[lefstathiou]

Of course I would (in theory)! The reality is different though.

New Yorkers are reasonable people that would agree that the quality of our lives (as measured by our habitat, access to air, nature etc) living almost ANYWHERE outside of NYC in the continental US would be higher. Everyone who has lived in New York for years knows this.

You live in NYC because of the people and opportunities. The incredible amount of intellectual fire power that is crossing the street at the same time as you, or having a beer at the end of your block, is unbelievable and incredibly motivating. They come from all walks of life, doing all manner of jobs, and many of them perform those jobs at the highest level of their industries globally. I grew up in Georgia, and the odds of coming across people of that caliber casually on the way to the grocery store or whatever, are almost zero.

If I could get this while living in Santa Barbara, believe me I would. The math just doesn't support it. Of course, this may not be what everyone at any particular point in time values. I appreciate that, NYC is not for them.

[MoBattah]

What sort of salary range does a SWE or SRE earn in NYC with respect to the type of person you mention?

I've never encountered a SWE who was 10x more effective than the SWE next to him. Perhaps I'm inexperienced.