Should I move to Seattle or San Francisco? (neighborhoods, salary)
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I like the liberal politics and big city feel of SF, but I also like the rain and closeness to Canada in Seattle. Not to mention it's cheaper. Which one should I move to?
Also, I won't have a car and will rely on public transportation.
You can certainly live in Seattle without a car and rely on public transportation, especially if you live in the central core (Belltown, Downtown, Pioneer Square, Capitol Hill, First Hill, Queen Anne, Intl. District), or even one of the denser outer neighborhoods/nodes (Ballard, U-District, etc.) It's better than most cities in the country for that.
However, all that said, San Francisco is overall a significantly more cohesive, urban, and walkable city - but it comes at a much greater cost.
Both are very liberal cities.
As for big city feel, Seattle has some sections that are very vibrant and bustling and definitely have a big-city feel - particularly Downtown, Belltown, Pioneer Square and Capitol Hill.
However, San Francisco's big city feel is much more consistent and greater overall. It's top 3 in the country, IMO, when it comes to that. Seattle is more like top 7 or 8.
Both have great restaurants and bars, and good nightlife (although I think SF's is more exciting and better overall).
Seattle's neighborhoods have more of a community-oriented feel, though, which is something I prefer about it to SF.
I like the liberal politics and big city feel of SF, but I also like the rain and closeness to Canada in Seattle. Not to mention it's cheaper. Which one should I move to?
Also, I won't have a car and will rely on public transportation.
SF is more expensive, but salaries are generally higher....take that into account.
SF can also get a fair amount of rain in the winter time.....nothing like Seattle, but some winter months have measurable precipitation around 25+ days at times.
SF has much better public transportation as well, with multiple options. You have some public transit in Seattle, but in SF, its easier to not only get around the city but the surrounding Bay Area (take BART to Oakland or SFO, take Caltrain to San Jose, etc) has much more integrated public transit than the Seattle area.
SF is not close to Canada, but you can get there quickly in 2 hours with direct flights to Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary and Edmonton.
SF is more expensive, but salaries are generally higher....take that into account.
While this is true, the salary differential rarely comes close to making up for the increase in overall cost of living. This isn't simply an issue for San Francisco, but for any city whose cost of living tilts towards the upper end of the spectrum.
For instance, I grew up in Columbus, but live in DC now. I make probably 25-30% more in my job in DC than I would in Columbus, but the cost of living is at least twice as much. The difference between Seattle and San Francisco likely wouldn't be nearly that significant, but I would caution against using a likely salary increase to butress against an overall higher cost of living. The two rarely cancel each other out.
While this is true, the salary differential rarely comes close to making up for the increase in overall cost of living. This isn't simply an issue for San Francisco, but for any city whose cost of living tilts towards the upper end of the spectrum.
For instance, I grew up in Columbus, but live in DC now. I make probably 25-30% more in my job in DC than I would in Columbus, but the cost of living is at least twice as much. The difference between Seattle and San Francisco likely wouldn't be nearly that significant, but I would caution against using a likely salary increase to butress against an overall higher cost of living. The two rarely cancel each other out.
Food is less expensive down here (both at the grocery store AND eating out). It costs more (way more) to own a car here, but the OP doesn't seem to be interested in this. I end up having quite a bit extra living in SF than I did in Seattle; my monthly expenses are actually about the same, but my salary is, indeed, better
I like the liberal politics and big city feel of SF, but I also like the rain and closeness to Canada in Seattle. Not to mention it's cheaper. Which one should I move to?
Also, I won't have a car and will rely on public transportation.
What kind of work do you do, or anticipate doing? That 's a major factor in recommending one of these cities over the other.
What kind of work do you do, or anticipate doing? That 's a major factor in recommending one of these cities over the other.
Agreed...though with the exception of finance, Seattle and San Francisco thrive in similar industries (however they do so at different levels).
If it were me making the choice, I'd go with San Francisco. I have a feeling the attitude of the people may get to me a bit, but I don't think Seattle's populace is all that different. However San Francisco is a beautiful, beautiful city with good public transit, and a lot to offer.
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