You couldn't be more right about what's going on between my cofounder and I. He loves New York. I love San Francisco. But still, I expect there are clear differences between the two tech scenes, for example meetup sizes, general candor, how willing a VC is to meet with you, etc.
I've lived in Brooklyn for eleven years, Manhattan for three years before that. I grew up in Chicago, went to school in Pittsburgh and have spent significant time in Sydney and San Francisco.
I don't think you can do wrong by coming to NYC, but I also don't think you'll necessarily do better here than in SF or Pittsburgh or Austin or wherever.
Assume your startup fails entirely: where do you want to end up living? NYC is great, but you'll definitely burn through cash faster here (or in SF) than in a cheaper city. SF has a lot going for it, but will you really be there or in the Valley?
Rather than ask people to justify why one city or another is better, why not list the criteria you're using to make your decision?
