SF vs. Portland vs. NY

[kaitlin]

I am planning to move to one of these locations from my (not so) beloved Ohio as soon as I get out of college. Could people fill me in on the pros and cons of living in each place as far as being vegan goes? B/c where I live in Ohio seriously lacks any semblance of a "vegan community" (at least that I have encountered), I would love to live in a place where there is ample support for our lifestyle and where my children could grow up not feeling like outsiders. Also, I know this is asking a lot, but would someone be able to tell me if there are any particular communities in these three cities that are especially heavily populated w/ vegans/vegetarians? We all know that these 3 places have tons of veg restaurants/groceries, but that doesn't necessarily translate to supportive veg communities, especially given the size of these three locales. For instance, Marina and like places in SF seem to have a good deal of nice veg restaurants but the yuppie/SUV factor leads me to believe that it probably wouldn't provide the kind of community i'm yearning for. My last question is which of these cities has the largest population of brown vegans? I ask this b/c I am a person of color and so will be my children should I have them down the road. Though I would not necessarily let this determine which city I move to, it could be a deal breaker just b/c I know what it's like to grow up having other brown people think my veganism/progressivism/whatever is a manifestation of my whiteness/disloyalty. In short, it would be nice to have a network of other likeminded brown people close at hand so that my family and I can feel comfortable and celebrated. I know I'm asking a ton of questions but any input would be GREATLY appreciated!! Thanks all!!

[bugaboo]

I live near San Francisco and there are many veg/vegan places here as well as NYC and Portland, OR. But if I were you I would consider living conditions. Portland is by far the smartest place to move because it has a relatively cheap cost-of-living compared to SF and NYC. If I had a choice out of the three I would choose Portland. But definitely do some extensive research. The SF bay area and NYC area are both a lot bigger in terms of population but Portland has all the perks of these areas but is less crowded. You choose!
Oh as for the "brown vegan" factor...it becomes much different. Oakland and Berkeley are very diversified, whereas Portland is mostly still White. San Francisco is a very accepting area but the Blacks are very much segregated to the Bayview and Western Addition neighborhoods. I don't mean anything rude but if I were of a different color other than White I would definitely move to Oakland or Berkeley because the society seems to be very well integrated compared to SF, Portland, or NYC, while at the same time very accepting of "alternative lifestyles."

[kaitlin]

thanks for your input! i am surprised by your comment that nyc wouldn't be as integrated as oakland and berkeley. i'll definitely look into that. thanks for responding!

[bugaboo]

oh you know kaitlin, I have only been to Manhattan, haven't been to other places in NY so I can't really say about that area. Definitely do the homework. Picking a place to move is a big step, I'm sure.

[akaredarcher]

Wow, these are the three cities I'll be visiting this September for my holidays! I'd also be interested in hearing from any SF, Portland or NY locals who have any ideas or recommendations for food (or other things!) on their home turf. I'll have about a week in each place...

[bugaboo]

Wow, these are the three cities I'll be visiting this September for my holidays! I'd also be interested in hearing from any SF, Portland or NY locals who have any ideas or recommendations for food (or other things!) on their home turf. I'll have about a week in each place...

One of the most reknown vegan restaurants in the US is in San Francisco called Millennium. Kind of pricy but well worth a visit.

http://www.millenniumrestaurant.com/

oh and go to http://www.happycow.net/north_america/usa/index.html to see all of the veg food options and some reviews.

[flutterby]

I'd also be interested in hearing from any SF, Portland or NY locals who have any ideas or recommendations

Hello akaredarcher. You may find some useful info about Portland in http://veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8362 thread, and New York in http://veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2881 thread.

[creativegan]

I don't live in NYC but I visit my sister there often. These are my two favorite restaurants:

http://www.pukknyc.com
http://www.candlecafe.com

[akaredarcher]

Thanks for all the info.

Millennium looks nice but I think I might feel a little bit strange sitting in such a nice place on my own. In NY at least I'll be with my sister (a veggie). Although, thinking about it I'll actually have nearly three weeks of solo eating so I'll probably get used to it!

Being a Sydney-sider I love good Thai food. But I'm quite happy to have yummy salads and sandwiches for a few meals too! The happy cow site is pretty good - lots of options to explore.

Anyone got things to do they want to recommend for SF/Portland/NY? What do you folks who live there expecially like to do with visitors?

[Photomuse]

NYC has a ton of vegan resources...we even have our own NYC vegan restaurant guidebook!

I live in NJ, just outside of NYC and even here we have a large community of vegan eaters. I was able to just go on a month long raw diet even as a result of a program one of my local vegan places offered.

We even have our very own vegan bakery in NYC

Some great restaurants:

http://www.redbamboo-nyc.com/
http://www.zenpalate.com/
http://www.purefoodandwine.com/

and here is a good blog about vegan eating in nyc:

http://veganfriendlynyc.blogspot.com/

Good luck and drop me a line if you come to NYC!

all the best,
Kristin

[Photomuse]

Better yet, here is another nyc site:

http://supervegan.com/restaurants.php

[creativegan]

And another!! http://www.friendsofanimals.org/prog...ant-guide.html

[John]

New York's got plenty of art, music, food, nightlife, and money. But don't bother going there. It's full.

[socks]

I would highly recomend Berkeley or Oakland (near SF, way cooler though, and a better place to raise kids). Perhaps I'm a little biased since I grew up in Berkeley myself... but seriously, it's an amazing place. As far as veganism, it's simply amazing.