As the heatwave continues across Southern California, Los Angeles city and other municipalities are promoting lists of “cooling centers” or “cool spots” (designated public cooling facilities) to help residents escape extreme temperatures.
Counties like Riverside and San Bernardino remain under a heat advisory until 8 p.m. on July 10, highlighting the need for effective cooling centers. However, concerns are rising that these facilities are failing to fulfill their intended role.
LA city has designated over 200 public facilities as “cool spots,” encouraging residents to use them. These locations are intended to provide relief to anyone in need. Yet many do not offer any special measures to keep people cool, nor do they change their regular operations.
A visit to the cooling centers in Koreatown revealed significant shortcomings. While LA city describes “cool spots” as places where anyone can rest during a heatwave, some listed facilities do not even allow public indoor use.
At Normandie Recreation Center, for example, only registered program participants can enter. An employee stated, “Only registered program participants can use this facility.” Another staff member, Mendes, was clear: “This is not a cooling center.” The interior lacked even basic seating.
Chateau Recreation Center, also designated as a “cool spot,” denied general public entry due to ongoing summer camp programs. Residents visiting these sites during peak heat may find themselves turned away.
On the day of reporting, Koreatown’s temperature reached 90°F. Elderly residents relying on public transit could be especially affected if denied entry to these facilities.
The Seoul International Park Recreation Center, near the Koreatown Senior and Community Center, is also listed as a “cool spot.” However, it too restricted indoor access due to summer camp activities. Staff there were unaware of its designation as a cooling center. The only shaded rest area was an outdoor table, suggesting a lack of coordination between LA city and facility operators.
A staff member at the Koreatown Senior and Community Center criticized the system, saying, “What’s the point of simply renaming public facilities as cooling centers if there’s no real support from the city? This is typical showcase administration. If escaping the heat is the goal, air-conditioned banks or malls could also be included in the list.”
At Lafayette Community Center, visitors could enter after a simple check-in process but found only three chairs in the lobby to rest. Staff member Susana Sanabria said, “Today is not a cooling center day. It only operates when temperatures exceed 100°F.”
At MacArthur Park Recreation Center, also listed as a cooling center, staff confirmed that they “do not provide such cooling services.”
Further calls to three libraries listed by LA County as cooling centers—Wilshire Library, Washington Irving Library, and Hyde Park Miriam Matthews Library—revealed similar issues. Staff at all three locations said anyone could come in to rest but were unaware they were officially designated as cooling centers.
Most of these facilities remain open to the public regardless of heatwaves. Labeling them as cooling centers appears to be a rebranding effort rather than an expansion of actual services.
The “cool spot” list is available at climate4la.org/heat-relief-4-la.
BY HANKIL KANG [kang.hankil@koreadaily.com]
