Two cities, one month and a calendar so packed it needs its own publicist. October is when New York puts on a sweater and Los Angeles pretends it’s not still 90 degrees. Time Out LA literally noted the 90s temps in its October update. Here’s our head-to-head, built from the people who eat and drink for a living, with the Nightlife Report filter applied: is it fun, is it 21+-friendly, and will you post it?
Round 1: The free flex
New York: Open House New York Weekend unlocked about 300 sites across the city, most of them free, Oct. 16–18. Architecture nerds and first-daters alike, this is your annual backstage pass. Time Out Market also threw two free Salsa Thursdays anniversary parties (Brooklyn on the 15th, Manhattan on the 16th), with a free beginner lesson at the Manhattan party.
Los Angeles: LA Opera opened Carmen at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and streamed opening night for free at Santa Monica Pier, per LAmag. Opera on the sand is, frankly, a vibe. Next weekend, Time Out LA says Grand Ave Arts: All Access returns to Downtown on Oct. 25 with workshops, tours and live music.
Edge: New York, on volume. 300 doors is 300 doors.
Round 2: The dinner reservation you’ll brag about
New York: Eater NY’s October Heatmap added Café Charmant, a West Village French brasserie from the Corner Store team, and El Camarón Peludo, a Mexican seafood wine bar from the Taqueria Ramirez team, also in the West Village. It also added Faux in Tribeca, George McNally’s first restaurant. Time Out’s new-restaurant list leads with Titán in Dumbo: northern Mexican food, seasonal micheladas and a backyard with a projector.
Los Angeles: The Infatuation’s LA Hit List calls Alta Adams in West Adams freshly reopened and an even better date-night spot. They specifically suggest it for meeting “in the middle” with that situationship who lives across town. Josephine in Silver Lake is dark, plays Pearl Jam and serves crab-ragu tagliatelle. LAmag reports it has an au poivre ice cream on its October menu. Eater LA’s heatmap has Sous Sous, which Observer says took over a former 1930s church at Hotel Lucile in Silver Lake.
Edge: LA. A situationship-specific recommendation from a major dining guide wins on pettiness alone.
Round 3: The bar with a personality
New York: On r/AskNYC this month, someone asked for a bar in Lower Manhattan or Brooklyn “where I can drink alone and sad,” and another poster asked for bar etiquette explained like they’re 5. New Yorkers want a room that leaves them alone, nicely.
Los Angeles: Thickman’s Tavern on Fairfax is the Infatuation’s newest Hit List addition. It’s a sports bar where, they write, much of the crowd isn’t there for sports: New Wave music, cornichon-garnished martinis and gummy-worm dirt cups. Maree on Pico pours wine starting at $12, per the same guide.
Edge: LA, for the cornichon martini alone.
Round 4: The music
Los Angeles: Charli XCX played the Kia Forum Oct. 17–18 and Young Miko hit Intuit Dome on the 17th. Bite 007, a female-directed night of queer DJs, took over Teddy’s at the Hollywood Roosevelt on the 16th, per LAmag. And Miley Cyrus played her first full concert in four years at the Hollywood Bowl, per Just Jared.
New York: The festival energy went to food this week, with the NYC Wine & Food Festival’s 50-plus events through Oct. 18.
Edge: LA, decisively. Sorry, Manhattan.
Round 5: Halloween, the main event
New York: The Village Halloween Parade is Saturday, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m. You line up at Sixth Avenue and Canal, and costumes are required to march, per Time Out.
Los Angeles: West Hollywood’s Halloween Carnaval also lands Saturday, Oct. 31, on Santa Monica Boulevard. We’re confirming this year’s hours and route with the city.
Edge: Tie. Book your flight accordingly, or just pick a coast and commit.
Final score
LA takes it 3–1, with one tie. But New York wins the “free and enormous” category every year it bothers to show up. The real insider move is to pick one splurge dinner, one free event and one weird bar per weekend. That’s how you end up with a story instead of a receipt.
Sources
- OHNY
- Time Out NY, Salsa Thursdays
- Time Out NY, NYCWFF
- Time Out NY, new restaurants
- Time Out NY, Halloween Parade
- Eater NY Heatmap
- Eater LA Heatmap
- The Infatuation LA Hit List
- LAmag Weekend Guide
- Observer
- Time Out LA
- Just Jared, Miley Cyrus
- The Pride LA, WeHo Carnaval
- Reddit r/AskNYC: drink alone
- Reddit r/AskNYC: bar etiquette
