The West and East are battling once again. The most notorious matchup was the dispute between West Coast and East Coast hip-hop artists in the mid-1990s, specifically Los Angeles and New York. After 43 years, the rivalry was rekindled when New York and Los Angeles met once more on the baseball field.
The LA Dodgers won the 2024 World Series on Oct. 30 making it their eighth World Series. Despite this loss, the NY Yankees have won 27 World Series titles, the most wins in MLB history and the most wins of any major U.S. professional sport.
It begs the question: is one coast better than the other?
The two coasts are opposite of one another on the North American continent, having roughly 2,700 miles of land in between them. The east is commonly known for its nonstop pace of the New York Minute, which is very much “go, go, go.” The west is known for its relaxing, laid-back pace. One can consider people native to the west coast to be a little spoiled, which is not a bad thing.
The east coast is considered to assert most of the influence in America. The United States’ center of government and political power are located in the east. The city of Washington D.C. being the political headquarters. U.S. financial power is also centered in the east, headquartered in New York.
The top five sports franchises in the U.S., NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS and MLB are all housed in New York City as well, with baseball and American football originating there. A lot of popular music consumed today has deep history rooted on the east coast, with the Harlem Renaissance and hip hop beginning in New York City.
The east is also the place people travel to, some of them being Martha’s Vineyard, Disneyworld and Times Square. Many can travel east and experience all four seasons throughout the year compared to the west coast’s 70-degree weather all year round in most places.
People from the west coast may be a little too laid back for the east coast. While the east may be the vanguard, the west takes the blueprint and turns into something different.
Los Angeles is considered the creative capital of the world, with a huge portion of the population being in the entertainment industry. New York and the east may be the inspiration for the stories; however, Hollywood is the place to be for aspiring artists.
Silicon Valley, a region in California, is also home to many start-up companies that are now global. Such companies are Apple and Google, with Microsoft being headquartered in Seattle as well.
The Pacific Northwest is known for its environmentalism, which also jump started the coffeehouse industry. Both Starbucks and Dutch Bros originated in Oregon.
For anyone looking for a place that is always reaching for the stars to be the best, the east coast is that place. For anyone looking to smell the roses and to enjoy life, the west coast is that place. Still, it’s only fair that everyone gets a taste of what the east and west coast have to offer.
