[Bahamut]

Agreed - I grew up near NYC, and now live in the Bay Area. IMO, the quality of life is much better in the Bay Area, although I don't like the fake niceness you see around sometimes. Around NYC I have to be a lot more vigilant for people acting like tough guys, and I saw/experience & heard of a lot more racism there. Just a few years ago visiting NYC, I almost got run over in Manhattan despite having very clearly the right of way with the would-be assailant yelling "Run you the fuck over" right as he drove behind turning.

Not to say the Bay Area is perfect, but I don't have to be continually fighting issues of life and death as much here compared to some other places in the country. My main gripe is the cost of living, but basically nowhere else in the country marks as many checkboxes for me as the Bay Area (and even cost of living is muted by my drastically increased income compared to anywhere else).