Not quite. http://sayiamgreen.com/blog/2009/09/the-10-most-polluted-cities-in-the-world/ The gangs are a problem, but honestly there are always some sort of gang in every city. South Central Los Angeles is where its most rampant, but the city has its pretty side too. As for the original question, I've never been to New York, so I can't comment on that, but I'd go with Los Angeles. At least in L.A you can drive your own car, and its hard to beat the weather and the beaches.