For many college students, the recent increase in job uncertainty looms as they approach graduation. As a result, many may flock to the two biggest cities in the United States: New York City and Los Angeles. Both cities, which are home to partner programs and study opportunities for Emerson students, have ample job opportunities, making them ideal options for many graduates.
On Nov. 3, Emerson’s Alumni Relations hosted an online panel titled Emerging Conversations: NYC or LA, where five alumni outlined their experiences living in the two cities and what factors graduates should consider before moving there.
The conversation was led by Annie Kelly, the associate director for Student Wellness and Support Services at Emerson’s Los Angeles campus on Sunset Boulevard, and was attended by nearly 50 people.
The panelists were Dominique Bañas ‘13, an LA-based television and live event producer for NBC and CBS; Fernando Febres ‘12, the head of marketing for Urban Decay Cosmetics in LA; Claire LaPlante ‘15, who works for talent and casting at NBC Universal in LA; Andrew Hutcheson ‘12, a producer and co-founder of production company Voyager who lives in New York City; and Bilali Mack ‘13, a visual effects supervisor for Curated VFX based in New York City.
Most of the panelists said they chose their respective cities after being offered a job there. They offered insight into the beneficial industries housed in each of the cities. New York City is the largest media market in the world, and alongside Los Angeles, is also a hub for filmmaking and creative industries. LA hosts the “Big Five” movie studios, and NYC has top marketing firms, among other industries.
Valentina Luciano, a freshman visual and media arts major and a New York native, had long debated where she wanted to end up. For her, the panel made her feel “reassured” that there was no wrong answer.
“They convinced me that it will be okay no matter where I go,” Luciano said. “It gave me more of a set thing that I can stay in New York and be fine. I don’t have to be in Hollywood my whole life.”
The opening part of the panel focused on the lifestyle of each location in addition to its job opportunities. LaPlante has spent time in both cities and described the two different cultures of each, where the social scene in LA tends to be more elusive and private, while New York City tends toward vibrant chaos.
“LA is a speakeasy, New York’s a carnival,” LaPlante said. “And there’s not one better than the other. It’s just how you experience them.”
Bañas and Febres said that there is less spontaneity in Los Angeles than in New York City and more concrete plans. Additionally, people tend to drive in LA, rather than take public transportation. While LA does have a subway and buses, reliable systems are still in the development process.
“If you don’t like driving, it’s okay, but don’t try to take the bus, because you’re going to be late to your internship,” Bañas said. “Like, every single day.”
While these factors may seem unimportant when deciding whether to move, Bañas underscored that small things like this need to be considered.
“That would be my one main kind of logistical thing of how do you like to get around,” she said. “Are you down to be in traffic or do you like just commuting with your podcast?”
Because of the lack of reliable public transportation, Febres explained that, after work, people are solely focused on beating rush hour traffic in LA rather than grabbing drinks with coworkers, which happens often in NYC.
“I think of the serendipity of the city, of bumping into things that New York has, where you don’t have to plan your day ahead, because you might hop into a lunch and then hop into somewhere else,” he said. “LA tends to be more preplanned and purposeful calendar management.”
Mack agreed, saying that he has benefited throughout the years from the way networking happens in NYC.
“I just felt like I would go to an event and you meet people that were in your industry,” he said. “And somehow, you know, someone knows somebody that’s working on a project.”
Later in the event, the panelists discussed the living costs of the cities, all noting that they both come with high rent, which can be daunting for people starting their careers.
New York City is considerably more expensive than LA by every metric but transportation cost. Affordability has come to the forefront as a key issue in each city as well, evidenced by the recent success of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, the next NYC Mayor, who ran on an affordability platform. LA has also recently cemented itself as one of the most expensive cities in the world, ranking 10th globally for living costs.
However, the panelists said they managed to navigate these expenses, and life in each city is still attainable.
“You can be broke in both cities and survive,” said LaPlante.
Luciano said she was comforted by the statement and wrote it down in her notes.
“It’s nice to know that you can still live your life,” she said. “Like, yes, you might be living check to check, but you can still have that experience in either city.”
After discussing the various pros and cons of both cities, the panelists ultimately agreed that there is no clear winner in the debate between the two cities, and it’s up to the individual. They all emphasised that the benefits of a degree from Emerson can apply in either city.
They encouraged attendees to get on LinkedIn and Emerge and make use of the connections they acquire while attending Emerson. LaPlante explained that in her experience, she has been able to find jobs through connecting with people on LinkedIn who worked in companies she was applying to.
“I’ve only had doors open to me,” Hutcheson said. “It was such a selling point when looking at the school, and then it was kind of drilled into my head that the Emerson Mafia is real.”