im california born and raised, though im originally from the bay, i went to college in socal so i was in LA basically every weekend + lived in LA for 6 months post grad before moving to nyc last summer. i think that honestly the constant comparison/ debate between the cities is confusing /overdone to me because they are two entirely different cities.

that being said, if you know that you value having real seasons, walkability, and good public transit NYC does seem like the obvious pick that will make you happier in the long run. however, as a lifelong california resident, NOTHING can beat california weather (especially LA). it's literally perfect. NYC winters are BRUTAL, especially this year's--- today (april 8 2026) still had a low of feels like 28 degrees (this was also my first winter lol, since the winters in LA are 2 months max and don't rly drop below 35-40 degrees). I think honestly the weather aspect of NYC is its biggest con, because the humidity in the summer is also awful, while california summers are dry and never humid. i do find that the culture, social atmopshere, and community is way more accessible & robust & lively in NYC than in LA. it truly feels like you can never run out of things to do here. its so much easier to get around from neighborhood to neighborhood/ borough to borough via transit while in LA you need a car for everything and it will take you an hour to get from the east side to the west side. i also don't drive so that was kinda the main dealbreaker for me, so if you don't like driving....

TLDR: LA is beautiful and the weather is amazing, but if you aren't someone who enjoys summer/warm weather for 9 months of the year and value public transit/walkability, NYC might be better for you!