NYC is good option for you if you work for finance.
I don’t like LA, but San Diego is one of my favourite places on Earth, let alone in the US. Great town. But it’s certainly not a financial centre.
No love for Sydney?
Definitely not a financial centre but of the 4 cities I’ve lived in (London, Edinburgh, NYC and Sydney) and worked in it wins hands down.
very informative and valuable info.
I’d be careful living in California as there’s prediction of massive earthquake at some point in the future…
Risk or opportunity??
they have been saying the exact same thing about Tokyo for the last 30 years
Well Japan did have a pretty disastrous earthquake in 2011. Many thousands dead and a substantial part of the country irradiated. Not much direct impact on Tokyo, but it is certainly not a negligible risk.
Tokyo was tight. I was crushing it(literally and figuratively)
So you are Godzilla? Another thread had me curious, this settles it
NYC - Lived and worked in NYC for 8 years. Work hours can be insane and it can be really difficult to ascend to the top. Out of all the major global cities though, I find NYC has by far the most to offer in terms of food, culture, arts, and nightlife; a decent balance for outdoor life (Catskills for hiking/skiing); and people can be as diverse as you want them to be. NYC simply seems to also just attract the most ambitious so you tend to get the best of the best (not just in finance but in all industries). I think once you take away the exotic novelty of say the Asian cities or proximity to EU for London, as a city, NYC just reigns supreme. That all said, I would only want to live below 14th (Flat Iron is fine too) and above Canal (except for TriBeCa); Midtown, UES, and UWS are blah. Brooklyn might also be great, but outside of late night parties and restaurants I haven’t really explored it much. My favorite area is probably Nolita/Noho.
Tokyo - Lived here for college (1.5years) and hated the city for the first few months. Once I finally found a solid group of friends and became more accustomed to the city, I really started to enjoy it. By the end I didn’t want to leave. I would NOT want to work in Tokyo unless for a decidedly American firm run by Americans in Tokyo. I find the Japanese work culture to be inefficient and not the best for ambitious people. I found it to be like banking on crack; can’t leave until your boss does even if you’re done. As a city, really you only should be concerned with being on or inside the Yamanote-sen (line). Food is really really good, nightlife is decent (things are open late), and girls are great if you’re into Asians. The countryside is absolutely amazing. Not as close to the rest of Asia as you would think.
London - I just moved here (my time will be 1-1.5 years). I think it’s too early to make a call on the city, but I can’t help wanting to just zip back to NYC. Everything honestly just feels like a step down from NYC (food, nightlife, women, transport, etc…). It’s still far better than most major cities, but tough to adjust after living in NYC for 8 years. That said, the work hours are much better. I also think for 1-1.5 years, it will be great for the CV and will really give me a once in a lifetime chance to explore Europe/ME/Africa.
Hong Kong - Visited for extended lengths. I really like this city. It feels like a denser, smaller NYC. I hear work hours are nutty. I think HK would be amazing for 6mo-1year and would look great on the CV. After that though the city seems like it would get very redundant because there are only a few areas of interest. Solid proximity to the rest of SE Asia is a plus.
Singapore - Never been, but I hear it feels very “manufactured” or planned compared to HK. Less of that street culture/creativity that NYC and HK have.
SF/LA - different cities I know and I’ve never lived in either of them. I think once I start to settle down I will be eyeing the West Coast. Weather and lifestyle are better and the amenities are still decent.
edupristine?
agreed
NY is the best for opportunities in the western hemisphere at the moment, and I think it is good to spend some time there to develop a tough exterior. However, at this stage of my career, I would take an offer to do the same job elsewhere. At some point, you just want financial security, comfortable living conditions, shorter commute, and other things that improve your standard of living. The high cost and crowds in NY tend to conflict with these goals.