I've been interviewing for some jobs lately, and one company that I'm talking to has offices in New York City and also Los Angeles. If hired, I'd get to pick which office I'm based out of.

I've been a California guy for most of my life. I lived in LA for 4 years and the SF Bay Area (where I currently live) for another 15. I love the big city atmosphere and sunny weather of LA, but have been contemplating moving to NYC for at least a few years. I've only been to NYC once on a business trip, but it seemed like a very cool place.

Is there anyone here who's lived in both places that can offer insight into how different NYC life is from LA life? I'm not looking for the decision to be made for me, but am definitely interested in your experiences. For instance, stuff about how feasible it is to own cars in NYC, general pace of life, etc., would be welcome. Thanks!

 

Live in HI for a change.

 

I dated a NYC girl for stretch last year: I'd go back there every 6 weeks. NYC is pretty cool. I liked it a lot.

That said, I really like culture (shows, museums, etc.). . . so, similar to living here, it was nice to just get on the train and go into Manhattan.

Two downers:
1. Manhattan is expensive, but if you get out to the periphery of NYC, it gets to be close enough to Bay Area prices to hang. I'd look in parts of Brooklyn or the north-north end of Manhattan myself (the NYC Metro guys could find you better I bet).

1a. Property taxes there scare me, but I'm used to prop13 tax rates

2. I once went in January. . . during a cold snap. 21 degrees outside WITH a 25 mph wind. I hacked it, but that was the second coldest I've ever been.


Preferring SF over LA, I'd take NYC over LA in a heartbeat.

 

Hey Egg Roll fiend

Thanks for the feedback! The cold is one concern I'd have about the east coast, but I spent several months last winter in Norway so I've lost at least some fear of that. Still doesn't really tickle my fancy, but I can deal with it.

Any opinions on SF versus NYC? I'm not hot on SF myself, but that's probably because I've been living here for 15 years and it's all old hat now... Opinions on California life versus New York life are welcome as well.

 

Though never lived in either, I've been both to NYC and LA and they were both crazy. My dream is to retire in HI.

 

The coldest I've been through was Voss during a freak Spring snowstorm.

If you can hack Norway, New York is no problem at all.

NYC is SF on crank. More more more. And life revolves around what you do. If it's financials - you're tied to a fairly standard 9-5, plus some level of your commute (whatever it may be).

The big difference for me was some of the quirks because of the Jewish population (knowing some of the Kosher rules, some other odd's n' ends that make you go , then ) Nothing bad; just something to keep your heads up about. Also, they don't have the car culture we do; and frankly, I find that to be a kind of good thing.

 

NYC bars dont close till 4. But, u gotta live in manhattan. LA is way overrated.

SF>NYC>LA

the cold is cold, and the hot is hot in NYC. the humidity is whats killer, i was there during the summer and it was supposed to be only 83 degrees, which i thought was alrite. As soon as i step outside i start sweating, waiting in the subway is even worse.

 

Oh yeah. . . forgot about the humidity

 

Uh oh, now I can't trust your input anymore. (I don't care for SF at all and would live in LA in a heartbeat.)

I hear ya about the humidity, though. I was in NYC this summer and it was hot and muggy. Resulted in ummmm nice wardrobe selection by the chicks there, though.

 

Hey Cyber X,

I was born and raised in NY. I've lived in NY till I was about 25 and then I moved out to LA for a job offer. I lived in LA for 3 years and then I moved back to NY. After living in NY for 4 more years, I am moving back to LA this summer. That being said. I will tell you my point of view of both places. Now this is only my opinion, please don't flame me if you don't agree.

Being that I was born and raised in NY and before living in LA. I thought I loved NY and would never live anywhere else. That is until I visited LA. Living in LA I started to noticed things being different from NY or things I didn't noticed since I was so used to it.

Cleanliness - Everyone walks and takes the subway in NY. So the streets are a lot dirty in NY. In LA, everyone drives in LA so in my eyes the streets are cleaner. In NY, the trash mounts up fast and big.

Space - Everything is spread out in LA because there is a lot of space, so everyone drives to everything. In NY, especially in the city - space is tight. You can get anything you want walking 5 blocks in any direction.

People - (This is just my opinion - please don't flame me) In NY, being that everything is so dense because of lack of space. People in my opinion have a short temper. Everything you have to "fight" for. A seat on the subway, waiting on line, walking down the street, fighting for parking spots. Everyone is always trying to get ahead of the other. So it's a domino affect - fighting for everything. People get tense and have a short fuse and so the pace is faster. People talk faster, walk faster, get mad faster, etc. In LA, people have their own space because there is so much of it. People tend to slow down in LA because they don't have to fight for anything. For example - parking in NY you have to fight for it. In LA, there is a parking lot everywhere you go with more than enough parking for everyone.

Weather - You have seasons in NY. I used to like that. But after living in LA and having most of the year being sunny and 60-80's. I miss it a lot.

Culture - I think NY have the better museums and parks. I love the Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum and etc. Central Park in my eyes, it the crown jew of NY parks. I love it so much, I'm getting married there this July.

Owning a car - If you loved to drive, don't come to NY. You will not need a car. If you have a car and love it - then you have to rent a garage about $125 to $250 a month depending where you rent. If you don't rent you can park it on the street and every night you will have to move it to the other side because of street cleaning also depending where. Another note on street parking, prepare for bumper scratches. Some NYers drive the "Helen Keller" way, drive by touch - backing into bumpers.

Driving in NY - Try not to drive in Manhattan. The driving there to some is crazy because of the taxis. To me, it's ok - I think of it as a giant video game. The taxis drive like the way they walk, they go where they want to. But this goes true on the Grand Central to, just this past weekend I saw a car drive across four lanes - when I say drive I mean the car was perpendicular to the road - to get to a gas station. This is the 5th I seen this!

Subways/Public transportation - I loved them, you can get to anywhere in the city by subway. If you get the monthly subway pass (I think it's $72), you get unlimited access going in and out of the subway. Rush hour on subway, you got to learn how to put up with stupid people who don't move out of the way (You will know what I mean if you move here). In LA, I never even knew they existed.

Cost of living - I know cost of living is about the same when I was in LA about 4 years ago. Food bill is the same. BUT rent is a lot more here. A lot more and you get a lot less (space).

Restaurants - Sushi, I like LA better. One, because they have the letters on the front for cleanliness. Two, they taste better to me at least. Except for maybe one place in Times Square and my buddy's place. Chinese, I think I give that to NY. Vietnamese, LA.

Why I moved back and forth? - First time, I wanted to moved to LA was because I wanted to try it. I never lived anywhere else and thought why not - you only get to do this once. So I went for it.

Second time - I moved back (with my GF from LA) because of my friends. I missed them. I wanted to get marry in NY and thought it would be fun to see my kids grow up with my friends kids.

This time - (Hopefully the last, moving back to LA) - My GF/fiance is from LA. It was very difficult for her to adjust to NY. Actually she never adjusted - she thinks the people are rude, doesn't like having no personal space, dirty, etc. For me, when I moved back it took me a long time to get adjusted to NY again. It took me almost 2.5 years. I was really depress the first month I moved back. I didn't get use to the NY life till 2.5 - 3 years later. There are many reasons I moving back - I love driving, the weather, Vegas and for my fiance.

I won't give you advice on where to live NY or LA. But I do want to stay if you are young. I would do it try NY. If it doesn't work out you can always go back. That is what I did, I didn't want to go thru life thinking "Man, I should have move to NY (In my case LA) and tried." I didn't want to regret. But please note it is harder (in my experience) for a LA guy to adjust to NY than a NY guy to adjust to LA.

Sorry for the long post. I don't post much only ones I think I can help. I think my last post was on someone wanted an opinion to be an architect. I hope I talk him out of it. LOL