New York or Los Angeles?

yogajew

Sun, Nov 02 2008, 4:22 am

Dh and I have been wanting to move for a long time and have narrowed it down to New York and Los Angeles. We've visited both places but are having difficulty deciding.

Background info:
We are mid-twenties, I'm a BT (heavily influenced by Chassidism but I don't really fit in there,) dh is FFB Sephardic Israeli. We interested in cultural activities (really into museums/galleries and classical music), diversity (I speak a few languages and am interested in learning more), and strengthening our Yiddishkeit. I don't eat meat and we lean left politically.

The areas we are considering are Flatbush and Pico Robertson. Rent prices seem to be similar if what I'm finding on craigslist is accurate. The main difference I see between the areas is that we would probably both need to own cars in Los Angeles, while we could go without a car in New York. Also the weather is clearly better in Los Angeles. I also believe that people may be more open-minded in Los Angeles than in New York (although I'd like to be proved wrong on this). On the other hand, it appears that New York is more culturally advanced (I'd also like to be proven wrong about that). New York is also closer to Israel and Europe, which is where our families are.

Argh, being indecisive is no fun!

What are your experiences in both places? If you had to choose a place, where would you live? Also if you know of any other communities that you think may fit, please recommend. Thx. in advance Smile

teachby

Sun, Nov 02 2008, 2:25 pm

I live in LA, although not in Pico. I used to live there--now I'm in La Brea. Also, I don't know anything about Flatbush, so I cannot give you a comparison.

From the way you describe yourself, I think you would find yourself fitting in in Pico. I don't mean that every person there will be just like you, but you will definitely find frum vegetarians, frum liberals (you said you "lean left"), frum people who do yoga (your screen name), etc. Despite what the other poster said about glitz, etc., I think you will find most people, especially in Pico, pretty down to earth and open-minded. Sure, there's the gashmius, but that is certainly in NY, too. But really I think you'd find plenty of what it sounds like you are looking for. Have you been here to visit? That's probably the best thing to do if you can afford a trip...

Hatzlocha, and feel free to PM me with any questions.

myboys

Sun, Nov 02 2008, 2:40 pm

From reading your post, I think you would really fit in the Pico/Robertson area. The people are warm, down to earth and there is a variety of people/shuls to chose from. A lot of BT's and israeli's too. New YOrk, especially Flatbush, is very different from LA - there are really no similarities b/w the two communities. Flatbush is big, busy, and the people are always in a hurry!!

yogajew

Sun, Nov 02 2008, 3:54 pm

myboys wrote:

Thanks for the input. I lived in Flatbush for several months and enjoyed it, but didn't really interact with the frum community there outside of Chabad. I'm nervous that the community may not be as accepting of BTs as I perceive L.A. to be. I also visited Pico and the Fairfax areas in L.A. about a year ago and had a positive impression of the places. I didn't get the opportunity to spend any Shabbosim there or visit any shuls though, and probably won't get the opportunity to make another visit before moving.

I'm really excited about moving, but I wish that I had time to do more research before taking the plunge.

teachby

Sun, Nov 02 2008, 5:15 pm

I wanted to add to my post from earlier. You also asked about museums/orchestras, etc. We have plenty of that here, so don't worry. I've never been to the symphony in NYC, but from what I hear the tickets to Walt Disney Concert Hall are slightly cheaper than those at Carnegie and Lincoln Center (not a lot cheaper, mind you). Besides the LA Phil, there are also other orchestras around. And there are several big art museums (LACMA, Getty, Norton-Simon, Huntington) as well as plenty of galleries.

One thing I very much appreciate here is the extreme multi-culturalism. This really hit home to me once when we were riding the trolley at the Grove and I realized that there wasn't a single "WASP" on the trolley. You hear a bunch of different languages, and see people from every part of the world. I think maybe that makes our kids less self conscious about looking like yidden.

And I definitely agree with what someone else said about Pico being extremely accepting of BT's. Practically everyone on that side of town is one, or is married to one.

ganizzy

Sun, Nov 02 2008, 10:11 pm

have u taken into account finances, ive recently moved from ny and I find that insurance is much higher here. the cost of living is higher. also here u need 2 cars and u need to insure them. on the other hand, the weather is great here, you can take ur kids outside to play year round, theres def. advantages to having cars and getting around wherever u want. I dont live in pico but it seems like the chabad shul there is very accepting and includes israelis and sefardim.

yogajew

Mon, Nov 03 2008, 12:39 am

Gan Izzy,

In what other ways is the cost of living higher in Los Angeles besides transportation, insurance, etc...?
I found food to be more expensive in New York than I'm used to on the west coast because I eat a lot of fruits and veggies and CA grows them locally.

Also are there any other places where apartments and jobs are posted besides craigslist and the LA times?

Thanks Smile

yogajew

Fri, Dec 12 2008, 5:11 am

yo'ma wrote:

I see your location says, in transit-brooklyn-san francisco. Does that mean you're in brooklyn now and decided to move to san francisco?

It's confusing. I'm a graduate student in the San Francisco area but I live in Brooklyn. I'm basically still flying across the country all of the time until I get settled.

I was moving from San Francisco to either New York or Los Angeles and I chose New York because it is cheaper and closer to Israel and Europe.

ss321

Fri, Dec 12 2008, 7:01 am

as a NYnative who visits CA very frequently, your description of yourself makes me think you would fit perfectly into the pico neighborhood. The food culture and offerings relgiously seem to fit exactly what you want. NY is a bit more closed minded in many respects, and while LA is very "glitzy" and materialistic, it doesnt even come close to NYC. You are not moving to BH and arent living next door to all these paris hilton types, it is a very chilled out community, open minded, and politically you might feel more at home there than in the more conservative orthodox areas in NY. Just my opinion! good luck!

happyfrum1

Fri, Apr 28 2017, 10:43 am

Oh boy, my family is having the same dilemma as you. We are trying to decide if we should movew to Manhattan, probably the west side although it seems like these days you get a much better house on the east side, or to the LA area either Beverlywood or Hancock Park. I do not know any these cities very well besides few visits. Have been calling around schools and people to help us know the areas better. Any suggestions or advise is welcome.

cnc

Fri, Apr 28 2017, 10:46 am

happyfrum1 wrote:

This thread is nine years old so the information may not be up to date.
Maybe you should start a new thread so you can get more accurate information.

Amarante

Fri, Apr 28 2017, 11:46 am

LA does seem like a better fit as by necessity it is just more of a chilled environment/live and let live although it has all the amenities that a frum lifestyle needs.

You really can't downplay the weather. When I first moved to Los Angeles, I was hosting a Sunday brunch outside in February with everyone in Spring type clothing and all of a sudden it clicked, that I was outside and it was like a perfect Spring day in NY in February. It's just nice. And I still get pleasure looking at the beautiful flowers and blooming trees when I drive through residential streets. I remember my Bubbe used to grow plants on her sunporch and she had a jade plant in a planter on her window sill - and then I had a huge bush outside my first apartment here. I sent her a photo of this massive thing as compared to the small little guy she was nurturing :-)

Yes you need a car - although people do actually make do with public transportation and one car depending on how you arrange your job and where your residence is adjacent to Pico Boulevard (where shopping is). Honestly, outside of Manhattan, you need a car and sometimes two cars or life becomes difficult unless you are commuting to Manhattan. My mother had to drive to a school in Brooklyn and public transportation would have made it extremely time consuming. My father also had a second car at times when he found a good deal on a used car because it made his job easier to get to as well since commuting to places IN Brooklyn is actually not that easy.

It really is a fallacy that LA is a cultural backwater in terms of the kind of secular stuff you seem to be interested in - symphonic music, ballet, art etc. Los Angeles is now considered a major cultural center and one could probably spend every weekend exploring museums - dance - concerts etc. Besides the obvious museums in LA proper like the one on Wilshire, there are ones that are constantly being endowed as well as the old school ones in Pasadena.

If you know what Brooklyn is like but are less familiar with LA, then check it out.

amother

Firebrick

Fri, Apr 28 2017, 11:56 am

Having lived in both places I now reside in LA. We are diverse, tolerant, and quite cultured... All If you want to be. You can of course sequester yourself in a small bubble and not meet people outside your "type" or spend every day at the beach (I am sure not the culture you were thinking of). Or you can go to presidential libraries, LACMA, the Peterson auto museum, science center, museum of natural history, Huntington gardens, the zoo, Hollywood bowl, concerts, all the museums and historical places like downtown, Wilshire blvd... And that's just off the top of my head. Definitely on par with NY IMO.

I know families with one car as one spouse bikes to work (and UBERS on the 15 rainy days a year), another walks to work... All possible in LA as it has be best weather!!