Ten Things to Love About L.A. in a New York State of Mind

Los Angeles has long been a destination for New Yorkers weary of the Gotham grind. These turncoats betray their genetic disdain for our beloved city for a variety of reasons. They can’t abide the winters, the lack of space, the skyrocketing real estate prices…or they’re just eager to launch their screenwriting careers.

At times, it feels like every other person in L.A. is from New York City. There they are, at your local coffee shop, typing away on their laptops, their faded NYU and Syracuse T-shirts a dead giveaway. Sure, they’re passionate about the pilots they’re pitching. But if you want to truly light a fire with them, ask them why you can’t find good rugelach anywhere out here.

You can take the New Yorker out of New York, but you cannot take away their fondness for carping about the lack of cultural niceties from their former home. Not to worry. When these intruders get insufferable and need a quick NYC fix, slip 'em this handy list of 10 ways to approximate the homeland.

And for what it’s worth, we’re not including NYC-based properties that have set up shop here. Sorry, Shake Shack and Magnolia...Locals Only!

Wexler's - A New Classic in Downtown Los Angeles from Wexler's Deli on Vimeo.

The flag of the City of New York (there is a such thing) should probably be a picture of a bagel. It’s not just a staple of the diet, but a way of life, a distinctive point of pride with deep roots in the city’s Jewish heritage. These days, we’re no slouch when it comes to these carb-heavy treats. Sam’s Bagels (150 N. Larchmont) draws a crowd nearly every day of the week, with a solid variety of offerings. They get bonus points for blasting Russian pop tunes on the radio, and for their efficiently brusque manner with even the sunniest young Hancock Park mom. Wexler’s Deli at Grand Central Market offers the best lox-and-salmon on a bagel 'round these parts. Plus you can laugh at all those suckers in line for Eggslut while you get your nosh on. Bagel Broker on Beverly is worth your time, too. What it lacks in atmosphere, it makes up for in probably the closest approximation to the real thing in the West, with a great selection. And their bagels are the right size and shape. Maybe it’s the water. (The drought is over, after all.)

It's hard to match the experience of walking around Greenwich Village, but Spring Street in Downtown L.A. comes close. On Dec. 31, 1897 this iconic street gave birth to the motion picture industry when Frederick Blechynden shot the first film made in Los Angeles, a 25-second short for the Edison Manufacturing Company.

Much of the Beaux Arts and Greek revival architecture seen on that piece of celluloid history still stands today. This classic 19th-century American urban setting has served as backdrop to movies ever since, from Chaplin to Transformers. The current revival of the neighborhood has seen an influx of coffee spots such as Spring For Coffee and watering holes like The Falls.  

There's also a variety of shops - the most stunning is The Last Bookstore, which is not only the largest bookstore (both used and new) in the state, covering more than 22,000 square feet, but also an architectural beauty, housed in the historic Spring Arts Tower.

With the demise of the Carnegie Deli last year, New York’s stranglehold as the epicenter of the global pastrami economy got a little bit looser. Here comes the City of Angels. If you prefer your meat on the marbled side, you can do no better than the famed #19 at Langer’s, which more than lives up to the hype. And Canter's hits the spot with a classic pastrami on rye. Extra pickles, duh. 

Highland Park is the new Brooklyn. Which is to say, it’s a great approximation of today’s Brooklyn. The old Brooklyn, like the old Highland Park, is harder and harder to find. You can’t throw a rock without hitting a new hip band, and every corner boasts a terrific bar like The Greyhound, with a correspondingly tasty menu of locally sourced snacks. Who needs Brooklyn Bowl when you have the recently renovated Highland Park Bowl?  

Let’s face it: Ray’s Famous, Famous Ray’s — or whatever it’s calling itself on a given Manhattan street corner — is mostly famous for being famous. When it comes to flat and cheesy, L.A. boasts plenty of tasty spots. For starters, get yourself to Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock ASAP. This is the kind of pie you want in your face, especially when “the country is going to pizzas” (as their slogan decries). The food is terrific, and the place oozes atmosphere with little checked tablecloths straight out of Billy Freakin’ Joel’s Italian restaurant. In Koreatown, you can find the most affordable artisanal pie in town at neighborhood gem All' Angolo. A light and fluffy thin crust to die for, and plenty of handmade pasta dishes on offer. Mangia tutti!

Do you miss the Manhattan club scene, standing in line with the great unwashed, fresh from Jersey and points west? We have our own version of the Bridge-and-Tunnel set here: Five-and-Dimers, so named for the 5 and 10 Freeways they traverse from the hinterlands to Hollywood. If you really want to live it up with the young and wannabe glamorous who aren’t ACTUALLY from here, you can do no better than Avalon on Vine. Pumping EDM, a beautifully classic space (the former Palace, where Benny Goodman played the first West Coast jazz show back in the day) and the Inland Empire’s and O.C.’s foxiest and well-heeled jam this spot most nights. If you close your eyes, and you’ll swear you’re back at Limelight. 

The people ride in a hole in the ground, as “New York, New York” says. We do, too, in increasing numbers and in considerably more style. No longer a punchline on late night TV, L.A’s Metro Rail is cleaner, less crowded, offers more trains and lines than ever, and runs more reliably on-time than its eastern counterpart. Hop onto the bustling Red Line — where Keanu Reeves chased down Dennis Hopper in Speed! — at one of the eclectically art-directed Hollywood stations and breathe deep. If you find yourself pining for that Coney Island F-train experience, we boast our own train to the beach now, too. Jump on the Expo Line from 7th St/Metro Center in Downtown and enjoy the panoramic views of L.A. as you head to the Santa Monica Pier. Get yourself a Hot-Dog-On-A-Stick and let the suckers at Nathan’s eat their hearts out.

The Mets are inextricably linked to the Dodgers, born four years after the Blue decamped Brooklyn for the West Coast in 1958. And their signature azure is derived from the Dodger team color. (Their orange accent comes from the Giants, but we don’t talk about that.) In that span, the Mets have won two World Series to the Dodgers’ five championships. Recently, they dashed the Dodgers title hopes, ousting them in the 2015 playoffs. Whenever the Amazin’s roll into Chavez Ravine, it feels like the stands are evenly divided between supporters of the two teams. It’s not Citi Field, let alone old Shea Stadium, but it will have to do. The Mets are here for a four-game stand at Dodger Stadium June 19-22. Get your tickets sorted now, as both teams figure to be in the hunt for a pennant. 

Historic Chinatown has its charms, but when it comes to culinary delights, head a few miles east of Downtown L.A. to Monterey Park, where the dumplings are chewier and the noodles are sublime. All good foodies know that this area boasts more fantastic regional cuisine than anyplace else in North America. Nearly every mini mall on every corner boasts a local favorite, with a line outside to prove it. For starters, give Elite a shot. Or MaMa Lu’s Dumpling House. Nearby San Gabriel is no slouch, either, and if you are a fan of fiery Szechuan cuisine, the aptly named Spicy City is worth the trek. Open on Christmas? You bet.

It’s a fool’s errand to claim L.A. has a stitch on New York’s live theatre scene, let alone the Great White Way. But times have changed and these days, a great many of the offerings on Broadway are derived from Hollywood films (or worse, comic books). L.A. has a solid track record of live theatre, particularly with our own award-winning Mark Taper Forum. Over the years, they’ve produced influential works like Angels in America and Zoot Suit (which recently enjoyed a critically-hailed revival). For the more indie-minded among you, there’s no shortage of smaller theaters in town, among them the Odyssey, whose recent production of “Annapurna” went on to a successful Off-Broadway run.