Florence: Piazza Del Carmine vs San Ambrogio Market

200 meters from Sant’Ambrogio doesn’t tell me much. 200 meters is a long distance which can put you in a great spot or not so great spot, or on a quiet spot or a noisy one. What is the exact address? Piazza del Carmine used to be noisy at night when I was young in the 1980s because of the presence of the famous Bar Caffè La Dolce Vita, a super trendy place that attracted a lot of youth in the Piazza. The bar has closed down since, so now the place is certainly quieter than those years.

In. terms of distance from the center, both are in the historical center, but both are about 15-20 min walk from the Duomo or Piazza Signoria. So if we take Piazza Duomo-Piazza Signoria as indicative of the most central center of the city center, then the two locations are probably equidistant. There is no need to walk across Ponte Vecchio to go from Piazza del Carmine to Piazza del Duomo or Piazza Signoria. Both Ponte Alla Carraia and Ponte Santa Trinita would provide a shorter walking path, although I don’t see anything wrong with walking across Ponte Vecchio.

In terms of neighborhoods and foods, both have a plethora of great options. the district of San Frediano, in the Oltrarno (Piazza del Carmine) has become trendy in recent years, so some of the best restaurants and the coolest bars are certainly there (if you want I can provide some names).

If the choice were on the neighborhood alone, San Frediano would be my choice, but again it depends on your Airbnb/hotel accommodations as well.

A/C is generally not needed in October, as days are shorter and at least during the night temperatures cool down significantly. During the day it may still be warm, but nothing compared to the scorching months of July or August.

I'll try to be more specific about the locations:

Piazza Carmine: This is literally on Piazza Carmine, the window opens on the Piazza, has no mosquito nets, no AC.
San Ambrogio Market: This is on Via dell'Agnolo, right next to the Agnolo bus stop. Has AC. Overlooks an internal courtyard.

@miuccia yes, that helps. I'm also a light sleeper and while I feel I can do without AC, I'm not sure what the mosquito situation in Florence is, so that worries me with the Carmine stay.

@Roberto yes please share the food recommendations. Though I must tell you, we're newbie non-vegetarians, mostly stick to fish or small sized meats hidden in food. Florentine steak in not something i'm hoping to be able to sample with my current level of non-veg experience.

If you go at the start of October, temperatures will be likely between 70 and 80 F. But as I said at night they will drop to around 60F. Only you know if at those temperatures you will need AC. Different people have different tolerance to heat.

Mosquitoes will be present all year around in Florence. I think there are several Mosquito Air Force bases in Florence and they are always ready to scramble. Unfortunately mosquito screens are rarely installed in Italian houses and they are not a standard feature mainly because of the technical challenges of windows which are not sliding doors but open like a door. There are technical solutions available but not all Italians have embraced them and installed them. The only defense is an anti insect products like Vape or a fan, which somehow prevents mosquitos landing on you.

Piazza del Carmine used to be a parking lot, but now it has been remodeled in a beautiful pedestrian piazza with some trees and art sculpture display by Antonio Signorini, a contemporary sculpture from Pisa. Skateboards are not allowed and are not really a big thing in Italy, and that Piazza is not normally used for concerts. Via dell’Agnolo has some traffic, especially buses, but if your room does not face the road, then you should be ok.

Your choice. Let me know where you ultimately decide to stay and will give you some names of restaurants. I rarely eat bistecca alla Fiorentina because it is too much meat for me and I’m not too crazy about steak cooked so rare, but the options are infinite. When I want steak I usually order Tagliata di Manzo. However there are lots of choices. I like fish and there is a fish restaurant in my neighborhood I always go to, but it is not in the city center. Near piazza Del Carmine there is Burro e Acciughe that is known for fish. Near via dell’Agnolo there is the Ristorante Aroma which specializes on seafood p, but it is not cheap. I have not gone to either one.

We've decided to stay in the place close to San Ambrogio Market because well...it has a washing machine! Laundry wins!
Jokes aside, since the neighborhoods are both hard to choose from, it came down to the individual stays and this place has AC, bathtub, washing machine, balcony and a lesser price going for it.

Thanks for the perspectives, they helped a lot, I look forward to food and maybe some non-touristy/hidden gem recommendations. :)

List for your neighborhood:

Ristorante del Fagioli
La Buchetta
Da Que' Ganzi
PizzAgnolo
I Fratellini

If you like seafood then:
Vivo - Dal Mare alla Padella (from the Sea to the Pan)
Aroma
La bettolina (in my neighborhood, therefore not in the city center, hence you need a taxi, but cheaper)