Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
La's commmercial corridors are massive too.
If theres any doubt la is america's 2nd city, just drive aroumd/take the bus on those streets.
They never end.
La's tech scene is booming in the silicon beach areas.
It's not cheap though.
Still cheaper than the Bay Area and NYC by a considerable margin.
Without looking into jobs data, L.A.'s tech scene at Silicon Beach is quite strong. I worked there from 2013-2016 and really saw it blow up during that time. NYC will always have a start up scene, but recall that NYC has more people and more competitive to actually apply and lock down a job versus L.A. I have friends and family who literally applied to hundreds of jobs and took MONTHS for them to lock one down.
Have you considered Denver? Lot's of tech jobs out here!
This is truly such a hard decision for me, I need to start applying for jobs next year and I need to chooses a city. I feel comfortable and at home in the east coast but I also would like to experience the newness of the west coast and here in the south, even as a black male, I don't feel at home or belong.
I work in the industry and have been doing web development professionally for a bunch of years now. I'd say either city, but your budget is probably low - NYC has a lot of opportunity as does LA - maybe NYC moreso but you'll need to live in NJ or a place like Queens (and get lucky - walking around neighborhoods like Astoria which are still old school and don't have tons of listing on the internet) if you pick NYC. LA is not cheap, but it's more affordable on average. Although depending on where you live in LA, it's possible you may need a car whereas in NYC you might not, so you have to weigh that consideration if it applies.
I've been in a unique situation the last few years - I have been leading a team in NYC for the last few years, but live in both Chicago and NYC. It's an interesting time and interesting seeing both cities. NYC has a lot of opportunity in areas you would not expect. While the startups are the most visible sometimes, both cities have demand for web developers in areas you wouldn't think. For example, in NYC there is demand for web developers at major financial institutions. Some of these institutions aren't as rigid as you think and can pay quite well if you're good at negotiating.
If you want another option, I would check out Chicago. The tech industry is booming right now and wouldn't be that hard for someone with good professional experience in the field to find a job right now. Some of them pay very well as well. My current apartment in Chicago is downtown - extremely walkable, near a 24/7 train line, many bars, restaurants, shopping etc -- it is a renovated 1 bedroom unit with a doorman, gym, amenities area with free coffee, pool table, business center, etc included. I pay just under $1800/month for it. I'll admit that's lower than average for the area, but you could get a studio for that price downtown in a lot of buildings I bet and maybe a decent or nice 1 bedroom in buildings like mine. Regardless, you could easily get a 1 bedroom place just outside of downtown for your budget still - and in many areas you do not need to have a car. If I were you, I'd consider it too.
I work in the industry and have been doing web development professionally for a bunch of years now. I'd say either city, but your budget is probably low - NYC has a lot of opportunity as does LA - maybe NYC moreso but you'll need to live in NJ or a place like Queens (and get lucky - walking around neighborhoods like Astoria which are still old school and don't have tons of listing on the internet) if you pick NYC. LA is not cheap, but it's more affordable on average. Although depending on where you live in LA, it's possible you may need a car whereas in NYC you might not, so you have to weigh that consideration if it applies.
I've been in a unique situation the last few years - I have been leading a team in NYC for the last few years, but live in both Chicago and NYC. It's an interesting time and interesting seeing both cities. NYC has a lot of opportunity in areas you would not expect. While the startups are the most visible sometimes, both cities have demand for web developers in areas you wouldn't think. For example, in NYC there is demand for web developers at major financial institutions. Some of these institutions aren't as rigid as you think and can pay quite well if you're good at negotiating.
If you want another option, I would check out Chicago. The tech industry is booming right now and wouldn't be that hard for someone with good professional experience in the field to find a job right now. Some of them pay very well as well. My current apartment in Chicago is downtown - extremely walkable, near a 24/7 train line, many bars, restaurants, shopping etc -- it is a renovated 1 bedroom unit with a doorman, gym, amenities area with free coffee, pool table, business center, etc included. I pay just under $1800/month for it. I'll admit that's lower than average for the area, but you could get a studio for that price downtown in a lot of buildings I bet and maybe a decent or nice 1 bedroom in buildings like mine. Regardless, you could easily get a 1 bedroom place just outside of downtown for your budget still - and in many areas you do not need to have a car. If I were you, I'd consider it too.
You say that like it's some terrible sacrifice lol. Queen has many great neighborhoods.
You say that like it's some terrible sacrifice lol. Queen has many great neighborhoods.
I didn't mean it like that. My girlfriend lives in Astoria, and I love parts of Flushing, Elmhurst, etc. it has a lot of great areas and I've spent enough time in those areas to know that the areas are completely fine. My point is that if you expect to live alone in Manhattan on that price (or even many parts of Brooklyn), you are going to be upset (or get very very lucky, or get a pretty bad place).
Based on your criteria, it doesn't matter which city you choose, OP. Though I'd say Los Angeles has the upper hand in terms of outdoor activities, everything else on your list can be accomplished in either city.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.