Should I live in San Francisco or Santa Monica/West LA? (Los Angeles: tech jobs, college)

[salestoconsulting1]

Hi all,

I'm a graduate of UC Berkeley and got a management consulting job offer. My firm is giving me the option of working in either the San Francisco or Santa Monica office location. I grew up in SoCal (Irvine/Orange County), and went to NorCal for four years of college.

I'm not sure whether to go to SF or Santa Monica since I have ties to both the Bay Area and SoCal. I like the techy aspects of the Bay as well as the intellectual conversations I've had with people here. That said, my main hobby is music and playing the drums, and I love jazz and rock, and from my experience, the music scene around LA seems way better than SF at the moment. I could be wrong though.

I'm also into playing baseball and love sports.

Also not sure if politics matters, but I'm also mostly liberal, but I'm from Orange County, so I'm much more of a moderate Democrat compared to the far-left people I've met in the Bay as well.

What do you recommend? Thanks

[BeauCharles]

Santa Monica and the Westside any day all day. Seriously - you've been in the Bay Area long enough to understand what San Francisco is like. I just don't appreciate the vibe it has acquired the last 10-15 years. The Westside is quite liberal politically so I don't think that should be an issue for you. It is just an easier place to live in and the people are friendlier (in my opinion). Plus the food scene in LA is awesome. As far as tech related stuff I've heard there is quite the burgeoning "Silicon Beach" between Santa Monica and Torrance. Lots of startups and activity.

[TheseGoTo11]

LA for weather and lifestyle. But if you're serious about a business career not tied to entertainment, you can't beat SF. Management Consulting jobs usually last a couple years max, and the choice of employers in SF blows away LA. You will miss out on opportunities, equity compensation, and professional networking in LA, even if you like it better. Young I-bankers who use to run to NYC are now coming to SF to work in tech or tech banking.

SF does not have LA's music scene, but it doesn't have Stockton's either. Unless you want to work in the music business, you will sacrifice a lot professionally choosing LA over SF.

[nwman2830]

Originally Posted by salestoconsulting1

Hi all,

I'm a graduate of UC Berkeley and got a management consulting job offer. My firm is giving me the option of working in either the San Francisco or Santa Monica office location. I grew up in SoCal (Irvine/Orange County), and went to NorCal for four years of college.

I'm not sure whether to go to SF or Santa Monica since I have ties to both the Bay Area and SoCal. I like the techy aspects of the Bay as well as the intellectual conversations I've had with people here. That said, my main hobby is music and playing the drums, and I love jazz and rock, and from my experience, the music scene around LA seems way better than SF at the moment. I could be wrong though.

I'm also into playing baseball and love sports.

Also not sure if politics matters, but I'm also mostly liberal, but I'm from Orange County, so I'm much more of a moderate Democrat compared to the far-left people I've met in the Bay as well.

What do you recommend? Thanks

I came from Chicago and have been living in the Bay Area for 5 years (southern part of Peninsula/South Bay).

There is a lot of tech jobs and I am tech but I have learned there is a lot of BS jobs here too even in tech scene. I work for one of Top 10 tech companies in the Bay Area. I got into my job as IT Engineer, but in job interview they overemphasized system admin aspects of this too much and it turned out to be mostly just deskside support. To add insult to injury they have recently dumbed it down to janitorial task involving setting up conference rooms as part of AV/IT tech job and they are converting helpdesk support walkups into full-time chat support. Neither of things I signed up for. Be aware of what consulting job you get into, because you may find yourself locked into a bad job. IMO you should pick location that offers more competition. Research areas and compare.

[Bert_from_back_East]

Are you more a city-slicker or a suburbanite? Once that question is answered, your decision will be easier to make, IMO.

FWIW, SF is a much more urban environment than LA; therefore, you will have more of a traditional urban experience residing in SF or nearby. However, if you appreciate "green space" (i.e., parks, yards, etc.) in the central city area and the autonomy and privacy afforded by vehicle ownership, then LA is a much better alternative, IMO.

I am a total suburbanite, so naturally, I couldn't dream of living in a city like SF. Additionally, living in the Bay Area suburbs is not cool or hip by SF standards; you will likely be ostracized as a "Christian" and/or "Republican" by SF residents for choosing to live in the suburbs. OTOH, suburban living is much more popular in the LA area, so no one will make a rude or snide comment if you opt to live in Manhattan Beach or Woodland Hills.

But then again, I can't think of any suburbs in LA that compare favorably to, say, Lafayette or San Anselmo (i.e., larger housing lots, trees and greenery, wild deer nibbling on the flowering plants in your garden, etc.). I love Southern California, but for the most part, there isn't anything like that here. So at the end of the day, it depends on your preferences and your current stage life.

[Harpaint]

Santa Monica for sure. Weather, the arts, and general happiness of southern Californians is better.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Bert_from_back_East

Are you more a city-slicker or a suburbanite? Once that question is answered, your decision will be easier to make, IMO.

FWIW, SF is a much more urban environment than LA; therefore, you will have more of a traditional urban experience residing in SF or nearby. However, if you appreciate "green space" (i.e., parks, yards, etc.) in the central city area and the autonomy and privacy afforded by vehicle ownership, then LA is a much better alternative, IMO.

I am a total suburbanite, so naturally, I couldn't dream of living in a city like SF. Additionally, living in the Bay Area suburbs is not cool or hip by SF standards; you will likely be ostracized as a "Christian" and/or "Republican" by SF residents for choosing to live in the suburbs. OTOH, suburban living is much more popular in the LA area, so no one will make a rude or snide comment if you opt to live in Manhattan Beach or Woodland Hills.

But then again, I can't think of any suburbs in LA that compare favorably to, say, Lafayette or San Anselmo (i.e., larger housing lots, trees and greenery, wild deer nibbling on the flowering plants in your garden, etc.). I love Southern California, but for the most part, there isn't anything like that here. So at the end of the day, it depends on your preferences and your current stage life.

I think we need to clarify whether the OP means SF the city, or SF the Bay Area region, as some people do. Yes, SF the city is very urban. If the OP will only be working in SF, and has the option to live outside the city, he has a variety of beautiful options. Though living and working in Santa Monica would be pretty cool, too. Hard to argue with that.

[ryanst530]

Obviously a very subjective decision... If it were me, Santa Monica/West LA.

Basically, I think it boils down to this:

SF: Urban, More grown up, live-to-work job culture, "coastal" vibe
Santa Monica/West LA: Less urban, more youthful, work-to-live job culture, "beachy" vibe

[Losfrisco]

The people claiming SF is more urban than Los Angeles are just wrong, especially for this specific question.

Go check out the western beaches of San Francisco, compare with Santa Monica/Venica/MDR, and tell me which one you think is more a more urban environment.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Losfrisco

The people claiming SF is more urban than Los Angeles are just wrong, especially for this specific question.

Go check out the western beaches of San Francisco, compare with Santa Monica/Venica/MDR, and tell me which one you think is more a more urban environment.

Good point.