I'm trying to decide whether to move to:
Seattle
San Francisco
New York City
Same job, roughly the same total income ($250-300k as a high-level software engineer). I'm a single early 30's guy.
Which would you choose?
That's a tough decision.
I'd be happy in any of those cities at the end of the day but I'd probably be more inclined to do NYC.
I suppose you could always relocate.
>>1242096
That's what I'm thinking right now- move to NYC to enjoy the dating/social scene and then relocate to Seattle for the outdoors and the lower cost of living when I end up engaged and really want to settle down.
I love the Seattle lifestyle and lived there for many years but socially and dating-wise it's beyond awful.
>>1242095
NYC.
You don't want to be in range of Kim's nukes when you've just gotten your dream job.
>>1242098
The cost of living in Seattle is skyrocketing, the city is growing at 3% a year. It's the not hip little laid back city it used to be.
>>1242095
Let me guess, financial industry? That's the only game in town in NYC and also the only place that overpays SW guys that much. Not hating though, unless you do HFT which is immoral as fuck
>>1242095
Pittsburgh is gonna be the next silicon valley in 5 years.
>>1242095
Depends on your employer.
>Start up and stock options contract
Valley.
>Giant tech corporation with upward mobility
NYC.
If you plan on having a familia right about now, seattle is not a bad place to raise kids. Compared to NYC/Valley
>>1242098
Everett anon here, Seattle is pretty nice and you don't have to drive to far to be in some serious mountains. It rains on a regular basis here for a majority of the year but I really like it up here. Moved here in December of 2015, and was out of the area for a good 9 months or so, but I would consider retiring to an area like this. Maybe not Everett exactly but PNW.
Are you a fan of cars by chance? CA kinda sucks for that other than having some good tracks and great roads. Used to live in Monterey, which was great.
Nice sunny day up in the mountains.
>>1242095
>Seattle
Slightly less of a big city, slower pace of life, large hippy scene, coffee, can live in a detached house, cheaper living cost than the others
>San Francisco
Extremely expensive, outdoors is nearby, beaches to the south, skiing to the north, walkable, extremely degenerate population, hippy capital of the world, also the tech capital of the world, your car defines you, get fined by the police for literally everything including breathing
>New York
Forget about owning a car, public transportation only, expensive but 2nd to San Fran, people judge you by your clothes, big companies, a world wide city
>>1242112
No, senior level software engineer. There are satellite offices for the best tech companies in NYC.
>>1242110
CoL is nothing compared to NYC or SF. I lived in Seattle for many years on a lower income and never had to think about money.
>>1242114
Every place likes to say this. It's not. Seattle is the "next silicon valley" and there's no clear #3 but Pittsburgh isn't even in the running for that spot.
>>1242146
The problem with Seattle (not sure about Everett) is the social life, the darkness of winter, and the god-awful dating scene for single men. I lived there for years and was very lonely, not sure it'd be any different now.
Everett/Tacoma are a bit better in that respect, not so much of the "seattle freeze" effect.
>>1242153
>Seattle sucks for single men
I don't want to believe this, but I do. I do maritime work in the southeast and have been considering moving to the Puget Sound area for a while. Thing is, I'm kind of lonely in my current small city and wanted to treat the move as a fresh start making friends and dating. I loved Seattle when I visited but maybe a smaller, nearby city like the ones you mention would be a better fit. Cheaper rent would be great, too, obviously.
>>1242095
Get the fuck out of 4chan you rich fuck. You have money, why would you post here? Surely you have everything you could ever want?
Goddamnit, I hate rich people. I will never make that much money. 4chan is for poor people, please stop posting.
Can I borrow this thread? Which area in Seattle can I find:
- a 0-45 minute commute to/from work in SoDo (* I'll even consider public transportation options),
- $1-2K rent for: one bedroom (or just a living room [seriously!]), shower, kitchen, no cockroaches or pests ---- could be an apartment, in a single-family home within a single-family neighborhood, mother-in-law suite, roommate(s) or otherwise), etc. i.e. somewhere ultimately temporary that will let me acclimate for ≤ 12 months before I consider purchasing property.
- within 0-20 minutes of Costco and a cheap-o Asian grocer (i.e. NOT Uwajimaya; H-mart/99-Ranch/non-franchise will ~suffice, but anything cheaper and larger inventory is preferred [which is usu. non-franchise])
- Social aspects and community are a non-factor because I keep to myself and travel frequently for work. Suburban and exurban areas are acceptable. I don't care for restaurants, shops, walkability, other people, etc. I just need a Costco and grocer.
Do any of these locations stand out in particular?
Federal Way
Lynwood
Shoreline
Issaquah
Sammamish
Kent
Renton
Auburn
Redmond
Snohomish
International District (any speculative uptrends here???)
>>1242156
No, no, no. Seattle is decidedly NOT the place to go to cure loneliness or dating issues. For dating, just look at the gender ratio post-Amazon. For friendships, look up "Seattle Freeze" - it's a very real thing, people that deny it either haven't lived elsewhere or lucked into some sort of group of friends (from being born here, or an usually social job, etc.). Outside of Seattle in the surrounding area it's only marginally better.
>>1242221
k
>>1242253
These are all awful and trashy but cheap:
>Federal Way
>Lynwood
>Shoreline
>Auburn
>Kent
These are out because crossing the I-90 bridge means your commute will take forever, and are awfully boring anyway:
>Issaquah
>Sammamish
>Renton
>Snohomish
So that just leaves the International District, which matches all that you're looking for.
There are other areas that would match it too, though. Georgetown and Beacon Hill immediately come to mind. They're not super-desirable spots for the main Seattle crowd so they're much cheaper than anywhere north of downtown. But hell, you could probably get that kind of rent within SoDo itself for what you're looking for.
>>1242149
>people judge you by your clothes
Lol no. Maybe school kids in the hood, but other than that no
>>1242221
There is some truth in this post. Why the fuck would a guy who makes $300,000 a year ask for advice like this on 4chan?
Nome of them. They are all liberal shitholes.
>>1242281
I'm a regular here, I've been using and contributing to this board for a long time. I just backpacked around the world for a year and a half, hence me looking for a new job and place to live now.
I mentioned the salary just to show that the cost of living won't be a major issue.
>>1242095
I've lived in all three, and by far I enjoy NYC the most.
Unless you're really hardcore into hiking and nature shit, Seattle isn't worth the horrid darkness, near constant rain, and two faced people. At least in NYC if someone doesn't like you they'll they'll you straight to your face.
I'd say San Francisco is roughly comparable to NYC, and I liked my time there, but it just didn't work out for me personally. The weather was obviously gorgeous and I think if my circumstances had been different I'd still be there today.
Currently I live in downtown Manhattan, and it's just great. You've looked through all the good shit, so I'm not going to go over it, but for me, what's great is that even after a decade in the city everything still feels interesting.
>>1242109
>You don't want to be in range of Kim's nukes when you've just gotten your dream job
Is this an actual risk? I'm not American so please no ironic replies
>>1242095
>$250-300k
Fucking hell.
I'd be surprised if I ever end up making 60k in my life.
>>1242297
>living in downtown manhattan
>knowing anything about new york
Lmao.
>>1242095
Do you hate winter? then probably San Fran
Do you hate libruls? Then I guess seattle, although no getting away from them there either. I hate the hustle and bustle of NYC but it's what others seem to love. The city itself gives me a headache. You can get laid anywhere in the world if you make $250k+, so don't worry about that.
>>1242221
>4chan is for poor people
This site was founded by a 15 year old kid using his mother's credit card. That's not the kind of thing you see poorfags doing.
>>1242278
also if you're a hyper rich trustfund baby. But yea what a weird comment
>>1242310
>Wouldn't want to live in tribeca, the village or alphabet city
Pleb
Do you want to live in a Jew peninsula, gay Jew peninsula, or straight Aryan peninsula?
>>1242338
>no gays in seattle
O I am laffin
>>1242310
>being a poorfag
>knowing anything about living in New York
Lmao.
>>1242277
>people that deny it either haven't lived elsewhere or lucked into some sort of group of friends
I think the "Seattle Freeze" is definitely overstated by bloggers and people who are bad at socializing. I've lived a few other places, and the PNW was never worse in terms of socializing or making friends. Actually, where I live now (New Mexico) is much worse in that respect; people are super unfriendly here, and everyone I know from other places thinks the same thing. People I've known from New York usually consider it to be unfriendly and full of assholes compared to most places, so I imagine it's also worse than Seattle.
>>1242318
>You can get laid anywhere in the world if you make $250k+
Anyone can get laid in these cities, but the quality of the girls will be very different. Gender ratio and culture have a big impact. NYC >>>> SF >> Seattle.
In Seattle I routinely see fat chicks that rarely wear makeup dating tall guys that are fairly in shape. And I know plenty of guys that are making $200k+ and aren't getting laid at all because the girls just aren't as money-focused.
>>1242415
That's an NY meme we purport to make ourselves seem cooler. It's true of people on the streets, because people are busy here and they don't want to be taking time out to help tourists, but in a bar there's few places easier to chat up people. Plus through sheer size alone there's a ton of friendly people
>>1242435
>confirmation bias
>>1242153
>CoL is nothing compared to NYC or SF. I lived in Seattle for many years on a lower income and never had to think about money.
I did as well, then I left because I was living in a super efficiency apartment and my rent went up to $900 a month.
Again, exponential growth. By the time you're ready to settle down, it will be even more expensive and crowded. If you want to settle down and enjoy a cheaper cost of living, you'd be better off South of Tacoma or East of Issaquah.
OP, what are you after?
Weather?
Social scene and dating - how dirty do you like your clubs/bars and are you gay/straight?
Financial investments (property price growth etc)?
Do you like nature or cities or both?
Have you been to any of these cities before and if so, what did you like about any of them.
What other places have you been and thought..."hmmm, this place is okay, I could live here"?
Where do you live currently?
How close are you to your family/friends?
These questions will help to see what you're after
Tfw thinking of moving to Seattle and everyone ITT shitting on it
Fuck, maybe I should pick Boston..
>>1242471
This a lie propagated by Seattleites because we're fucking full.
>>1242095
>300k a year
I hate you.
I hate you SO much. Do you even understand the intense hate i have for you and everbody like you.
Fuck. Just you mentioning the money you make has ruined my day. You have so much fucking money, why are you here? You can literally do anything. Buy anything.
I have so many things i want to buy. So majy things i want to do. Yet i have to impoverish myself t0 save money and do them.
Meanwhile you make 10x more than me and here you are.
Fuck you.
>>1242487
You are the worst kind of person. Kill yourself
>>1242471
I would choose Boston over Seattle honestly. But I'm strongly affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder and I'm not uber social or very good looking (so, not able to overcome the seattle freeze or find a decent girl in Seattle).
I'm in Seattle now, and at the end of April it's still raining every single day and in the 40-50's. In March there was one day when it was sunny the whole day and didn't rain - that was the first time in literally 6 months. That kind of weather fucks with you.
Does Seattle really have that many Asians?
>>1242497
How so? Rich people like OP are surely worse.
>>1242508
Literally the only problem you have with OP is that he has more money than you. And somehow that's a negative about him?
>>1242487
What the fuck is wrong with you? nothing in his post complains about how much money he has, in fact it's quite the opposite, get hit by the bus you take to work tomorrow please and thank you.
>>1242501
>But I'm strongly affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder
Lol enjoy the Boston winter and no spring (it basically just becomes summer around the marathon)
>>1242487
You've had the same opportunities as OP, you chose not to take them. Don't hate others due to your own failures.
If you know your problems, you can start trying to fix them.
>>1242514
>Boston has 15.4% less rainy days and 27.3% more Sunny Days than Seattle.
http://www.bestplaces.net/compare-cities/seattle_wa/boston_ma/climate
It's the lack of sun and light in general that causes SAD, not the cold.
>>1242501
I would go to Boston but the schools in Seattle are much cheaper for out of state students, literally free for me
>>1242446
Fucking this
I'm a New Yorker and this is so true, I cringe at some of the New York memes I hear repeated.
>>1242446
NYC is a weird case. I think people consider it rude because many of the social courtesies and pleasantness seen elsewhere in the US are totally absent within NYC. But on the other hand people really are pretty open and genuine and easy to become true friends with.
The one thing that really bugs me about NYC culture is the fact that everyone seems to think it's the greatest place on earth and the rest of the world is a step down. There's a sort of NYC pride which gets really obnoxious and is way out of proportion to what the city really is.
>seattle
First of all fuck off we're full
Second of all if you want to live somewhere decent on your own expect to pay $1600+ monthly (not really a problem on $250k salary but cost of living isnt that much less than SF)
Third of all to those of you who are not financially well equipped my suggestion is to not move here at all unless you have friends/job/place to live already. This city is really just a new money/yuppie playground so stay away if you have to work at a grocery store. Get a degree (or two), 3-5 years of experience and then move here when you can actually afford it.
Finally, fuck off we're full
>>1242556
No idea what you're talking about I can easily get a room for $500 per month in Seattle while I'm going to school there
>>1242560
sounds like a crock of shit. i live in a tiny shithole in kent for $650. you'd have to be on some kind of assistance program and even then 500 is a stretch.
>>1242556
SF and NYC are far more full than Seattle ever will be. Bitch at your politicians to get rid of height restrictions, not the people that are going to move there regardless of your feelings.
>>1242487
You could make 300k/year if you were really dead set on getting there, but unfortunately you have this resentful loser mentality that will keep you right at the same pay grade as other resentful losers.
There is literally nothing to do in Seattle and nobody has any reason to go there unless they work at Microsoft or Amazon. Not even meming. Asians ruined it
OP at 300k/year I would suggest that you live in the West Village area in Manhattan. You have to be into living in a big city, but the great thing about the Village is that it's more of a neighborhood vibe with little winding roads and a total lack of tall buildings. Tons of good food, the demographic is you, plenty of nice people around.
Be aware that rent is very expensive. Like, $4,000/mo. for a 1 bedroom expensive. But you're living in fucking Manhattan in 2017, so I don't know what else to say-- it is what it is.
>>1242508
You are pathetic, kill yourself.
>>1242571
Low-rise, highdensity is better tbqh
>>1242582
That sounds awesome! I really don't like the idea of spending THAT much on rent, but that's the sort of neighborhood that I could be happy in and still really enjoy NYC. Is there another area of Manhattan that's less claustrophobic like that but not quite as expensive?
I was thinking about the upper west side, just because I could get out to central park easily. I wouldn't be too happy if I had to take the subway just to get to a decent place to run/bike outdoors.
>>1242677
Either way, right now most of the land area in Seattle is zoned for single-family homes. Politicians don't want to change this because it'll lower the property values for existing homeowners, who actually vote. But the rents will keep rising dramatically, to SF levels, until they do it.
>>1242531
>I think people consider it rude because many of the social courtesies and pleasantness seen elsewhere in the US are totally absent within NYC.
Here's the thing: New Yorkers are not rude, there's just a different sense of what's considered rude here. In much of the US social interaction starts out with a a few minutes of pleasantries before getting down to the business at hand. That's largely dispensed with in NYC because most folks are moving at a fast pace. Because of this slowing someone else down is what's seen as rude here. Not having your money out and your order ready when its your turn to order in line at a deli is rude, because you're slowing everything down for everybody else. Walking slowly on the sidewalk is rude for the same reason. Slowing down any business transaction with unnecessary talk is rude because you're wasting someone else's time instead of getting right to the point.
NYC is a very friendly town as long as you move at the same pace as other New Yorkers. But if your behavior is slowing people down around you YOU'RE the one being rude here.
>>1242697
That sounds awful. How can you live in a city full of people that are so busy and high-strung that such trivial things bother them?
>>1242723
You get more done by not asking stupid questions like what the cashier thinks of the rain outside so you have more time to spend with your actual friends and family. You also have a lot more money and access to way more.
>>1242560
I guarantee you cannot find a $500/month 1 bedroom apartment even in somebody's basement in the shittiest corner of the u district unless you know someine who's willing to cut you a serious deal
I pay $1200/month for a 400 sq ft studio in Ballard and I check craigslist often for listings. I'm getting a decent deal even at that rate.
I highly doubt OP wants to share commodities with several roommates considering his age and salary
>>1242729
Have you spent any time out of NYC? That sort of thing doesn't slow down progress at all, it happens in parallel with the transaction. It's just random talk that occurs while the cashier is doing what they would do anyway.
Anyway that sort of talk doesn't usually happen - usually it's more like, "Hey how's it going?" "Good, you?" "Great!" and that's it.
>>1242582
I would rather just live in the East Village or LES, still expensive but less so
>>1242530
None of you belong anywhere near the city. I'd tell you to go live in the country but even I understand that killing yourself would be a mercy in comparison.
>>1242694
If that's what you're into, consider checking out Morningside Heights, a little south of Columbia. Central Park and Morningside Park are in walking distance, and rent should be something like 2k/month for a 1 bedroom.
Hell, definitely look into Stuyvesant Town. It's a collection of rental buildings run by Rose Associates in First avenue/10-18 streets. They've already got a decent park around there, the area just outside is as walkable as West Village, and the rent is about 3k/month. Great place to live.
>>1242766
Assblasted yuppie pleb plz
>>1242787
I'm about 20 years too old to count but nice try boyo.
>>1242694
Well you don't really have to spend 4k/mo. for a 1br in the village but that would be for a good-sized apartment that's freshly renovated, a really nice spot. I've seen cheaper, just look around on zillow
>>1242825
Why are you on 4chan at this age
Ideally, it would be none of those places, but if I had to choose, I would pick Seattle because I'm less likely to be murdered by niggers there.
>>1242855
Reminds me of the old BBS days, mostly just lurk but every once in a while there's a thread worth posting in.
>>1242867
A ridiculous portion of the serial killers came from the seattle area though. The weather and culture does some fucked up things to people.
>>1242888
...Are you discriminating right now...?
>>1242867
That's extremely unlikely to happen anywhere, you fuckin autist.
Do people like this think entirely in the confines of /pol/ memes?
>>1242466
Nobody denied that Seattle is growing quickly and that col has been going up for years. None of that changes the fact that SF and NYC are still double to triple the cost for housing.
>>1242325
>San Francisco winters
>cold
Then you would absolutely hate NYC. The coldest SF ever gets in the winter is around high 40s, and it never snows there, at worst MAYBE some light hail. On the other hand, I'm sure you've seen in the news the snowstorms NYC gets.
>>1242095
I make a tiny bit less in silicon valley 30yo single male. I recommend either Seattle or NYC if you're anything like me. Seattle if you want to retire early, NYC if you want to do night life things.
>>1242095
Here's a quick breakdown:
San Francisco:
>Ripoff for everything
>Need gagillions to rent somebody's living room
>Human shit on every single street (yes, shit. piles of it)
>Aggressive commie hobos spitting on you and violent cracked out blacks robbing you.
>The best place to job hop if your goal is maximizing income (while paying all of it for a tiny bachelor studio)
New York City
>Cheaper than SF
>Shitty air/weather
>Less bums and aggressive pan handlers
>Unless working for Wallstreet doing Fintech there's no money here
>Traffic is pure shit
Seattle
>Unfortunately growing number of hobos and aggressive panhandlers and crackheads everywhere
>Clean air
>Jobs pay almost the same as SF bay area, depending what you do
>Less crime than SF
>Less human shit on every street (for now)
>Less communists (for now)
>Cheap housing (for now)
I would pick Seattle, since you get near SF bay salaries and better weather than NY
>>1243229
*bay area salaries
Note, you can also own a gun in Seattle w/a concealed weapons permit, whereas NYC and SF are liberal shitholes that deny you personal freedom protection. Weed is also legal in WA and you can go into Canada on the weekends to spend all your developer dollars because CAD is free falling to monopoly money status.
Are there attractive women anywhere in Seattle - like, attractive by general US standards?
I just spent a few days in Seattle and I honestly saw maybe 2 or 3 women that weren't overweight or just generally unattractive. It seemed like almost every girl was chubby, and lots of guys in decent shape were out with fat chicks.
Then I went down to Portland, and in literally 5 minutes I saw more attractive women than I had seen in 3 days in Seattle. WTF?
>>1243456
NYC is the best city for women and god tier variety. But they all want chad thundercock
>>1243490
God tier variety is true
Pretty much every ethnicity of women exists here in large numbers. My favorite appearance wise is probably Puerto Rican chicks, goddamn they're fine.
>>1242723
>trivial things
People are in a rush here. Slowing them down is not a trivial thing. Fortunes can be made in milliseconds - literally.
>>1242737
You don't realize how fast transactions go down here. There's a line. Everyone feels like a chump for waiting in it. ANYTHING you do to make that wait longer makes YOU hateful.
>>1243456
It sounds like you just like hipster white women.
>>1243652
No I don't like hipsters. I just like women that aren't chubby and put some degree of basic effort into their hair/clothes/skin. That didn't seem to exist in Seattle at all, even when hiking out in the mountains where you'd expect lots of fit women.
>>1243494
Are there lots of FOBs there that don't have the attitude of American minorities yet? I loved latinas down in Latin America and asians in Asia but both groups tend to have shitty attitudes if they grew up in the US.
>>1243646
I wouldn't go that far. The city just makes you feel more aware of how much time you're spending in different places, so people tend to want to rush through the things they don't like to get to the stuff they do.
>>1242415
I have to agree, I'm a Washingtonian and most of people complaining are Southern babies. There are a lot of introverts that live there but if you get involved with a scene you'll meet people. (You can't trust anyone however)
>>1242504
There's a shit ton. I regret moving, Florida sucks.
>>1242694
Someone who lives in West village here. I get my outside dose my biking along the Hudson River parkway to and from work, plenty of people rode and run along the sides of Manhattan in the park areas. I also go on longer bike rides out of the city too, up the river, along the Palisades etc. Overall not bad, you have some options.
>>1242415
This. The "Seattle Freeze" is a meme.
I'm from the upper midwest, probably one of the friendliest parts of the country. I've traveled all over the country and honestly I think the second friendliest city I've been in is Seattle. I made friends at a couple places I went and ended up partying with some people in a local band. I found it really easy to talk to people, but I was hanging in Capitol Hill so maybe other parts of the city are different?
>>1244247
The random social interactions aren't a problem, people are super friendly in that sense. The problem is when you want to make someone a real friend, because people don't want to expand their existing social circles. People will say, "Sure, I'd love to hang out some time!" and then flake when you actually want to do something.
It's not insurmountable, but it's certainly much more difficult from everywhere else I've lived- east coast, west coast, midwest, south- it's much harder to make real friends.
So the social issues, combined with the awful dating prospects for single men, and the lack of sun for 8-10 months, make the city a pretty depressing place to live.
>>1242095
DO NOT COME TO NYC - IT IS AWFUL HERE. It is literally a city of vapid awful people. DESU I'do do Seattle but only just. Super expensive.
OP here, I decided on NYC.
Seattle is a lovely and such a cozy city but the 8-10 months of rain/darkness/depression and the shitty social/dating cultures really kill it's appeal to me. Maybe when I'm married I can deal with it.
SF seems great, and the people seem genuinely really friendly, but I'd need to work in Silicon Valley and live in SF, which means a 1.5hr commute each way.
So, I'll try NYC for a couple years. Thanks everyone for the input.
>>1244910
Great to hear! My only advice now is to check out the restaurant Beauty and Essex, make sure you grab yourself a gimlet.
>>1244910
I think you made the right choice. NYC is very likely the most "complete" out of those choices.
>>1242095
>($250-300k as a high-level software engineer).
That doesn't make sense, there are no software engineering jobs that pay $200k+ salary regardless of your "level".
>>1245262
*laughing salads eating women*
>>1244910
NYC has everything. I'm planning to move down from Rochester in a few years once I finish my degree.
>>1245282
Try to use your big boy words.
>>1245262
Get head hunted by Apple to manage their machine learning division and let me know if you get less than 300k.
I live in Seattle and between the fucking homeless and the fucking hipsters i fucking hate this place. Weather is shit all the fucking time. If it wasn't that I make good money here I'd fucking leave this shit hole and move back to the swamps in Florida.
that feel reading this thread when I start working at Amazon in July
>>1245262
OP here. You're somewhat right, salary tops out somewhere between 200-250k. I'm talking salary + stock + cash bonus.
>>1245485
I did it for more than 8 years, I wish I left earlier honestly. It's easier to get lulled into complacency and not realize how much life could be better if you just moved to one of the other tech hubs. Money isn't worth having a shit life.
>>1245541
Start making plans to leave in the next year, stay on top of algo/ds/interview topics. You'll make a ton of money but they are going to kill you with work and stress, much more so than any other top company.
>>1245544
I interned on the same team I'm returning to and it definitely was not one of the more high-stress areas of the business. we'll see though
>>1245544
I figured. I mean unless I just got totally screwed over at work. I make $75k for the same job, made me wonder just what was so special about you.
>>1245545
AWS? I've heard that's a bit better than their retail operations, not sure how true that is though. Be aware that interns are shielded from all of the stress though.
>>1245625
Location matters quite a bit. I wouldn't make half this amount if I wasn't in one of the cities that I mentioned in the OP, though I would love to live elsewhere if that wasn't the case.
And I graduated close to the top of my class from one of the top engineering schools, had internships at one of the top companies, and played the politics well there while not doing too badly at the actual engineering.