Like a mass media news story, these anecdotes are written to appeal to the demo in question, namely engineers not in the Bay Area or NY, to make them feel bette

Like a mass media news story, these anecdotes are written to appeal to the demo in question, namely engineers not in the Bay Area or NY, to make them feel better about their choices. This blog post also has the side effect of being framed in a naive way that also has people who do live in NY or the Bay Area discuss the sheer ridiculousness of it, which is why it's already got 51 comments in less than hour. People move to the Bay Area because of the idea of opportunity. Maybe a friend's startup makes a billion dollars and you get to do your own after, or maybe it goes bust and there are 100s of other jobs that are more interesting and make more than you would in NC, Austin or other small metros. I'm not a billionaire, but I have found MUCH better work and opportunities, and if I choose I can move to a lower cost of living area and buy a house in cash and start my family there. Put another way, would you rather spend the first 5 years with your kid at home, or would you rather worry about slaving away to a bank for $100K hoping you aren't laid off in a downturn? Being smart with your money even with expensive housing can go a long way.