Press & Media Kit
A curated guide to the unexpectedly spectacular in Los Angeles.
Details & assets for press & media coverage
ABOUT
What Is Curious LA?
Curious Los Angeles is a hand-curated guide to the places that make this city genuinely remarkable — the unexpectedly spectacular, the wonderfully obscure, and the well-known spots that earn every bit of the attention they receive.
Unlike the ‘Best of LA’ lists that flood search results and recommendation apps, Curious LA takes a deliberate, editorial approach to curation. Every destination is chosen because it meets a simple standard: it is worth your time. The result is a tight, trustworthy collection that prioritizes quality over quantity — select destinations that you can actually rely on, rather than hundreds that dilute the signal.
The site is organized around an interactive map and a filtering system that lets visitors navigate by category (See, Do, Eat & Drink, Shop). For those who want a more structured experience, Quests offer themed, curated collections — guided explorations of a specific facet of the city, from public art to hidden architectural gems to the best places to watch the sun set.
ORIGIN STORY
Seventeen Years in the Making
Back in 2007, creator Michael Hanttula had an idea: build an online explorer’s guide to Los Angeles — a curated map of the city’s most fascinating, surprising, and wonderful places. He planned it. He designed it. And then he watched as others (Atlas Obscura, Thrillist, Eater) raced ahead and built platforms that were well beyond what one person could construct at the time.
Cut to today. There is now an endless assortment of city guides and directory websites, but something important is missing from all of them. The lists that exist don’t represent what actually makes Los Angeles remarkable. They overwhelm visitors with mediocrity and leave locals with no better answer to the question, “What should I show someone who’s never really seen this city?”
That gap is exactly what Curious LA is built to fill. It is the guide Hanttula wanted to exist in 2007 — finally possible to build, and more necessary than ever.
EDITORIAL PHILOSOPHY
Curation Over Coverage
The guiding principle behind Curious LA is simple: every listing has to earn its place. There is no formula — no sponsored placements, no automated imports, no listings added simply to inflate the count. Every destination is chosen by a human editor who has either been there, thoroughly researched it, or can vouch for it on the basis of a track record of quality.
That means Curious LA will always have fewer destinations than competing platforms. That is a feature, not a limitation. The goal is not to be the most comprehensive guide to Los Angeles. The goal is to be the most reliable one — the guide a knowledgeable local friend would give you if they had no incentive to pad the list.
If it’s on Curious LA, it’s worth your time. That’s the only standard that matters.
The site also aims to surface places that are either overlooked or poorly represented elsewhere — the kind of destinations that reward curiosity, that tell you something real about the city, and that are genuinely better experienced in person than described in a headline.
PLATFORM FEATURES
How It Works
Curious LA is a purpose-built web platform combining editorial curation with interactive technology. Key features include:
- Interactive map — an always-visible, filterable map of all curated destinations, built for exploration rather than search
- Detailed destination profiles — each listing includes practical information (hours, address, cost level, transit notes) alongside editorial content (description, highlights, experience notes, photo opportunities)
- Category filtering — destinations are organized into four primary categories: See, Do, Eat & Drink, and Shop
- Quests — themed collections that group destinations into guided explorations of a specific LA experience or subject
- Event listings — time-sensitive experiences layered on top of the permanent destination directory
- Mobile-first, accessibility-focused design — built to work as well on a phone in the field as on a desktop at home
BY THE NUMBERS
Curious LA at a Glance
Destinations: 150+ hand-curated listings (current count on the Map page)
Categories: 4 primary (See, Do, Eat & Drink, Shop)
Quests: Themed collections (a growing library of curated routes)
Launch Year: 2026
Coverage Area: Los Angeles, CA (and select surrounding areas)
Platform: Web (desktop & mobile)
Admission: Free to use. No account required, no ads served.
THE TEAM
Creator & Editorial Director
Michael Hanttula
Michael Hanttula is a multidisciplinary creative and technologist based in Los Angeles. A visual and multimedia artist, graphic designer, web developer, and self-described gentleman curator, Hanttula brings both a discerning editorial eye and the technical capacity to act on it. He is the founder and principal of Spark3, and has spent years developing the taste and the network that Curious LA is built on. He is the sole voice behind the site’s editorial decisions — every destination on Curious LA has passed through his judgment.
Built By
Spark3
Curious LA is designed and developed by Spark3, a multidisciplinary design, development, and experience studio based in Los Angeles (serving clients across the world).
Spark3 operates as a full-service creative and technical partner for growth-oriented organizations, with a client list spanning Fortune 100 companies to ambitious small businesses.
For Curious LA, Spark3 built the entire platform from the ground up (architecture, design, mapping system, advanced WordPress implementation, and custom content management infrastructure) with a focus on performance, accessibility, and long-term maintainability.
PRESS & MEDIA
Contact for Press Inquiries
We welcome coverage of Curious LA and are happy to provide additional information, interviews, assets, or access for press and media purposes.
Email: moc.alsuoiruc@sserp
We aim to respond to all press inquiries within two business days.
High-resolution screenshots, logo files, brand color references, and additional photography are available upon request.
Brand Assets
Logos, Colors & Usage Guidelines
Brand asset downloads — including logo files (SVG and PNG, light and dark variants) and color palette with hex values — are available here:
Assets may be used freely for editorial coverage of Curious LA. Please do not alter the logo, apply the logo to backgrounds that compromise legibility, or use brand assets to imply endorsement or affiliation.
For asset requests or usage questions, contact moc.alsuoiruc@sserp.
Brand Colors
Social Channels