>What's, really, the upside of living in Palo Alto?
Work, that's it. No one I know actually likes living here (short of the 20+ year resident homeowners). It's just where the jobs are.
Work, that's it. No one I know actually likes living here (short of the 20+ year resident homeowners). It's just where the jobs are.
a) The weather sucks
b) The jobs and tech serendipity isn't there.
This is like arguing what the best top college is to go to while the majority of the world doesn't even get to go to a top college. [1]
[1] My vote goes to Princeton in the Ivy's even though I went to a different Ivy. Just like the college town feel. Of course today I'd pick Stanford because it's so target rich with opportunities back when I was in college nobody talked about Stanford that much.
School districts are by far the biggest driver in South bay.
I'm personally not sure about SF.
I get that you don't like Palo Alto. Its not Oz. But you seem to be casting it as a dumpy suburb that has exploded for no reason.
(edit: wow, you really don't like Palo Alto!)
Stipulate that a family of four with two professional working full time is going to move somewhere in the US --- that is, they're not staying in Cleveland because they grew up there.
Then, accounting for regional salary and amenities, school quality and cost of schooling, overall burn rate, and housing costs: why would someone choose of all places Palo Alto?