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>What's, really, the upside of living in Palo Alto? Work, that's it. No one I know actually likes living here (short of the 20+ year resident homeowners). It's

>What's, really, the upside of living in Palo Alto? Work, that's it. No one I know actually likes living here (short of the 20+ year resident homeowners). It's just where the jobs are.

p1itopre 10y ago
I assume you guys (or gals) are single or DINKs :) School districts are by far the biggest driver in South bay. I'm personally not sure about SF.
- tptacek 10y ago
  School districts are the biggest driver all around the country. If you stipulate that Palo Alto is part of a major metro area, and you can choose to work in any of the major metros in the US, you don't pick Palo Alto for the schools, do you?
  - karma_vaccum123 10y ago
    Palo Alto public schools -do- rank very highly. There are also preschool programs run by the Stanford education college that are well-regarded. Local private schools rank among the best in the nation (as well as being absurdly expensive), and you will find lots of kids that go to school all over the world...their parents can afford it. I get that you don't like Palo Alto. Its not Oz. But you seem to be casting it as a dumpy suburb that has exploded for no reason. (edit: wow, you really don't like Palo Alto!)
    - tptacek 10y ago
      I'll try to use your comment to refine my argument. Stipulate that a family of four with two professional working full time is going to move somewhere in the US --- that is, they're not staying in Cleveland because they grew up there. Then, accounting for regional salary and amenities, school quality and cost of schooling, overall burn rate, and housing costs: why would someone choose of all places Palo Alto?
      - linkregister 10y ago
        It's only rational for the upper-upper-middle class and higher. Even the upper-middle class would be better served in a different community.
gist 10y ago
Fwiw many people live in places that are just like Palo Alto except: a) The weather sucks b) The jobs and tech serendipity isn't there. This is like arguing what the best top college is to go to while the majority of the world doesn't even get to go to a top college. [1] [1] My vote goes to Princeton in the Ivy's even though I went to a different Ivy. Just like the college town feel. Of course today I'd pick Stanford because it's so target rich with opportunities back when I was in college nobody talked about Stanford that much.

>What's, really, the upside of living in Palo Alto? Work, that's it. No one I know actually likes living here (short of the 20+ year resident homeowners). It's just where the jobs are.

p1itopre 10y ago

I assume you guys (or gals) are single or DINKs :) School districts are by far the biggest driver in South bay. I'm personally not sure about SF.

tptacek 10y ago
School districts are the biggest driver all around the country. If you stipulate that Palo Alto is part of a major metro area, and you can choose to work in any of the major metros in the US, you don't pick Palo Alto for the schools, do you?
- karma_vaccum123 10y ago
  Palo Alto public schools -do- rank very highly. There are also preschool programs run by the Stanford education college that are well-regarded. Local private schools rank among the best in the nation (as well as being absurdly expensive), and you will find lots of kids that go to school all over the world...their parents can afford it. I get that you don't like Palo Alto. Its not Oz. But you seem to be casting it as a dumpy suburb that has exploded for no reason. (edit: wow, you really don't like Palo Alto!)
  - tptacek 10y ago
    I'll try to use your comment to refine my argument. Stipulate that a family of four with two professional working full time is going to move somewhere in the US --- that is, they're not staying in Cleveland because they grew up there. Then, accounting for regional salary and amenities, school quality and cost of schooling, overall burn rate, and housing costs: why would someone choose of all places Palo Alto?
    - linkregister 10y ago
      It's only rational for the upper-upper-middle class and higher. Even the upper-middle class would be better served in a different community.

gist 10y ago

Fwiw many people live in places that are just like Palo Alto except: a) The weather sucks b) The jobs and tech serendipity isn't there. This is like arguing what the best top college is to go to while the majority of the world doesn't even get to go to a top college. [1] [1] My vote goes to Princeton in the Ivy's even though I went to a different Ivy. Just like the college town feel. Of course today I'd pick Stanford because it's so target rich with opportunities back when I was in college nobody talked about Stanford that much.