SF vs NY

It’s hard not to have crazy energy to hustle and get shit done after being in New York for a few days. The city is completely back and thriving. Office buildings are packed. Lunch spots having lines out the door again. The tourists are filling the city. I left the city before the pandemic began, and there seems to be even more activity than when I left.

This is obviously the opposite of what’s happening in San Francisco. Workers are not going back to the office like they used to. Restaurants and stores are closing rapidly in downtown. I’ll admit that I’m seriously considering moving back to New York even after being here for 3 days. I miss being in the office with coworkers all the time and the energy that others bring.

Of course, New York isn’t perfect. There seems to be more homeless people on the streets than I recall before. There also seems to be increased retail theft in stores as well. I walked by many places with lots of signs signaling as much. But the issues seem to be drowned out simply by the level of activity in New York.

San Francisco will come back. It’s not dead. There’s still a huge density of talent in the city. It’s still a gorgeous city and I plan to make it my home permanently at some point. However, New York has given me a lot to think about given that I’m 33, married and have no kids. I could be down for another New York stint soon.