Eat, Stay and Play in LA for Women's History Month

There’s no better way to celebrate Women’s History Month than supporting women-owned businesses. Enjoy food and beverages from James Beard Award winning female chefs and pioneering female brewers; and explore shops from female artists, artisans, and designers.

HOTEL FIGUEROA
Located in Downtown LA, Hotel Figueroa first opened in 1926 and originally served as an exclusive women's hostelry by the YWCA. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Downtown LA property was "financed, built and operated by and for femininity" and served as a haven for women travelers. Maude Bouldin was the hotel’s first managing director and is also recognized as the country’s first-ever female managing director.

In February 2018, Hotel Figueroa re-opened following an extensive renovation. Bella Gomez's stunning 12-story mural is an homage to the hotel's feminist roots and its ongoing support of the arts - Hotel Figueroa showcases the work of LA-based female artists and culture-makers, ranging from emerging to internationally established talents.

The hotel's Wellness Program includes synchronized swimming classes created by the world-renowned Aqualillies; and daily outdoor Pilates and Yoga classes developed by Pamela Johnson, founder of The Bridge Mind Body Movement.

HOLLYWOOD ROOSEVELT
The landmark Hollywood Roosevelt was Marilyn Monroe’s home for two years, just as her modeling career began to take off. Monroe was staying in one of the vintage 1950s Cabanas at the time of her first professional magazine shoot, which took place at the Roosevelt’s famed Tropicana Pool. The 750 square-foot Marilyn Monroe Suite features a loft-like open floor plan, kitchenette, and a balcony that overlooks the pool.

The hotel's numerous food and drink options include Cal-French cuisine at Shirley Brasserie; high-end burgers at 25 Degrees; rosé all day at the poolside Rosy Café; and craft cocktails and vintage bowling at The Spare Room.

THE GARLAND
Originally opened in 1972 by TV actress Beverly Garland (My Three Sons), The Garland emerged from a $20-million revamp in 2015 with a vintage Southern California vibe mixed with 21st century chic. Tucked away on seven acres in North Hollywood, The Garland is a lush urban oasis that offers a retreat from the hustle and bustle of LA.

Hotel amenities include a free trolley to nearby Universal Studios Hollywood; lawn games and live acoustic guitar in The Courtyard; poolside Dive-In Movies and the dog-friendly Paws at The Garland program.

The Garland's onsite restaurant, The Front Yard (TFY) is a popular alfresco dining destination for hotel guests and NoHo locals alike. Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, TFY also offers two Happy Hours and extensive vegan and to-go options.

"Shakira, Shakira" - GRAMMY Museum (Through Spring 2024)
Now on view through Spring 2024, Shakira, Shakira: The GRAMMY Museum Experience showcases the GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY Award-winning global icon.

Highlights include:

• Forty artifacts from Shakira’s personal archive
• Shakira’s two 2020 Super Bowl LIV outfits (one red, one gold) and her Gibson Firebird electric guitar, covered with 70,000 black Swarovski crystals
• Taylor acoustic guitar that Shakira uses for songwriting
• Fender Stratocaster, covered with pink Swarovski crystals, that Shakira played on her Oral Fixation tour (2006-2007)
• Gold Yamaha Revstar electric guitar Shakira played on her 2018 El Dorado tour
• Outfits from Shakira’s 2018 El Dorado tour
• Leaf-covered bikini Shakira wore on the cover of her 2005 album, Oral Fixation, Vol. 2
• Songwriting notebook with handwritten lyrics

"Las Analfabetas" - Central Library (March 16, 2024)
The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) is celebrating Women's History Month with numerous in-person events and a wide range of resources, from fiction and nonfiction books to films and podcasts. For the full schedule of Women's History Month events, visit the LAPL website.

As part of its World Cinema Series, the landmark Central Library is screening Las Analfabetas (2013) at 1pm on Saturday, March 16. Directed by Moisés Sepúlveda, the Chilean film stars Paulina García as Ximena, a woman in her 50s who reluctantly accepts the biggest challenge of her life when Jackeline (Valentina Muhr), a young, unemployed elementary school teacher, convinces her to take reading classes.

Autry Museum: Biddy Mason & Women in the West (Mar. 7 & 9, 2024)
On Thursday, March 7, The Autry Museum presents a 90-minute reading that blends video projection, music, song, movement, and dramatic storytelling to bring to life the powerful and inspiring true story of an extraordinary woman.  Based on a short story by Dana Johnson, the play takes the audience through the life of Biddy Mason, an enslaved woman brought to California in 1848, where she eventually won her freedom in court and became a successful businesswoman and philanthropist. Doors open at 5:30pm for an opportunity to visit the museum's latest exhibitions and purchase food. The reading will be followed by a conversation with the creative team.

Women creators and decision-makers have always been essential to the American West. On Saturday, March 9, The Autry presents a special Focus Tour that explores the stories of amazing women who shaped and continue to shape the American West. The 60-minute tour is included with museum admission and begins in the lobby at 11am.

Hollywood Museum
Dedicated to the history and heritage of Hollywood and the entertainment industry, the Hollywood Museum houses 10,000 show business treasures from over 100 years of Hollywood history - it’s one of the most extensive collections of Hollywood memorabilia in the world. The museum includes Max Factor’s world-famous make-up rooms, where Marilyn Monroe became a blonde and Lucille Ball became a redhead. The museum’s incomparable Marilyn Monroe collection includes everything from personal items and wardrobe to her limousine.

In November 2020, nine female restaurateurs in Los Angeles founded the nonprofit Regarding Her (RE:Her) as a response to the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the restaurant industry. This year, RE:Her has expanded their annual 10 Days Festival to the Women's History Month Festival. For the full schedule, visit the RE:Her website. 

Women Who Rock (Mar. 2, 2024)
Women Who Rock is taking place from 6pm to 11pm on Saturday, March 2 at Benny Boy Brewing in Lincoln Heights. The stacked lineup of rock & roll, surf pop, indie, punk, and grunge musicians includes Play Hooky, Call & Complain, Devil’s Kettle, LaKookala, and X-Tine & the Reckless Hearts. Food by Yakitori Cartel from noon-5pm and Hotville Chicken 5pm-11pm. FREE entry, 21 and over.

Benny Boy is also hosting a Female Founders Night on March 6; Ladies Night on March 8 and an Indian Chaat Party on March 10.

Ronan Sunday Brunch (March 2024)
Every Sunday in March, Ronan will donate 10% of brunch sales to Alexandria House. Founded in 1996, Alexandria House provides safe and supportive housing for women and children experiencing homelessness and trauma.

La Festa Della Donna - a.o.c. Brentwood (Mar. 11, 2024)
Restaurateur Caroline Styne and chef Suzanne Goin present La Festa della Donna on Monday, March 11 at a.o.c. in Brentwood. Styne has invited special guests Mariarita Grasso of Azienda Agricola Filippo Grasso and Alice Bonaccorsi of Azienda Agricola Alice Bonaccorsi, Italy. Also in attendance will be Italian wine advocate, Shelley Lindgren, owner and wine director of A16 Restaurant (in SF and Oakland) and author of her latest book, Italian Wine: The History, Regions, and Grapes of an Iconic Wine Country.

Botanica x Rory's Place (Mar. 17, 2024)
On Sunday, March 17, Silver Lake's Botanica welcomes Rory and Meave McAuliffe of Rory’s Place for a special St. Patrick’s Day edition of their Sunday Supper. Each month, Botanica invites a friend (or two) to collaborate on a beautiful, festive, vegetable-focused Sunday dinner menu. Book your table at Resy (as you would for a normal night), the menu will be around $70 per person. There will also be themed drinks!

Casa Vega x Gasolina Cafe (Mar. 22, 2024)
Join Casa Vega and Gasolina for an unforgettable Spanish-Mexican Paella Party! Valley Girls Christy Vega and Sandra Cordero are teaming up to present Paella Mexicana on Friday, March 22 on the patio at Casa Vega. Enjoy cocktails by Christy and giant Paella pans by Sandra, with live music and a four-course menu that combines the best of both restaurants! Pricing is $75 per person, seatings at 6pm and 8pm. Reservations at OpenTable.

Pears, Pearls & Prosecco (Mar. 24, 2024)
On Sunday, March 24, chefs Pharren Evans and Kim Prince are joining forces for Pears, Pearls & Prosecco, taking place from 6pm to 9pm at 1010 Wine & Events in Inglewood. Chefs Evans and Prince are serving a five-course menu that showcases pears along with a variety of cocktails, mocktails, and wine pairings by 1010 Wine, owned by Leslie and LeAnn Jones, RE:Her Grant and Academy Grads. Surprise gifts for all guests! Additionally, 10% of your ticket price supports RE:Her.

Tickets are $95 per person and on sale at Eventbrite. 21 and over.

BARS

• Located in the heart of Downtown LA, the European-style Bar Franca offers fine drinks and hospitality to visitors seeking an alternative to the expected. Owner Rachel Thomas put her set design skills to good use and opened Bar Franca in 2018.
• Also opened in 2018, The Mermaid features the relaxed vibe of a cozy neighborhood bar with a kitschy nautical theme. Industry vets Katie Kildow and Arelene Roldan set out to create a safe and comfortable space for people of all genders to relax and enjoy tropical cocktails in Little Tokyo.
• Tucked inside a Silver Lake strip mall, The Ruby Fruit is the first permanent lesbian bar to open in LA since 2017. Go for a glass or two of natural wine; stay for the elevated bar bites cooked over a charcoal fire.

BREWERIES

• Co-founded by Ting Su in 2009, Eagle Rock Brewery is a pioneer in LA’s craft brewing scene and continues its vital role as a community organization. In 2011, Su started the Women’s Beer Forum, a monthly meeting for women to explore and learn about different styles of beer and the brewing industry.
• Three Weavers Brewing Company was founded by homebrewer Lynne Weaver in 2014 with “the mission to promote a positive sense of community through our passion for craft beer.” From perfectly balanced IPAs to an intense Imperial Stout to traditional styles such as an ESB and a light-bodied porter, brewmaster Alexandra Nowell can’t seem to go wrong.

WINE

• Browse hundreds of unique, handpicked bottles from the world’s best female winemakers at Vinovore Wine Shop, located in burgeoning Virgil Village. Shoppers are encouraged to discover their own quirky wine personality based on their flavor profiles of choice.
• Jill Bernheimer opened Domaine LA on Melrose Avenue in 2009. Tucked in a corner strip mall, the store carries 400 natural, organic, biodynamic wines with a concentration on grower-producers predominantly from Europe, Australia, and Chile, plus local boutique wines.

COFFEE

• In the successful Kickstarter that helped fund Kindness & Mischief, owner Monique “Mo” Maravilla envisioned a “people-driven, quality-obsessed, community-centered specialty coffee shop." Located in Highland Park, K&M is easy to spot - look for the eye-catching turquoise facade above the bright red door. (The iconic Chicken Boy statue is on the rooftop across the street.) The double-height interior features a herringbone bar, Leaf & Spine plant pop-up, and the "Mischief Library" - leave a book, take a book.
• Located adjacent to Sugarfish Hollywood at the Columbia Square campus, Rubies + Diamonds was opened by LAMILL co-founder Jean Shim in December 2015. The contemporary space features wraparound bench seating, knee-high gold-plated obsidian tables, and a dazzling chandelier by Vincent Tomczyk. The rotating art on view at R+D recently featured the work of LA-based, Trinidad-born Miles Regis.
• Established in 2017, Sip & Sonder's flagship location is the first specialty coffee house in Inglewood. With a coffee roaster, creative studio, and multi-purpose event space on site, Sip & Sonder is much more than a coffee shop—it's a Black women-owned entrepreneurial and creative hub where coffee, community, and culture connect. In November 2021, Sip & Sonder partnered with The Music Center to open a second location, a standalone outpost near the entrance of Walt Disney Concert Hall.

ROW DTLA
Originally known as the LA Terminal Market in the 1920s, ROW DTLA has been reimagined into a cultural hub offering the finest in experiential culinary, retail and wellness.

Numerous retail stores at ROW DTLA are women-owned:

• A+R was founded by Rosa Apodoca and is a leading lifestyle and design boutique offering global designs in modern furniture, accessories, lighting, and home décor. Featuring a large repertoire of more than 80 brilliant designers, A+R has been thriving since its fall opening in 2005.
• BEL KAZAN was founded by designer Belinda Kazanci after a life-changing journey to Bali, Indonesia. Committed to socially conscious and environmentally responsible actions since Day One, Kazanci splits her time between the BEL KAZAN production facility in Bali and her studio in Los Angeles.
• Dylan Lex brings innovation to the arena of jewelry design. Owned by designer Drew Ginsburg, the intricate jewelry designs have become a staple for star-studded fashion lovers worn by big names such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, Gigi Hadid, and Kendal Jenner. Each piece is thoughtfully designed and meant to be timeless, yet edgy to help women feel empowered.
• Flask & Field was founded by entertainment attorney Miriam Yoo who was inspired by the lack of places to shop for spirits and supplies. With a love for wine, hospitality and design, Yoo created Flask & Field where wine, spirits, art and design merge. Aimed towards providing patrons with a unique shopping experience, Yoo enables customers to discover bespoke home and personal items during their quest to find the perfect bottle of wine.
• OMAMImini is known for its sophisticated yet effortless children's clothing. Founder and creative director Ola Omami was born in Russia, raised in Israel and Canada, and traveled the world before starting the LA-based brand in 2012. The collection is available at their flagship store at ROW DTLA, online and through more than 200 premium retailers around the world.
• The Things We Do is a beauty concept bar created by Vanessa Lee that opened in February 2019. The skincare bar and beauty store shares a space with Nova Arts Salon and offers holistic treatments and modern practices including facial treatments, acupuncture, cryotherapy, Botox and cupping.

PALISADES VILLAGE
For the best in luxury and retail, there is no better place to visit than the Palisades Village by Caruso. Proudly offering a five-star experience with sophistication, the Palisades Village is a one-stop destination for sought-after names and houses an array of popular brands and local designers in clothing, beauty, and more. The majority of businesses at Palisades Village are female owned and operated - read on for a few of the highlights.

• A.L.C. collections are known for bold prints, versatile dresses, and modern tailoring. Shop Andrea Lieberman’s first West Coast store for clothing that's chic, stylish, and wearable.
• Anine Bing thoughtfully curates each piece in her monthly collections that are inspired by the fusion of Scandinavian heritage and American spirit. Offering luxurious staples, wardrobe basics and timeless pieces, Annie Bing offers everything from high-quality clothing to 14K fine jewelry.
• Flannel opened its Palisades Village location at the end of 2020. The Australia-based brand began with Kristy Lawrence’s simple silk slip, which became Flannel's signature piece and underpins every collection.
• Jennifer Meyer has opened her first and only brick and mortar, featuring her beautiful, classic designs, along with limited-edition collections exclusive to the store. Private appointments, curbside pickup and delivery available upon request.
• MISA Los Angeles embodies late founder Shadi Askari-Farhat's romantic heart, bohemian spirit and wanderlust eye. In 2016, she launched MISA, which is a combination of her daughters’ names. The handmade collections feature flowing silhouettes, vibrant prints and unique detailing inspired by Shadi’s love of travel, art and design.