to visit NYC again and keep doing as much research as possible into day-to-day life issues and people's mentalities and behaviors in each place. New York is great in so many ways but it is not for everyone.
Can somebody from New York or California forum please help me make a right decision here? I live in BC, Canada now planning to move to US for my work and my son's education. Main reason to move is for myself to get more opportunity in my career and for my son to get a better education and to get organic foods more easily. I did lots of research where to go but still cannot decide between New York and San Francisco. Here are the facts and what I am lookign for:
1. I may be able to get a job at around 100K as a computer professional. 10 times more opportunities to get a job in New York than San Francisco.
2. I am a single mom with no support. I need to manage everything by myself, time, money and emotional issues.
3. My Son is 5 years old, highly gifted currently attending Grade 2. I am looking for a decent public or private school for gifted children - I can afford only up to 15K/year though.
4. I like fast paced city life but don't mind living in little slow paced city.
5. I like driving and travelling a lot especially by car. Cannot live without a car. Like to have a getaway every weekend or whenever possible. I usually drive when I need to put my head together.
I have visited SF many times and worked for a month there. Been to New York only one time. More familiar with west coast.
Any advise will be very appreciated.
I suggest you do some more homework. I don't want to sound too discouraging but, you've picked two of the most expensive cities to live in in the US. And although, $100K might sound like a lot if money to earn, and enough to live in or near both cities, as a single parent you'll find it very expensive to live near either city. Especially in nice areas. Not sure your tax situation however living expenses alone could amount to more than 1/2 your take home. There's also the cost of commuting, heat food... etc, etc. My wife and I live outside NYC and make combined $150K per year and it feels like making $60K elsewhere. Sure there are people who live there doing it on far less. However look at how miserable they are.
Additionally I work in computers (Web Dev) what type of job were you looking for? Programming consulting, Net or Sys Admin? All require long hours which if your a single parent can cost you extra in child care. Personally I believe SF offers a much better quality of life. NYC is what it is... the Big Apple. It's quite a long drive until you can make it out of civilization. Northern California is absolutely beautiful. I've been a New Yorker and my company is based just outside the Bay Area, CA. They've offered me a job twice to move out there and I've turned them down. They just need to offer more $$$
I'm originally from Northern California, but have lived in NYC for over a decade and adore the city. I agree with the poster above who suggested you do more research. Life in NYC is really tough. Good schools cost a fortune and I think it will be hard for you to find a support system here. Well, now that I think about it - people do tend to come together in tough situations and you might find other single moms here instead of being isolated in a less expensive suburban setting.
You might still want to do some more research. Maybe Portland?
I'm also curious what kind of tech job you're looking for. If you want to work at a tech company, there are *way* more tech jobs in the Silicon Valley/SF Bay Area than in NYC. If you want to be a big-bank IT guy, then NYC's the better option. (I work at a financial software company in NYC, which I guess is somewhere in between.)
Funny question. Are you going to base your decision on how strongly the natives plug their city? I take it you've posted something like this on the SF side, too?
Yeah, I could look, but I couldn't take too seriously what those fluffheads who live out in that fairy-tale town would say anyhow! Pretty place, have been there half a dozen times, but it doesn't seem real. But hey, it could be that I'm warped or full of social toxic waste from spending more than half my life here!
Seems to me if you want more of the same that you've got in BC, go with San Fran. And for something completely different, try your luck in NYC. Place is good for outsiders (it seems most New Yorkers you'd meet are from elsewhere, the most hard-core locals, whether the East Side bluebloods or the Brooklyn goombas, pretty much keep to themselves).
Lot of energy here and it's rare to feel judged or even noticed ... that is, unless you take a full second to pull away at a green light or don't have your money ready at the register. You'll hear about that, quick. Good luck ... maybe you belong in the Foreign Capital of No Known Country, or maybe not. Only one way to find out.
On the more practical side ... like Holden sez, you won't get much relaxation behind the wheel, and this is coming from an ex-cab driver, unless you're cruising in the middle of the night, which can be kind of cool. One can drive about an hour to the Appalachian Trail and the same or less to the beach, and you can even swim there without a wet suit, unlike SF (water temps are a tad over 70 from mid-July to early September). And 100K as a single mom will make you feel barely middle class here ... even when I and my wife were making nearly twice that, we felt squeezed and totally outgunned by hordes of people who seem to have an entirely different currency in their accounts. But to hell with them, I say.
Last edited by keith talent; 02-27-2008 at 09:50 PM..
Thanks everybody for spending time to reply to my post. Yes I agree that I need to do more homework before I take such a big step. I am a systems/network administrator have been working in the computer industry more than 15 years. I will be on TN visa once I get a job in US. Used to be on H1B when I was working for a company in Mesa, Arizona. Have worked in Dallas, TX before too.
Another reason to move is because I am getting sick of raining here in Vancouver, BC. Now we're getting more than 6 months raining. It takes up all my energy. I am also dying to move to a city with free wireless all around.
I cound have gone to New York long time ago if I didn't have my little one.
Then again, I know it is what I make it wherever I go.
I will do my homework, hopefully come back here and say thanks again.
Can somebody from New York or California forum please help me make a right decision here? I live in BC, Canada now planning to move to US for my work and my son's education. Main reason to move is for myself to get more opportunity in my career and for my son to get a better education and to get organic foods more easily. I did lots of research where to go but still cannot decide between New York and San Francisco. Here are the facts and what I am lookign for:
1. I may be able to get a job at around 100K as a computer professional. 10 times more opportunities to get a job in New York than San Francisco.
Aren't there plenty of tech companies in/around SF?
2. I am a single mom with no support. I need to manage everything by myself, time, money and emotional issues.
NYC has the longest commute in the nation. Time and money here are scarce.
And NY'ers don't really care about your "emotional issues" and won't give you a break, whereas the West Coast is more laid back and into "centered-ness".
3. My Son is 5 years old, highly gifted currently attending Grade 2. I am looking for a decent public or private school for gifted children - I can afford only up to 15K/year though.
Good private schools in NYC cost more than $15k. Forget about public schools. They're horrible.
4. I like fast paced city life but don't mind living in little slow paced city.
SF has easily accessible 'burbs, nature, national parks. NYC has Central Park and long train rides to the 'burbs.
5. I like driving and travelling a lot especially by car. Cannot live without a car. Like to have a getaway every weekend or whenever possible. I usually drive when I need to put my head together.
Some apts in SF have garages. Not so in NYC. Expect high insurance premiums and $300-$400/mo. to garage your car. Or park on the street and risk the occasional $100 fine.
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