One of the great things about living in a new city is the excitement you get when you go off exploring your new home. Once we moved to Los Angeles, my fiance and I came up with a plan where we’d dedicate 1 day of the week, known as Date Night, to exploring Los Angeles. Of course, the objective of the goal was not only to connect after a busy week of work, but also to explore a new neighborhood of Los Angeles. After all, the best way to creating emotional intimacy with someone is by sharing a new experience. Throughout the year we lived in Los Angeles, I was able to create this list of some of the best date ideas to do around the city of Angels.
Table of Contents
Take A Hike!
Let’s get physical! You all know I love me a good hike. Luckily for you, there are so many great trails around Los Angeles that will for sure help you break a sweat. Honestly, this makes for a great first date. Hikes can be challenging so if someone is trying to come off as “perfect”, all that goes out the window when you are sweating, huffing and puffing. You get to see the person for who they really are, human. Here are some of our favorite trails you can check out on your next date nights in los angeles:
One of my favorite things to do was hike up to Baldwin Hills scenic overlook and celebrate with an acai bowl afterwards. There are usually a couple of fruit vendors at the bottom of Baldwin Hills so it’s the perfect way to celebrate after hiking up those steps. There’s so many trails all around the city so if none of these are near you don’t fret. I recommend using the All Trails app to help you find trails near you for a quick city escape.
LACMA Urban Lights
Let’s say maybe you don’t want to get all sweaty on your first date, but you want to get all dolled up instead. Then head over to LACMA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and check out the Urban Light exhibit for a mini photo session. Although entrance to LACMA is not free, the exhibit, which is found outside, is! And if you park on the side of the road of the museum you’ll save some more dough.
Griffith Observatory
One of the best date ideas we had in Los Angeles was when we hiked to the Griffith Observatory from Griffith Park. We started with the Fern trail, which has benches along the stream that runs through the park and is surrounded by many plants. This is great if you want to head up there to read and not hike since it’s so quiet. From there we got on the Firebreak trail, which led us straight to the Griffith Observatory. The observatory offers amazing views of the city, the park and the ocean. If you time it right, you can get some gorgeous sunset views, which would make for such a romantic date.
One thing to keep in mind if you decide to hike from Griffith Park is that parking is free, but limited. If hiking is not your thing then you can always make your way to the observatory in your car. Just know you’ll most likely will pay for parking near the area. Sometimes the observatory has events where you can star gaze, which again this would make for such amazing date nights in Los Angeles. Make sure to check out the observatory’s site for the latest information on their events.
Dodger’s Game
Enough said, who doesn’t love eating nachos with a margarita on the side on a nice LA evening? A Dodger’s game is such a casual, laid back date and a fun one at that. Personally, I know nothing about baseball, BUT I love the energy of the game. Depending on the game, this can be a pretty inexpensive date night.
Santa Monica Pier
I believe any pier you go to can be fun. There’s plenty of snack choices, things to see and if you time it right you can end the day with a nice view of the sunset. If you head out to the Santa Monica pier, there’s a public garage at the Santa Monica place that offers free parking for the first 90 minutes! This is perfect since it’s only a short walk to the pier from here.
Surfs Up!
If you’ve never surfed before, but always wanted to learn then head on out to Santa Monica and try it out! Alex and I made it a goal to learn how to surf before we moved out of Los Angeles. We checked out the Kapowui surf club in Santa Monica, which was a lot of fun! The crew is super friendly and incredibly knowledgeable, so rest assured you’re in the right hands. Prices can very depending on how long of a lesson you’re interested in, so make sure to check their site for more information.
I know it can be intimidating to try something new as an adult, but it can be less scary when you have your partner with you. Plus, this makes up for an adventurous date so there’s no way you won’t have fun.
Grand Central Market
Something Alex and I love to do is go on what we call food adventures! We love when we can find markets or food festivals with plenty of food options to make a meal out of it; That’s why I really enjoyed Grand Central Market! It has a variety of food right in the heart of downtown. You can make a meal out of anything! Get yourself a taco from the Mexican stand, a pupusa from the Salvadorian place, and a nice margarita from the bar at the front.
If you’re looking for more food adventure spots make sure and check out my post on Daytime Date Ideas around Los Angeles!
Angel’s Flight Railway
Any La La Land movie fans? The tram train scene where Ryan Gosling’s character kisses Emma Stone’s character was actually filmed inside Angel’s Flight! This railway is actually the world’s shortest railway in the world, and it offers a short trip between Hill Street and Grand Avenue on Bunker Hill (Angel’s Landing Railway, n.d.). There is a fare of $1/ person EACH way. The railway is open every day from 6:45am-10pm. Paired with an evening of food adventures at Grand Central Market, this makes up for one of the best date ideas in Los Angeles.
El Pueblo De Los Angeles
Let’s say you want to explore a bit more of downtown Los Angeles, but you’re not sure where to go then check out El Pueblo De Los Angeles! It is know as the birth place of Los Angeles and is only about 5 minutes away from Angel’s Flight Railway. Here you will find a bit of Mexican culture, food, music, clothing and dancing. I love this place, it’s the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Visit Manhattan Beach!
Want more of a laid back date? Bike along the beach! You can bring your own, which would be the cheaper alternative, or rent one from the many bike rental shops along the beach. Biking along the beach is one of my favorite things to do for date night especially at Manhattan Beach! This place is less touristy, which in return has more of a local vibe to it. Plus, parking here is way less expensive compared to Santa Monica or Venice, if you park on the side of the road that is.
Bike along the beach, head over to Brother’s, which sell the best breakfast burritos in the area. Make your way over to the pier and enjoy a delicious acai bowl from Paradise Bowls, and boom you have yourself a wonderful day at the beach. Ending the day and enjoying the sunset at the beach are definitely one of my favorite ways to spend date nights in Los Angeles.
Explore the Venice Canals!
Let’s say you want to do something low key and away from the crowds, then I recommend exploring the Venice Canals Historic District. This peaceful part of town is away from the touristy side of Venice, so don’t worry about the crowds. It’s the perfect way to explore a new neighborhood, while checking out the gorgeous homes and taking in the scenery. Fun fact for all the movie fanatics, the Venice canals are where the film Valentine’s Day with Ashton Kutcher was shot. I love exploring locations from my favorite films, and it makes up for a fun adventure especially around LA.
Who Doesn’t Love Tacos?
Man, who doesn’t love going on food adventures? I mean what better way to end date nights in Los Angeles than with some delicious tacos? As I’ve said before, as a way to explore new neighborhoods in Los Angeles, Alex and I would go off on what we’d call food adventures. We came across some delicious places across the city, and some of our favorites ended up being taco stands. So let’s say you and your boo decide to head over the Venice canals around sunset, but then get hungry and don’t want date night to end. Not to worry, because one of my favorite taco stands is close by!
Head on over to Whole Foods on Lincoln boulevard where you will find a taco stand that sells street tacos and delicious aguas frescas (fresh waters) right in front of it. Tacos are typically about $2/each and tend to be popular, because there’s usually a line if you get there too late.
A Cinderella Story Diner
One of the perks of living in Los Angeles was checking out a lot of the places where some of my favorite movies were filmed. One of them being the diner in A Cinderella Story with Hilary Duff was based off of! Any Hilary Duff fans? I loved this place, not only because of the obvious, but also because I love supporting mom and pop shops. On top of that, I’ve always wanted to go to a retro diner and this place was it!
The diner is called George’s 50’s diner, located in Long Beach! Great food, great service, great music (think oldies), and great environment. Plus, the food is cheap compared to LA prices. This place is a hidden gem and is definitely one of the best date ideas we had in Los Angeles.
Food Adventures at Disneyland
Have a day trip at Disneyland for all the photo ops, rides, and food you can eat! Have yourself a food adventure day and try all the delicious snacks, treats and drinks the park has to offer. Don’t worry about the calories, they don’t count at Disney 😉
Universal Studios
Another great thing about living in LA is having Universal Studios in your backyard. So if Disneyland is not your cup of tea then have a day of fun at Universal Studios.
Map of Attractions
Planning weekly date nights where you can try new things is perfect for spicing things up and getting out of the everyday routine. I hope my list of recommendations helps you get out and try something new or inspires you to come up with your own adventure idea.
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Angels Flight Railway, https://www.angelsflight.org/
