We live in NYC, but wanna try moving out west to be nearer to high tech capital. Is it a good idea?(We own a start up)

Just relocated here from White Plains. Here in the bay, my 10-mile commute into the city takes about 1 hour each way( damn that bay bridge). And the cost of living is very on par with the big apple( if not worse) And then you have the seizemically unstable, 3 bedroom fixer upper that we bought for $366,000( after oubidding 12 others)
in an Oakland neighborhood realtors call suprisingly safe. On the other hand, The liberal politics is fun to watch and the food is way,way up there in terms of quality. The weather is divine and the natural beauty has no equal( in america anyway)I dont think you'll feel too out of place, most of my neighbors are from Manhattan!

If you want to be close to the high tech than I assume that you would want to be in Silicon Valley rather than the city. Cost of living is about the same in the Metro San Jose area as San Francisco. That is very high though probably not a shocker to somebody from NYC.

The weather is definitely much better in the San Jose area and commuting is not as bad. However if you are into city living than San Francisco is the place.

I think you might want to consider Fremont if youre going to the Valley itself, Or possibly Berkeley if youre talking San Francisco proper. First of all, Both are cheaper than SF or SJ and have established commuter options into major workplaces. Highway traffic is hellacious no matter where you choose to live, for example, The 80 freeway in Oakland and Berkeley is congested 17 out of 24 hours every day(including weekend!)But, considering the hills, mountains, beaches,parks, restaurants,
culture,shopping,ethnic diversity, level of education, concentration of wealth, and the eternal optimism that is so California, I think $585K for 4 bedrooms in Fremont is a pretty good investment since it will probably be worth $1 million in 2 years.

The Bay Area has nothing on Seattle, We are more sophisticated and I think a New Yorker would feel at home in Seattle. IN terms of High Tech, Seattle is more powerful than Silicon Valley. They just generate more hype> Try Bellevue, I think if you checked out Seattle and The Bay Area, The choice would be easy, Too easy!

Sylvia, get a life. Seattle is cute, true, but not exciting. I like it, San Francisco is a CITY

I agree with the person who says berkeley is central to SF. Berkeley is very hip, and I love it, The cool summer breeze and the art offerings are great. In the whole state, only SF and West LA can compare to Bezerkly in terms of food, fashion and art.

I've lived in Oakland, Berekeley and currently San Francisco. Berekeley has been my favorite so far. The houses are so charming. Almost everyone, even in the poorest neighborhood, is house-proud and has as nice looking a yard as they can muster.
Oakland is also not a bad call. Forget that "surprisingly safe" garbage, Oakland is mostly a decent city with a few horrific neighborhoods, just like all the other big cities. The town of Piedmont (within Oakland city limits) has more per capita income than Beverly Hills. I would say that right now, because the city has a bad rap, housing while not cheap, is a better bargain than surrounding areas.
In general I find the E. Bay has a slightly slower pace and a more family-friendly atmosphere.
Housing prices in Silicon Valley have now eclipsed SF's prices, astronomical they are.

My Pics in the bay area
if you want to be "closer in"
1 North beach, San Francisco
2 Broadway Terrace, Oakland
3 Claremont, Berkeley
4 Russian Hill, San Francisco
5 The Marina, San Francisco
or if you want something quieter but just as nice
1 Southern Marin County, North Bay
2 Woodside,Peninsula
3 Lafayette-Moraga-Orinda, East Bay
4 Saratoga, South Bay
5 Sea Ranch, North Bay
Please note that all these locations are all very pricey. If you want under
$300K you could try...
1 Hayward
2 San Leandro
3 Oakland Flatlands
4 Antioch/Pittsburg
5 Pinole/Hercules

Why not save money and move to Sacramento?

The East Bay is a sprawling mass of 3 million people and probably just as many cars.It has the busiest freeways and it is the most populated side of the bay continuing to grow and spread out, now into the San Joaquin Valley. I think you should look into the Sonoma Coast. Or maybe in the foothills above San Jose( along Hy 17)

My opinion is that you should keep your office in NYC but have a smaller office in San Jose to give you the presence youre looking for. Moving to The Bay Area from NY is like moving from Tokyo to Hong Kong( either way, you pay zillions to be there)

I'm not clear what you are asking or how ,given such little information, we could recommend whether this is a good idea for you. It all just depends on what you are about , what you are looking for , etc. Obviously you must already know the extrodinary cost of housing here, though being in NYC it won't be quite a shock. Let me make two comments. First, the first poster was right about the terrible commute situation here, one of the worst in the US and rapidly approaching total gridlock. Going between home and work is a major consideration. Second, I have a friend in Palo Alto who is seriously considering moving his company and family to Coeur D'lane{sp} , Idaho , one of the many Silicon Valley spinoff areas, as he is finding it almost impossible to lure workers from elsewhere because of the housing situation and he is fed up with the escalating congestion and what he sees as the declining "quality of life" that brought him here 30 years ago.There is much to offer here but increasingly at greater tradeoffs.

Dennis- so many people...so many different comments. I have lived in NYC, Seattle, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Currently live in San Francisco. If you have a choice, move into "The City". San Francisco is a extremly liveable city. Yes, it is expensive but you get what you pay for. The "high tech capital" is of course closer to San Jose, but I looked the entire Bay Area for housing and found that The City is by far worth every cent. Best if you come out, take your time and check it out for yourself. One things for sure, you will love it. Welcome to "OZ".

Seattle is definitely better than the Bay Area. I agree with sylvia that here in Seattle, we are more sophisticated. And we have better restaurants and more culture. Plus the high tech industry is stronger up here.

Seattle is not in any way, shape or form more sophisticated than the Bay Area. Your restaurants are tepid and your so-called culture is even worse. Peet's is better than Starbucks and sunshine is better than 24-hour rain. San Francisco is compared to cities such as Paris and Rome. Seattle is compared to Dallas and Atlanta. World-class vs. up-and-coming, you decide?

I have lived in the Pacific Northwest ( Seattle & Portland ) and am in the high tech industry. I currently live in the San Francisco Bay area,

Anybody who thinks that Seattle is more sophisticated or more high tech has to be smoking something. Seattle is a nice city but does NOT begin to compare with San Francisco. As far as high tech goes, there is no area in the world that comes close to Silicon Valley. Apart from all of this, Seattle has the dreariest damp rainy weather ( Portland too ) for 9+ months of the year. It is a great place for ducks.

Seattle has some very endearing attributes. We are a refined people. We are conservative yet liberal at the same time. We have excellent restaurants that easily outstrip San Francisco's eateries and Our Museum is better. We live the good life. San Francisco is a busy, crowded , hurried place. Seattle is not.

So youre saying that Seattle is small and boring? Please name a restaurant in Seattle that is better than Fleur de Lys or Zuni. Having spent time in Seattle and now living here in Marin County, I can say that there is no comparison between Here and "there"

Foster-

You are correct when you say that SF is a busy, crowded, hurried place. That is the embodiement of a city. That Seattle is not these things merely lends credence to the concept that Seattle is a town that thinks it's a city.
As for the restaurant scene, I have to believe that you are being deliberatly naive. In 1997 San Francisco won ALL of the James Beard Inst. Awards. Not even NY could muscle in on that action.

I'm glad that you like where you live, people should live in places that they like. Spreading mistruths, though, that's bad karma...