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>Personally I think NYC is far more attractive than the Bay Area in all ways but two: the weather and the inertia of existing tech companies. You can live 5 min

>Personally I think NYC is far more attractive than the Bay Area in all ways but two: the weather and the inertia of existing tech companies. You can live 5 minutes walk from work in NYC. There are very few places you could do that (or would want to) in SF. Interesting. Can you tell me what kind of cycling routes compare to what's available in the bay area in NYC? As someone who's lived in both places, there's no comparison, but since those are the only two things you can think of...

rayiner 14y ago
There's no cycling routes because within Manhattan it's far easier to just take the subway or bus. Cycling has largely arisen in the Bay because public transit is so god awful.
cletus 14y ago
Take a look at this map: http://www.nycbikemaps.com/maps/manhattan-bike-map/ http://www.nycbikemaps.com/maps/manhattan-bike-map/ There are actually a lot of bike lanes and trails (trails are generally along the Hudson or East River). Some of this is relatively recent thanks to the controversial transportation commissioner: http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/top_right/2011/08/janette_sadikkhan_new_york_city_transportation_commissioner.html http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/top_right/2011/08/j... who has, amongst other things, closed off Times Square to traffic and added bike lanes to 8th (and other) avenues. I'm not an avid cyclist but I have done some limited cycling in the Valley and it's frigging dangerous. I simply won't go on anything other than back roads and even there you're in constant danger of being wiped out by a car pulling out of a parking lot of a car turning right at a red light (worst road rule ever; it's illegal in the the five boroughs but some people are ignorant of this). I know someone who bikes in most days from Brooklyn but I think you need to be attentive. Then again, as a cyclist on roads, I think that is universally true. In Norcal you can probably bike almost year round. In NYC less so. In winter you do get issues with snow and ice. Overall it probably rains more in NYC than in the Bay Area but I'm just guessing there.
- potatolicious 14y ago
  Lived in SF, currently in NYC. I don't think the biking situation is comparable. SF drivers are vicious, but biking is so prevalent that in many parts of the city you own the streets. Manhattan on the other hand is just one gigantic traffic clusterfuck - and that's for cars. The risk of taking a bicycle through the streets of Midtown is IMO many, many times of doing the same in downtown SF. Sure, Manhattan has a great selection of bike trails (better than SF, IMO), but cycling as a commuting or general transportation option? No fucking way.
  - jrockway 14y ago
    I think you're being your own worst enemy here. I also live in NYC and find the cycling situation to be fine. There's a lot of traffic in midtown but there's plenty of space for cyclists.

rayiner 14y ago

There's no cycling routes because within Manhattan it's far easier to just take the subway or bus. Cycling has largely arisen in the Bay because public transit is so god awful.

cletus 14y ago

Take a look at this map: http://www.nycbikemaps.com/maps/manhattan-bike-map/ http://www.nycbikemaps.com/maps/manhattan-bike-map/ There are actually a lot of bike lanes and trails (trails are generally along the Hudson or East River). Some of this is relatively recent thanks to the controversial transportation commissioner: http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/top_right/2011/08/janette_sadikkhan_new_york_city_transportation_commissioner.html http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/top_right/2011/08/j... who has, amongst other things, closed off Times Square to traffic and added bike lanes to 8th (and other) avenues. I'm not an avid cyclist but I have done some limited cycling in the Valley and it's frigging dangerous. I simply won't go on anything other than back roads and even there you're in constant danger of being wiped out by a car pulling out of a parking lot of a car turning right at a red light (worst road rule ever; it's illegal in the the five boroughs but some people are ignorant of this). I know someone who bikes in most days from Brooklyn but I think you need to be attentive. Then again, as a cyclist on roads, I think that is universally true. In Norcal you can probably bike almost year round. In NYC less so. In winter you do get issues with snow and ice. Overall it probably rains more in NYC than in the Bay Area but I'm just guessing there.

potatolicious 14y ago
Lived in SF, currently in NYC. I don't think the biking situation is comparable. SF drivers are vicious, but biking is so prevalent that in many parts of the city you own the streets. Manhattan on the other hand is just one gigantic traffic clusterfuck - and that's for cars. The risk of taking a bicycle through the streets of Midtown is IMO many, many times of doing the same in downtown SF. Sure, Manhattan has a great selection of bike trails (better than SF, IMO), but cycling as a commuting or general transportation option? No fucking way.
- jrockway 14y ago
  I think you're being your own worst enemy here. I also live in NYC and find the cycling situation to be fine. There's a lot of traffic in midtown but there's plenty of space for cyclists.