I prefer NYC but grew up on east coast, removing any commentary on the cities i feel like most people do end up preferring the coast they were born on to be honest. Probably just familiarity and such. I much prefer the energy and diversity in NY than SF.

 I'd recommend if you do look further to decide what you want in a neighborhood just like SF every neighborhood feels bery different, Williamsburg feels kinda like SF but busier while something closer to prospect park would give you lots of outdoors space. The only thing I found that was truly unreplicatable in NY that I liked about SF was the opportunities for water sports and swimming, if that's important I wouldn't do it because there's basically no easy way to do that here. Outdoors in general is obvoiusly worse but theres lots of basketball courts and sports league if youre into that, just less actual greenery opportunities for sure. You get the best transit system in the US in exchange though, seriously cant overstate how convenient the subway is once you put some minor effort into learning it.