I m originally from the east coast. The main difference is in how the two cities developed. New York City was built in a rather confined area so things were built upward. You have many tall buildings. Los Angeles developed outward. Really tall buildings are rare so things are really spread out. The public transportation system in NYC is dramatically better, and it is possible to live in the city without owning a car. The L.A. system is designed to take commuters to/from work. It is slow and haphazard. You must have a car.The Winter weather is milder in Los Angeles, but it does get cold (to us). It seldom snows because of the low elevation, but it does in the surrounding mountains and high desert. It is also much drier, and rain, if it does fall, usually happens between November to May. Summers can be very hot and dry. You won t see forests, or the changing color of leaves here. It can be chilly but sunny on Christmas day. As to school, GOOD LUCK. California is broke, and having financial problems that affects the college/university system. You would pay an OUTRAGEOUSLY higher tuition than a California resident (or illegal alien). Fees were raised twice this year, and the Board of Regents just approved another 32% increase for next year. Admissions requirements were made stricter, classes have been reduced, and some forms of financial aid were eliminated. You would find the CUNY system considerably more cost effective.Los Angeles has a VERY high rate of unemployment, and jobs are almost non existent. You could go for months before finding work. As a high school grad/ student you could NEVER earn enough to live in Los Angeles. You would need at least two roommates just to scrape by. Consider this move very carefully. Although California was the place to be when I moved here, now that I am disabled/retired I would much rather be living back east. Living there is much cheaper.
You can t generalize, both cities are huge and diverse. But, if you insist:LA is more spread out, and less dense. The transportation system is weak, so more people drive and traffic is worse. The weather is better. The diversity in terms of food, culture and entertainment options is probably about the same.
What s wrong with happy people? I ll tell you, 340+ days per year makes up for a lot.Most New Yorkers say they don t miss the cold weather at all. But distances are much farther here. For example, you have everything in one place in NY. You can even walk to get to the store. Here, everything is separated by longer distances, which is why everyone must drive a car, which is why there are traffic jams.
The one plus side to LA is that it s cheaper than NYC.It s sunny most of the time than in NYC.The bad part is jobs. Jobs are a problem not only in LA, but all through California in general and if you move to CA, then your tuition rates are going to go through the roof.
I am actually considering moving to NYC from LA haha... but I am having second thoughts myself... the weather is better in LA but you HAVE to have a car or you will be SOL... good luck finding a job right now... the economy is stinky...
Many years ago I lived in Manhattan and went to CUNY. I returned to California only for family reasons and I never could afford a nice apartment in New York. Los Angeles is like a giant suburb, 84 towns in search of a city, they say. I live near San Francisco now. So many New Yorkers in L.A. you will feel at home, particularly on the West side. The smog is intolerable for me. I prefer some humidity in the air but not in the summer in NY. It was too much. Los Angeles is 450 square miles and I don t know what type of place you like or what you can afford. The jobs are not in one location. You live near where you work and drive to work mostly. I like New York very much because the people I knew spent a lifetime hanging out on one street corner and I learned so much in NY. Growing up in Los Angeles, everyone came from some other place.I am speaking about the 1960s. There is nothing like NY for culture and education.If you can go to UCLA that is very Southern California. People used to skateboard across campus. That was in the 1980s. You will never find old apartments in California like New York. They are much nicer.
LA is a joke. I live in So Cal and I hate LA. I love So Cal though. Orange county and the IE are much more nicer but thats my opinion. LA is the mecca of urban sprawl. You will need to be lucky to take the metrolink, it isn t meant for most due to the location of the stops. The buses are a joke, prepare to spend hours so you will need a car. Thing about having a car in LA, you need to pay for parking just about everywhere. LA has alot of overcast during the winter due to the onshore flow from the ocean, not the smog. Its not as bad anymore. If you are going to school in LA, do alot of reading regarding where to live. LA is totally hit or miss on nice locations. I mean, a S-hole will be right next to something nice. I ve never been to NYC so I can not speak on that.