Last week, I moved to New York and joined the Recurse Center.

This is after being in San Francisco for a month, staying next to the Embarcadero and attending On Deck Founders.

I’m living in Downtown Brooklyn now, fortunate to find a place that’s just a five minute walk away from the Recurse Center.

It’s been a pleasure to stay in both the cities. Some differences:

San Francisco

Pros:

  • 90%+ people breathe tech & startups. I had an uber driver give me tips on B2B sales since he had a sales job in the past and I talked to him about my product.
  • Nature is quite accessible. I used to visit a different park every day, some of my favorites being the Salesforce Park and the area around the Presidio.
  • Healthier food options than Brooklyn.
  • Barely saw one smoker.

Cons:

  • Food tastes good (but not great). Less variety.
  • Too spread out. I was ubering or cycling from my place at the Embarcadaro to SOMA/Fort Mason every day.
  • “Microclimates” are annoying, had to carry around multiple layers in my bag.
  • Many places are poorly lit and actively dangerous at night.

Brooklyn

Pros:

  • Walkable. I’ve got multiple option to shop and eat around me.
  • Global food. There’s Chinese, Korean, Polish, Caribbean, Japanese, Italian, and Indian food all within a ten minute walk.
  • Excellent public transport. Haven’t felt the need to take an uber once yet, and subway vs cabs usually take similar times.
  • Well lit and busy at night, haven’t felt unsafe once.

Cons:

  • Dirtier Grimier
  • Behind on tech and startups (exception: legaltech)
  • Too much noise and chaos (I hear sirens and honking pretty often)
  • Why does everyone keep jaywalking?!
  • A smoker at every corner

Next?

I think I’m going to be heading back to SFO sometime soon. Despite its cons, it is the best place to build in AI. Plus, the consistently good weather & sunlight is a excellent for my mood and productivity.

I also have a larger network there, because all the smartest people seem to move there for work.

What are your experiences in NYC and SFO? Any recommendations for things to do while I’m here on the east coast?

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