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A lot of people suggest moving somewhere less expensive. For banking and other industries where jobs very geo-centric, that just isn't realistic. Beyond that,

A lot of people suggest moving somewhere less expensive. For banking and other industries where jobs very geo-centric, that just isn't realistic. Beyond that, I think the macro trend we are seeing that is in part causing the huge migration to cities is uncertainty with employment. The reality is it is easier to get a new job (let alone a good job) in a big metro with lots of businesses than it is in the middle of flyover country. For people burned by lack of employment, gainful employment, or secure employment, having a a couple companies within reasonable commuting distance is seen as a real risk since remote work is hardly common yet. In those cases, the high costs of city living are seen as the cost of upward mobility and more stable employment. Unfortunately, the net result we've been seeing with housing/rent cost increases, etc. is that this leads to a reduction in overall standard of living compared to say, the Baby Boomers. Bottom line, younger generations have the deck stacked against them in a lot of ways. Often times it is not "which is the better choice" but "which is the less worse choice."

resolaibohp 10y ago
Moving somewhere less expensive might also be moving to the suburbs. Millennials seem to be very turned off to that idea, but it can significantly reduce cost of living while still being in a desirable city.
- jordanb 10y ago
  In other words, "Drive until you qualify." This was certainly big in the 90s and 00s and still happens a great deal today but I think people have become less sanguine about it because: 1) people are more aware of the serious detriment to quality of life a long commute by car produces, 2) in many places, how far you have to drive keeps getting longer (or the roads keep getting slower), and 3) too much decentralization can close off opportunities that are theoretically in the same metropolis by pushing the commute from being arduous to being unacceptable. So the reason you moved to the metropolis (access to a large number of opportunities) evaporates as you move further to one edge.
- linkregister 10y ago
  Before we start making tons of blanket statements about millenials' turnoffs, I think we should consider that there are plenty of rational reasons to not live in the suburbs. Plenty (non-NYC/non-SFBA) metros are equally as expensive in the suburbs due to increased transportation costs. The suburbs idea is not applicable to SV/SF since most of it is suburbs to begin with. Only a small portion of San Jose is what most people would consider city. The crux of my point is that one-liner solutions don't universally solve the problem.

resolaibohp 10y ago

Moving somewhere less expensive might also be moving to the suburbs. Millennials seem to be very turned off to that idea, but it can significantly reduce cost of living while still being in a desirable city.

jordanb 10y ago
In other words, "Drive until you qualify." This was certainly big in the 90s and 00s and still happens a great deal today but I think people have become less sanguine about it because: 1) people are more aware of the serious detriment to quality of life a long commute by car produces, 2) in many places, how far you have to drive keeps getting longer (or the roads keep getting slower), and 3) too much decentralization can close off opportunities that are theoretically in the same metropolis by pushing the commute from being arduous to being unacceptable. So the reason you moved to the metropolis (access to a large number of opportunities) evaporates as you move further to one edge.
linkregister 10y ago
Before we start making tons of blanket statements about millenials' turnoffs, I think we should consider that there are plenty of rational reasons to not live in the suburbs. Plenty (non-NYC/non-SFBA) metros are equally as expensive in the suburbs due to increased transportation costs. The suburbs idea is not applicable to SV/SF since most of it is suburbs to begin with. Only a small portion of San Jose is what most people would consider city. The crux of my point is that one-liner solutions don't universally solve the problem.