Artists Weigh the Allure of New York vs. Los Angeles

A feature by Jo Rosenthal explores the perennial question of whether artists should live in New York or Los Angeles. Seven creatives share personal accounts of moving between the two cities. Photographer Danny Lane moved to LA in 2017 for his career but felt like a fish out of water for seven years, always seen as "the New Yorker." Designer Madelyn Somers grew up in LA and moved to New York in her 20s to gain grit, then returned to LA after accomplishing her goals. Creative director Danielle Combs moved back to LA to discover her identity outside of work. Artist Mackenzie Thomas, a native New Yorker, lived in LA without a car, working at thrift stores, and returned to New York, calling LA an "internal city" and New York its "external sister." Photographer Emily Pierce moved to New York from California, initially exhausted by the density but later finding inspiration. Designer Madeleine Cohen, a native New Yorker, lived in LA for 18 months on "cloud 9," but after being laid off in November 2022, she returned to Brooklyn in late 2024. Animator Oliver Levine, born and raised in New York, moved to LA for space and filmmaking but struggles as a Yankee fan hating the Dodgers. The piece concludes that both cities offer different tools for different purposes.