Ask HN: If not San Francisco then where?
Here on HN is not that unusual that a post about how dystropian or just how a very bad living option is San Francisco has become over the last decade. I was planning to move there from Barcelona over the course of the next year, but i'm seriously starting to think it might not be a so good option. As many others (especially living in EU) I have idealized San Francisco as the place to be if you are a techy with an entrepreneurial actitude. The place in which ideas flows and interesting conversation are happening, where artists and creativiy are perfectly combined with the technolgy and innovators.
So if not there anymore, then where?
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Personally, I get up to the bay area often enough, and while I think its fine, I'd recommend looking into other cities if you are trying to do "entrepreneurial" things. (maybe go raise some money in the bay area if VC is something you need).
On some level you have it really good in Spain. People value quality of life, so it is easier to enjoy a life of quality. Anywhere in the USA you will pay much more for much worse food. People enable each other's addictions to working jobs. There are fewer "just because" gardens. People are uptight about punctuality and they also show up to your parties exactly on time. The restaurants all close before midnight. People are weird about sex. Health problems can literally make you homeless if your support network is not good. Generations do not interact very much. Riding a motorcycle or bicycle in cities is much more dangerous because there are more cars driving faster on wider roads. And more!
Like, the material quality of life in Spain is what one aspires to in SF after making "fuck you money". The reason one doesn't move from SF to Spain is because one only speaks English, or because one is buried under student and medical debts. If you can meet people that share your goals, maybe try making the changes happen at home?
For reference I've lived in the USA NYC, SF, LA, Texas, Boston, some rural places you don't know, and Southern China. Moving to Spain or Uruguay is my medium term goal after learning the language and being finished with caring for aging parents.