New York City Vs. Los Angeles

[oyolar]

For me, I feel like I could only live in LA or NYC....maybe SF. Everywhere in between the coasts I feel like I still run into too many conservative, overzealous, religious people....and people who probably couldn't identify the U.S. on a map.

I hate this fucking attitude. I've lived in/around Chicago my whole life and I can guarantee you that this is not true. Yeah, demographically speaking, there may be a lot of religious zealots or conservatives here, but you can find that anywhere. New York state and California probably have people exactly like that once you get out of the big cities. Now I haven't live in LA or NYC (nor have I visited there ever...I think), but I have met a good amount of people from LA and NYC at my school and people from New York City are pretty douchey and annoying. A fair amount are straight-up hipsters while a majority of them find every possible reason to mention that they're from NYC and to explain why it's so much better than Chicago. Say what you will about LA/Cali kids, they at least don't do that. I hate the fact that people act like NYC is so much more important and better than any other city ever without having legitimate reasons to back it up. Anything NYC has to offer you'll be able to find in a similar form in just about any other big city.

Like I said-I've never been there, so maybe when I finally do go there, I'll change my mind but right now, no one has been able to convince me that New York City is any more special or unique than Chicago or most other big cities.

[brycickle]

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For me, I feel like I could only live in LA or NYC....maybe SF. Everywhere in between the coasts I feel like I still run into too many conservative, overzealous, religious people....and people who probably couldn't identify the U.S. on a map.

[close]

 New York state and California probably have people exactly like that once you get out of the big cities.

It's fucking called Orange County and it sucks!

[mandibleclaw]

you win.� i'll take Hawaii over LA or NY

Hawaii wins

[Jive Turkey]

It's fucking called Orange County and it sucks!

The year I spent there was the worst of my life.

[chuck d]

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No one in NYC has ever asked me what kind of car I drive within 5 minutes of meeting them. Not the case in LA.

[close]

People have actually asked you that?

[close]

repeatedly. usually in Hollywood. once in Echo Park, which was strange. I've also gotten "can i get your card?" a lot. it's like a cheap/easy way to check someone's social status. I think now if i go out i just carry a stack of flashcards with my name and phone number written in crayon with a drawing of a dick driving a hummer on it. "professional dickhead"

[sexualhelon]

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For me, I feel like I could only live in LA or NYC....maybe SF. Everywhere in between the coasts I feel like I still run into too many conservative, overzealous, religious people....and people who probably couldn't identify the U.S. on a map.

[close]

I hate this fucking attitude. I've lived in/around Chicago my whole life and I can guarantee you that this is not true. Yeah, demographically speaking, there may be a lot of religious zealots or conservatives here, but you can find that anywhere. New York state and California probably have people exactly like that once you get out of the big cities. Now I haven't live in LA or NYC (nor have I visited there ever...I think), but I have met a good amount of people from LA and NYC at my school and people from New York City are pretty douchey and annoying. A fair amount are straight-up hipsters while a majority of them find every possible reason to mention that they're from NYC and to explain why it's so much better than Chicago. Say what you will about LA/Cali kids, they at least don't do that. I hate the fact that people act like NYC is so much more important and better than any other city ever without having legitimate reasons to back it up. Anything NYC has to offer you'll be able to find in a similar form in just about any other big city.

Like I said-I've never been there, so maybe when I finally do go there, I'll change my mind but right now, no one has been able to convince me that New York City is any more special or unique than Chicago or most other big cities.

Well I've been to every state in the U.S. and it's true. See, it's more like this: when you're in NYC, you're IN NYC....when you're in LA, you're IN LA. For what they are and what they represent they themselves are their own entities. If you're in Memphis, Tennessee...yeah, you're in Memphis but it's pretty apparent you're in Tennessee. It's not it's own bubble as a city. I can wholeheartedly say I find NYC to be the most diverse city in the world which is mind blowing - getting on trains everyday and seeing an Indian guy, sitting next to a Japanese woman, sitting next to some mixed kid, sitting next to an australian guy, and hearing all these different languages on a daily basis is surreal. Los angeles is probably second but it's not as noticeable and I feel other places have the same feeling of diversity as there.

Alright, granted between the coasts there are some great cities. Chicago, Austin, and Denver come to mind. But they aren't really relatively close to any other major city and between the cities they are close to it's pretty much no man's land in between. For instance, in a few weeks I'll be in Boston, NYC, then Philadelphia all in 3 days time by bus. In Los angeles you could go down to san diego, then tijuana in a day. If you really wanted to trek you can see a lot between LA and Vancouver.  I feel like Chicago is perhaps the "most american city" though and it's the third most populous yet ridiculously cheap compared to NYC or LA. I don't feel Chicago holds the same energy though.

People who are overly proud of where they're from and pronounce to everyone are annoying. It happens everywhere though. People from Paris do the same thing in other parts of France. Making it and living in these places is something to be proud of but no need to shout it from the mountains. NYC self pronouncing itself the capital of the world is pretty douchey though and I'm sure people from other countries find it arrogant.

And what's so bad about hipsters anyway? Comparing them to the other social realms of douchery I'd put them at the bottom. You'd rather be around wallstreet yuppies? Bros? Jocks? trustfund babies? Wannabe gangsters? Entertainment industry wackos and actors? arrogant musicians/artists? Models? Alright, guys in all these categories are the worst. Obviously being surrounded by girls that paint, play instruments, or model wouldn't be too shabby. Here's the thing though, We're all skaters right? Off all these categories I guarantee that you will get laid by a hipster chick a lot easier than any other of these types. Hell, when I go to a hipster bar I almost always pick up some hot girls number and you could hardly consider me a hipster.

[sven thorkel]

Hell, when I go to a hipster bar I almost always pick up some hot girls number and you could hardly consider me a hipster.

you could hardly consider me a hipster.

hardly hipster

hipster

I am a hipster (bar)

[sexualhelon]

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Hell, when I go to a hipster bar I almost always pick up some hot girls number and you could hardly consider me a hipster.

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you could hardly consider me a hipster.

[close]

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hardly hipster

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hipster

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I am a hipster (bar)

[close]

If you really want to know, I AM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE.

[LoserMachine]

never been to NY but LA is just a shithole. 

[Jive Turkey]

I don't feel Chicago holds the same energy though.

How so? Back Chicago I met a number of people visiting from NYC and everyone of them commented on how much Chicago reminded them of NYC, except that people where friendlier.

LA, to me, definitely didn't have the same energy. People are so concerned with appearance there; from the car you drive to the bars you go to. Certainly the biggest bummer about LA was driving. Not just that the traffic is maddening, but the fact that you don't interact with what's going on in the city. Even if you're on foot everyone else are still in their cars.

[kilgore.]

chicago fucking blows.

[sexualhelon]

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I don't feel Chicago holds the same energy though.

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How so? Back Chicago I met a number of people visiting from NYC and everyone of them commented on how much Chicago reminded them of NYC, except that people where friendlier.

LA, to me, definitely didn't have the same energy. People are so concerned with appearance there; from the car you drive to the bars you go to. Certainly the biggest bummer about LA was driving. Not just that the traffic is maddening, but the fact that you don't interact with what's going on in the city. Even if you're on foot everyone else are still in their cars.

Eh, Chicago just doesn't have that zest for me. When I lived in Phoenix I worked for an airline so I could fly for free and spent almost all my days off in Chicago because my girlfriend lived there. To me Chicago is a middle ground though. As much as I hate to say it, the connotation that goes along with places like NYC or LA just lingers in your mind. It's true too. In New York, you see the professional models, broadway actors, and financial pioneers but not only that, there's a specific dense area to see it. Those people came here for that and are the ones who made it. In LA it's the same way. There's the actors there trying, the screen writers there trying, and the one's who made it. The thing about this is....it's good and bad. People tend to often be a little too egotistical whereas in Chicago not so much. But like I said, It goes with most major cities. Paris, Tokyo, London...anywhere that people instantly recognize from some specific global standpoint. The terms: Entertainment capital of the world, Fashion Capital of the world, Music capital of the world, Technology capital of the world, etc.... It all depends what you want though. I mean, for instance, Morgan Freeman still lives in one of the smallest towns in Mississippi and he could obviously live anywhere he wants.

[BuddyPal]

Cheyenne, Wyoming is whats poppin right now

[floop]

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For me, I feel like I could only live in LA or NYC....maybe SF. Everywhere in between the coasts I feel like I still run into too many conservative, overzealous, religious people....and people who probably couldn't identify the U.S. on a map.

[close]

People who are overly proud of where they're from and pronounce to everyone are annoying.

[close]

what's even more annoying are people who who hate on other cities that they've never lived in or even visited

[Zurg]

chicago is pretty cool, but it's definitely no new york

[Jive Turkey]

::stuff::

Good point. I can agree to that. You don't have people coming to Chicago "to make it". Which is cool, because it keeps the kooks to a minimum.

Zest? If you need zest, just take a cold shower.

[Jive Turkey]

chicago is pretty cool, but it's definitely no new york

No arguement here.

[manu]

Europe

[yeahisaidit]

I've lived in LA for the past 8 years, and have been in NY for the past month on an open-ended stay. Aside from missing friends and family, I can't help but feel a bit depressed at the thought of going back to LA anytime soon. Besides stoner park, which before this trip I'd been to almost everyday since it opened, I feel that everything has so much more life in NY. Not having to drive is THE best thing, pushing down the street to anywhere is unbeatable, and I feel there's basically something for everyone here. If there's something you want to do at any hour of the day, you can basically find a way to do it. Fuck, there's been thunderstorms this whole week, and it's better being in NY when it rains than in LA. As many people as there are in NY, I feel it's a pretty open community because of how small it is. The fact that so many people I've met here are not from here is a pretty strong testament to how it's the hub of the world. I went to a free Raekwon show last month, and he said something I've now come to agree with. "Everyone wants to come here." I'll always love LA. But for the time being, I'm staying in NY.

[KPCT]

Never been to LA, I've lived in NYC and in New England most of my life....and I don't really have any desire to visit LA  .
I think its funny when one of the things people who aren't from this area say about NYC (or just the northeast in general, people say the same thing about Boston) is that people aren't friendly.

Honestly, that's just the way people are wired in this region.

You can tell INSTANTLY when someone isn't from around here, they're the people who will try and start a random conversation with a stranger on the train or on the sidewalk and then act offended when they're brushed off.  
Maybe its because I've lived in this area my entire life, but I honestly wouldn't have it any other way, and it makes me really uncomfortable when random people start talking to me, I just instantly think they're trying to jones me for something.

One of my friends went to school in the south for a year and transferred, said that it was unbearable the way people take their time and just stop and chat randomly all the time -- he said people thought he was the biggest douchebag just because he wouldn't want to do the ol' "walk and chat."

I feel like its the same way in California, all of the people I've met from there are really open and friendly the instant they meet you to the point where it just makes me uneasy.

Probably sounds dumb, but different strokes I guess..

[Joe Pesci]

chicago fucking blows.

the windy city

[steenz]

I wanna eat pizza in NYC so bad

[CUDDLEMONSTER]

any big city is going to have good and bad. usually when people compare cities they're really comparing the downtowns. ny vs. chicago becomes the loop vs manhattan, when neither of these sections is representational of the city at all and both suck. i live in chicago but really i only go to maybe a quarter of the city and i never fucking go to the loop. some sections are too sketchy, some are too boring, some are too bro-y, some are too hip, whatever. the point is living in a big city is nice because you have options but comparing two huge metropolises is kind of silly because they're really a collection of diverse neighborhoods. 

[sexualhelon]

any big city is going to have good and bad. usually when people compare cities they're really comparing the downtowns. ny vs. chicago becomes the loop vs manhattan, when neither of these sections is representational of the city at all and both suck. i live in chicago but really i only go to maybe a quarter of the city and i never fucking go to the loop. some sections are too sketchy, some are too boring, some are too bro-y, some are too hip, whatever. the point is living in a big city is nice because you have options but comparing two huge metropolises is kind of silly because they're really a collection of diverse neighborhoods. 

True. Even small cities have good and bad but the key thing is diversity and more to choose from. I feel like when you're speaking with like minded people it's somewhat understood you're comparing the similar areas of the two cities you like. When I think of NYC I don't think of madhattan I think of Brooklyn. There's some cool shit on that side of the water but it's too hectic and douchey for my tastes. If I do go over there I never venture past LES. And when you put it that way, It seems like to make LA seem so much more minuscule in options of places to hang out. If you narrow it down to areas, I'd compare williamsburg/bushwick to Silverlake/Echo park but even then you'd still have to drive in the LA counterpart but in NYC you could walk to tons of bars/restaurants in that one little area.

Europe

Europe's good but that's a whole country. When I think about it as a whole it usually wins in my mind but I can't seem to pick a city and stay there. Krakow/Berlin is where I end up staying the most when I'm over there. I just feel like there's more opportunity for me in LA or NYC but with big cities I feel like you just hear that all the time so it's kind of ingrained in your mind. I like to skate, paint, write, play music, etc... and I feel as though there's not so much for all these things in most cities so it narrows your options. I could probably live in Paris. I like Amsterdam too but I feel like I'd get bored with it pretty fast.

[brent]

europe is that country where everyone speaks french, right?

[sven thorkel]

Europe's good but that's a whole country.  
I like to skate, paint, write, play music, etc...

But you don't like geography. Here's something to help you out:



You see all those differently colored blobs? Those are all countries. I know, I know, the only country in the world worth caring about is good ol' 'Merica, but I'm just trying to help you out here in case you're sweet talking some hipster lass* at a Silver Lake/Williamsburg dive bar and Europe happens to come up your conversation. You probably don't want an art school dropout thinking that you're uneducated after all.


*Lass is slang for lady. It originates from Scotland, which is sort of a country, but not really. Try avoiding talking about Scotland for this purpose.  

[macgruber]

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Europe's good but that's a whole country.  
I like to skate, paint, write, play music, etc...

[close]

But you don't like geography. Here's something to help you out:



You see all those differently colored blobs? Those are all countries. I know, I know, the only country in the world worth caring about is good ol' 'Merica, but I'm just trying to help you out here in case you're sweet talking some hipster lass* at a Silver Lake/Williamsburg dive bar and Europe happens to come up your conversation. You probably don't want an art school dropout thinking that you're uneducated after all.


*Lass is slang for lady. It originates from Scotland, which is sort of a country, but not really. Try avoiding talking about Scotland for this purpose.  

i want to go to the europes

[sexualhelon]

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Europe's good but that's a whole country. �
I like to skate, paint, write, play music, etc...

[close]

But you don't like geography. Here's something to help you out:



You see all those differently colored blobs? Those are all countries. I know, I know, the only country in the world worth caring about is good ol' 'Merica, but I'm just trying to help you out here in case you're sweet talking some hipster lass* at a Silver Lake/Williamsburg dive bar and Europe happens to come up your conversation. You probably don't want an art school dropout thinking that you're uneducated after all.


*Lass is slang for lady. It originates from Scotland, which is sort of a country, but not really. Try avoiding talking about Scotland for this purpose. �

Goddamnit. I've been having a lot of brain fart/typos lately. You know when you look up statistics for how many people misspell words in internet search engines and it's astounding but then you realize people just made typos and hit enter? I know Europe isn't a country and that it's a continent. My mistake for not proofreading. I see you're one of those fellows who jumps at a chance to call Americans ignorant because you have either some sort of imperialistic views or some angst towards all the things you hear about America/Americans. Or hey, I've met plenty of shitty Americans and you probably have too. The thing is, I've been to every country in Europe and traveled extensively so I can tell you that you encounter equally dumb people everywhere. I've met Spanish people who didn't know where Italy is. Italian people who didn't know where Bosnia and Herzegovina is. I think the U.S. is this big marketing campaign as a country. We make sure everyone everywhere sees all the shitty things we put out but then you go other places and realize they have the same carbon copies of the same shit but you don't see the Serbian version of MTV's Real World unless you're in Serbia. I'm not too patriotic though and I'm not necessarily trying to defend the U.S.A....just saying.

It's cool though. You're obviously more intelligent/better than any American and know all this. If I had to guess you're most likely from somewhere in Britain, Scandinavia, or Western Europe. I'll be surprised if you're from somewhere in Central or Eastern Europe.

[Archie Bunker]

moscow for the win.  but hyde park is pretty dope in chi-city

[Kab]

Smallbunny represent.