Security Check:
I’m Emily, and I’m all about fundraising, event planning, short-lived hobbies (lately playing ukulele, being a foster mom for kittens, and writing limericks).

What’s your historical Los Angeles and New York connection?
I grew up in the Bronx, and currently am based in Upper Manhattan. I have lived in and traveled to LA for work over the last few years, as well as San Francisco. I have friends in each city and have a certain genuine appreciation for each.

Describe your experience in LA and your experience in NYC
NYC is really home. Life in LA is more like a dream. A smoggy, temperate, wonderful dream.

What was the biggest challenge of moving from NYC to LA?
Missing my fiancé. We’ve been together 11 years, but lived in different cities for almost 2 years.

How can NYC and LA best engage with each other?
Those guys are already sharing a lot of the secrets that make them great. Delicious food. Emphasis on the arts. Public space and outdoor activities. And others come naturally to both. Activism. Philanthropy. Diversity. So many wonderful people already travel between the two. I just wish that we were more likely to talk to strangers and get to know one another.

Favorite LA secret spot
The peak of my favorite hike in Griffith Park. The Alcove. Akbar.

Favorite NYC secret spot
My house. Fort Washington Park. The Cloisters. Le Chéile.

What would you be doing if you weren’t working on what you are?
Possibly freelancing. Traveling the world for a little while.

Inflight Entertainment: tell us what song/album, TV show, podcast, or web videos you’ve been watching lately.
I listen to NPR a lot, and love to listen to the local stations when traveling. I just watched the last episode of the Colbert Report and cried.

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