Community News
Supervisor, two council seats on local ballot
The national political conventions — different as they were in this COVID-19 era — are over, and campaigning is gearing up locally as well as nationally. There are a number of competitive local races taking place in and adjoining our Mid-Wilshire area. Election contests garnering the most local interest include two elections for Los Angeles […]
Pods to the rescue? Learning or activity type, or both?
Virtual school started for students across the county as of the printing of this issue. While the construct of this is uniform, the experience of it certainly won’t be. Pods, “podding” or “pod learning” offer an opportunity for some children to do their virtual learning together. But is it a viable solution for everyone? My […]
Neighborhood council reaffirms position on Fourth Street lights
The Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council (GWNC) once again rejected adding bicycle-friendly (and automobile-unfriendly) traffic controls at two intersections on Fourth St. After a long GWNC board of directors discussion on Aug. 12, the directors spurned their transportation committee’s recommendation to un-do a motion previously adopted by the GWNC in 2011, when the board then concluded […]
When counting the numbers, numbers don’t always count
Homelessness is on the rise. People are living on the streets, in tents and in their cars more than ever before. We don’t need data and statistics to know the sad truth of what we see every day driving and walking the streets of Los Angeles. Yet, a complex, data-based numbers game takes place every […]
What's Entertaining
Saddest casualty of all: The school play and the unknown loss
When the pandemic hit in March (remember March?), theater productions everywhere were cancelled. Large theaters, 99-seat theaters, summer theaters, etc. all suffered devastating artistic and financial losses, from which many will never recover. Indeed, the entire play- (and concert-) going experience may be changed if not quite forever, then for a very long time to […]
Pink’s Hot Dogs reopens
The unprecedented, five-month closure at Pink’s Hot Dogs has ended! Since mid-August, fans of the 80-year-old hot dog stand at La Brea and Melrose have — once again — been able to line up for their favorite chili dogs, hamburgers and fries. But the queuing is a bit different now. The ground is marked with […]
Dining Al Fresco, a life saver with planters and umbrellas
Local restaurants are facing hardships as a result of the pandemic, in part because indoor dining is currently prohibited locally. To help, the City of Los Angeles launched a program to assist called “L.A. Al Fresco.” For restaurants approved for the program, the City provides barriers, planters and umbrellas to expand outdoor dining areas beyond […]
Larchmont sidewalk sale is Sept. 4, 5, 6
Stroll the boulevard in the open air at the Larchmont Boulevard semi-annual sidewalk sale Fri., Sept. 4, through Sun., Sept., 6. Candles, books and the latest fashion trends will be among items on sale, Joane Pickett, of Pickett Fences, told us. Other participating merchants in the event sponsored by the Larchmont Boulevard Association (LBA) include […]
Who's Doing What
Art exhibits, dance event inspired by a drive-in at Tarfest 2020
Pandemic or no pandemic, the Tarfest 2020 multi-arts festival will go on. This 18th annual event is an ambitious undertaking with two group art exhibits and a live dance event inspired by a beloved area drive-in theater. The Gilmore Drive-In, which opened in 1948 and closed in 1979 — now the site of The Grove […]
Fr. Boyle’s human approach to gang members has paid off
Before he became the face of the inspirational gang-intervention program Homeboy Industries, Fr. Greg Boyle was a local. He grew up in a family of eight children on Norton Avenue in Windsor Square. He recalls that, before his 92-year-old mother died a few years ago, she was surrounded by her children. She was ready to […]
New British pub inside The Original Farmers Market
A British pub-style restaurant opened last month at The Original Farmers Market, serving favorites like fish and chips and shepherd’s pie alongside an extensive beer selection. Market Tavern is the brainchild of English musician Gary Twinn, the longtime manager of Bar 326 and E.B.’s Beer & Wine, who partnered with Chef Brendan Collins, executive chef […]
Warner Henry, remembered: Local luminary, a founder of LA Opera, died Aug. 1
He was a larger-than-life personality, a man of dramatic contrasts. His favorite artists were Claude Monet and Hieronymus Bosch. He was a connoisseur of the world’s finest wines, but his favorite meal included meat loaf. His always-ready wit and sense of humor covered a very deep seriousness, like his preferred president, Ronald Reagan. In his […]
Real Estate News
Vacancies on rise on Blvd. and nearby
As reported in previous months, there have been a number of retail and other commercial spaces that appear vacant or “For Lease” along Larchmont Boulevard and in the immediate neighborhood. Although the situation has predated COVID-19 closures, the pandemic clearly is having an additional negative effect on tenants and landlords. Restaurants and retail stores, if […]
On Preservation: Turns out that ‘Missing Middle Housing’ has been here all along
It must be the heat. The dog days of summer in Los Angeles are when our climate takes a break from its normal programming to remind us that we do indeed live in a desert. The heat turns up to broiling, and the sun bleaches the color out of everything. The senses dull, and a […]
Adapting has helped Maryvale thrive for last 164 years
“Adapt and survive” could be one of 2020’s most-used catchphrases as people and organizations scrabble to figure out what works in a year crowded with a pandemic, economic crisis, and several other critical events. It also could be said to be the motto of Maryvale, Los Angeles’ oldest children’s charity as what began as an […]
Real Estate Sales for July
Single-family homes 311 S. Lucerne Blvd. 835 S. Longwood Ave. 928 Keniston Ave. 101 N. Gower St. 915 Muirfield Rd. 500 Lillian Way 812 S. Orange Dr. 649 S. Citrus Ave. 116 N. Fuller Ave. 246 N. Beachwood Dr. 330 S. Mansfield Ave. 944 S. Longwood Ave. 347 S. Highland Ave. 351 S. Norton Ave. […]
Other Recent Stories
Pink’s Hot Dogs reopens
The unprecedented, five-month closure at Pink’s Hot Dogs has ended! Since mid-August, fans of the 80-year-old hot dog stand at La Brea and Melrose have — once again — been able to line up for their favorite chili dogs, hamburgers and fries. But the queuing is a bit different now. The ground is marked with […]
Saddest casualty of all: The school play and the unknown loss
When the pandemic hit in March (remember March?), theater productions everywhere were cancelled. Large theaters, 99-seat theaters, summer theaters, etc. all suffered devastating artistic and financial losses, from which many will never recover. Indeed, the entire play- (and concert-) going experience may be changed if not quite forever, then for a very long time to […]
Supervisor, two council seats on local ballot
The national political conventions — different as they were in this COVID-19 era — are over, and campaigning is gearing up locally as well as nationally. There are a number of competitive local races taking place in and adjoining our Mid-Wilshire area. Election contests garnering the most local interest include two elections for Los Angeles […]
Art exhibits, dance event inspired by a drive-in at Tarfest 2020
Pandemic or no pandemic, the Tarfest 2020 multi-arts festival will go on. This 18th annual event is an ambitious undertaking with two group art exhibits and a live dance event inspired by a beloved area drive-in theater. The Gilmore Drive-In, which opened in 1948 and closed in 1979 — now the site of The Grove […]
