[eitally]

I think one of the biggest issues is just how big and sprawling LA is. For bay area folks, it would be roughly the same as if the entire metropolis surrounding the bay was one city (plus unincorporated areas). If that provides any sense of scale.

Fwiw, SJ is bigger than SF and absolutely better managed, but definitely less vibrant. Personally, I would choose San Diego over LA, and if I wanted to keep a tech job there's lots if you're ok with biotech/healthcare or defense.