> New York on the other hand doesn’t have much beauty and to my knowledge the east coast isn’t too beautiful

I moved from the West Coast and this couldn't be more wrong. There is great hiking 45 min drive outside of NYC for example, and some of it is accessible by rail. Not to mention the more curated beauty within it (various parks, beaches, etc).

In a way it's good for you. Know that you will not be giving up natural beauty when you move here. It's not always as dramatic as on the West Coast - for example it's hard to get above the tree line for great vistas here - but it's still solid. Look up Breakneck Ridge if you want some inspiration.

> definitely excited to get away from all the wannabe influencers and that type of scene in LA.

Oh they're here all over too. But I think less than LA.

Not much beauty? The east coast isn't beautiful? I'm gonna stop you right there buddy.

I grew up in Seattle and lived in San Diego. While both are beautiful, you can definitely get that beauty out here. The Hamptons and Montauk have some of the best beaches in the world, and the water is actually warm unlike in LA/SD. If that's too far, Fort Tilden and Jacob Riis park are excellent beaches too within the city limits (you can even take a public Ferry with a full bar to the Rockaways now) As for hikes? We've got those in spades too. Just take a look at the Catskills or the Hudson Highlands. You can even take a public train to several hikes, and it only takes about an hour and a half, maybe even less if you're doing some lighter hikes like the Croton Aqueduct trail.

Finally, London is gorgeous, but in my opinion NYC actually does parks better. There's not as many scattered through the neighborhoods, but the ones we have are better designed. London mostly tore down their old growth trees and built parks over them, so their parks can feel a bit barren. Olmsted felt differently when designing parks in NY and MA. He instead built around the trees, so our parks feel much more natural. Taking a walk through the center of Prospect Park, you can really feel like you're in the middle of the woods. Honestly all the Olmsted parks are gigantic and beautiful (Riverside, Fort Greene, Central Park, Prospect Park). If you're not seeing beauty or greenery here, I'm not sure what to tell you! Central Park is HUGE by the way.

Anyway, welcome to the city. You're going to love it. I too was sick of the influencer focus of SoCal. That's definitely a huge thing here too, but it's very easy to avoid, as there's restaurants or neighborhoods that just attract that kind of thing that you can avoid.

I don't live in NYC anymore, but when I did, there my roommate and I (also both from the west coast) regularly took hikes near the city! There's a few spots out in jersey that we tried out, but the real hiking is just up the Hudson! If you or a friend has a car, there's lots of beautiful hiking spots just about an hour or two away! There's some that are accessible by the Metro North commuter train as well, but those places tend to be a bit smaller

Also, I found it very easy to make friends in New York, as there's always someone who shares a passion or hobby with you!

Good luck on the move!

metro north trains go from the city up the hudson river valley. it’s easy and cheap to get to somewhere like cold spring for a day hike and food after and you’ll be back in the city by like 6.

also i work in tech but most of my friends do different things. my work has zero impact on my social life.

as far as getting away from wannabe influencers, sorry to break it to you but that’s not gonna happen here lol. here

There’s plenty of great nature within an easy train ride of NYC. you’ve got the Catskills and Adirondacks for mountains, sandy beaches on Long Island, and rugged New England coast within three hours by amtrak.

For making friends in different fields, try hanging out in the student neighborhoods like Morningside and Greenwich Village. There are lots of other out-of-townsra looking to make friends, and they attract lots of people with different interests.

Plenty of parks in Manhattan for you to enjoy. The HIGHLINE is great when the weather allows. WEST street you have the Hudson River view for the length of Manhattan to enjoy your hike or bike ride. Central Park is incredibly scenic and huge for you to walk through. As a newbie, TIME OUT NY magazine / website will be your friend.

Also grew up in CA and have lived out here for 20 years now. Rockaway Beach is great in the summer. It's not Malibu lol, but still gives a sense of getting outside the city and is accessible by subway. I've heard there are some good hiking spots upstate accessible by Metro North trains. Central Park is also beautiful and huge with lots to explore.

Typical Saturday for me is running errands and then meeting friends for dinner/drinks (or beach in the summertime). If the weather is bad or it's been a super hectic week, Saturday is ordering in and binge watching.

There are so many pretty hikes just a short drive north of the city. The fall colors are amazing along the Hudson valley. Apple picking is fun. Check out Storm King for an outdoor sculpture park. My favorite hike is the Lemon squeeze near Mohonk. For something without a car you can bike across the Washington Bridge into NJ. The park there and the overlooks are very pretty. You can also do Governors Island and Wave Hill.

This area has so much natural and man made beauty I don’t even know where to begin.

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