Los Angeles, CA | Img: mike_s_ect

They say never build up expectations or you’ll end up disappointed. Well, I’d built plenty about LA. I’d pictured it a warmer, laid-back version of New York with a few palm trees scattered here and there. Most importantly, I expected me to like it – who wouldn’t want to be able to dress up year-round and avoid the torture of pants-pants-nothing-but-pants during the winter?

Most people you’ll meet in NY have lived in LA at one point and vice versa – it’s almost like the two are interchangeable. And yet, they are strikingly different. NY is a true city stuffed to the gills with crowds, events and garbage. LA is less crowded and therefore more manageable and clean. If there was anything I learned about LA it’s that everyone drives a compact car and no one gets out of bed before noon. If my friends’ lifestyles are any indication, people roll out of bed at the crack of noon, roam around in search of food, work on their projects and then meet up with friends for dinner – to go to bed at precisely 3 am. The only exception to this was Mosh who just moved here a few months ago and still carries on with the diurnal work ethic.

LA is cuter, hands down. I’ve lost count of all the ornate, colorful buildings I spied from the streets. And then of course, there are the mansions! My friend Lumi graciously gave us a tour of her place known as “the castle” – which is exactly that! A 1930s castle in Hollywood complete with turrets & arches, and bathrooms bigger than my living room…


NYC | Img: Mike G. K.

Back to reality: NYC has its own charm. There is tons more variety here and – no offense – more substance. It’s all-around a more intense experience, if you will. In LA, someone like me finally gets to drop down my armor and relax… only to be haunted by the feeling that something ain’t right. It’s ridiculous and sad, but I guess I’m one of those overstimulated, neurotic and slightly insane city dwellers who is so used to the filth and danger, anything less seems bland by comparison.

Yes, life can be difficult in NY. But what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? NYC hits you in the face with its eccentric fashions, quirky mom & pop shops and weird smells in Chinatown. You grow a thicker skin, walk brisker, think faster. Before you know it, you’re a soldier in this big jungle of a metropolis, where everything has to be fought for. Big Apple offers no low-hanging fruit, but what’s awaiting at the top is always scrumptious.

I’ve gone away before, but never have I gained such an insight on my city. For the first time in my life, I am able to identify myself – not as a man or woman, Russian or American, but one thing: New Yorker.