It can sometimes be difficult to spark a new conversation with a stranger, let alone one in a…read morelanguage you may be less familiar with. But Social Lingo made it really comfortable and fun to meet others and sharpen my Spanish skills. The host, Jared, was very inviting. He made sure to connect me with others he knew may be looking to learn my native language or vice versa. I highly recommend Social Lingo for anyone looking to learn a new language or

I've never experienced anything like Social Lingo! As a newcomer, I was naturally intimidated to…read moreattend a social event, nonetheless practice my far-from-perfect Spanish with diverse people from all over the world. Luckily, Jared, the event organizer, introduced me to both fluent and practicing Spanish speakers, where I could engage in conversations that, in time, improved my vocabulary and confidence. I've attended 7 events this year, and I always feel welcomed and comfortable. I've even made genuine friendships where we hang out outside of SL. This is truly a one-of-a-kind language exchange party and something I look forward to every month!

WARNING: DO NOT RENT SPACE HERE! I am on the board of a national Mother-Daughter philanthropic…read moreorganization. Our local Westside chapter is over 200 members strong. Unfortunately, we lost our long time meeting location in the Palisades fire and were left scrambling to find a new location that could hold such a large group for a few hours on Sundays. Being a non-profit, our budget is extremely limited, and furthermore we were constrained by the limitations of our group's size. When we reached out to the SMBWC and let them know our limitations, they offered us a reasonable discounted price for the venue rental. We thought this would be our new "home" despite the fact that the building manager named BECKY was absolutely rude, refused to answer repeated calls, refused to reply to dozens of our emails. She is the most unprofessional woman I have ever encountered and I have yet to even see her! We were desperate for a location and decided to "tough it out". Unfortunately, BECKY decided to double book and push us up into the mezzanine which is entirely OPEN to the ballroom floor below. Last June she put a FUNERAL in the space below - and never told us! We found out as we walked in to set up for our event! We were holding a celebration and award ceremony while the funeral was going on! They could hear us, and we could hear them! Not to mention, we had numerous problems with our chair and AV requests prior to when Jose (who is the only helpful person) came on board. BECKY decided to double book us again and left us with TWO WEEKS to scramble to find another location for our annual career panel. Again, she refused to return our calls. Disrespectful, rude, and thoughtless. I overpaid by $100 on our last month and had hoped to get our $100 back. She has yet to respond to our emails. Disgusting to do this to an organization that is focused on and committed to helping people in need. And to steal from a non-profit citing that we were getting a severely discounted rate is beyond the pale. We had a contract and she broke it. Thankfully we, have found a new home managed by civilized people who care about their jobs. Becky certainly doesn't. And it's a shame to see that as I called around, one other building owner asked who had done this to us. When I told him he laughed and said, "Ah, you're one of many who have been sucked over by her and we've helped provide space because of her." Nice to know she is in our community doing more harm than good. Shame on Becky!

It's a nice little venue and looks very historical inside in some areas like the bathroom haha. The…read moreonly problem is parking. There are some metered if you arent going to be there too long but the structure can be a little pricier for a small event.

Fun place to dance, with live music. Also, a great venue to rent if you want to host an event…read more The bartenders are friendly and make great drinks at a great price. Highly recommend!

Trippy place, older crowd but very fun. Cheap drinks, heavy pours. Live music. What's not to loveread more

I've been to the Jonathan Beach Club twice now, once for each of Melissa K.'s babies. The first…read moretime was a full baby shower, the second a smaller, more casual sprinkle. Both celebrations were seated brunches, where we got to enjoy the beachfront view and hit the extravagant buffet. The setting is prime and beautiful, a club on the beach in Santa Monica. I can see why people might want to join, though I can only imagine how much it costs. There's valet for members and comped parking for guests in the adjacent public lot. The buffet is genuinely impressive. The centerpiece is the bountiful seafood bar, where you can load up on oysters, crab claws, and shrimp cocktail, as well as lemon wedges, horseradish, and cocktail sauce to go with them. I skip the pancakes and most other brunchy items, in part because I'm not a brunch person, but also so I can make multiple visits to the seafood station, getting a reasonable amount per trip to disguise my greed. There's also a carving station, where I've gotten some delicious herb-crusted salmon. They have beef, too, and a few feet away, you can order an omelet from a guy who is there just to make people omelets. I prefer the salads, which go better with unlimited crab claws. There were two on my last visit, a Caesar and I think a garden salad with cheese crumbles and bacon. Something tasty and not boring, in any case. I also picked up some minestrone with orzo and a mini eggs Benedict, both of which were okay, plus a bit of smoked salmon. The dessert section is its own little buffet, with too many offerings to be sampled by one adult with a limited sweet tooth. I went for the fresh cut fruit on my last visit, then saw the lovely strawberry buttermilk pie. I couldn't finish the rich custardy filling, but the juicy strawberry topping was delicious. I also took a bite of my friend's tiny chocolate crème brûlée. I'd love to come back to the Jonathan Beach Club, though that might require Mel to have another baby. Maybe she and her husband will play ball so I can have all-you-can-eat seafood at the beach.

JBC is a fanfare experience (restaurant). I feel biased since I had accommodations but at the same…read moretime the service was lackluster. Food was tasty but also tiny. Ceviche comes in a "bowl" meant for dipping. Almost as if everything was placed with tweezers. The food was quality, but for the price you can get better value elsewhere and taste just as good if not better. We enjoyed ceviche, sushi, shrimp tacos and steak. Again all good, but hard to justify.

Going through my university education I always felt like I didn't belong. I had trouble feeling…read morelike I fit in. After college, and entering the working world, it felt like it was even harder to connect with others. That is why I was so pleased to have found CrashSpace. Everyone has been so nice and welcoming. I truly felt like I could be myself and be accepted. CrashSpace has a lot of tools and machines to work on your various projects. But more importantly, CrashSpace is a COMMUNITY of people from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and experiences. I think the biggest asset has been the knowledge base that the whole community has and shares with each other. CrashSpace is volunteer run and you can tell that really passionate people invest their heart and soul into keeping this organization alive and thriving. CrashSpace is very active with regularly occurring weekly events, monthly meet-ups, and hands-on workshops. It seems like there is always something fun going on at CrashSpace. If you're an artist, maker, DIYer, designer, techie, programmer, cosplayer, tinkerer, engineer, educator, STEAM fan, I think you'll really like CrashSpace.

I attended events here as a guest and had multiple experiences that raised serious safety concerns…read more At one point, an individual who appeared to be actively using drugs and attempting to steal money from attendees was allowed to remain in the space during an event, despite multiple people being uncomfortable. There was no clear leadership response or removal. Separately, I was invited by a member to an off‑site party connected to this community. After that event, I experienced sudden disorientation and memory loss inconsistent with my alcohol intake. I went to the hospital, was evaluated for head trauma (none found), and the attending physician concluded I was most likely drugged (e.g., roofied). What was most alarming was the response afterward. Rather than concern or accountability, multiple people connected to this group aggressively pushed a narrative that I "just got too drunk" or "hit my head," even after being informed of the medical evaluation stating otherwise. The takeaway was clear: when something serious happens, this community protects itself -- not women who are harmed. There is insufficient leadership, security, or safety protocol to protect members, especially femmes. If your personal safety matters to you at all, I would strongly recommend steering clear.

Great community club. I thought Toastmaster would be old school, but this group is very dynamic…read more Everyone is welcome to come for free as many times as you want and it's less than 2 coffees at Starbucks to join. It's a good safe way to learn new skills and practice speaking.

I have been attending Club 21 Toastmasters' meetings for over a year now, and I can honestly say…read morethat the decision to join has been one of the greatest investments I've ever made in myself. Having just recently completed a master's degree at UCLA, I continually found myself thinking that the growth I've achieved from my 2 hour-per-week commitment to my club far exceeded my feelings of accomplishment at the more formal institution of learning. I first showed up at Club 21 because I suffer from what sometimes feels like a crippling fear of speaking. Prior to joining Club 21, I HATED public speaking, and my feelings of anxiety extended to other forms of formal speaking as well- such as conducting myself in interviews and meetings. While I can't say that my speaking-phobia has disappeared, my feelings at the lectern have become more nuanced; rather than experiencing pure terror, I now feel a mix of fear and sheer exhilaration at the opportunity to address a room of attentive listeners. It is such an incredible feeling- I often drive away from meetings feeling more confident and empowered than I ever had before. The club members are quite an interesting mix of people. There are folks of all ages and from many walks of life, but they all share one common characteristic- everyone is incredibly supportive. If you decide to attend a meeting, your hands will get a workout; we do a hell of a lot of clapping. Not only that, but the Toastmasters program offers countless opportunities for evaluation and feedback. After presenting a speech, you will receive a formal spoken evaluation, a written evaluation, and feedback cards from most members of the club... not to mention a lot of pats on the back. I really can't emphasize enough how wonderful this club is. I think the Toastmasters program in general is pretty fantastic, but I like to think that our club is exceptionally special, as well. But the only way for you to discover that is to come check it out for yourself. So please do: Tuesdays at 7PM at Delores Bakery and Cafe in West LA/Santa Monica. I look forward to seeing you there!

Having just moved to LA this really was a great way to make some new friends quickly! My wife and I…read morejoined and they placed us in a team with a bunch of other people. It's a great deal too for all the bowling and hanging out. After bowling we all hang out at the bar for some drinks and games too! Will definitely be getting my new squad together for another league with them soon!

Happy to see BOB in LA! I've been in BOB leagues in other cities so was excited there was a league…read moreout here. As usual there was trivia, fun people, and games after bowling. All stuff that was great to break the ice with a new crowd and get convo going with people i just met.

SVB is like being on vacation! Fab food, ambience, service!…read moreA gem in the middle of Hollywood

An absolutely lovely lunch spent with a friend who is a member. Our meal was delish, the service…read moreand hospitality unparalleled, and so relaxing to take time out in privacy.

Incredibly festive, jovial member's club that hosts incredibly authentic, season festivals, such as…read morethe Oktoberfest (September) and the Christmas Market (Sunday in November)! They also host delicious Thursday evening German supper clubs. Membership is open to all ($10-$20 monthly trial membership). Check it out!

The German American Club on Lincoln just off Pico is a social club holding weekly Thursday dinners…read moreand occasional events for those who speak German, have German heritage, or just like good German beer. They also have occasional special events and monthly dances with Oompa bands. I've never gone to the monthly events but their Oktoberfest is pretty fun. They line the parking lot with tables and unbrellas, bring out the band, and have roast pork (Schweineshachse) and roast chicken (Brathaendel) and a wide variety of fun pastries that I think are home made by some of the grandmothers in the group. I don't know about the regular events but the Oktoberfest is recommended. Check it out.

What a beautiful and unique structure in the middle of the best residential area of Beverly Hills!…read moreI have made life long friendships in this unique multi generational club- I love being a member!

A wonderful club full of cultural and thought-provoking programming. Great sense of camaraderie…read morewhile serving the community through charitable and philanthropic endeavors. BHWC has a rich history, a recognized landmark, and is a multi-generational hub for all women.