San Francisco is better in many aspects than New York City. For starters, New York City is more congested while SF is relaxed and cheaper.
New York is a city full of busy bees with less to no time for a breather. This is cited as one of the reasons why New York City teems with rude and easily-angered residents.
SF gives you a balance between work and life. Plus, it has amazing food choices at lower prices. It’s also easy to fly to Asia and other destinations when in SF. This is the reason why SF has residents that live better and balanced lifestyles.
Here, we tell you the tale of the two cities.
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Is New York better than San Francisco?
San Francisco is better than New York. The weather is always nice. This makes it easier for locals to have a balanced life. You get to do many outdoor activities throughout the year. The city is beautiful. It is less dense than NYC and has lately become the center of technological innovations. Plus, the quality of food is better, which makes SF more ideal.
Because of the better quality of life in San Francisco, it is easy to see why locals have higher self-esteem. This is unlike the New Yorkers who always seem to rush somewhere.
Because of its nice weather, San Francisco locals can always be found in casual clothing as well. Most ride their bikes or public transport. The locals do not seem to always flash their status or wealth in SF.
Geographically, SF is also located in that part of the country where it is easy to fly to paradise. Whether you plan to go to Hawaii or to an exotic beach in Thailand, San Francisco has easy access.
These are some of the reasons why San Francisco is better than New York City. Read on to find out more.
10 Months of Great Weather
San Francisco enjoys close to about ten months of great weather in a year. New York City, on the other hand, has chilly weather for three months during winter. NYC also has cold weather when they’re running close to winter. The summers are also terrible.
Rain is regular in SF during the peak of winter. And when it rains in SF, it also snows in Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe is a short drive away from the city. It has snow during winter. All year round, you get access to its mountains. Squaw Valley, for example, provides for an amazing hike.
When in San Francisco during winter, one can choose to wait out the rain or go see Lake Tahoe and its mountains. This provides residents the options.
San Francisco is better than New York. The weather allows its residents to have more time outdoors. Unlike in NYC, there will be little time to spend indoors feeling trapped and sad.
The Complicated Transportation System
The transport system in NYC is better than that of San Francisco. It may not be the best in the country, but it is better in many ways. There is little to learn but the subway routes and bus lines if you have to.
Those new to San Francisco will find transportation a challenge. The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), for example, is one of the many transport systems one has to learn. There are still other options like cable cars, bus lines, and a lot more.
Then, there is also the San Francisco Municipal Railway. This is popular as Muni or Muni Metro. The transportation system in SF is a lot more complicated than that of NYC.
The fares in San Francisco depend on the distance. This is more complicated compared to that of MetroCard in NYC. A swipe can take you anywhere as long as it is within the MTA system.
If there is something that needs to be improved with the MTA system, it is its delays and service changes. Such delays and changes can be disruptive to a commuter’s schedules.
Zero Waste Efforts
When it comes to waste management, San Francisco wins over New York. San Francisco’s efforts that started four years ago aimed at zero waste by 2021. NYC’s waste diversion goal is only at 19% as of this writing and aims for a zero-waste city by 2030.
San Francisco says that about half of the waste in non-recycled bins can be recycled. This amplifies the city’s efforts to manage waste effectively. As of this time, its diversion rate is 90%.
SF’s zero waste policy has three goals in mind. One is, obviously, to rid the city of waste. The second goal is to recycle and compost. And the third goal is to make sure that toxics are handled right.
Thanks to the San Francisco residents, the city’s aim at getting rid of waste is coming to fruition. People have a mindset that reducing waste is essential in community-building.
New York provides a stark contrast to this mindset. While NYC’s goal is to be zero waste by 2030, their current numbers seem far off from the goal itself. With the goal of waste diversion of 19%, the city’s actual rate is far below at 2.9%.
One quick look at NYC’s bins and waste management efforts brings with it a feeling of a rough road ahead. Bins are teeming with bottles and a lot more waste. Unlike in San Francisco, the residents look at waste disposal as a responsibility. New Yorkers mind this aspect less.
Looking at the two cities can have one doubt whether NYC is capable of shifting mindsets. One look at each city’s waste management can make one conclude that SF is winning in this category.
Nightlife
San Francisco’s nightlife is quite different from that of New York. New York’s is better in many aspects. The difference is between the finance-obsessed crowd of NYC and the techie guys of SF. The other differences lie in the crowd’s norms, behavior, as well as the experience in general.
It’s pretty obvious that New York City is bigger than San Francisco. It is expected that San Francisco has fewer options than New York when it comes to nightlife. San Francisco’s nightlife crowd is smaller than that of New York. It is common to bump into friends and acquaintances all the time.
The locals in SF tend to go out less compared to those from NYC. The city’s nightlife also starts early, at around 9 – 10 PM. At around 2 AM, SF rings its last call for the night.
In NYC, the night ends at around 4 AM. Sometimes, it can even be later than that. This gives more time for New Yorkers to have fun and enjoy the night. But by morning, New Yorkers find themselves with less cash than they had the night before. That is because it’s more expensive in NYC.
Is it more expensive to live in NYC or San Francisco? – Housing, Rent, and Nothing Else
The cost of rent in both cities is almost similar to each other. San Francisco’s housing and rent costs are a bit more expensive than that of New York’s. However, New York has more expensive consumer goods. In general, New York City is more expensive, but by a small gap.
Both cities have higher costs of living in general. This is when you compare them with other metros in the country. For an average person, it would be hard to notice the difference. This is because both cities are expensive.
If one is looking for a cheaper place to live, these two are always not on the top of the list.
Rent at an All-Time High
At the start of the year 2015, San Francisco has surpassed New York when it comes to the cost of the rent. SF is the country’s most expensive city to rent a one-bedroom unit.
This came after an apartment listings site analyzed active listings in the country. It provided for the median price of different apartment types for the year.
In such an analysis, SF has the most expensive one and two-bedroom units in the country. The median rent lies at $3,100 for a one-bedroom. For a two-bedroom apartment, it should be at $4,050.
New York City is second in the most expensive units for rent in the country. Its median rate is $2,990 for a one-bedroom unit. For a two-bedroom unit, it is pegged at $3,500.
Comparing both cities, SF is more expensive when it comes to renting. The difference is for a mere $100+ per month, basing it on the median rate.
But even while the difference is not so significant, it can accumulate over time.
Food and Groceries
Eating out when in any of these cities can break your bank. Both cities are popular for having some of the most amazing restaurants on the planet. But even with less popular restaurants, the prices can be exorbitant. But comparing the two cities, New York is more expensive.
A meal at a mid-range restaurant in San Francisco can cost one about $80. This would nearly be twice as much as you pay when in another city. On the other hand, New York is way more expensive, with meals costing about $100.
In summary, restaurant prices in both cities are high. SF, though, is cheaper than NYC by 9.92%.
Of course, when one is budget-conscious, preparing food at home is always the go-to. Cooking at home is a great way to save money when in SF or NYC. But groceries in both cities are not always cheap.
When the national average for such commodities is pegged at $320, both cities can cost you more. Comparing the two, however, SF is, overall, 6.78% cheaper than NYC when it comes to groceries.
A kilo of beef, for example, averages at $16 in NYC. In SF, it is at $14.41 per kilo. Milk is also cheaper in SF than in NYC. When a carton costs $1.19 in NYC, it is only at $1.14 in SF. In most of these essential commodities, NYC’s cost is far more expensive than that of SF.
Is New York safer than San Francisco?
The overall statistics show that NYC is safer than SF. Looking closely, this includes petty crimes like vandalism, theft, and even non-violent crimes. When it comes to violent crimes like assault and robbery, NYC is higher than in SF. The same is also true when it comes to corruption, bribery, and such. In essence, SF is a much safer city than NYC.
For example, in cases of forcible rape, SF is at 0.02%, while NYC is at 0.01%. Burglary in SF is at 0.87% versus NYC’s 0.27%. What do these numbers say?
A quick look would say that SF has more crimes than NYC. But when you look at the population disparity, one would understand why SF is safer. The forcible rape mentioned earlier is only 86 cases. Now, compare that with NYC’s 596 cases. There lies the difference.
SF’s burglary rate is at 0.02%, while NYC’s is at 0.01%. These numbers would only equate to about 6,400 cases in SF compared to a little more than 22,100 cases in NYC.
The point here is that SF is a much smaller city than NYC. Its population is lesser compared to the Big Apple.
On the other hand, NYC’s crimes are distributed within the large metro. A few neighborhoods may have more than the other. But geographically, these crimes are fairly distributed.
In conclusion, while SF’s rates are higher than NYC, the former is safer.
Final Verdict
In the end, which city wins out? It is a close fight between two of the most populated cities in the US, but in the end, SF is better. The differences in cost of living in these two cities may not be much. But when it comes to the vibe and safety, SF is better. SF is also better when it comes to the weather. Plus, the waste disposal system in SF is way better than in NYC.
It is not to say that NYC is bad. Some personalities can, in fact, do well in NYC. But for most, SF is better because of the community it provides. It has a hunger for young talent. It is less hectic than NYC. But it makes sure that one is provided with as many job opportunities as the other.