Guest Columnist

Josh Kruis

The Santa Monica Pier Voted California’s Most Unexpectedly Romantic Spot

With the weather warming up and wedding season around the corner, Americans are entering peak “plus-one potential” territory: more events, more mingling, and more chances to get lucky and meet someone new. But as dating apps continue to fatigue users and traditional “go-to” spots feel increasingly expensive, many singles are starting to feel like the odds aren’t quite in their favor.

Instead, connections are happening where no one’s really expecting. From delayed train platforms to late-night pharmacy runs, everyday environments, the ones people don’t dress up for or overthink, are quietly becoming unexpected hotspots for romance. There’s a reason: when expectations are low and people are simply passing time, the pressure drops, and the chances of striking up a genuine conversation increase.

ACE.com surveyed 3,024 respondents to uncover the most unexpectedly romantic places, the everyday locations where people are most likely to roll the dice and hit it off with someone new.

The top 5 California spots mentioned were as follows:

#1. The Santa Monica Pier
The Santa Monica Pier is chaotic in exactly the right way: tourists, locals, arcade noise, ocean views, churros, street performers, and people pretending they are not taking too many photos. It is not exactly subtle, but accidental romance does not always arrive quietly. You might meet someone while losing at a carnival game, waiting for fries, or both pretending the Pacific Wheel is not a little bit terrifying. In California, that probably qualifies as wholesome.

#2. San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace
The Ferry Building has strong “accidentally elegant flirting” potential. One minute you are learning the difference between two kinds of olive oil; the next, you are talking to someone who also thinks artisan cheese should come with financial counseling. It is busy, scenic, and full of small excuses to linger — coffee, pastries, Bay views, farmers market browsing. It feels relaxed and grounded, but charming enough that a casual chat could easily become something more.

#3. The Rose Bowl Flea Market — Pasadena
The Rose Bowl Flea Market has perfect “accidentally fell in love while judging someone’s vintage lamp choice” energy on a second Sunday morning. It is huge, social, slightly chaotic, and full of people pretending they definitely have room at home for another mid-century find. Strangers can bond over old records, weird art, cowboy boots, or the shared shock of discovering how expensive “pre-loved” denim has become. It is not obviously romantic, but that is the charm — love hidden somewhere between the antiques and the overpriced tote bags.

#4. The Original Farmers Market — Los Angeles
The Original Farmers Market is basically a meet-cute machine with better snacks. People wander in hungry, indecisive, and slightly overwhelmed by choice — which, coincidentally, is also the modern dating experience. It has coffee, tacos, pastries, tourists, locals, and just enough seating chaos to make sharing a table feel like destiny rather than poor urban planning. No one goes there to find romance, but standing in the same food line has a way of turning a simple errand into a shared moment.

#5. San Diego International Airport
San Diego International Airport is almost unfairly suited to accidental attraction. Everyone is either arriving happy, leaving reluctantly, or trying to act calm while their flight gets delayed. It has palm trees, vacation energy, shared charging-outlet drama, and the intimacy of strangers comparing travel disasters. You might only be killing time before boarding, but with the right person and a badly timed delay, Terminal 2 could start looking strangely romantic.

Further Survey Findings

The results also suggest that the appeal of accidental romance may be partly tied to the rising cost of more traditional date settings. When asked whether rising prices have made conventional date spots, such as bars, restaurants, concerts, or paid activities, feel less appealing, 96% said yes.

That does not necessarily mean Californians are giving up on romance. Instead, it suggests many are becoming more open to lower-pressure, lower-cost moments where chemistry can happen naturally, whether that is in a grocery aisle, a coffee line, or while killing time during a delay.

When it comes to spotting someone attractive in public, manners matter. The biggest “green flag” was being polite to service workers, chosen by 18% of respondents.

Other everyday behaviors that stood out included:

Helping someone with bags, directions, or a photo - 15%

Returning their shopping cart - 14%

Offering the last seat - 12%

Being good with kids or dogs - 11%

Letting someone cut in line when they’re clearly stressed - 10%

Not losing their mind during a delay - 9%

Ordering confidently without being obnoxious - 6%

Reading an actual book in public - 6%

Laughing at themselves - 4%

The flip side is that bad public behavior can ruin the odds instantly. The biggest accidental romance killer was being rude to staff, selected by 15% of respondents. Close behind were cutting in line at 14%, complaining nonstop at 12%, and being weirdly aggressive about parking at 12%.

Other turn-offs included:

Littering - 10%

Acting superior to everyone around them - 10%

Talking loudly on speakerphone - 9%

Leaving a shopping cart in the middle of the lot - 9%

Taking up two seats with one bag - 8%

Filming everything for content - 7%

Ordinary errands also appear to have more romantic potential than people might expect. Grocery shopping came out on top, with 23% saying it has the most underrated flirting potential. That was followed by picking up coffee at 16%, buying pet food at 12%, and browsing a bookstore at 11%.

There is something telling about those choices. They are not glamorous, but they are familiar, relaxed, and easy to talk about. A shared joke over avocados, a dog food aisle recommendation, or a coffee order mix-up may not sound like a grand romantic setup, but that may be exactly why it works.

Respondents were also asked which movie-style meet-cute felt most believable in real life. The top answer was asking someone to take your photo, chosen by 16%, followed by reaching for the same item at a grocery store at 15%, and laughing at the same weird thing nearby at 14%.

Other believable real-life meet-cutes included:

Sitting next to someone during a travel delay - 11%

Getting lost in the same place - 11%

Getting stuck in the same long line - 10%

Bonding over a dog - 7%

Meeting in a bookstore aisle - 7%

None - real life is not that well-lit - 7%

Sharing a table because everywhere is full - 6%

"When people think about romance, they usually picture candlelit dinners or nights out, but our findings suggest the odds of meeting someone special may be just as strong in the places people least expect,” says a spokesperson at ACE.com. “What makes these locations so interesting is that they are low-pressure, unfiltered, and naturally social. When people are relaxed and simply going about their day, conversation tends to happen more easily, and sometimes that is when luck really steps in."