What’s your historical Los Angeles and New York connection?
I moved to NYC at the age of 18 to start my freshman year at NYU. I studied journalism and cinema studies and started working as a writer when I finished school. I stayed in NYC 8 years before moving to LA at the end of 2009. At the time, I was desperate to try a new city and both my parents and a a new boyfriend living in Southern California. The same year I moved west, my mother became the president of Brooklyn College and my parents moved to Prospect Park South. I’ve been based in LA and spending a week a month in NYC for work (and back living with mom and dad again) ever since.

Describe your experience in LA
I’ve been the co-founder of a start-up for the last 2 years so my days are pretty packed. That said, I try to take advantage of the amazing weather as often as possible so I’ll opt to eat at restaurants with outdoor seating most of the year and pack in as many hikes or pool visits on the weekend as possible.

What was the biggest challenge of moving from NYC to LA?
The obvious: getting used to driving and finding different ways to diffuse stress when you’re stuck in rush hour gridlock. Public radio and Spotify premium have both been lifesavers.

How can NYC and LA best engage with each other?
By maintaining an open dialogue. So many people I know are consistently hopping back and forth between the two cities, be them entrepreneurs, filmmakers or fashion designers or marketers. They are the perfect counter-balance to one another. Nowhere can you be more productive or more inspired than NYC, while LA also offers the space and the unconventionality to think outside the box and slow down while still being very much in the mix.

Favorite LA secret spot
Venice Beach Wines. This wine shop houses a tiny patio that’s puppy friendly (essential for my new rescue, Howard) and they serve a ton of tasty treats to go along with your wine. It’s also 10 minute drive from my office, so it’s one of my favorite places to meet friends and celebrate the end of a long day.

Favorite NYC secret spot
My parents’ neighborhood is relatively undiscovered still and houses one of my favorite bars – Sycamore. It’s a flower shop by day and a bar by night. So, you can get a bouquet and a beer for $10 or indulge in one of their fantastic $5 whiskey of the month. Mimi’s – a restaurant and gourmet shop – across the street is also a Cortelyou Road favorite.

If you were not at Pose, what would you be doing?
Traveling for an extended period of time outside of the US before launching another start-up.

From the 2462 Miles newsletter: connecting NEW YORK CITY + LOS ANGELES