From Boston to Los Angeles ..
Moving from Boston to Los Angeles is a big step. If you have lived your whole life in Boston you should know that it will be different. It will even be scary at moments. West coast culture is unceremonious and open.The difference between the two cities is not only their size. Los Angeles is a major metropolitan area – nearly 20 million people, wheres Boston is a city of about 2 million with the suburbs. So, this is the first major difference. Two million versus twenty million people metropolis is a huge difference to begin with. We are not going to compare the tow cities in full details here. If you would like to read a guide about moving to Boston or one about moving to Los Angeles we have the latter for you.
Boston vs. Los Angeles
Besides the size of the cities, another big difference is the climate. The climate in Boston is continental with humid hot summers and cold snowy winters. It may sounds normal, but in fact it can get really cold and snowy in the winter. The climate in Los Angeles is Subtropical-Mediterranean, but in the last few years the drought has been very bad and the precipitation very low. The two climates are very different and contribute to a very different lifestyle and thus culture. Which leads me to my next point. The East coast culture is quite different than the West coast culture. I will not go in much detail here, but the fact is that people’s lifestyle, mindsets and attitudes depend very much on their environment. East coast life style is more fast paced while on the West coast people are more relaxed laid back. You can even recognize this by people’s pace.
Ordering a coffee at Starbucks in Boston will definitely take less than ordering one in Los Angeles, or Sacramento.The three major differences between Boston and Los Angeles:
- the size
- the climate
- the culture
The difference is also visible in the way people dress – casual versus business; the way people talk and probably the way people drive. Additionally, you will find a lot of information about how most people in Boston are business oriented or want to become lawyers, while in Los Angeles everybody wants to be an actor. While this sounds like an overblown generalization, it is probably not too far from the truth. So, besides the climate, the culture – in all its aspects – is what will probably shock you the most. When you move to California you will feel a bit like you have moved to a different country. Good luck and enjoy it!