[xxxyy]

Well, considering: the extreme working hours (that can in extreme cases result in death, or a psychiatric disease), high risk of exposure to drugs, the fact that the starting banking positions do not pay that much money, the fact that you often do things you absolutely do not care about, well, the answer is not that simple.

http://www.businessinsider.com/wall-street-to-silicon-valley...

[HarryHirsch]

The trouble is this: with the price of NYC real estate being what it is, how can you afford living in NYC, except by working in finance?

Of course you can live elsewhere, but the cultural offerings in NYC are really exceptional.