Great Places to Take a First Date in the Los Angeles Area

There is something incredibly romantic about being on the Santa Monica Pier. There are a few nice restaurants on the Santa Monica Pier, and if you choose to take your date here, I highly recommend dining somewhere sit-down, rather than getting Taco Bell from the food court. Really, don't blow it on this one. After dinner, you can go play! Make sure to win your date a stuffed animal in the midway. Take her for a ride on the roller coaster or the bumper cars. Buy an ice cream cone for dessert. Then you can finish off the night by taking her for a ride on the ferris wheel. If all has gone well, you may be able to say your first kiss was up in the air overlooking the Pacific Ocean; I don't think there could be anything more romantic.

Universal City Walk - For the Fun-loving Type

This is a great place to take a party girl or one who loves to shop. (However, if you have a shop-a-holic as your date, don't take her here unless you really will enjoy going shopping with her. She will be able to tell if you are not enjoying yourself.) City Walk has a bunch of great restaurants, and then after dinner, you have a huge array of entertainment choices. You could go shopping. You could go to Howl at the Moon, which is a piano bar, or try one of the many other clubs. You could go bowling at Lucky Strike, or play at the arcade below it, or if conversation is feeling bumpy, you could see a movie.

Malibu - For the Classy

If you want to convey that you are a man of class (and if you have the wallet to back it up), then an evening in Malibu is perfect. You can have dinner at one of the restaurants along the beach, such as Gladstones, Dukes, or Paradise Cove. Paradise Cove also has a private beach. After dinner, you can walk along the beach and cuddle under the stars. Since Malibu is the home of many celebrities, you may get lucky and get a glimpse at someone like Britney Spears. (Or not, but hey, it could happen.)

Theatre - For the Cultured Type

Los Angeles is rich with theatre options! Going to see a live play or musical is a great, fun date. Theatre can be so much more entertaining than a movie, because you have the element of seeing it live. Anything can happen! There are many great places to see shows, and you don't have to spend a fortune either. Plus, another great aspect of theatre is that it gives you an excuse to dress up. Nowadays, you do not have to dress up to go to the theatre, but many people do, so it gives you and your date, an excuse to wear your finest threads. The Center Theatre Group has several theatres. The Ahmanson is the most expensive, but their smaller theatres, such as the Geffen and the Mark Taper Forum are excellent theatres for a much more reasonable ticket rate. You can also check out www.goldstarevents.com to see discounts for other smaller theaters, such as the Pasadena Playhouse and other places. You can also check out community theatre! Before the show, you can go to dinner, or if there is not time, consider coffee late night.