Los Angeles vs New York City
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, New York City leads 2–1 (2 within the tie margin). Character is a different question: Los Angeles is the city of stars on the pavement; New York City is the island of arrivals.
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Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Los Angeles
52
New York City
369
New York City leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Los Angeles
290
New York City
291
Tie
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Los Angeles
13
New York City
99
New York City leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Los Angeles
73
New York City
75
Tie
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Los Angeles
24
New York City
20
Los Angeles leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Los Angeles
—
New York City
2
New York City leads
| What we measure | Los Angeles | New York City | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 52 | 369 | New York City |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 290 | 291 | tie |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 13 | 99 | New York City |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 73 | 75 | tie |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 24 | 20 | Los Angeles |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | — | 2 | New York City |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Los Angeles in orange, New York City in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Los Angeles scorecard →
The city of stars on the pavement
New York City scorecard →
The island of arrivals