Hotscot

Nice summary, Sherbert, avoiding the rose coloured

fozzyb

OK - here goes.

I lived in the SF bay area (south bay - not SF itself) for just over 2 years. I was on a secondment from one division of a US multinational company to another (it started off being a 6 month secondment but kept getting extended).

Initially my wife and I planned to see the time in the USA as an adventure before we returned to the UK and life becomes tied down by kids being in school etc, but by the end of that time the bay area actually felt more like home than the UK did and we would have liked to stay permanently if we could. But we couldn't. So I can't really compare the long term feelings with the eminent posters above

To answer your questions:-

- Does the good weather/lack of seasons lose its appeal?

For us after a while it just become normal. I never found I resented the lack of cold, but maybe 2 years isn't long enough too. There was enough of a difference between summer and winter so you do feel the year progressing.

When we returned to the UK it felt really damp and miserable for quite a while (mind you it was Manchester in February).

- Does the culture go that deep or is annoyingly superficial?

At first things did feel very superficial, and a lot of it is, but we did make some of the closest friendships that have endured even after we left. I think a lot depends on what stage of your life you are at - we had a 2 year old child when we arrived in the US, and our second child was born while we were out there, and the people that we still feel close to are all families with kids about the same age.

- Are the wages vs cost of living a good balance? Especially better than the UK?

Silicon Valley is insanely expensive. An OKish family home - decent but nothing special - is in the region of $1M. When we lived out there we were on an expat package (so my company paid the rent!!!) so I was shielded from that to a large extent. When we were looking at transferring over to local payroll I would have been making enough to survive reasonably out there - but money would certainly have been a bit tight, wheras in the UK I was able to overpay my mortgage somewhat.

I am considering a move back out there, and have built a fairly detailed spreadsheet comparing my financial position in the UK with what I would have in the US - and (in my particular situation) there is very little difference between the two once you compare differences in salary, tax, healthcare, pensions etc. Obviously that comparison is very dependent on situation.

I had a good time out there, the bay area is a nice place to live, but for me it was an opportunity that just came, not something I had to sacrifice to get. I now live in a nice village near Cambridge - I honestly don't know which I prefer - they both have their pros an cons.

My only experience of LA is two rather miserable business trips - so I am rather biased against that place.

Giantaxe

As lawyers typically earn much more than teachers, before you go much further I suggest working out how to and at what cost your wife can pass the CA Bar.

Michael

I agree but personally I don't think either lawyers or teachers are in high demand so it would probably be a tough job to find employers willing to sponsor.

Hotscot

I agree...I'd heard there was a glut of lawyers and that it was one of the most inadvisable career choices at the moment.

markonline1

I'm in the camp that living out here is at least as good, if not better than holidaying out here (and I say that earning more than 50% less out here than I was in the UK)!

Hotscot

Interesting migration trends to and from States. I wonder if the bulk of it was for work...

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/16/up...abt=0002&abg=0

Sally Redux

With no immediately obvious way to get here, they would have to work out whether the slog involved will deliver the benefits they seek.

Moses2013

The question would be what you expect to experience in a year and what would you be giving up? As fozzyb mentioned, a big expense will be rent. I find it shocking when so called professional couples are on high wages, but end up with nothing at the end of the month. San Fransisco lifestyle can be great with plenty of money, but personally I wouldn't know what would be better there, compared to living somewhere else near the coast.

Hotscot

A stronger stench of urine?

Giantaxe

Hehe, yes, there are definitely downsides to living in SF! Throw in traffic and the ridiculous cost of living. Otoh, there are upsides too. For what I am interested in - live music, the arts, hiking, a vibrant multicultural city - SF is the most interesting place I've lived in.

Zez

Well, we've been just outside San Francisco for 14 months.

The weather has not got old!!! It's amazing.
I've enjoyed the culture. Just a really positive, happy place to be.
Financially it sucks!! We'd never be able to buy a decent house here, rent is a killer and so many things are more expensive than home. Our higher wages sort of cover t so renting we're in a similar position but I don't think we could buy (property tax!!!!)

I love being able to be more outdoorsy, love being able to travel easily and love ski season!!!!! But it's not all roses.

Moses2013

That bad. Couldn't smell it the last time, but that was probably because I came from LA.

Hotscot

Yeah I visit Berkeley Lab a lot....love it up those hills..the views are incredible.
But the traffic alone would prevent me actually living in the Bay Area. One of my biggest issues with LA also.

I recuperate by driving this..

U.S. Route 50 in Nevada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hotscot

I see you enjoy exclaiming