

Ask HN: Experienced comparisons of SF Bay Area to other tech hubs? - sceneshopping

Hello HN!<p>I moved to the SF Bay Area about two years ago.<p>The tech scene is, of course, phenomenal: jobs, world-changing companies, startups, meetups, venture capital, etc.<p>The social situation, however, just doesn't jive with me, unfortunately, and I want to try a different setting.<p>As such, I'm considering a move to a different tech hub, but I don't know what destinations I should consider.<p>Does anyone have any first-hand, extended (&#62;=2 year) experience in the SF Bay Area and another tech hub(s) they could share with me and the community?<p>If you could, comparisons of these factors are especially appreciated:<p>-Meetups/interpersonal professional development opportunities<p>-Salaried/freelance job availability<p>-General desirability (culture, weather, activities, etc)<p>I'm finding it incredibly hard to this information among my current network so I greatly appreciate any helpful replies, in advanced.<p>EDIT: Bonus points for any information on tech hubs in the Southeast US (bar Florida). That's my ideal social scene, despite how uninspiring the tech scene generally seems to be in this region.
======
njharman
my "credentials" SF 14 years, Seattle 3, Austin 5

Austin, TX: really great (and surprisingly large/active for size of city)
tech/meetup/UG scene. Very low unemployment, did not get devastated by housing
bubble. Don't let "Texas" scare you off. Austin is a diverse, liberal, urban
center. Texas charm without stereo-typed bigoted redneckness. No snow. Live
music capital of world. It is a small city (which may be good or bad depending
on POV)

Seattle, WA: probably the 2nd largest tech hub. But, I really didn't like it.
Too expensive, too Microsoft, horrible climate (depressive short winter days).

