The Brief

If you talk to friends who are interested in dating, you’re probably hearing the same trope: Dating in L.A. sucks.

“He’s just a player.” “This person ghosted me.” “She unmatched me.” “Everyone is weird on the apps.” “He lives ALL the way on the west side.” The list goes on.

Lose the negativity 

It’s true, dating in L.A. — or any big city — can be tough. People often come to L.A. with high aspirations, and that doesn’t always include marriage and kids.

“A lot of people come to L.A. with a dream and the dream is not to get married and settle down and make babies and build a traditional life,” says Damona Hoffman, dating coach and author of the advice book, F The Fairy Tale. “That dream is always going to come ahead of your dating and relationship experience, at least to a point.”

But, she adds, she has plenty of clients who have found love in L.A. — be it online or IRL. But in this dating climate, you have to be a bit strategic.

The first step is to lose the negative script you might have about dating going on in your head. Instead, approach dating and love in the City of Angels with a little more optimism and openness.

“These stories that we tell ourselves, they really get in our head and they really get in our way,” Hoffman says. Don’t turn to horrible experiences as the only possible experiences — try to stop your brain from looking for that.

Healthy partnerships are not just important for our mental health, sense of well-being and security in life, they're also beneficial for our physical health. Studies show that a healthy relationship actually increases your lifespan.

Finding mister, misses or mx right is important for some. And one way folks are giving “love in a hopeless place” a shot is through speed dating.

Speed dating

Speed dating is kind of a rapid, round-robin approach to meeting people. We will get more into the “how” later but it has risen in popularity in recent years in L.A. and other major cities.

The idea is to create space for people to meet in person, in real life, and engage in face-to face-conversation — a rather novel concept in our hyper digital world.

There’s a number of places in L.A. where you can sign up for events — CitySwoon, My Cheeky Dates, LA First Dates — but on a recent weeknight, How to LA producer Megan Botel and I checked out a matchmaking event hosted by Love in LA in the arts district downtown.

There are speed dating events for people of all ages and gender identities but this one was for straight men and women, ages 21-35, held at a cozy French-inspired lounge.

There were all sorts of attendees from diverse backgrounds, varying ages hanging out before the event officially kicked off. Many people lingered around the bar, getting some liquor courage or snacks before the speed dating portion of the night. It seemed like folks were already meeting and getting to know each other.

We talked to attendees before they went off on their first date. One woman said she was eager to find a “real connection,” another said she just wanted to have fun.

Love in LA COO David Greenberg, being a good host, chatted with folks to help ease their nerves. He recognized a couple of familiar faces, past attendees, and welcomed newbies.

"It's way better and a lot harder than just swiping right or swiping left," he later joked. “No (online) trolls here."

That’s part of the message here, kinda like the anti-digital/app dating experience. It was a curated in-person event, with an agenda to find a connection, an Instagram exchange, a meet-cute or even a friend.

Brandon, a dater who had been here before but didn’t want to give his last name, said hanging out in person is better than texting.

How this night works

Each company is slightly different but typically you buy a ticket online for an event. If you are going with Love in LA, this is what to do: Folks will go to the website, pay for their $35 per ticket and fill out a short survey with answers that will seat them, ideally, with a good match.

Once at the venue, people check in and the host will figure out the women to men ratio in order to set up the rounds. (Greenberg says that usually more women attend the straight events.)

Attendees have seven minutes with each date, with 10 rounds or so. The host will ring a cowbell that will signal the next round and folks can choose right away if the person was a match or not. This is done via an app that Greenberg created.

At the end of the night, folks will receive messages about their matches and contact information.

The rest is up to them.

Speed daters mingle during an event put on by Love in L.A. in the arts district downtown.

(

Megan Botel

/

LAist

)

The process is similar across all the events with a few adjustments. On another night, Meg and I also went to a speed dating night for gay men, ages 21 to 40, at The Belmont Bar in West Hollywood.

At this event, the guys’ matches are a little more analog. They fill out a profile before speed dating, the host creates seating arrangements and they’re given a paper with table numbers.

As they mingle, they write down the man’s name and turn it in at the end of the night — they must signal that they are interested in the John Doe they met. A couple hours later, the host sends them a message with their matches.

“It's a little bit different when we create the matches for any type of LGBTQIA+ event because it's not as binary,” noted Love in LA founder Andrea Ramirez. “When we're getting into the LGBTQ community, there's just a lot more variety and a lot of options and gender identities and gender expressions.”

There’s also preferences when it comes to the bedroom, and that can play a factor in dating.

At the gay men event, the crowd was also diverse — different ages, backgrounds, transplants and homegrown folks.

During a break, one attendee, Mike, said the setting wasn’t out of the ordinary, at least for him.

“I felt like this would probably be a great place to meet other working professionals that are also single and looking for something else in their love life,” he said.

Match or not, there’s still community to find

Regardless of background, there were definitely some commonalities across all the groups. For one, folks were speed dating because dating apps weren’t a great experience.

“During the pandemic, daters became very reliant on dating apps because it really was the only way that you could make a connection in many situations,” says F the Fairy Tale author Hoffman. “We really leaned into dating apps, but we're too reliant on digital communication.”

Within the LGBTQ+ community, online dating has always been popular. It’s easier to chat with people online when you’re still learning about yourself and aren’t able to express your sexuality as freely, Hoffman says. She’s referring to Grindr and Jack’d, and old websites like Adam for Adam and BGC Live that catered to queer sex and relationships.

But still, queer folks are craving different connections, away from the taps and apps.

“There has now been a sort of an outcry from singles that they really are craving that in-person interaction, and that has paved the way for speed dating to return,” Hoffman says.

Men and women try speed dating in a lounge in downtown L.A.

(

Megan Botel

/

LAist

)

The other thing that seems clear: People were just having fun, meeting people and talking, even if they did not walk away with a match.

As Meg said about her experience at the event for straight folks: “It feels like community. Even if you don’t come to meet a guy, all the girls here … are single so you can bond over being a single gal and vice versa.”

Our 10 speed dating tips

As we mentioned, Love in LA isn’t the only company putting on these events. At least two people I know were considering going to neighborhood hangout spots to spend Valentine’s Day and try out speed dating.

After Meg and I hung out at our two speed dating events, and chatting with Hoffman, Greenberg and others, we put together of a list of things to think about if you want to try it yourself.

1. Try to be relaxed as much as you can, but limit the amount of alcoholic drinks you consume — be present. 
2. Have fun — even if you don’t walk away with someone’s digits, enjoy the moment. 
3. Don’t have food in your mouth during the speed dates — no one wants to see that.
4. Think ahead of time about a few fun facts about yourself you’d like to share. 
5. Be eager to learn about others. Come prepared with what Hoffman calls “curiosity questions.” 
6. There might be a prompt card on your table, don’t be afraid to use it.
7. Everyone is there for connection; you’re not alone in your mission.
8. Don’t put too much pressure on the first date!
9. If you go out with someone from the event, Hoffman suggests building your first date around an activity, like hiking or a trip to the pier (Cheesecake Factory or not, she warns against going to restaurants on first dates). 
10. Be yourself — that’s self explanatory.

How to LA producer Megan Botel contributed to this story.

Some government funding streams for L.A. County’s public health system are drying up, and officials are turning to private philanthropy to fill the gap.

A new privately funded foundation launched Thursday to strengthen public health services after $50 million in federal, state and local funding cuts to the county’s Department of Public Health since early last year.

“It is really a hard day for our community when we have to ask for private donations to fund a public good, but unfortunately, we've lost too much money to not take this important step,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

In February, the county’s Public Health Department closed seven clinics, with six remaining open. About half of the patients seen in those clinics are uninsured, according to county officials. The department also cut hundreds of staff positions.

Ferrer is on the board of the new foundation, The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA, which held its first meeting Thursday.

She said the fund will help the county maintain its basic public health infrastructure, including disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, and emergency response efforts.

Other board members include several health insurance executives, as well as actors Sean Penn and Danny Trejo. Board member Saree Kayne of the R&S Kayne Foundation pledged $150,000 to the fund Thursday. Kayne said she hopes the donation encourages others to give.

The foundation aims to raise $2 million this year.

More cuts expected

L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said it’s crucial to have an alternative funding stream to protect services for the county's most vulnerable residents.

“We are saving public health,” Mitchell said. “This fund represents a new approach, one that brings together government philanthropy in the private sector to invest in community-based solutions, protect vulnerable populations, and strengthen our public health infrastructure.”

Officials say more public health cuts are coming, through the federal budget law known as the "Big Beautiful Bill," which slashes funding for Medi-Cal.

The county Department of Public Health anticipates losing up to $300 million in revenue over the next three years because of the federal budget bill and other potential funding freezes. Federal funding accounts for almost 50% of the public health budget, according to county officials.

Mitchell also led an effort to put a half-percent county sales tax increase to fund public health on the June ballot.

If approved by voters, that proposal, known as Measure ER, is expected to raise about $1 billion a year for county safety net health services, including about $100 million for the public health department.

Board members

The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA announced its founding board of directors, which includes:

• Dr. Barbara Ferrer, LA County Department of Public Health director
• Debbie I. Chang, Blue Shield of California Foundation CEO
• Sean Penn, actor and co-founder of Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE)
• Martha Santana-Chin, LA Care Health Plan CEO
• Saree Kayne, R&S Kayne Foundation CEO
• Danny Trejo, actor and restaurateur
• Jarrett Barrios, an executive at the American Red Cross
• Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Charles R. Drew University College of Medicine Dean
• Kristin McCowan, an executive at the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena may be a centenarian, but it’s holding up pretty well as it continues to host events on its way to a starring role in the LA28 Olympics.

But before it can host the soccer final, it needs fixes, especially to the infrastructure serving the bathrooms and drinking fountains. Fears of a toilet backup while in the world’s spotlight led Rep. Laura Friedman to seek federal funds for upgrades. On Thursday she announced she secured just over $1 million.

“Two years from now, athletes around the world are going to compete for gold right where we are standing. This is not the time to find out whether or not these pipes are up to the task,” Friedman said.

The planned work, she added, will lead to improved water flow capacity and water drainage, eliminating the risk of backups and emergency maintenance.

The funds came from the House of Representatives Interior and Environment subcommittee. The fixes, an official said, will be completed by the LA28 Olympics.

The funds, however, are a drop in the bucket when it comes to what’s needed to make needed improvements to the Pasadena venue.

Officials, including (left to right) Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation President Dedan Brozino, Deputy Fire Chief of the City of Pasadena Tim Sell, Congresswoman Laura Friedman, and Rose Bowl Stadium CEO Jens Weiden announced infrastructure funding for the 103-year old Rose Bowl.

(

Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/LAist

)

“Over the  next 20 years there's about $200 million that we need to put in and that's everything from updating light fixtures to updating gas, water, wastewater lines, etc.,” said Dedan Brozino,  president of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, the nonprofit that supports the Rose Bowl stadium's preservation and enhancement.

Getting venues ready will be expensive

The money is a much-needed win at a time when elected officials in city, county, state and federal offices have been struggling to find the funds to get L.A.-area venues ready for the global Olympic stage in two years.

The entrance to a men's bathroom at the Rose Bowl.

(

Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/LAist

)

A $360 million proposal to spruce up asphalt in parking lots around Exposition Park won’t be done in time for the Olympics, as originally planned. Meanwhile, just up the street, there’s concern that a $2.6 billion expansion of the L.A. Convention Center, which is hosting Olympic wrestling, fencing and judo in 2028 won’t be ready for the Olympics.

Additionally, to save money, LA28 organizers moved Olympic diving to the Rose Bowl complex last year because it has two Olympic-sized pools, while the Exposition Park complex doesn't and would need expensive upgrades.

Topline:

About the chick: The chick hatched March 14. The zoo opened its Cape vulture enclosure in February 2025 after years of planning to encourage the birds to roost and nest, welcoming a new breeding pair that year. When it grows to be an adult, it’ll have a wingspan of 8 1/2 feet.

About the enclosure: The L.A. Zoo said it spent years developing the vulture habitat, which was designed to mimic the vultures’ natural environment in South Africa and nearby countries. Dominick Dorsa II, the zoo’s director of animal care, said in a statement the successful hatching is “a testament to the design and construction” of the habitat.

How to see the chick: You can’t for the time being. Zoo officials are keeping it away from visitors until the chick matures, though you can still see adult Cape vultures at the zoo’s enclosure.

Though visitors will have to wait until the chick matures to see it in the enclosure, you can still take in the impressive eight and a half foot wingspan of the adult Cape vultures.

(

Courtesy Jamie Pham/L.A. Zoo

)

What zoo officials are saying: “Welcoming a Cape vulture chick is a thrilling moment for our team and a beacon of hope for African vultures,” the L.A. Zoo’s curator of birds Rose Legato said in a statement. “Vultures are one of nature's most misunderstood marvels, and I cannot wait for our guests to eventually watch this chick grow and learn just how vital they are to our ecosystems.”

About the species: Cape vultures are listed as a vulnerable species due to human activities and encroachment. According to the L.A. Zoo, African vultures are more closely related to eagles and hawks than vultures native to the Americas, like the zoo's California condors that hatched last year.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

What should have been a celebration for formerly incarcerated youth completing a reentry program at the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory (BHAC) last week instead ended with seven students and two staff members detained by the Los Angeles Police Department, according to witnesses. 

Now, nearly a week later, BHAC staff and city officials are demanding answers from the LAPD, with some accusing officers of racial profiling. 

According to the LAPD, officers observed a large group gathered on the corner of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Mott Street around 4:16 p.m. on March 26. Authorities then requested backup for what they described as “a large group surrounding officers,” LAPD Public Information Officer Tony Im said. 

The group, classified by police as an “aggressive gang group,” consisted of seven 18-year-old students from the BHAC’s Bridge Academy Movement (BAM) program and two BHAC staff members.

The BAM program pays formerly incarcerated youth to complete 200-250 hours in media and visual arts training to prepare them for creative careers. That day, students were set to showcase their work at the BAM program graduation for families and community members. 

Rene Weber, a teaching artist at the BHAC, had been with the students setting up for the ceremony minutes before the incident occurred. 

According to Weber, the students had gone to coffee across the street at Milpa Kitchen as they often did, when staff were alerted that they were being detained. 

Weber said he arrived to find students and a staff member pressed against the wall in handcuffs. 

Video from the scene, taken by a staff member at the BHAC, shows multiple officers surrounding the group. At one point, an officer orders a person to “get on the wall” and displays a stun gun.  

“No, none of that, these are kids right here,” the staff member replies.

Another staff member, Teotl Veliz, recorded a large police response.  

“I counted 12 cop cars, that’s at least 25 cops, and they had a helicopter,” Veliz said. “It was just so comedic, tragically comedic, that it was on their graduation day too.”

Officers established a perimeter with yellow tape along the side of Ashley’s Beauty Salon as local business owners and witnesses gathered around the students. 

“I was just incredibly disappointed in LAPD… because it became so apparent to everybody, all at the same time, that it was racial profiling and nothing else,” Veliz said.

Weber said officers gave shifting explanations for the stop at the scene, including blocking the sidewalk and possible underage vaping. After Weber told the officers that all of the students were 18, they said they would investigate whether the group had any gang affiliation. 

Police have not responded to questions about what led officers to believe that the group was gang-affiliated. 

Weber recalled pleading with the officers to let the group go and explaining to them that they worked across the street. Community members and local business owners also stepped in to vouch for the students. 

“Our job is to help them gain a new perspective on life,” Weber said. “They’re coming out of juvenile detention and they’re turning their lives around. We can do our part in keeping them off the streets and keeping them doing better but what does it mean if they’re going to be profiled and treated exactly the same way?” 

In total, seven 18-year-old students and two staff members were detained. BHAC staff said one student and one staff member were taken to Hollenbeck Community Police Station and released less than two hours later after advocacy from community members and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado.

The incident ultimately resulted in an infraction for smoking a cannabis e-vape on a public sidewalk, according to a photo of the infraction shared with the Beat. LAPD did not provide details about the people taken to Hollenbeck Station or the infraction. 

The graduation ceremony was cancelled that night and is expected to be rescheduled in April. 

“Graduation should be a moment of pride and possibility — not fear,” Jurado said in a statement. “I’m seeking answers about what occurred, and this underscores the need for stronger relationships between law enforcement and community organizations so moments like these are protected, not disrupted.”

Carmelita Ramirez‑Sanchez, the conservatory’s executive director, said she was grateful to the community and Jurado for advocating for the students’ release. Jurado met her at Hollenbeck Station within 20 minutes of being alerted to the incident, she said. 

“They had store owners, señoras, barbers, that ran out and were trying to explain to the police who our kids were,” Ramirez‑Sanchez said. 

Still, she said the incident tarnished what should have been a joyous celebration.

“I imagine that what this does is derail this entire idea that you can be an active participant in your own restorative growth,” she said.