Salsa vs. bachata: which should you learn first?
Honest answer: whichever night fits your schedule. But here's the case for each.
The honest answer is that you should learn whichever one has a beginner lesson on a night you can reliably show up. Consistency beats choice. But if your schedule is open, here is the case for each.
The case for bachata
It is slower and the basic step is a four-count side-to-side, which most people can hold within one lesson. That means you spend your first social actually dancing instead of counting. If your goal is to enjoy night one, start here.
The case for salsa
It is faster and the basic takes longer to internalise, but the ceiling is higher and the scene is bigger. More nights, more rooms, more people to dance with once you can hold a basic under tempo.
What most people actually do
They learn both, because almost every Latin night in Philadelphia and Wilmington plays both. Pick the lesson you can get to twice in a row and let the other one find you.