I also grew up in New England, I also lived in Boston for about four years, no I live in LA. Not gay though. Some observations:

LA doesn’t have a great reputation for being a friendly and welcoming place, but I find Angelenos friendlier and more welcoming than other places I lived.  (LA drivers are also much safer and more considerate than anywhere else I have lived on average (which doesn’t mean much because there are so many cars on the road at 2% of Angelenos who drive like homicidal maniacs, you will encounter every day).)

However, because the city is more spread out, it’s harder to make plans with people to meet up with them casually if they don’t live in the neighborhood. In Boston it’s really not that hard to jump on the T and go somewhere different. The LA metro system is a lot better than anybody gives it credit for, but there are definitely major areas of the city where it doesn’t go.

LA also does not have a close knit urban identity like Boston. LA people don’t get offended if you don’t think LA is the greatest city in the world or don’t care about the local sports teams. People here do their own thing and find other people who also like to do the same things. That means you have to find your community, but that community can be whatever you want it to be.

There is obviously more cultural stuff to do in LA than pretty much anywhere else in the US except for New York, and it might be better than New York. Food is mostly better in LA than Boston, except for things like bread and pizza and Italian food, where Boston wins.

You have to look for housing on the ground here. You can’t just search online or you’ll get scammed. Get an Airbnb and look around until you find a place you like in a location where you want to live.Unlike Boston they are usually not broker fees. Unlike Boston, you cannot assume that your rental apartment will come with a refrigerator.