10 great friend dates in LA for platonic pals

For quality friend time, there is no better sanctuary to simultaneously detox, beautify and unwind than Wi Spa. A traditional Korean-style spa just minutes from Downtown and Koreatown, Wi is the affordable alternative to LA's more extravagantly priced luxury spas (where you're really just paying for location and masseuses that resemble Fabio—no judgement there). Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Wi is ideal for post-work de-stressing, weekends, and late night insomniac (or post-last call) sauna sessions. Though there are separate floors for men and women, Wi also boasts a family-friendly, co-ed jimjilbang, the communal epicenter where you can also snack on some fresh Korean cuisine. And with the help of thousand-year-old mineral salts, imported detoxifying clay and hormone-balancing jade, you can soak up some friend time and some you time at the same damn time. #multitasking

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Good food and good conversation are the main ingredients to any friend date recipe. But it's sometimes tricky to differentiate one trendy tapas spot from the next overpriced (and oh-so-loud) gastropub. Take a break from the big hype and small portions and grub like native Angelenos at Langer's Deli. Dishing up the finest pastrami in all of Los Angeles, and arguably in this great, carnivorous nation (though don't tell that to a die-hard New Yorker unless you're prepared for a lecture), Langer’s is a Los Angeles institution dating back to 1947. With a rich backstory worthy of transforming a boring lunch into a LA history lesson, an afternoon at Langer's is a filling way to experience a slice of LA foodie culture while avoiding an “industry crowd.” Stubbornly situated in not-quite-up-and-coming Westlake, smack across the street from LA's storied MacArthur Park, Langer's has remained family-owned, standing its ground against all odds. The James Beard Award-winning eatery is a favorite among celebrities, too. In a column for the New Yorker in 2002, Nora Ephron literally salivates, "The hot pastrami sandwich served at Langer’s Delicatessen in Downtown Los Angeles is the finest hot pastrami sandwich in the world... It’s a symphony orchestra, different instruments brought together to play one perfect chord. It is, in short, a work of art." Amen, Nora. Ultimate food for thought (and friends). #PastramiParty

The newly rehabbed Echo Park Lake is a little sliver of Central Park in LA; perfect for one-on-one friend catch-ups, lakeside yoga, big group doggie dates and meandering with baby strollers. Start off with brunch at the new Square One at the Boathouse; this unassuming lakeside establishment comes with real culinary cred. An offshoot of the original Square One on Fountain—and owned by the same folks behind Gingergrass in Silver Lake—a friendly staff serves up an abbreviated menu including Intelligentsia coffee, cheddar cheese grits topped with a farm fresh egg and tomato chutney, and parmesan kale salad. Major selling point: there's always ample outdoor seating, people watching and water bowls for panting pups. After lunch, work it off with a tandem cruise around the lake on a pedal boat, which you can rent for $10 per person from 9am to sunset daily. If you prefer to travel by land than by lake, the lush and bustling park is a hub for joggers, bicyclists and walkers (not the zombie kind), so grab your Nikes and a running partner and enjoy the fruits of this multimillion-dollar renovation project. In the mood for a lazy Sunday outside? You can always park it on a grassy knoll with a blanket, bottle of wine and picnic basket packed with snacks. #EchoParkLake (No really, it has its own hashtag.)

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Unless you're living under a soundproof rock buried ten feet under the earth's surface, you've probably heard that the Ace Hotel has opened its boutique doors to DTLA. Discretely located inside an ornate deco theater in the historic United Arts building (although the marquis is a dead giveaway), the Ace is playing a starring role in Downtown's ongoing cultural renaissance. With a jam-packed social calendar that will tempt even your "I don't venture east of La Brea" friends, the hip hospitality chain has "friend date" written all over it in capital letters—with an exclamation point. Link up with the girls (or boys) and drop a name or steal someone’s reservation at LA Chapter, the Ace's in-house restaurant manned by Chef Ken Addington of Brooklyn’s popular Five Leaves. No reservation? No problem. Hit the roof for a raw fruit tropical cocktail or a stiff American whiskey. If it’s brunch o’clock, put your name down on the waitlist, grab a to-go latte from Coffee Counter in the lobby, and take a walking tour of your rapidly gentrifying surroundings. Just a few blocks away from the Ace, blogger darling Acne Studios recently celebrated the grand opening of its 5,000 square-foot flagship in the ground floor of the Eastern Columbia Building, while a massive new Urban Outfitters just sprung up down the block. You're in the 'hood—may as well make a day out of it. #DTLAce

Okay, we know we said no shopping, but really we were putting the kibosh on the Barney's and Maxfield money pits of the world. Thrifting is a glorious loophole in the "no shopping" rule because it's good for the environment, the wallet and all the bystanders that have the privilege of admiring your ever-expanding collection of suede vests. Thrifting is the best friend date ever because it's an activity that requires a brutally honest companion to offer a second opinion; someone who can veto or green-light every single pair of misguided clown pants you try on. A common side effect of thrifting is bargain goggles, a state of delusion that occurs when you lay eyes on something absolutely hideous priced at just $5 and become irrationally convinced that it's a good idea to buy it. This is where your trusted companion must be counted on to intervene with common sense and a critical eye. LA is full of thrifting gems that haven't been completely picked through, including the mystical Hidden Treasures in Topanga Canyon, Mister Freedom for men, and hip, dreamy Tavin on Echo Park Boulevard. #DiscountGoggles

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