Never mind the mercury in your thermometer, summer is coming to a close. PSLs are on the menu, kids are back in school, football has kicked off, there’s candy corn on store shelves, and Mickey & Minnie are wearing Halloween costumes at Disneyland. That also means something for your relationship: the deadline to call it a summer fling is at hand. Now’s the time to decide if you want that special someone to stick around into cuffing season. And if you do (fingers crossed for you crazy kids), you’ll probably need some new date ideas and romantic things to do this fall.
There are so many great places to take a date in LA—yes, there are romantic restaurants and weekend getaways for when you want to sweep them off their feet, but there are also easy ways to make every day a romantic adventure in LA. To help keep the magic alive, whether you’re still in the honeymoon phase or whether your next google search is “best babysitters in LA,” here are some of the most romantic things to do in LA this fall.
Flickr/bfurlong
Cultural and Artsy Dates in LA
Museums
Various locations
LA has an impressive collection of museums, many with new and exciting exhibits to help you show your date (or at least let you pretend) that you’re the cultured type. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures features three floors of exhibition space celebrating moviemakers and the stories they create, and there are always interesting exhibits at nearby LACMA, at DTLA’s beautiful Broad, and you can sign on for hour-long exhibition, garden, or architecture tours at the Getty Center, all happening daily right now.
Stand-Up Comedy
Beverly Grove
One of the best indicators of compatibility in any relationship is a sense of humor. And what’s more, laughter causes the brain to secrete endorphins and can alter dopamine and serotonin activity—the same brain chemicals that have to do with infatuation and love. Science said it, not us. Might as well test it out in front of Kumail Nanjiani, Kate Berlant, Patton Oswalt, Paul Scheer, and more at the Largo, and laugh together during a Taylor Tomlinson set and see where the night takes you. If established Netflix Special-level comedians are not your thing, check out indie comedy show Popular Kids Club, or see who’s dropping in at Cypress Park’s old-school hideout Permanent Records Roadhouse.
Flickr/Tim Wang
Classic Movie Theaters
Hollywood, Los Feliz
Everyone loves a movie date, but it’s time to venture beyond the Nicole Kidman intro. The 101-year-old Egyptian Theatre and the Vista Theatre are now open for business again, and there’s something magical about seeing a film at a historic single screen theater. The Egyptian, for instance, is also home to American Cinematheque, which always has an absolute beast of a calendar. Look out for special filmmaker Q&As that sell out fast.
On a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most cinephile-focused, let’s put The Egyptian at a 5 and the Vista at a 3. The website has only one movie option, usually a new release and always shown in either 35 or 70mm, and that’s how new owner Quentin Tarantino likes it.
Argentine Tango Classes
Atwater Village
It takes two to tango, they say, but it’s time to find out for yourself. Argentine tango may be the most seductive dance in the world, and even if you “don’t dance,” it’s still a fun bonding experience with Golden Age classics in the background. No date? No problem—there will always be someone there to be paired with, and who knows, it could be serendipity. LA Tango Academy offers different levels ranging from experienced dancers to people like us, who only have drunk dancing under our belts. It might be best to start with a drop-in class, before you move to the next step of your relationship and get a membership. If you’re shy in front of a group of people, they also offer private lessons. Afterwards, complete the Mendoza two-step with a 10 minute drive to Malbec Market to reward yourselves with some wine, empanadas, and asado.
Unsplash/Zachary Staines
Sporty and Active Dates in LA
Hike to a Picnic
Various locations
There’s no better way to block out the chaos of the city than with a hike to a beautiful picnic. Want to brave the wilds of Topanga Canyon? Snag sandwiches from Cricca’s and choose from any number of nearby trails. To get high on the Westside, try the Los Liones trail, a seven-mile-plus climb that rewards you with endless ocean views at the top. But first, hit up coffee shop goodboybob for a perfect cortado and a travel-friendly chapati wrap to power you up the trail, and maybe a pastry or two to reward yourself at the top. Looking for more under-the-radar treks? Check out one of these secret hikes or go for a waterfall adventure.
Under the Radar Sporting Events
Various locations
Yes, a Dodger game makes a great date, especially now that games are shorter, the stadium is more fun, and a certain history-making DH has moved north from Anaheim. The Clippers are debuting a state-of-the-art new stadium, the Lakers still have LeBron and AD, and we hate to admit it but USC football is so back. Taking a date to any of those events is cool, but also obvious, expensive, and a little played-out. Instead, check out some of the city’s lower-key sports teams, where you can get closer to the action and join a more exclusive club of fans. Angel City FC puts on a helluva show at the lovely BMO Stadium in downtown and the LA Sparks are always entertaining (even when they’re not winning). Take a day trip out to see future big-leaguers on the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Dodgers’ Single-A affiliate, or head down to El Segundo to catch the South Bay Lakers. And if you really want to lean into it, we’ve got pro rugby from Rugby FC LA and professional ultimate frisbee with the LA Aviators.
Partner Yoga Classes
Various locations
Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber do it together, so it’ll definitely work for you and your beau too. Yoga is a great method of reducing anxiety and building strength and mobility, and it can also deepen the connection between you and your partner. Give each other cute smirks during virasana pose, downward facing dog, or lend a hand with a particularly hard stretch. We live in a city with yoga studios on every block, and you probably have a go-to spot, but check out YogaSix and Corepower, which both have a variety of locations and courses. Or try a fun themed yoga class like heavy metal yoga or R&B yoga. Couples who yoga together, nama-stay together.
Couples Ice Skating
Paramount
It may not be a frozen pond in a Minnesota forest, but you can still take your significant other for an ice skating adventure at Paramount Iceland. The 80-year-old neighborhood gem was recently acquired by the LA Kings and parent company AEG and given a million dollar facelift to bring it into the modern age. The upgrades include a new rink floor, energy efficient cooling, an upgraded sound system, a remodeled interior, and a brand new museum dedicated to Frank J. Zamboni—yes, he is the inventor of the ice-resurfacing machine. The museum features his original machine, among other artifacts of the Zamboni family, who are also the former owners of the rink. Public skating is available Friday and Saturday evenings and during the day all week long, and if you book in advance you can get all sorts of deals. If you need to learn, there are classes available for all levels.
Photo courtesy of Topgolf
Topgolf
El Segundo
Tiger Woods might have marred the image a bit, but we promise, golfing is the ultimate couples sport. Not only can you coordinate in preppy chic outfits, but nothing gets chemistry flowing quite like a bit of healthy competition. Enter Topgolf—the high-tech mega-facility for golf, golf-adjacent games, and drinks— in El Segundo, which might already be the leisure capital of LA County. Escape to the beach town with its crisp ocean air and then duck into the range to whack golf balls at giant targets, crush frozen spiked lemonade and local IPAs, and track your score—because nothing spices up a relationship like a little trash talk. Or take a leisurely stroll while you play the ten-hole course at the adjacent Lakes at TopGolf. Afterwards, dip out to El Segundo’s cute Main Street for pasta, pizza, or poke.
Bike The Strand
Pacific Palisades to Torrance
Maybe a hike sounds a little dusty and hot, the kind of thing better suited to a hangout than a date; then how about some breezier exercise? A bike ride along The Strand, also known as the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, can take you from the Palisades all the way down the coast to Torrance, a mostly flat and crisp cruise with plenty of places to pull over and hang out, for some booch, some seafood, or sea life.
Shutterstock/Ms S. Ann
The Most LA Dates
Swan Boats at Echo Park Lake
Echo Park
Echo Park Lake is fully open, and the grass is back and ready for a perfect picnic. You can join the hipster crowd with some natty wine and tinned fish from nearby Tilda, go a little bigger with a pickup from Little Fish (one of our favorite new restaurants in town) or Valerie, or best of all, support the local street vendors along Echo Park Avenue, like Alejandra’s Blue Corn Quesadillas. Stroll around the park, feed the ducks and turtles, maybe do some fishing if that’s your thing, and then go for a ride on the iconic swan pedal boats, which even light up at night.
Shop for Groceries
Various locations
Extremely online singles in Spain are looking for love at Mercadona, but the produce aisle is more than just a great place for a meet-cute. It’s also a fun and playful way to get to know your special someone (and the city itself) a little better—can you really stay in a relationship with a person who eats the objectively wrong kind of peanut butter? It helps that LA has an extremely fun selection of grocery stores with all sorts of special features: There’s Erewhon, obviously, but don’t overlook the vaunted carniceria and aguas frescas station at Vallarta in Pasadena, Mercado González at Northgate Market in Costa Mesa, the wine bar at Gelson’s, and all of our adorable little superettes. And, if you want to be a little more obvious, you can always stroll through one of LA’s absolutely world-class farmers markets.
Day Trip Across Town
The opposite end of LA from wherever you are
LA is huge, but many of us desperately avoid leaving our neighborhoods, especially in this WFH world. Which means you have an opportunity to surprise your special someone with a big outing without ever leaving the LA area. Say you live in Silver Lake, and you just met someone who lives in Frogtown. Grab your crush and hop on the 110 to the South Bay for soba and a scramble down a rocky cliff in Palos Verdes, then stop for ice cream or a beer on the way home. You live in Marina Del Rey and your boo’s in Culver City? Head out to Sierra Madre for coffee and a hike, then stop for sushi or step into a raucous pub for dinner. One of you never leaves NoHo and the other is a die-hard Valley Villager? Cruise down to Long Beach for pastries and the amazing food scene, with a backdrop of twisting cranes and gentle waves.
Smorgasburg
Arts District
The Sunday food fest Smorgasburg is a perfect daytime date, spanning five acres of delicious pop-up food vendors at ROW DTLA. You and your boo can sample everything from fried chicken sandwiches to horchata cupcakes to sustainable oysters, and wash it down with Micheladas, fresh fruit slushies, coffee, and boba. Pace yourself so you can fit in metal taco spot Evil Cooks, Puerto Rican empanadas from House of Empanadas, Korean fried chicken spot Chimmelier, and newly added Kavahana, the first kava nectar bar in LA.
