Judgements based on lifestyle, value for money, politics or any other similar factors are obviously going to be very subjective, but it is absurd to make the argument that anywhere outside of the Bay Area is better for starting or growing your tech career. Silicon Valley is still where all the top tech companies of every size and scale are hiring, it's where all the top talent is concentrated, it's where the majority of startups are popping up, it's where all the VCs are, it's where most of the tech networking happens. There is a reason OpenAI and Anthropic are only hiring in-office in San Francisco.