Here’s an idea to embrace for the new year: why not combine your love of Los Angeles with the company of your favorite sweetheart for a trip to the newly christened Crypto.com Arena?
We’ve mapped out the ultimate date for two to Downtown L.A., complete with a plan that fits your budget. Centered around the Crypto.com Arena and L.A. Live right next door, your ultimate date includes not only taking in an LA Kings game, but much more. With a little advance planning, you can have a terrific meal, catch a new movie, roll a few strikes, do a little fan shopping and see your favorite team play, all in one day.
That big-date day would have to be on the weekend or a mutual day off, but even on a weeknight, your special DTLA date can feature dinner, the Kings game itself and even some fan-gear shopping during one of the intermissions at the arena.
Start with Your Kings Game Seats
There’s a pair of LA Kings game seats awaiting you and your special someone, no matter what your date-night budget can cover. So plan your DTLA date night starting with two tickets to the game that fit your wallet.
If your budget for the date is about $100, plan the date for a weekday evening and buy two tickets in the 300 sections. Insiders tell us that the best sections for that price include 332 and 321.
If you have a bit more to spend, with about $250 in your wallet, head to the Crypto.com Arena on a weekend night and buy two tickets in the 200 sections or the premier sections (with in-seat food and beverage services as a luxury perk).
And if your idea of a great sporting event date includes dropping $500 or more, go for it with a splurge on the weekend and purchase two tickets in the 100 sections, particularly in sections 117, 118 and 119, for truly up-close seats.
Get More Bang For Your Buck
No matter what your date-night bottom line is, you can get extra value for your LA Kings tickets by choosing to take your sweetie to the arena on one of the Kings special theme nights, when your ticket can come with a special ticket pack item. These are some of the most popular upcoming theme nights; check the LA Kings website at www.lakings.com/tickets/promotions for the exact dates, as well as additional giveaway events:
1. LA Kings/Los Angeles Lakers jersey shirt ticket pack
2. LA Kings/Los Angeles Dodgers jersey shirt ticket pack
3. Armenian Heritage Day shirt giveaway
4. Star Wars Night presented by Mammoth Mountain beanie giveaway and Dustin Brown Boba Fett bobblehead ticket pack
5. Japanese Heritage Day shirt ticket pack
6. LA Kings/LA Galaxy jersey shirt ticket pack
7. Pride Night giveaway and ticket pack
8. Super Hero Night poster giveaway and bobblehead ticket pack
Find Your Favorite Pre- or Post-game Date Enhancements
There are plenty of fun and delicious choices within a few steps of the Crypto.com Arena, ranging from the comfortable 14-screen Regal Cinemas located at the edge of L.A. Live on Olympic Boulevard to the luxurious 24 Sky Lounge, a place for cocktails and light bites with incredible city views. Find that romantic spot on the 24th floor of The Ritz-Carlton; the connected JW Marriott Hotel is also a key part of L.A. Live’s vibe and both are ready to help you expand your date night into an overnight staycation experience, if your budget allows.
Closer to the ground is Lucky Strike, where bowling, billiards, bites and cocktails await, open until 2 a.m. on the weekends, so keeping the night going after the Kings game is a cinch. Go elegant earlier at L.A. Live to impress your date with a dinner at Fleming’s Steakhouse, where fine wine paired with gorgeously grilled prime steaks will make you both smile; or choose Katsuya, where mixing the Burning Mandarin martini with sublime sushi makes for a night to really remember.
For a more casual, less pricey meal before the game, try Smashburger (a quick and easy burger joint), the Yard House (classic American cuisine in a pub atmosphere) or Fixins Soul Kitchen, the newest down-home casual eatery that celebrates African-American culinary traditions.
If you and your date-night partner both love music, make time to include a Grammy Museum visit during your time together. Located on the Figueroa Street side of L.A. Live, the museum is chockablock with music’s best, ranging from interactive exhibits, fascinating memorabilia and more. Note you’ll need to go early, as the museum closes at 5 p.m. most days.
Real L.A. sports lovers will want to snap a selfie or two together outside the arena, posing with the bronze statues of LA Kings greats Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, and broadcasting icon Bob Miller, which are found in Star Plaza along Chick Hearn Court, directly across from L.A. Live, before going in to see the game.
Inside the Crypto.com Arena
Once inside the Crypto.com Arena, you may only have eyes for your date as you head to your Kings seats. But if you love a celebrity sighting, there are plenty of fellow Kings fans with very famous faces. So look up to spot uber fan Will Ferrell (he’s 6’3″), a bit lower for Tom Hanks, Matthew Perry, Retta and Steve Carell.
To grab your own (matching?) gear, take your date to the TEAM LA store on the Figueroa side of the arena, where you’ll find everything from Kings player official jerseys (choose Kopitar, Doughty, Byfield or another favorite) to plenty of other shirts, hats, backpacks and more designed for both male and female fans.
Then find your seats and join the cheering crowd of avid fans to watch the game, as the always exciting LA Kings pro hockey players skate their way to victory. We’re sure you’ll agree that it’s a perfect culmination to a special Downtown Los Angeles date that you and your sweetheart will always remember.
(The news and editorial staff were not involved in the preparation of this article sponsored by an advertiser.)
