New York vs Los Angeles, for crew.
The two guides side by side, the three that cost money or liberty first. Each line is the guide's own sourced answer and opens the section it came from.
The same eight questions
Two legal systems apply at once, and cannabis is the trap: legal to buy in New York State, illegal to take out of the state or the country.
The FCDO puts it plainly: while you are in a state you are subject to both that state's laws and national law. Breaking them can affect your visa status and future travel to the US.
New York in full →Cannabis is legal in the state and still barred from federal land, and your phone is inspectable at the border.
Cannabis is legal to buy from a licensed retailer at 21 and over, but it may not be smoked anywhere it is illegal to smoke tobacco, may not be taken across a state line, and may not be used or possessed on federal lands such as national parks. An open container of cannabis in a vehicle is an offence: it travels in a sealed container or in the boot.
Los Angeles in full →Yellow cabs run to Manhattan on a published flat rate from official stands at every terminal, and the AirTrain links the terminals to the subway and the Long Island Rail Road.
Official taxi stands are at each terminal. JFK says soliciting of ground transportation is illegal and that many illegal solicitors are unlicensed and uninsured, so use an official taxi stand or the Port Authority Welcome Center in the arrivals area of each terminal.
New York in full →There is no train from the gate: the rail station sits away from the terminals and you reach it on a free shuttle bus.
The LAX/Metro Transit Center is a separate site from the passenger terminals. Metro's own instruction is to connect between the terminals and the station on a free, frequent shuttle, which loads at bus bays 1 and 2 on the station side.
Los Angeles in full →Uber and Lyft operate at JFK, but the pickup point is not always the kerb: Terminals 5 and 7 send you out to Howard Beach on the AirTrain.
Uber and Lyft are the ride apps JFK names. Uber Shuttle, a shared shuttle service booked through the Uber app, runs to Port Authority at 42nd Street and Greenwich Village, with seats reservable in advance.
New York in full →Uber, Lyft and Opoli are LAX's authorised ride apps, and they pick up at the LAX-it lot next to Terminal 1.
Lyft, Opoli and Uber are the authorised ride app providers at LAX. Arriving by ride app, you can be dropped at your terminal on the upper departures level.
Los Angeles in full →Free unlimited wifi at all Port Authority airports, no time limit.
JFK, LaGuardia, Newark and Stewart all have free, unlimited high-speed wifi from the Port Authority — no time limit. At JFK the network is '_Free JFK WiFi'.
New York in full →Free Wi-Fi covers the public areas of every LAX terminal, in unlimited 45-minute sessions after a short ad.
Free Wi-Fi covers the public areas of all LAX terminals. Join _LAX Free WiFi, open a browser and choose Free Unlimited Wi-Fi.
Los Angeles in full →Four real seasons: 30C summers, snowy sub-zero winters, rain possible any month; hurricane season peaks Sep.
Climate normals (Central Park, 1991-2020): July averages 84.9F/70.1F (29C/21C); January 39.5F/27.9F (4C/-2C). Pack for genuine cold Dec-Mar and genuine heat Jun-Aug.
New York in full →Dry and mild at the coast for most of the year, and the sea is more dangerous than a calm afternoon suggests.
At LAX the August normals against the 1991 to 2020 period are an average maximum of 76.7F, about 25C, and an average minimum of 64.8F, about 18C. Normal precipitation for the month is 0.00 inches. August 2026 itself ran warm against that, at 80.8F and 69.0F.
Los Angeles in full →Food halls are the crew move — one roof, many vendors, long hours; Chelsea Market runs 7am-10pm daily.
The city's official tourism board's food-hall guide lists Urbanspace Vanderbilt and Great Northern Food Hall by/inside Grand Central, City Kitchen at Times Square, Gotham West Market near the Javits Center, Hudson Eats at Brookfield Place, The Market Line under Essex Market (Lower East Side) and Time Out Market in Dumbo.
New York in full →A letter grade on the door tells you the inspection score, and the menu price is never the price you pay.
Los Angeles County restaurants must have a grade card or score card posted, and an inspector verifies it at every inspection. A is a score of 90 to 100, B is 80 to 89, C is 70 to 79. Below 70 the placard carries the numeric score rather than a letter, and a score under 70 at a routine inspection triggers suspension of the permit and closure of the facility.
Los Angeles in full →Clothing and shoes under $110 per item are completely tax-free in NYC; most everything else adds 8.875% at the register.
Clothing and footwear under $110 per item are fully exempt from all sales tax in New York City — state, local and MCTD — per the NY tax department (Pub 718-C, effective March 2025). The threshold is per item, not per receipt, so splitting a basket of sub-$110 pieces is all tax-free.
New York in full →Tax is added at the till, the rate changes with the city boundary, and there is no refund counter on the way out.
The statewide rate is 7.25 per cent and local districts add between 0.10 and 2.00 per cent on top, so the shelf price is never the price at the register.
Los Angeles in full →Tip 18-20% at restaurants (not included in the bill), $1+/drink at bars, 15-20% in taxis — it is wages, not extra.
Restaurants: 18-20% of the bill is standard, 15% the floor, per the official tourism board. Service is NOT included unless the menu/bill states a no-tipping or service-charge policy, or an automatic gratuity is added for parties of six or more — check the bill before doubling up.
New York in full →A tip is the employee's property by statute, and it is on top of a full minimum wage, not instead of one.
Under Labor Code section 351 a gratuity is the sole property of the employee or employees to whom it is given. The employer may not take a share of it.
Los Angeles in full →