The other difference? Layout. If New York were the Bay Area, then all the big tech employers would be in places like White Plains and Greenwich, while all the

The other difference? Layout. If New York were the Bay Area, then all the big tech employers would be in places like White Plains and Greenwich, while all the tech employees still would want to live in Chelsea and the Village and the usual spots. Theoretically there's public transit from one to the other, but it's really a bit of a strain when you get down to it, so they'd need to run private buses. New Jersey would replace Oakland and the East Bay - downmarket reputation but you've got a few excellent clusters of local culture, and you can get into town from there easily enough for your commute. You just don't actually feel like integrated with the rest of town where everything is happening. Staten Island replaces Marin, eastern Long Island replaces wine country... and the entirety of Brooklyn and Queens would be underwater. :P