Celebrate Valentine’s Day in South L.A.



imageValentine’s Day is a day of love, of long-stemmed roses and, unfortunately, of over-priced restaurants and fixed menus.

Reclaim the romance with these V-Day date ideas, all conveniently located in or around South Los Angeles.

Wining and Dining at Bacaro LA

This cozy wine bar is nestled into the block of storefronts on South Union Avenue, just south of the 10 Freeway. Intimate and understated, the restaurant seats a mere 40 diners. But what it lacks in space, it makes up in cuisine. Bacaro LA boasts an fairly extensive list of “small plate” entrees (at $7 each), ranging from cauliflower doused in a chipotle aioli to a signature burger and a selection of grilled pizzas. The wine list features bottles from Italy, France and, of course, California. On Mondays, all glasses of wine are half off. But Valentines Day daters beware, Bacaro LA fills up quickly and waits can exceed an hour. It’s best to go early and enjoy the happy hour specials (all small plates are reduced to $5).

‘Sweet Old Song[s]’ of Love

The Craft and Folk Art Museum is celebrating the day of love by screening a film about love and art. Sweet Old Song centers on the intertwined tales of artists Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong and Barbara Ward. Filmmaker Leah Mahan explores the two-decade love affair between Armstrong and Ward and the effect that love had on their work. The film “plays like one of the ballads that flow effortlessly from the funny and irrepressible Armstrong,” according to Folk Art Everywhere’s website. The Craft and Folk Art Museum (located at 5814 Wilshire Boulevard) is offering light refreshments and music beginning at 6:30 p.m. followed by the free screening at 7 p.m.

Bright City Lights

The Museum of Neon Art (MONA) takes lovers on a romantic bus ride around Los Angeles for some quality neon sign-gazing. MONA’s annual Sweetheart Neon Cruise takes riders throughout Downtown L.A., Chinatown and Hollywood on a double-decker bus, giving them a glimpse of some of the best neon signs and marquees the city has to offer. Included in the $65 per person price are glasses of champagne and chocolates. The Sweetheart Neon Cruise leaves MONA at 8 p.m. and returns at 11 p.m. Reserve seats at www.neonmona.org.

A Walk in the Park

Exposition Park is the home of some of the best museums in Los Angeles. Make a Valentine’s Day of it and take a stroll through the California Science Center, the Natural History Museum or the California African American Museum. The environmentally-inclined should consider visiting the new Ecosystems exhibit at the California Science Center or seeing “Under the Sea” at the museum’s IMAX theater. Admission to all exhibits is free. Unfortunately, the most romantic spot in Exposition Park, the historic rose garden, is closed for pruning until March 15.

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