Being alone for the first time or choosing a new city can be a very liberating experience. If you are a student moving cities to continue your education, a bachelor looking for love in a new place, or moving in with housemates you have never met before – all these situations can be fresh starts but also a little stressful. It helps to be as organized as possible and know all the ins and outs of the city and the area you’re moving to.

LA and NYC are two cities that attract many people looking for a fresh Start. In LA, you have the buzz of Hollywood life. There's excellent shopping, surfing and hiking and loads of entertainment in the form of music and movies. If you are heading to NYC instead, you are about to experience life in what is considered one of the world’s greatest cities. New plays are opening every week, lots of great restaurants to eat at, and Central Park to explore. Whether you’re looking for a room for rent in Los Angeles or New York will depend on where you are studying, have a job, or where that new special person in your life happens to live. Each city is so different and will appeal to you for various reasons, and it might be hard to choose. To help you with that, we’ve compiled all the details of what living in LA and New York can be for renters.

Weather

The weather is a significant difference when comparing LA and New York. California is well known for its temperate conditions on the coast. During the summer, you can expect balmy days and nights, perfect for lounging on the beach or meeting friends at a trendy rooftop bar. In winter, the highs range from the upper 60's F to the lower 70's, and nights see lows in the upper 40's and lower 50's. New York, however, experiences some significant seasonal changes. Summer in the city is hot and bright; in the fall, you get to see the leaves change every shade of auburn, and in the winter, you may be lucky enough to see snow. The heat of July sees an average high of 84°F and a low of 71°F. Winter lasts 3.3 months, from December 3 to March 12, with average daily highs below 48°F. Renting a room or a home in LA means less weather wear and tear but no gorgeous white Christmas. Renting a room or a home in NYC means you need to look out for working heating when viewing places, but you will be able to watch the snow falling from your windows.

Transportation

A song goes, “Nobody walks in LA,” and those lyrics could not be more accurate. You must have a car to get around on time in LA. This is a definite plus, though, because having your own car means that you can easily take day trips to locations around the city. Little towns like Ojai and beach towns like Malibu are lovely to visit over the weekend, and you won't have to share your car with strangers! New Yorkers are all about walking. Since there's so much traffic on the streets in the form of cabs, they love a good stroll from place to place. If the walk is too far or the weather is too bad to be outdoors for long, you’ll need to get familiar with the subway lines. This cost-effective transportation goes pretty much everywhere in the city, and long-distance trains leave from Penn or Grand Central Station usually more often than once every hour. 

Lifestyle

Each city has several different neighborhoods and suburbs, each with its unique and distinct personality, which means a lifestyle change from place to place. Overall though, it is safe to say that New Yorkers prefer a slightly faster-paced life than people who live in LA.

Both cities offer world-renowned entertainment, outdoor activities, and restaurants. New York is more culturally minded in terms of lifestyle. Getting books out of the public library is still a well-loved hobby, and people will walk ten blocks to get the best cup of coffee in the city. There are always readings to attend or new plays to see, and the fashion scene is unique. If you are moving to New York, you will no doubt find a bodega that becomes “your” bodega within the first few days and has a mental map of all the good spots to eat and drink within two blocks by the end of the first week. In LA, there is a lot of glitz and glam; it's the city of stars, after all. There's a thriving fitness culture here, and the entertainment industry (acting, dancing, and the like) reigns supreme. Where NYC has a theater scene, LA has a movie scene, so you will never be stuck for Saturday night plans. If you are a night owl, you will strike gold in LA. The nightclubs and bars come alive when the sun goes down and stay busy until the early hours. Living in LA means lots to keep you busy, day and night. If you like being outside, nature surrounds LA: there are beaches and mountains to explore.

Both LA and New York are beautiful places to live. They are very different, so take your time to think about where you will look for your next place to live.