I went to college on the East Coast, and found that I just generally liked being on the East Coast more. I like the cities on the East Coast much more than SF. While I do miss some of the outdoor opportunities nearby, that's not really what I'm optimizing for at this point in my life. Mostly, I love being able to live in a hip, walkable and affordable neighborhood and not breaking the bank.

I also don't put that much credence in the theory that you have to be in the Bay Area (or anywhere in particular) to build a successful startup.