I don't doubt that New York has excellent nightlife, but as someone who's travelled the nation extensively, I think your categorization of "very few" cities where there's hustle and bustle after 3AM is perhaps limited.

Nashville, Memphis, Miami, Denver, Portland, Honolulu, Houston, Austin, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle all spring to mind immediately, and that's not even counting the big two -- New Orleans and Vegas.

Also, for what it's worth, I've been coding in bars for over a decade in places like Memphis, TN, Albany, NY, etc., and haven't ever been a problem.

Glad you like New York, and I'm in no way trying to disparage it, but the OP does make a point. That said, everywhere is different, and New York undoubtedly offers a myriad of things not found in other places, and vice versa.

I've also travelled pretty extensively, both here and abroad. I've been to nine of the places you listed. I guess I must not have been to the right parts.

I DID almost move to Chicago once...

> here are very few cities which have bars that are open past 2am

Well to be fair, you didn't mention anything about coding in a bar that late.

> there are very few cities in which you can code at a bar and not be weird (which means things like accessible power plugs)

Bars having power outlets is a function of the city they reside in? And I think perhaps you've been living in that SF/LA/NYC bubble too long, it's not as uncommon in the less civilized parts of the country as you may think. Hell, a lot of bars in those backward cities have wifi too!

> there are very few cities in which there's hustle and bustle, even at 3am.

Well you've got me there.

Sorry, don't mean to be super critical, but your "NYC is the only place in the country where you can do these things!!!" mentality struck a nerve.

First of all, I should just say that I will never fault anyone for living where it makes them happy. This is solely about _me_.

Speaking of unspoken constraints, I also _need_ to be in a big city. My rule of thumb is "does it have a subway?" If not, it's probably not big enough. That constraint alone cuts it down to fifteenish cities. Not a hard-and-fast rule, but I grew up on a cattle farm. I know that life isn't for me, at all.

> This is solely about _me_

That's what I figured, and that's fine. I'm just a little sensitive because usually when these topics come up it comes off as "NYC is the height of great living."

No one needs to live in a big city. You might like the perks, but that doesn't make it a need.

Sorry, you know nothing about my mental health and the environment I need in order to be healthy.

Just keep in mind that some people might hate living in a small town or elsewhere, but they make do because they have to: they need family nearby as a support structure or they don't have the money and independence to move somewhere like SF or NYC without being on the streets.

You'd make do too if you had to. Suicide isn't even an option for a lot of people, because preparations and privacy are hard to come by, and they might not even have the mobility to make it happen.

I just wanted you to be aware of what advantages you do have, and what things are really a need (food, water, medical supplies and/or medications, shelter, care if you need it) and what aren't. Other than that live the happiest life that is possible for you!