To Visit New York or Los Angeles?
Sometimes you have just enough time for a short getaway. You want to go somewhere cool but with so many options how do you decide? Why not choose between the two titans of the US, New York City or Los Angeles California. I’m The Eclectic Emissary, a travel blogger specializing in budget traveling, big city hopping, and cultural immersion. I’m going to help you resolve which of these coastline Behemoths you should visit in only four days or less.
The Contestants
I will evaluate each of the best things the city has to offer and do a side by side comparison. I will consider the Five Virtues of Travel as well as other criteria in the selection process. Both cities are amazing to visit but with such limited time there must be an optimal choice.
New York City the Big Apple. The Concrete Jungle. The cultural melting pot of dozens of cultural backgrounds and the city that never sleeps. Versus Los Angeles the City of Angels. The city of flowers and Sunshine. A hub for famous celebrities and beautiful weather. Let’s begin!
Food
As the physical embodiment of life itself, food will be a huge impact on any travel destination. With both cities being as culturally diverse as the next, we’ll examine which has a greater variety for the same quality.
New York City: Specializing in world famous style of pizza, bagels, sandwiches, and other street food, NY is absolutely unstoppable when it comes to eating great. And with the famous districts of China Town, Little Italy, Korea Town, and Hell’s Kitchen, the gourmet scene in this city is well versed in both authentic quality and options.
Los Angeles: Being so close to our Continental cousin means that the influence from Mexican cuisine shines brightly through in LA’s food scene. The tacos and seafood are unbelievably delicious, and the burger scene is difficult to compete with (In-N-Out I love you). Throw in some genuine Japanese food and tastes go beyond the next level.
Verdict: New York. Although both cities were nearly matched in quality of awesome food, NYC has so much diversity its hard for anywhere in the world to compare.
Sightseeing
What’s the point of going somewhere if you’re not gonna Instagram selfies in front of the coolest spots? We’ll compare which iconic sites will inspire the most envy.
New York City: People travel from all across the world to see the famous sights of NYC. The Empire State Building. Statue of Liberty. Brooklyn Bridge. The list really goes on and on with no shortage of cool things to snap pictures of.
Los Angeles: People dream all their lives about seeing the infamous sights the west coast has to offer. The Hollywood sign, Walk of fame, and maybe a real life celebrity. Santa Monica Pier. Venice Beach and tons of art museums. Beauty is all over LA. If you’re a super big fan of movies & TV, I highly recommend checking out the Warner Bros. Studio Tour!
Verdict: NYC. It’s been around longer with lots more time to build monuments and iconic structures and never enough time to see them all.
Weather
Not going to let the weather rain on your 4 day parade of this city tour. Let’s see how each city fairs with its climate.
New York City: Very temperamental and fluctuates with each season. Winter is going to be super cold, Summer is humid, it rains a decent amount in Spring, but Fall is an enjoyable time for walks and jackets.
Los Angeles: Pretty much ideal temperature ALL the time. LA has the perfect summer vibe year round which is pretty much unbeatable (spoiler alert).
Verdict: Los Angeles. Easy enough.
Transportation
Getting around the city easily is important . Especially when its such a limited time. Traffic in both cities is horrendous but we’ll see how the other options compare.
New York City: The NYC subway is an excellent way to get around the city. Despite the questionable cleanliness and having a huge learning curve to master, having cheap 24 hour transportation definitely helps. There are tons of taxis, buses, and ride sharing apps but those tend to be a bit more expensive.
Los Angeles: Its no secret that LA’s traffic is notoriously bad. In such a sprawling city with many destinations spread out from each other, it can be difficult to get around. It helps that Uber and Lyft rides are extremely cheap and every city block is lined with electric scooters. There are also buses that go around but the metro options are extremely limited.
Verdict: NYC. In a city that never sleeps, it helps to have easy access to multiple transportation options.
Final Verdict
Both cities have amazing landmarks and food. But for a shorter trip, its much easier to see more in New York City. Of course proximity to each place will probably make a key decision to traveling, but if your plans are flexible NYC might be a good option. But you can be the judge for yourself by checking out this perfect weekend LA itinerary. Thanks for reading and I wish you all the best on your travels! If you’re interested in budget traveling in New York city, check out this post where we manage to spend an entire day sightseeing for only $20.
