Tim Norris

Modern burlesque may have its roots in retro culture (and the objectification that was prevalent in the past), but today it's become an undeniably empowering form of expression for the women who do it and a unique form of entertainment for an avid fan base that goes way beyond the turn-on.

Cheesy interpretations aside (that Christina Aguilera movie, The Pussycat Dolls pop group), Los Angeles may have the most copious and creative burlesque in the world. Every shape, size, ethnicity and age is represented, every genre of music drives the dancing and every pop culture reference continues to get explored thematically. Thanks to the ground-breaking gals of the Velvet Hammer in the early '90's and the mainstream success of Dita Von Teese, L.A. is considered tops when it comes to babes their shaking bottoms in these glitzy bits and vampy vignettes.

Here, ten of best burlesque clubs and locales in the city, all of which boast troupes with oodles of T&A (talent and attitude), and one of which has a special event (hint, hint) coming up on Cinco de Mayo.

See also:
*10 Best Drag Clubs in L.A.
*10 Best Gay Bars in Los Angeles
*10 Places in L.A. to Draw Nude Models
*10 Best Vintage and Second-Hand Boutiques in L.A.

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Whitney Friedlander

Vamp Shoes

Whether you're indulging your inner Carrie Bradshaw's need for Manolo Blahnik or looking for your sneaker holy grail, Los Angeles has a shoe store for you. Here's a rundown of where to find the pumps, loafers, trainers, wedges, slingbacks, flats and everything in between to satisfy anyone's retifism.

See also:
*10 Best Vintage and Second-Hand Boutiques in L.A.
*10 Best L.A. Art Galleries For Partying
*Top 10 Weirdest Stores in L.A.

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Lina Lecaro

L.A. is the unofficial capital of drag. Yes, New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco are formidable contenders too, but thanks to the "sickening" mainstream success of RuPaul's Drag Race (which is filmed here in Los Angeles), the per capita queen count in Cali has gotten kinda cray-cray.

After the country's best boys-as-babes come here to compete, many stay to try their hand at showbiz. And even before Drag Race was a TV phenom, L.A. reigned as a wiggy wonderland thanks to Dragstrip 66 (photo above featuring current RPDR fave "Detox" and hostess with the mostest "Momma" was taken at one of the last 66's events and a doc about the seminal Silver Lake dress-up party is in the works).

Below we count down the best spots to see she-male entertainers lip-sync (as well as really sing, act, dance and prance) "for their lives" on stage and on dance floors. Many of these clubs, not surprisingly, feature Ru's runners-up, and you will find many of the same performers popping up at each. Cross-dressing creatives are a bona fide community in Los Angeles and we've been lucky enough to cover them all for years in L.A .Weekly. Big or small; "fishy" or kitschy; rockin' and raunchy; or glammy and hammy, you will find an L.A. wo-man to worship at these clubs.

See also:
*10 Best Gay Bars in Los Angeles
*10 Best L.A. Art Galleries For Partying
*10 Places in L.A. to Draw Nude Models

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Courtesy of Zogsports

See also:
*10 Places in L.A. to Draw Nude Models
*Top 10 Gyms in L.A.
*Top 10 Bars With the Hottest Women in L.A.

For all those sick of the gym but who are still holding tight to their New Year's resolution to get in shape, there's Zogsports. The social sports organization that brings together young professionals in places like New York and San Francisco basketball, bowling, soccer and other recreational sports and is launching March 17 in Los Angeles.

Founded in New York by Rob Herzog after he narrowly missed the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11, Zogsports' focus is heavy on the first word in "social sports leagues". Each game ends at a bar for drinks and networking and there are organized group outings to wine tastings and river rafting, says ZogSportsLA General Manager Matt Worley. And, Worley says, Zogsports also focuses on giving back to the community.

"Charity is tied into everything," says Worley. "Each team chooses a charity to play for each season ... and the winner of your division gets a large check sent to the charity. We also have other ways to earn money for your charity with what we call Off Field Awards, so [awards for] best team name," and others.

The costs to join the Zogsports leagues depend on the specific sport's length and location.

The Los Angeles Zogsports (#6) will launch in March with co-ed touch football, the organization's most popular activity, in Culver City, and plans to expand to other areas and activities based on need. Find out more at their launch party, happening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight at Rush Street in Culver City.

But, of course, Zogsports isn't the only social sports league in Los Angeles. Here are five others to consider:

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Courtesy of LACE

LACE gallery

See also:
*5 Artsy Things to Do in L.A. This Week
*25 Alternative L.A. Art Spaces to Check Out Now
*10 Places in L.A. to Draw Nude Models

With something like 400 modern and contemporary art galleries in L.A., and aesthetic taste being so subjective, picking just ten of the city's "best" galleries is nigh unto impossible. But if you wish to filter your culture destinations through the lens of a swell party -- well, that makes the job a bit more manageable.

Assuming the art itself is quality, what else makes for a good gallery party? The best answer is the optimum balance of culture and fun, energy and sophistication, good art and good crowds. But does it require cocktails? Famous people? Obscure but fabulous people? Events worth dressing up a little for, or ones where you don't have to worry about what you're wearing?

Setting aside for the moment the proliferation of popular pop-ups, neighborhood walks and tours and museum shindigs, we sought out the establishments that, month in and month out, can be counted on to consistently provide your best chance to learn something while you get your art/rock on. It's worth adding yourself to their mailing lists, because each and every show comes with its own guaranteed good time.

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Photo by Kaysie Ellingson/Flickr

See also:
*10 Places in L.A. to Draw Nude Models
*Best L.A. Novel Ever: The Tournament
*Top 10 Gyms in L.A.

When it comes to yoga, L.A's reputation precedes it. Ask any east coaster, and they'll tell you that we're a bunch of Lululemon-wearing, namaste-saying hippies who have jobs that allow us to practice Iyengar at 11:30 on Tuesday mornings.

And in some cases -- like that of the freelance writer -- they're not entirely wrong. But that doesn't mean we'll drop mat at just any old class; we're selective about who we let guide us into a nice, easy downward-facing dog. Here are the top ten studios in Los Angeles that we frequent:

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Heather Landis

Hampton Yount

See also:
*10 Best Stand-Up Comedy Shows in Los Angeles
*How Best Fish Taco in Ensenada Became a (Twice a Month) Comedy Club

Audiences may be more fractured than ever before, but they're also more loyal to performers who cut though the din to foster personal connections under the guise of humor. Here we highlight a few of the L.A. comedians who are taking originality, DIY mentality and creative vision to a whole new level, with picks from local industry and fellow performers.

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Liz Ohanesian

You can play Michael Jackson's Moonwalker at Redondo Fun Factory

See also:
*Family Fun Arcade Prepares to Close After Four Decades
*10 Oddball L.A. Museums Worth Seeing
*10 Best Standup Comedy Shows in L.A.

For those of us who grew up in the 1980s and '90s, arcades were an integral part of our childhood and adolescence. They existed inside malls and in shopping centers, waiting for us to fill up the storefronts after school and on weekends. Occasionally, we would have to stand in line waiting behind players who were genuinely skilled at the hot game of the moment. We challenged our friends to games like true fighters. Sometimes we were actually good. Other times, we proudly sucked. Either way, we vented out our teenage frustrations with joysticks and attack buttons and, in the end, we left exhilarated and broke.

The era of the arcade has long since passed, and some today face hard times -- in fact, two of the great stops on this list are set to close by year's end. For right now, though, they still exist, so take the time to enjoy them while they're here. And even when they go, there are plenty of other places where you can watch the best-of-the-best compete in tournaments hear friends screaming "Don't shoot the food!" during games of Gauntlet

Below are ten of the best places to play games in the L.A. area. We tried to make the list all-inclusive, so there are spots here that specialize in retro video games, others for fighting and rhythm games, and a few good Skee-Ball joints.

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These women are exercising

See also:
*Our Best of L.A. issue and our Best of L.A. app
*Top 10 Bars With the Hottest Women in L.A.
*Top 10 Gyms in L.A.
*10 Bars Most Likely to Get You Laid in L.A.

Running is boring. Treadmills make me feel like a rat in an experiment. And tennis -- my racket is somewhere, and, do I have to sign up for a court somewhere, or...never mind, I'm tired already.

Sometimes you need to think outside the box to get motivated to get off your butt. Here are the 10 best workouts in L.A. for people who hate working out, from our Best of L.A. issue.

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Innis Casey

See also:
*Our Best of L.A. issue and our Best of L.A. app
*Top 10 Gyms in L.A.
*Top 10 Bars With the Hottest Women in L.A.

You see the flab. You want the flab gone. You want it gone now.

There's no New Year's resolution. There's no wedding dress to fit into. It's just getting in shape time. Because you just can't stand it any more.

Here are the 10 best ways to get in shape in L.A., from our Best of L.A. issue. And you can also try picking up a copy of the issue and lifting it a few times -- it's big.

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