I’ve been thinking a lot about New York City. I constantly hear about another friend who has decided to make the Big Apple their new home. It’s gotten to the point where I’m feeling a constant gravitational pull from my friends to move there. But from the outside, I never really understood the appeal. Why would I want to move to a place that’s just as expensive but with worse weather and Mexican food?
To be fair, I had never gotten the chance to really experience New York City. The last time I was there I was 8 years old, and for some reason was denied entry to most bars and eating establishments. I decided it was time to give the city a real shot as an adult.
After a few visits (mostly in Manhattan), I have a better understanding of why my friends love it but also a better appreciation of what I love about San Francisco.
Getting Around
Coming from San Francisco, the first thing that struck me about New York City was how easy it was to get nearly anywhere.
In terms of price and time, getting around New York City and San Francisco using transit isn’t that different. The biggest thing I noticed was the frequency, reliability, and coverage of NYC transit versus San Francisco. During the morning and midday, trains would generally arrive every 3-7 minutes. Every station has digital signs letting you know when the next train will come, and I found these to be generally accurate. I could take the subway from nearly anywhere and get anywhere, with my destination usually being only a short walk away.
In NYC I rarely took Uber, except after late-night drinking or if the weather was miserable. But in San Francisco, Uber is a regular part of my life since so many places feel inaccessible with public transportation. Google Maps will literally recommend I take the Cable Car in Nob Hill. Yes it gets extra fun points, but it’s not really a reliable or affordable way to get around (at least not since 100 years ago).
I’m thankful that living in San Francisco meant I was still able to sell my car, being able to instead rely on buses, Uber, and the amazing Revel electric mopeds. But after experiencing New York City’s subway, I wish that 100% of my trips in San Francisco could be on frequent and reliable public transportation instead of a hodgepodge of more expensive solutions.
People and Diversity
San Francisco is known to be a diverse place, with a wide variety of different types of people, cuisines, and cultures. But in my experience, San Francisco feels fairly homogenous, especially compared to New York and even other cities like Los Angeles.
New York City feels much more culturally and ethnically diverse than San Francisco, and this can clearly be seen from demographic data. While the Bay Area as a whole is diverse, San Francisco is less so. Segregation is a problem in both regions, but since everyone takes the subway in New York, you’re less likely to find yourself in a bubble.
New York has vibrant Eastern European communities and I was able to dine in a Ukrainian restaurant and stuff myself in a Polish bakery. Unlike San Francisco, there is a huge, vibrant Koreatown in the middle of NYC. New York doesn’t have a Japantown but feels like it has a stronger Japanese community, as I heard much more spoken Japanese in various restaurants and coffee shops. While the Mexican community is much smaller, there is a strong Colombian, Dominican, and Puerto Rican presence.
Segregation and lack of good public transit makes living in San Francisco feel much more homogenous. The urban renewal era of the 60s and 70s forced many African-Americans out of the city and the Latino population has been steadily declining. While there are diverse communities across the bay, they are much more inaccessible and isolated.
When it comes to diversity, I’m also considering what people do. Now I realize that being a part of the young urban professional class, my circles of friends do not fully represent the true occupational diversity of both cities. But within that circle, there is a stunning lack of diversity in San Francisco compared to New York City.
In New York City I met with friends who were doing PhDs in education, working at law firms, cooking professionally, and more. Friends of friends introduced me to an even more diverse set of people (wherein San Franciso friends of friends are generally, usually, always, in tech). One of my favorite games was sitting at a bar and trying to guess what people did for a living (the same is much less fun at a bar in San Francisco). I found myself having much more interesting conversations in New York.
Energy and Atmosphere
There’s a reason they call New York the city that never sleeps. Compared to San Francisco, the energy of the city is electrifying. One of my biggest surprises was going out on a Monday. In San Francisco, you will find that restaurants and bars will either be closed or mostly empty save for, maybe a lone tumbleweed rolling by. In New York City, you’ll need to get in line for popular restaurants or bars…on a Monday. There’s something exciting about knowing that no matter what day you get out, there will always be some action.
Part of what helps is the fact that in New York, bars can serve alcohol until 4 a.m. versus San Francisco’s 2 a.m. time. I had always thought that hitting the sack early was just a part of my vibe. But when you’re out in New York, you naturally adjust your schedule based on closing times. I would regularly find myself dining out around 8 p.m. to begin my night around 10 or 11 p.m. In San Francisco, dinner will be at 6 p.m. for a night beginning around 8 p.m. (and usually ending around midnight). California nearly extended last call to 4 a.m. until then Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed it.
Now when it comes to atmosphere, NYC does have a drawback in that it definitely can feel too crowded. Even in winter, popular places I wanted to visit were packed with people jammed shoulder to shoulder. Nearly every restaurant I went to required a reservation. But I’m not sure how fair a judgment this is as I made it a point to go out to popular places, and you can find the same problem in San Francisco. But there were days when I just wanted to go to a chill bar, which felt like a nearly impossible task in New York
The Natural World
Central Park is world-famous and there’s no doubt why. It is an incredibly beautiful natural space smack dab in the middle of Manhattan. Walking along its crooked paths, you would be surprised at how peaceful it is, with the sounds of chirping birds and whispering leaves.
But Central Park is not a place you will wander into. It’s a destination that requires planning. Being elsewhere in the city, you will find the proximity to nature to be relatively inaccessible. There are a few plazas like Washington Square Park that are well-designed and have beautiful green spaces. But compared to San Francisco, New York feels much less connected to nature.
San Franciscans are spoiled, with all residents living within a 10-minute walk to a park. Being in New York, the lack of green was something I definitely missed. Sure, you might say that Brooklyn is greener. But compared to San Francisco, it’s no contest.
As a final point, you really can’t beat San Francisco when it comes to climate. Sure, it may sometimes feel a bit too chilly for my Los Angeles sensibilities. But I’d rather take off and put on a sweater than have to deal with layering up or braving the humidity in NYC.
Ephemeral Experiences
While two completely different cities, San Francisco and New York are facing some very similar issues. Both cities are dealing with a housing crisis due to poor planning. 40% of the buildings in Manhattan would be illegal to build today, while in San Francisco apartments are illegal in 76% of the city. Both cities are rich in well-paying jobs and poor in housing supply, leading to an influx of new people and conflicts between oldtimers and newcomers. And as I discussed with many newcomers, not all of them see NYC as a place to stay in the long term.
From conversations I’ve had, it seems like most people I know are more comfortable settling down in San Francisco versus New York City. New York is an incredibly fun place, but people I know treat it as a temporary adventure before moving elsewhere. While some friends plan to leave San Francisco, they are still trying to put down roots in the Bay.
As I get older and establish roots in San Francisco, this is something that makes moving to New York harder to consider. The ability to go out with friends and make new ones is unparalleled. But will my friends still be there if I decide to move to NYC? Would I be comfortable moving to a place that many people see as temporary? In a way, this can be an argument for moving right now. But at the same time, it’s difficult to imagine moving away from the connections I’ve made in the Bay.
Closing Thoughts
I can write on and on about New York City, but apparently, I’m getting close to the maximum size for an email (I doubt the pictures help).
New York City is amazing. Getting around is a breeze, and there are a ton of incredible people to meet and things to do. There’s still much more to explore, especially considering I spent most of my time in Manhattan. At the same time, there are parts of San Francisco that are really hard to give up.
For now, I’m finding a full move to New York City to be unlikely. But thanks to the advent of more flexible remote work, it’s a place that I think will be a more regular destination for me.