I've never had a job here (or heard of anybody in a professional job) that required them to be there by 7am. 10am is pretty much the standard.

Then you've never worked in Lower Manhattan.

I thought we were talking about startups, here, not investment bank jobs.

I worked 2 blocks from Wall St. for 4 years and came in from Hells Kitchen in midtown (20 minute total walk + train ride). Here is an apartment which is a few blocks from Times Square, Central Park, and Broadway's theater district for $1,295 per month. Hell's kitchen is packed with great bars, and restaurants, pizza, cafe's with free internet and cheap awesome Thai and Chinese food for delivery. It's 15 minutes from NYU and 30 minutes from Columbia University: http://www.trulia.com/rental/3011545407--W-48th-New-York-NY-...