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^^^I voted for L. A., and I'll tell you why. Because when all is said and done, Hollywood is the world's most famous town. District. Overall location. New York has this, has that. Los Angeles is the world's third largest metropolitan economy, so it's no slouch. When little New York (and being from L. A., I can say that..) was failing this country during the Great Depression, Hollywood was easing our minds and getting us off the street and into the theater. When this country was being tested in World War two, the industry was boosting our morale and showing us what to do, as well as showing us what was happening with the newsreels. Southern California was also busy with the aerospace thing at the time. New York is rather provincially restrained by nature, it just hasn't managed to get over itself, and probably never will. Because they still think they're it. Their publishing can't compete with recorded entertainment, their Broadway is irrelevent by compare and financial transactions are virtually silent motivating influence. Unless you're into that kind of thing, then you end up waching any number of cable shows out of New York dedicated to the stock market. Wasn't long ago that national news programs allotted only 15 seconds of time before commercial break to tell you whether the Dow was up or down. Now, you have all this crap that others on this site think is influential, masquerading as financial advice- Hello? I live in Las Vegas, I know what basic gambling looks like. This country's culture is rooted moreso in Los Angeles and you'll just have to accept it. It's fact. It's the capital of popular culture, like it or not. Good thing too, 'cause a NY based culture would be so into introspective, you'd shoot yourself within a week. Leading New York influences in the country right now? 'Enchanted' and 'I am Legend', two L. A. gifts. They're always throwing them a bone...
There's no competition between the 2, NYC wins hands down. I'm not sure if you LA lovers realize this or not but NYC is the financial capital of the US and one of four financial capital's of the WORLD. NYC not only influences the entire country but it also influences the entire world, just look at the way oil stock prices affect your pocket all the way over there in LA. Sure LA has Hollywood but that's it, I know many LA citizens don't realize this but most people outside of the US don't really care about Hollywood(gasp!!!I know) just look at the box office, MOST of the money made on ticket sales are from sales inside of the US. Also another misconception most people have about LA is that just because LA 't makes alot of the movies, they don't make all of the movies and they certainly don't control TV. Television and Hollywood are 2 different things one doesn't affect the other, what Hollywood is responsible for is the actors and their shows but TV shows ARE NOT part of the media so how exactly can Hollywood influence the US aside from influencing temporary fashion trends installed by TV shows. In terms of MEDIA, NYC is so much more important, LAers say that magazines and newspapers that stem from NYC pale in comparison to Hollywood but they don't realize that some of these companies billion dollar industries while in Hollywood, which is not one sole entity but rather a collection of many different studios competing against each other, most movies don't make more then 100 million dollars worldwide and only THREE movies have surpassed the billion dollar mark. One the other hand the NEW YORK TIMES is the most influencial paper in the country and is also read worldwide. In terms of media influence, NYC is much more important. NYC aside from being the nation/s financial capital, media capital, it is also the nations 2nd entertainment capitol (ever heard of Silver Cup studios and MULTI-Million dollar TV shows such as Friends, Seinfield, and Sex and The City, all in NYC people.). All LA has is the title of the nation's entertainment capital. In response to certain comments made, NYC in terms of population is the biggest city in the US, in fact LA's METROPOLITAN(for those of you that don't know this encompasses LA and it's surrounding lesser cities and suburbs) only matches NYC's five borough population, while NYC's Metropolitan is over 15 million; with the majority of LA's population being hispanic no one in their right mind can say LA is more culturely diverse then NYC which has no clear majority but is rather a melting pot of all different kind of cultures. Last but not least in regards to the comments being made that NYC is filthyand polluted, I think you people should be more worried about LA because LA is constantly in the top 3of the countries most polluted cites, LA air is digusting; NYC on the other hand is proudly one of the greenest MAJOR cities in the nation and in the world and NYC's tap water has recently been certified as the world's best drinking water. If God forbid something happens to LA the country will move on and the world won't even bat an eye on the other hand if something occurs to NYC, the country along with the rest of the world will come to a halt because contrary to what many people NAIVELY believe MONEY makes the world go round, not Entertainment or Hollywood (around the world more people know what Times Square is and to an extent what Broadway then even recognize the name Hollywood; Like i said Movies are a big thing the US, the rest of the world, not so much.)
NYC is not a place where anything is created. It imports everything, from art to fashion to finance, from places where those creative pursuits are actually made by talent.
What NYC and LA both have are media resources where media is created. What they also have is a completely failure to understand that the vast majority of the nation no longer looks to either coast for inspiration or influence. So they create these silly gimmicks (you name it) with the idea that they're really, truly national influences. It's "going to be big, baby!" as spoken by whichever NYC executive or LA film producer whose teeth you'd like to break out of their face with your boots.
People seek the mediocre because they seek common acceptance, and the more people you need to accept any one thing, the more base and generic it must be to make one size fit all. Jesus, just look at American politics to see the truth of that theory. This base mediocrity, this is Hollywood. These are your New York or Californian institutions which seek to advertise and produce for the masses. This is Manhattan. It's what you know everyone is supposed to accept as glamorous or cool or nifty, but which is really just trite, silly and irritating.
The epitome of this entire scene could be symbolized by Carrey Bradshaw. Grow the **** up already. Stop simpering like a little girl. That look that she gets in the show, when she's being spoken to? Oh how I wish her publishers would just break her nose into a better shape, or that she would just speak up for herself. She has no real style. Her clothing isn't good, it's just expensive, and because it comes from someone with an Italian name sold in a store in Manhattan, we're supposed to accept that her terrible, terrible wardrobe is actually "high fashion"? Get over yourself.
Actually, I don't think any one city dominates anymore. I think influence on popular society comes from the country as a whole, not just one place.
But if I had to choose...the rest of the country is more like LA than NYC (in terms of sprawl, density, etc.).
And, lets face it, the media basically controls our society (whether certain people want to admit it or not), and the majority of media is centered in LA.
And, lets face it, the media basically controls our society (whether certain people want to admit it or not), and the majority of media is centered in LA.
Actually, the vast majority of the media is centered in New York (major papers, advertising, magazines, publishing in general, network news, also lots of television and film). If there's one thing New York is the capital of, it's media (well, finance too). I'm not entering this thorny debate by saying this makes it more influential; just pointing that out.
I think the question was; which city has the most influence. If it were; which city has the most power, I'd say NYC or DC. But as far as making people think that they want this or that, I'd say that L.A. has the most influence.
LA is the biggest manufacturing center in the country
LA and Long Beach together comprise the most significant port in North America
In other words... we're more than just a pretty face (Hollywood). I don't know who's more influential... but LA certainly isn't a distant second to ANYONE in the US.
The port of LA also ships California's fresh fruit/vegetables/wine to the nation [the most diverse & largest agricultural region in the US.] California dining is considered the envy of the nation because food is grown year-round. LA is earthy in the sense that people here spend more time outside enjoying the beaches, mountains. The beauty is the landscape & remarkable climate.
All this, the LA life, is spoon-fed to the nation via TV/movies. Glamour, sex, excess, drugs is aired on television & presents an enticing fantasy for a least an hour or so.
LA has always been a locale that attracts writers [add in movies/TV show scripts & Los Angeles is influencing the nation and globe in huge doses daily.
The print world is adjusting to another venue via Internet.
I lived in NYC for several years & reveled in the excitement of the nation’s primate city. No doubt that the New York Times is the voice of credibility for America. The U.N. is located exactly where it should be & the Statue of Liberty gives me goose bumps. That image has tremendous influence on the world. Center of the economy is New York but the center for the arts is probably more a LA thing [museums, theaters may be less than NYC but entertainment [music, movies, television] is in Los Angeles.
It's a tough call. In my opinion New York City should be the bigger influence but it probably is Los Angeles.
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Seriously, the homerness needs to be put on the back burner at some point. 
You can't be serious
