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Average rent for a 1 bedroom in Manhattan is $3,400.00 / month. That seems to be about on par with the 'city' parts of SF. In Manhattan you also get a much bett

Average rent for a 1 bedroom in Manhattan is $3,400.00 / month. That seems to be about on par with the 'city' parts of SF. In Manhattan you also get a much better public transit system, more restaurants, and more museums.

pmoriarty 10y ago
There's also a much, much better night life in NYC, way more going on artistically and culturally. There are far more people in NYC (which could be a good or bad thing, depending on whether you like city life). NYC also feels way more alive to me, and SF has the feel of a sleepy backwater town in comparison. NYC is a much bigger terrorist target than SF, though.
- cbanek 10y ago
  SF has better weather too, or at least different weather. Plus if you like surfing, SF is probably your choice.
sotojuan 10y ago
Rents above Central Park and Columbia University are lower, but of course the neighborhoods are less "desirable". I've never been to a Bay Area, but NYC's subway system means you can live in a cheap area in Brooklyn or Queens and still have a reasonable commute to a Manhattan job.
- santaclaus 10y ago
  BART gets you into Oakland and Berkeley which are cheaper than SF proper, but it is certainly not as extensive or reliable as NYC's. What really bugs me is how early BART closes...
  - dcosson 10y ago
    > BART gets you into Oakland and Berkeley which are cheaper than SF proper, but it is certainly not as extensive or reliable as NYC's. Having lived in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and now SF, it really feels like it's not even a comparison. I certainly haven't been to all parts of the east bay, but from what I've seen there a couple of stops in downtown Oakland and Berkeley that have a significant amount of housing near the bart (but worth noting that some of these places have much higher crime rates than a lot of Brooklyn does today). Every further stop in every direction becomes very suburby, with a tiny amount of housing walkable to the bart stop, and the majority of commuters going by car to SF or at least driving to the bart station. In that regard, it's not too much of a stretch to say that SF has no equivalent of the NYC subway service to Brooklyn and Queens. Bart to Oakland/berkeley is kind of the equivalent of the PATH train to Hoboken & Jersey City, and further areas more like the NJ Transit/LIRR commuter trains from the suburbs. Given that it seems basically impossible to build significantly more rail lines in the bay area in the next 30+ years, it's such a waste that more effort isn't being spent building up more dense, downtown areas near all the existing bart and caltrain stops. Unfortunately all these areas have absolutely no accountability to SF or improving the bay area in general, and instead put all their effort into maintaining their sleepy suburb feel.
    - santaclaus 10y ago
      West Oakland, 12th Street, 19th Street, and Lake Merrit definitely don't feel like the burbs, it is probably closer to commuting into Manhattan from Queens than from Jersey into Manhattan (source: lived in Manhattan and Astoria at various times in my life). Those stops barely have parking lots!
      - subway 10y ago
        Downtown Berkeley too.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]

pmoriarty 10y ago

There's also a much, much better night life in NYC, way more going on artistically and culturally. There are far more people in NYC (which could be a good or bad thing, depending on whether you like city life). NYC also feels way more alive to me, and SF has the feel of a sleepy backwater town in comparison. NYC is a much bigger terrorist target than SF, though.

cbanek 10y ago
SF has better weather too, or at least different weather. Plus if you like surfing, SF is probably your choice.

sotojuan 10y ago

Rents above Central Park and Columbia University are lower, but of course the neighborhoods are less "desirable". I've never been to a Bay Area, but NYC's subway system means you can live in a cheap area in Brooklyn or Queens and still have a reasonable commute to a Manhattan job.

santaclaus 10y ago
BART gets you into Oakland and Berkeley which are cheaper than SF proper, but it is certainly not as extensive or reliable as NYC's. What really bugs me is how early BART closes...
- dcosson 10y ago
  > BART gets you into Oakland and Berkeley which are cheaper than SF proper, but it is certainly not as extensive or reliable as NYC's. Having lived in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and now SF, it really feels like it's not even a comparison. I certainly haven't been to all parts of the east bay, but from what I've seen there a couple of stops in downtown Oakland and Berkeley that have a significant amount of housing near the bart (but worth noting that some of these places have much higher crime rates than a lot of Brooklyn does today). Every further stop in every direction becomes very suburby, with a tiny amount of housing walkable to the bart stop, and the majority of commuters going by car to SF or at least driving to the bart station. In that regard, it's not too much of a stretch to say that SF has no equivalent of the NYC subway service to Brooklyn and Queens. Bart to Oakland/berkeley is kind of the equivalent of the PATH train to Hoboken & Jersey City, and further areas more like the NJ Transit/LIRR commuter trains from the suburbs. Given that it seems basically impossible to build significantly more rail lines in the bay area in the next 30+ years, it's such a waste that more effort isn't being spent building up more dense, downtown areas near all the existing bart and caltrain stops. Unfortunately all these areas have absolutely no accountability to SF or improving the bay area in general, and instead put all their effort into maintaining their sleepy suburb feel.
  - santaclaus 10y ago
    West Oakland, 12th Street, 19th Street, and Lake Merrit definitely don't feel like the burbs, it is probably closer to commuting into Manhattan from Queens than from Jersey into Manhattan (source: lived in Manhattan and Astoria at various times in my life). Those stops barely have parking lots!
    - subway 10y ago
      Downtown Berkeley too.
deleted 10y ago
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