Comment by vdnkh | Hacker News Reader

Comment by vdnkh | Hacker News Reader

I feel like most of HN is missing something here, of no fault of their own because they're not in my demographic (20-something yuppie). Young people want to live in cities. They're fun, exciting, and enable a robust social life. Moving to rural Ohio or Michigan, or even a "lesser" metro in the midwest is not the same as living in SF or NYC in terms of social opportunity. I work remote and I live in Brooklyn and I think its great. I don't need a car or a big house. But unlike most of the commenters here, I don't have kids or a wife. Essentially, I put my money towards a better social life.

I'm not saying that my way is better, it's just that the whole "move to a big cheap house in the midwest, bro" line that HN loves to throw out is not for everyone.

What do you get in SF that you can't get in Des Moines? I lived in Des Moines until last year and I find most answers to this question are wrong: you can in fact get it in Des Moines. Sometimes Des Moines is even better, though I'll admit in most cases the vastly smaller size limits quantity of choices.

Diverse younger people from all around the world that are trying to reach their full potential.

You get that in Des Moines. Not nearly as many but they are there.

I have nothing against Des Moines so I'm trying to tread lightly here but I have a hard time believing someone from say London, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, or Sydney would move across the world to end up in Des Moines at even a fraction of the rate as New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc. It's a fine place, I'm sure, but it lacks global pull that would bring in talented people from all corners of the earth.

I agree there isn't much global pull. That is the point, even without any global pull there is a diversity of people in the city. Not as many as SF by any means, but on a small scale it is there.

Yes but is SF really worth what you pay for it?

Also most of silicon valley is a boring suburb no different than what you can find anywhere in Texas or Florida.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com