All projects: Gel, Jobs, Good Todo, Games, Uncle Mark, Blog, Bit Literacy
On NYC vs. Silicon Valley (Heiferman)
Scott Heiferman on New York vs. Silicon Valley:
13 years ago, I was 22 in Iowa with 2 job offers: 1 in Silicon Valley, 1 New York. I chose New York because New York created SNL, MTV, and VU. This was BNGEE (Before Netscape Google Ebay Etc), and while I worshipped Apple, I placed my bet on the creative hotbed with the best track-record: New York.
Now SNL & MTV are irrelevant. ... Silicon Valley invents the future of everything but hedge funds.
It's a shame because New York really is a great place to live. Thankfully, you can escape New York's finance-media-advertising obsession. The Bay Area & technology is like LA & entertainment: Inescapable. I can leave the office, escape those industries, and be surrounded by the U.N., art, food, and 1000 other worlds.
Right on, Scott.
While the areas around Silicon Valley are expensive, the cost of living in the New York metro area is absolutely astronomical. This has caused and will continue to cause a brain drain, where only the wealthy (and subsidized poor) can afford to live in the City proper.
I moved to NYC from Los Angeles about 8 years ago, but I've seen many good people go the opposite direction since then, choosing a relatively affordable quality of life over NYCs incredible creative energy. And there goes the creative thinking. NYC must find ways to keep those of us who make and innovate, not just those who trade and barter the ideas of others. IMHO.
I think NYC's great, but Scott Heiferman is showcasing his ignorance here. He claims you can't escape technology in the (entire) bay area?! Honestly, let's be real. I'd argue the bay area is equally if not more diverse than NYC and in so many different ways... not to mention it's a huge physical area. SF, south bay/sv, east bay and marin. Wow.
@Michael, you're right. I spent some time in NYC this year after having not done so since 98. The change was immediately noticeable...