San Francisco vs New York City (Richmond, Marina: for rent, condo, daycare)

[crayonsmagiques]

New York vs San Francisco
Hi everybody,

I am originaly French, living in Florida, but thinking about moving somewhere else, with 4 seasons, more culture and many openings for the languages courses/creativity/communication workshops for both Europeans and Americans that I am currently creating.

We have a 2 year old little girl, and we are thinking about New York or San Francisco, we don't know yet. My husband and my job are "transportable", we can work from home, so moving is not an issue.

New York is highly acclaimed, has this extremely attracting reputation but life costs can be discouraging. San Francisco on the other hand seems to be less expensive, and might have a little "village" touch that we truly like. Safety and schooling system are my priorities. It seems to me that SF is safer, and 'cooler".
But I am open to all recommendations/suggestions/input.

Thank you to everyone and have a great week end

CM

[gizmo980]

Well, San Francisco doesn't have 4 seasons... more like one, which is overcast and windy. You can find slightly more seasonal temperatures inland, but you still won't get anything like the east coast. Aside from that, I think we have what you're looking for. It has all the entertainment & culture a person could want, and I personally prefer it to NYC (which I am very familiar with). Are you looking to live in the city itself? And what is your budget for renting or buying? Without knowing your budget, I'd recommend the following neighborhoods in SF - Bernal Heights, Noe Valley, Outer Sunset, Inner Richmond, Presidio, and the Marina. Nob Hill and Pacific Heights are nice too, but I think the others have a more "village" feel. Hope that helps!

[crayonsmagiques]

hi,

Thank you for your reply, I will make some research about those areas in SF.
We haven't spoken about the budget yet, but what would be the costs for a 2 bedroom appartment? Are those areas "safe"?
Our daughter is 2, and I won't be working on a full time basis, but I will try to organize 2 days workshops or coaching in companies, unless I have a european group, which would represent a 5 days course. With that being said, is there any good childcare/preschool you would recommend?
I must say that Orlando is getting worse and worse, there aare some areas that should be avoided even during the day.

Thanks again

[NH2008]

SF doesn't have four seasons, NYC does. I felt much safer living in NYC than I did in SF. IN NYC there are always people around, even if you get off the subway at 3 a.m. In SF you may stumble across someone shooting up in the middle of the day in certain neighborhoods. My husband worked a block of Union Square and he had to wake the homeless people sleeping on the stoop of his office building to get in when he went in early. SF is cheaper, but it isn't nearly as populous as NYC. The restaurants are great, but in terms of other cultural offerings (museums, theater, galleries) it doesn't hold a candle to NYC. On the other hand, it has a lot more to offer in terms of the outdoors. Neither city has good public schools, you will be competing to get into good preschools and good private schools.

If you visit both cities, you'll see they're very different.

[18Montclair]

I used to live in the Upper West Side of Manhattan and really enjoyed it, but I was glad to move back to The Bay Area.

I prefer the scenery, weather and general lifestyle of the Bay Area. As far as cost of living, I didnt see much of a difference.

[crayonsmagiques]

This is what I am missing the most, culture !!!!!!!! Orlando doesn't offer much, but theme parks...And I would like to raise my little one in a cultural environment. My husband being American, he is not ready to move to Europe yet, but wouldn't mind changing state.
With that being said, New York seems to be (so far) the city that we would most likely be moving to.

Thank you everybody for your advices/suggestions/recommendations

[mr bolo]

SF is the best choice

I cant stand NEW YORK winters

[Mach50]

I have lived in Manhattan and San Fran:

I would break it all down like this:

NYC:
Dining - Nothing in America compares with NYC's food..hands down.
Shopping - Women love NYC for this reason alone lol.
Public Transit - NYC's is dirty, loud and somewhat dangerous...but it works and goes everywhere.
Financial Jobs - The Mecca.
History - NYC is vast in comparison.
Arts and Theatre - NYC winner.
Seasons -It is nice to have snow and NYC winters are not bad.
Culture (different then diversity IMO) - NYC has a neighborhood for about every culture in the world. You can find almost any food possible and it will be done like it is in that country.


San Fran:
Outdoor life - Hands down winner, NYC has nothing to offer that can compare.
Schools and Universities - Intelligent folks live here, public schools are bad in both inner cities.
Tech Jobs - The Mecca.
Weather - Depends on what you like, but SF has some nice chilly weather. You can make plans without considering it like you will in NYC.
Cost - I give the nod to San Fran, simply because there are so many free things to do, and NYC all costs $$$.
Diversity - It is tough, but I give SF the edge in diversity. The key here, is diversity that actually get along and live with each other. NYC is racially segregated. While SF tend to be much more liberal and relaxed people.

Overall beauty - In in the eye of the beholder, I like trees, cliffs and oceans; my wife likes flashing lights, fashion and statues.

San Fran is much more "forward thinking" City IMO. Both are light years ahead of Orlando but you didn't need me to say that.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by crayonsmagiques

hi,

Thank you for your reply, I will make some research about those areas in SF.
We haven't spoken about the budget yet, but what would be the costs for a 2 bedroom appartment? Are those areas "safe"?

Yes, the neighborhoods I mentioned are all very safe - and because they're such nice places, you can expect to spend over $2000+ for a 2-bedroom place. Better deals can be found in other parts of the city, but I'm not sure what you would be happy with. As for preschools and daycare, sorry but I don't know of any since I'm not a mom. But I'll let you know if I come up with any suggestions!

[nancy thereader]

Is there anywhere in San Francisco where it would be possible to buy a one bedroom condo for around $450 K? Is there anywhere safe ? (not The Tenderloin District , iow).