L.A./SoCal Public Showers (Beach or Other)

March 20, 2020 2:30 PM

I was cruising in life in L.A. until last weekend, when due to the pandemic all work in my two jobs dried up AND I was kicked out of the room I was renting since my roommate/landlord is elderly and vulnerable to the virus. I have no problem sleeping in my car. But I do not function well without a daily shower. Does anyone know of any beach showers or other public showers that are open during the lockdown in L.A. or elsewhere in SoCal?

Before you say that I shouldn't have been kicked out of my room, I never signed a lease in order secure less than exorbitant L.A. market rent.

I know all fitness centers are closed, so I can't shower there. And really, I would love a hot shower. There must be some public hot shower accessible to me during the lockdown, preferably at the beach. You all would be doing me a huge favor if you would let me know about of some of these showers. I'd prefer they be in L.A., but anywhere in SoCal would work.

I know it's basically illegal to sleep in my car in California (I'm going to do anyway to preserve my savings), so you don't have to tell me that.

Thanks to you all. You guys always have all the answers.

posted by fenwaydirtdog to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

Best answer: Here's a list of nearby truck stops with showers.
posted by ananci at 2:52 PM on March 20, 2020 [4 favorites]

Hi - so sorry about your situation.

This seems like it's changing rapidly so I would suggest you contact organizations that are expressly devoted to this; they might have the most up-to-date info. Have you tried to reach out to anyone at Shower of Hope, SELAH, KTown4All, or Ground Game LA?
posted by malhouse at 2:53 PM on March 20, 2020 [1 favorite]

Try one of these?

https://www.californiabeaches.com/southern-california-beaches-with-showers/
posted by storytam at 3:05 PM on March 20, 2020

This is really tough right now. I know Lava Mae, which does mobile showers, has temporarily shut down, and here in the Bay Area, restrooms were closed in one park that I visited. That might also be happening there. Maybe try calling the local homeless hotline: [phone].
posted by pinochiette at 3:06 PM on March 20, 2020

I would actually call 311 and ask. Mayor Garcetti is making a big push to aid the homeless right now and they may have info for you.
posted by BlahLaLa at 3:52 PM on March 20, 2020 [2 favorites]

The beach at the end of North Venice Blvd has showers, and there are decent bathrooms right there too. Not sure if the City of LA is officially keeping the beaches open, so those bathrooms might be locked.

But 311 is probably your best bet.
posted by sideshow at 5:15 PM on March 20, 2020

Malhouse has some great suggestions. I might also suggest looking into the available hotel rooms (free, as I understood it) that they noted during today's LA County press conference. I am having a hell of a time finding info on it myself by googling, but maybe one of malhouse's resources could help point you to that.
posted by queensissy at 5:41 PM on March 20, 2020 [1 favorite]

There's a huge push nationwide to keep truck stop services running because truckers are keeping what's left of the economy running. A lot of them have showers.
posted by Jacqueline at 6:10 PM on March 20, 2020

Response by poster: The truck stop showers answer was spot on. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. I’ve showered at truck stops before, and always had good experiences. Even though they aren’t free, it’s still a lot less money than getting a room for the night. With sleeping in my car I’ll be able to preserve my savings, and with the reasonably-priced truck stop showers I’ll be able to preserve my spirit, energy, and cleanliness. I appreciate the other advice with regard to organizations to contact if I need more help. I just got unemployment ($260 a week) and with this and severe austerity I should be able to avoid complete ruin!

Thanks, Metafilter! You came through again.
posted by fenwaydirtdog at 7:30 PM on March 20, 2020 [16 favorites]

It's wonderful that your question got answered. I wanted to point out that it's not illegal to sleep in your car in Los Angeles. Some maps and information is available here. If these were normal times I'd recommend disposable wipes as a way of keeping clean between showers but you can't find wipes anywhere. Between showers no rinse body washes are better than nothing and all you need is hot water.
posted by rdr at 7:39 PM on March 20, 2020 [1 favorite]