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You quoted just a piece of it. > This is the most thriving technical community in the entire world. We live different lifestyles as a result. It's not better

by Gratsby 11y ago

You quoted just a piece of it. > This is the most thriving technical community in the entire world. We live different lifestyles as a result. It's not better or worse, just different. I've been all over, including New York. I didn't appreciate Silicon Valley for what it is until I moved here. Do you have to pay that kind of money to work in tech? Not at all. You don't even have to pay that kind of money to work in tech in the bay area. There are plenty of commuting options and there are plenty of tech communities all over the US. What's different? I would counter with What's not different? I've been here a year and I have had conversations with founders of Netflix, Instagram, Uber, GreatSchools, and twenty others that you probably haven't heard of. I also met one of the guys who invented ethernet. I'm not particularly social or particularly important. In southern CA, I was isolated - I had a few friends who really understood what I did for work. Here, most people I meet do. I went to a small conference a few weeks ago and had engineers from Adobe sit with me until I had a working implementation of software that included their CreativeSDK. I have never had that kind of experience at a conference. My elementary school kids have a maker studio at their school where they have 3d printers, programmable robots, sewing machines, and all kinds of other cool things. My middle school kid has photoshop and web design classes as part of her curriculum. They have carts full of laptops, iPads, etc. that they pull into classrooms as needed, and other classrooms that are completely teched out. There are plenty of downsides that go with all the great things. I have to think three times about whether I take my family out for dinner because the cost of eating out is like the cost of housing - it just doesn't make sense to me. There are communities of people nearby who live out of motor homes parked on the street. There are dangerous areas that you have to watch out for. On a given day driving the kids through Golden Gate Park might result in running into a pack of naked bike riders. I have to warn all the out of town visitors about the tenderloin. It's not better. It's different. Just like NY is different. You can live there for years without needing a car. You can see the best shows with the best artists. I imagine living there you meet all kinds of interesting people. But as far as tech community goes, nothing compares to Silicon Valley. I choose to pay more in rent because it gives my family access to great schools, it means that I don't lose family time to driving time and it means I can participate in what's going on locally, which is usually pretty awesome. It's a premium, but for me and my family I just wouldn't be able to make it work adding in a big commute. For many people it doesn't make sense. I could have a bigger house and less financial pressure living just about anywhere else. I made more money outside the bay area. But here I'm with my people and while I used to love my kids' old schools, the ones I have access to now are a world apart. Up until I moved here, I didn't even know there was a community of "my people".

nugget 11y ago
Silicon Valley schools seem to be a particular type of pressure cooker for certain types of kids. Do you notice/worry about this at all? The same could be said of high performing schools in other areas of the country too I guess, but there is just so much energy and ambition in the Bay Area, sometimes it seems to be one notch up on the intensity scale than anywhere else.
- Gratsby 11y ago
  I do. The CDC came out to the High School because the suicide rate was so high. As a parent, I have decided to completely pull back academic pressure. In fact, I regularly talk to my kids about the fact that it's OK to not be academic superstars. They are thriving at this level, but I won't hesitate to move if it changes once we get to high school. I want my kids to have opportunities I didn't. It's not so important that I'm willing to risk their health or happiness. Our school district has a policy against too much homework, but that goes away with honors level high school classes. I was very surprised at their lack of homework compared to what we are used to, but oddly enough it's making for happier kids that are doing about the same as far as learning and retention. I have good kids though - and it's not a parenting thing. They are just better at being good kids than I ever was.

by Gratsby 11y ago

nugget 11y ago

Silicon Valley schools seem to be a particular type of pressure cooker for certain types of kids. Do you notice/worry about this at all? The same could be said of high performing schools in other areas of the country too I guess, but there is just so much energy and ambition in the Bay Area, sometimes it seems to be one notch up on the intensity scale than anywhere else.

Gratsby 11y ago
I do. The CDC came out to the High School because the suicide rate was so high. As a parent, I have decided to completely pull back academic pressure. In fact, I regularly talk to my kids about the fact that it's OK to not be academic superstars. They are thriving at this level, but I won't hesitate to move if it changes once we get to high school. I want my kids to have opportunities I didn't. It's not so important that I'm willing to risk their health or happiness. Our school district has a policy against too much homework, but that goes away with honors level high school classes. I was very surprised at their lack of homework compared to what we are used to, but oddly enough it's making for happier kids that are doing about the same as far as learning and retention. I have good kids though - and it's not a parenting thing. They are just better at being good kids than I ever was.