I'm also from SF, and for me, few places in the world can approach the Bay Area in terms of innovation and technology. For me, Amsterdam is one of the places that comes close. I've been living back and forth between SF/Marin and Amsterdam since 2006. You'll find a buzzing community there around software development, entrepreneurship, and innovation. (However, if you're ever looking for VC funding, the Bay Area is leagues better than the Randstad.)

If you're looking for an employee-style relationship: To work legally, you'll want to find a Dutch company to sponsor you so that you can get a work permit. Another option is to get hired in the states by a MNC and get transferred.

Personally, I elected create a corporation in California, hire myself, and get Dutch clients for our company. I travel enough that I can make due with the 90 day out of every 6-months visa-free Schengen option. Dutch companies tend to like to do business with other culturally Dutch companies. (Technology companies, however, are generally much more progressive in this regard.) If you go this route, definitely have a Dutch-language web presence and consider having a Dutch-speaking sales person as these will work wonders.

Also, if you're into cars, one very cool thing about NL and neighboring Germany is that you can rent proper german cars, like M3's and Porsche turbos. In NL the traffic can be a bit crowded and you have to watch out for the camera boxes (Gatso's). I recommend taking the ICE train over to Düsseldorf. They have a very nice selection of cars at the DÜS airport and the A3 is great for some autobahn therapy.

Let me know if there's anything or anyone I can help you get connected with in NL.