LA is one of the worst US cities for outdoor socializing — but nearby Long Beach ranks No. 1

Nypost · 🇺🇸 public United States · Aug 08, 2026 · 584 words · By Marina Peña

headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing

Generate a natural audio summary of this story

Daily briefing

What to know about LA is one of the worst US cities for outdoor socializing — but nearby Long Beach ranks No. 1

LA is one of the worst US cities for outdoor socializing — but nearby Long Beach ranks No.

Claims checked 16

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left25%

Center50%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

LA is one of the worst US cities for outdoor socializing — but nearby Long Beach ranks No.

Why it matters

1 See more of our coverage in your search results.

Common ground

Add The California Post on Google If you’re in Los Angeles and looking for a fun spot to sip, mingle, and soak up some sunshine — you might want to head south to Long Beach.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: LA is one of the worst US cities for outdoor socializing — but nearby Long Beach ranks No. 1?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Another 15% believe their city simply doesn’t have enough outdoor gathering spaces?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/08/lifestyle/la-is-one-of-the-worst-us-cities-for-out…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 16 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 6

check_circle Corroborated 5

info Single Source 3

help Insufficient Evidence 1

verified Verified By Reference 1

schedule

Claim 1: “Another 15% believe their city simply doesn’t have enough outdoor gathering spaces.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 2: “The new list from Maxwell Social, a private membership club and event venue, ranked Long Beach No. 1 in the nation [for outdoor socializing]”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm that Maxwell Social ranked Long Beach as the No. 1 city in the nation for outdoor socializing.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ex on the Beach is a British reality television series that was broadcast on MTV UK. The series was first announced in February 2014 and premiered on 22 April 2014. Ex on the Beach follows the format …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_on_the_Beach_(British_TV_se…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ghislaine Noelle Marion Maxwell ( ghee-LEN; born 25 December 1961) is a British convicted child sex trafficker and former socialite. In 2021, she was convicted of child sex trafficking, and in 2022 wa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghislaine_Maxwell

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The American financier and child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein ran a ring of female sex traffickers, who were tasked with recruiting underage females into his orbit for his sexual gratification. His cl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litigation_involving_Jeffrey_E…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 3: “Oakland came in second”

SINGLE SOURCE

Only one specific web search result ('LA is one of the worst US cities...') mentions that Oakland came in second.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Oakland is the second U.S. city, after Denver, to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms. In June 2019, the City Council passed the resolution in a unanimous vote ending the investigation and imposition o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland,_California

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — To find out, Maxwell Social ranked 45 major U.S. cities on their patios, rooftop bars, beer gardens, and breweries per capita, as well as search interest in outdoor social venues.
https://www.maxwellsocial.com/soiree/best-cities-for-outdoor…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Maxwell Social ranked 45 major U.S. cities based their patios, rooftop bars, beer gardens, and breweries per capita, as well as search interest in outdoor social venues. Oakland came in second, rankin…
https://nypost.com/2026/08/08/lifestyle/la-is-one-of-the-wor…

check_circle

Claim 4: “Maxwell Social ranked 45 major U.S. cities based their patios, rooftop bars, beer gardens, and breweries per capita, as well as search interest in outdoor social venues.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources explicitly state the ranking was based on per capita patios, rooftop bars, beer gardens, breweries, and search interest in outdoor social venues.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was a Scottish physicist and mathematician who was responsible for the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, which was the first theory t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Clerk_Maxwell

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kelly McCall Maxwell (born April 11, 2000) is an American professional softball pitcher for the Portland Cascade of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) and member of the United States women'…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Maxwell_(softball)

+ 3 more evidence sources

check_circle

Claim 5: “LA landed at the bottom of the list [of America’s best cities for outdoor socializing]”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that Los Angeles landed at the bottom of the Maxwell Social list.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Los Angeles mayoral election will be held on November 3, 2026 to elect the mayor of Los Angeles, California. A nonpartisan top-two primary was held on June 2, 2026. Incumbent mayor Karen Bass…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Los_Angeles_mayoral_elect…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX, FAA LID: LAX) is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles and its surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of California.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_International_Airp…

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 6: “More than 1 in 4 Americans (28%) have traveled somewhere just because outdoor social drinking felt easier than it was at home”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 7: “New Orleans and Las Vegas topped the list of destinations [for outdoor social drinking].”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 8: “The company also surveyed 1,000 Americans in the cities it reviewed about how, where and why they gather outside.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources mention that Maxwell Social surveyed 1,000 Americans/adults about their outdoor social habits.

schedule

Claim 9: “19% say they’ve been asked to leave or quiet down while socializing outdoors in the past year.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 10: “Mesa and Detroit led for rooftop bars, with 21.6 and 17.2 per 100,000 residents, respectively.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim discusses rooftop bars in Shanghai and Nha Trang, but contains no information regarding Mesa or Detroit's per capita rooftop bar rankings.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Rooftop Bar Shanghai. Photo: The Rooftop Guide.Our complete and up-to date guide to the Best Rooftop Bars in Shanghai feature all info you need about each rooftop at the same place, so you don’t have …
https://www.therooftopguide.com/rooftop-bars-in-shanghai.htm…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Flair Rooftop Restaurant & Bar, 58th floor of The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, Shanghai Shanghai.Flair rooftop restaurant & bar. Dinner sunday to thursday 17:30-01:00 (over 18YRS only) friday to sat…
https://www.flairrooftopbarshanghai.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Altitude Rooftop Bar (Sheraton): Чуть выше Skylight, стильная атмосфера и цены немного ниже. Вид такой же шикарный, а коктейли стартуют от 3,5 долларов. Отзывы на Tripadvisor — почти пятерка.
https://dzen.ru/a/aJ7onSlKBAKeU_v-

check_circle

Claim 11: “Phoenix and Houston landed at the bottom of the ranking along with the City of Angels.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that Phoenix, Houston, and Los Angeles were at the bottom of the ranking.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Houston ( HEW-stən) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.3 million at …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of transfers for the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) season that have been made during the 2025–26 MLS offseason all the way through to the roster freeze in September 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Soccer_tr…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Military Entrance Processing Command (USMEPCOM or MEPCOM) is a major command of the U.S. Department of Defense. The organization screens and processes enlisted recruits into the U.S.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Military_Entranc…

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 12: “New York City leads the nation as the perceived outdoor social capital, with 16% naming it the best city for casual outdoor gatherings, ahead of LA, Miami, and San Diego at 11% each.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 13: “Atlanta took third”

SINGLE SOURCE

None of the provided evidence mentions Atlanta's ranking in the Maxwell Social list.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A new study from Maxwell Social ranked Houston No. 43 out of 45 major U.S. cities for outdoor socializing, putting the Bayou City ahead of only Los Angeles and Phoenix. Even worse for Texas' reputatio…
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/houston-wor…

help

Claim 14: “Nearly 1 in 5 Americans (18%) have wanted to hang out outside with friends but couldn’t find a place that was good, legal or comfortable”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results to confirm the specific 18% statistic regarding the inability to find a suitable outdoor location.

verified

Claim 15: “Maxwell Social analyzed the 45 most populous U.S. cities, using population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimates.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant Wikipedia entries about musicians and other people named Maxwell; no evidence regarding the Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates was found.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of English-speaking populations by country, including information on both native speakers and second-language speakers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_English-s…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Miramar (, MIH-rə-mar) is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb of the Miami metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 134,721, making it the fou…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miramar,_Florida

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Springer is a town in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, Springer had a population of 931.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springer,_New_Mexico

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 16: “41% of Gen Z saying they would go out more often if their city offered better outdoor social spaces.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.