April

already, the whole outdoors thing is rather more complicated. For somebody used to NYC, south SJ and Santa Cruz are going to seem incredibly sleepy and slow. Nice to visit or holiday, but will it feel like sensory deprivation after a while? Will they be making the 60/90 minute trek up to SF on a regular basis? Also, the further south you go, the nastier the commute up into the rest of the bay area. On the other hand, it's substantially cheaper.

IMHO, if somebody wanted to get ahead career-wise, I would tell them to spend a few years in SoCal, and make visits up to the Bay area regularly. The economy down south is just so much larger, with a much broader range of opportunity. Then transition to NorCal. Given the high costs of living and the smaller market, this area might be better for somebody who has a broad range of experience, a slush fund, and west coast contacts in place. There is just less room for error. It's only an hour flight or 6 hour drive between the two.

Craig3Q

and boy, do I miss SoCal, but the longer I live in the Bay Area, the harder it is to arrange an escape, it seems.

audivotary

hassles. There is a big presence in the city for PE, VC, and other money management careers, including real estate. Many also live in the cith and reverse commute to Silicon Valley. Also, more central to Northern California outdoor activities including Tahoe, Napa, Carmel, etc.

Bahn S4

If I could find a job in private equity, venture capital or commercial real estate investment, I would be out there in a second.

s4wood

I live in a decent part of San Jose...let me know if I can help