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It’s basically NYC - VHCOL, insanely high taxes, drug addicts stabbing people to death on the streets but hey at least the weather is nicer
I work from home 3-4 days a week, it’s great
It’s mildly cheaper than nyc especially in the South Bay Area but don’t expect to suddenly afford a house. In terms of chillness, I assume my RTO obligations are lower than NYC and people bug me less than I assume they would in NY but it’s still stressful and long hours
Rental market is significantly cheaper.
I’ve never lived in NY, but I love SF. It’s still brutal (M&A) but at least very light on facetime in my office and most Bay Area firms from what I gather.
I moved from NYC to SF (within the same firm) and can confirm that the culture is much more chill and pleasant in SF. Everyone is generally friendlier and happier, there are zero competitive vibes, and no feeling of depression in the halls. NYC feels miserable in comparison. It’s honestly night and day and I feel like it gave me a new life in biglaw. Yes SF is VHCOL but you get more space for your $ here and the city is great (haters gonna hate).
Mentor
It’s definitely a chiller vibe on the west coast, but it’s still biglaw.
you will be on 630am calls with east coast teams and clients and then still work past midnight. yeah chill.
Coach
VHCOL as another commenter said