What? So, Metro is set to vote this week on a mixed-use residential/commercial development that will literally be feet from the Orange Line Sepulveda station in Van Nuys (you know, in that huge parking lot no one uses). "When they first came to me about it, it was supposed to be all residential," Councilman Tony Cardenas, who represents the area, is quoted saying in the Daily News. "Now they are talking about having commercial development."......

Usually, building codes are not at the forefront of state politics, but recently, as Los Angeles and other cities are setting their own building standards, a statewide standard was passed. It's a good step, but Schwarzenegger and environmentalists have differing views on if it is strong enough or not, even though it is the strictest in the U.S. "Nationwide, buildings consume 39% of energy, 12% of potable water, and 40% of raw materials, according to......

The richest treasures are sometimes the simplest. Whether in need of a basic get away home or backyard reading room, Modern Cabana has done it with a great design of stunning minimalism. Part of the Dwell On Design Conference, the structure is one of the many offerings this weekend at the LA Convention Center (It's $50, but you can get in free). See also: Escape in Style with Hom......

At the Dwell on Design Exhibition this weekend (you can get free, check this post on how), various builders, designers and eco-friendly businesses are displaying their works of pride and joy. Within the LA Convention center room is a 1000 square foot home called the Hom Escape in Style. It's one steel building, manufactured in Los Angeles and thought up by a group of locally based designers from the KAA Design Group. With it's rusty......

Celebrity, politician, or regular joe, foreclosures can happen to anyone. It happened to U.S. Representaive Laura Richardson in Sacramento and now it's happening to "heeeeeeeere's Johnny" Ed McMahon at his Studio City home. McMahon is fighting it, but is $644,000 behind in mortgage payments. "Mr. McMahon broke his neck in a fall about 18 months ago and hasn't been able to work," said Howard Bragman, a spokesman for Mr. McMahon, per the Wall Street Journal.......

As you drive "over the hill" from the Valley to Hollywood along Laurel Canyon Blvd., there's a sign there asking for donations to save some plots of land from development. No, it isn't a citizens' group or a non-profit for wilderness, it's a government agency. "Donated funds needed immediately to save these six acres under option by part agency," it reads. In a cash-strapped time for governments, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority is asking......

A law that would let landlords prohibit smoking in apartment buildings to protect tenants from secondhand smoke passed in the state senate Thursday -- it next goes to the state assembly, reports the LA Times. "Current law is silent with respect to a landlords' ability to impose a smoking ban," said Monica Williamson of the California Apartment Assn., which supports the senate bill and represents 50,000 property owners. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), who introduced SB......

Photo by discarted via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Contrasting the Los Angeles City Council's vote earlier today on mansionization, affecting single-family homes, another ordinance was passed today -- one that replaces a temporary 2005 law regarding downtown residential hotels, mostly used by low-income and nearly homeless people. The ordinance protects single-room-occumpancy (SRO) and residential hotels within Los Angeles from becoming expensive lofts and condos. If owners want to convert their buildings, they must......

Just like last year, Los Angeles County comes out at the top of the list with the county with the most millionaires. However, as the Wall Street Journal notes, "Los Angeles County, while still in the lead, lost about 7,000 millionaire households." Chicago's Cook County also lost around the same amount while Orange and San Diego Counties dropped slightly. All while Phoenix's Maricopa County gained 23,000 new millionaire households. Is that good for water use?......

"6th Street Bridge Skyline", by the_mule via LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr. Britney Spears may be on her way out of Los Angeles, but she's not going quietly. The pop star was involved in a minor collision last night on the 134 in bumper to bumper traffic where she hit the car in front of her, causing that vehicle to bump the car in front of them. No one was hurt and the......

From Curbed LA via Fox News, those dancing girls in the windows at the 101/110 freeway junction get explained. It's a tough housing market, but sex(iness) apparently still sells... or at least they still try.......

Photo by _ gianni's_ photography _ AKA *Prime Imagery* via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr In part to honor the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr and in part to "increase the peace" a 40-hour moratorium on violence goes into effect for the City of Los Angeles starting at 6:01 p.m. tonight. Do your part! Because "You can't fire me...I QUIT!" lacks that certain je-ne-sais-quoi, perhaps? An employee in......

Photo by astacia5 via Flickr We've heard before that the sinking housing market would actually serve to increase the rent on apartments in Los Angeles, and we've had a few lively discussions about proposals to undo rent control laws. But who knew the rate increases would be so drastic? Today's LA Times is reporting on the going rates for a four-bedroom, eight-bath (eight???) Malibu beach house: $150 grand. Per month. Alright, granted this is......

Palms is lousy with apartments, though I've never thought of them as particularly crappy. Both the buildings have recently had a bunch of work done, new paint, new fencing, and as a finishing touch, new signage. See the other building after the jump.......

The famous Neverland Ranch, which has hosted thousands of children in the past, was set to be auctioned off on March 19th. But yesterday, Michael Jackson made a deal with the company he owed $24.5 million to, avoiding the auction and the rumors that David Beckham was going to buy into the property according to an Associated Press news report. 150 miles north of Los Angeles in Los Olivos, the ranch is a 2,500 acre......

With all the recent hype about problems affording homes in Los Angeles and several of the Council members endorsing a plan to keep housing affordable, it appears that the City supports home ownership. However, in an email sent to mortgage brokers, the City has indicated that it will be discontinuing the down payment assistance programs that have been getting a lot of use recently. The standard problem of lack of funds is cited. When reading......

Photo by ChazWags via Flickr He already served a month of jail time when he was convicted last Spring, but today, sleazy wannabe slumlord Darren Stern, who also goes by Henry Shalom, was ordered to pay millions back to rent-control tenants that he mistreated in order to get them to move out so he could raise rents, eventually selling the buildings at "inflated" prices, according to CBS2. The money will be split and given......

There are a few things you can't do in apartments. There are things that you can't do anyway, like drugs, but you also can't break holes in the walls unless you own the place. Well, that's what Jackass star Steve-O did this weekend before his neighbors placed him under citizen's arrest, then turning him over to police, who in turn searched his apartment and found drugs. And if his drugs are of the smoking kind,......

And you thought your monthly rent was high... TMZ has gotten their hands on some paperwork form Love Shack Trust sent to Britney Spears over her Malibu rental home. Says TMZ: "The documents, dated February 14, states that Brit was more than two weeks late in paying her $35,000-a-month rent. A $2,100 late charged kicked in, which was not paid. The documents state that Love Shack must either pay up or "surrender and deliver up......

Last month, the city of Santa Monica ventured out to find the "ten most vulnerable" homeless people (similarly, Los Angeles began to search for the fifty most vulnerable). After finding 277 homeless in the small beachside city, they identified 110 who were vulnerable, meaning those who are most likely to die on the streets. A survey determined a vulnerability score that gave weight to several variables, including length of homelessness and physical and mental health......

In the wake of the big Fidel Castro seemingly-non-news of him stepping down as president (meanwhile the US recently bombed Pakistan without notice or permission), it's interesting to look back at the impact of the man on Los Angeles. The divide between those who wanted to work with Castro's Cuban government and those who vehemently opposed it led to violence -- eleven such terrorism incidents occurred in the Los Angeles area alone according to Cuban......

In an effort to bring solar power to those who will benefit from it but simply can't afford it, a new partnership created between the nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners and BP donates one solar panel to a low-income residence for every solar panel purchased by a celebrity. As the Downtown News reports, Downtown's St. George Hotel, a housing facility operated by the Skid Row Housing Trust, is the first multi-unit project to receive panels through......

Partying at The Standard Hotel's poolside | Photo by skampy via Flickr The City of West Hollywood's Planning Commission met the other night to discuss the Standard Hotel's request to extend their poolside hours to 1:30 a.m. from the current weekend midnight closing (closes at 10 p.m. on weekdays), keeping the hotel's poolside bar competitive with other Sunset Strip nightlife options. B-Side Blog attended the meeting to support the idea, but left the meeting......

Just in time for spring, the LA Times is reporting on something I think would just go marvelously with that recession you've been looking at: Proposal aims to undo rent control laws Before we go any further, jut let that sink in. How pleasantly banal it sounds. Like "Proposal aims to change terms of your relationship from monogamous to yerdumped," or "Proposal Aims to replace your sweet Graphic Design Job with minimum wage position at......

Last month a program called Project 50 aimed at identifying homeless individuals most in need of immediate housing was begun in Los Angeles, and a similar program kicked off today in the City of Santa Monica. This morning teams began training for safety and census-taking skills, and are preparing to take to the streets early next week in the late night (or early morning) hours, tracking the areas where groups of homeless people congregate and......

Conan O'Brien will soon leave NYC | Photo by Shiny Things via Flickr Conan O'Brien really isn't that funny as a talk show host. Nor is Jay Leno. We all know David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel are the kings of late-night (and to be fair, Craig Kilborn Ferguson has many great moments too). Nevertheless, in preparation of kicking Leno out in 2009, Conan has purchased a $10.5 million home in Brentwood:The newly built, gated......

Want to buy a two-story, four bedroom, two-and-a-half bath house with a view of a local artistic and historic landmark for a price tag of around $400,000? They've got custom cabinetry, marble counter tops, walk-in closets, and two-car garages to boot. Sounds pretty sweet! Do you mind that you're on land that was once a dump, and that you're three blocks from a housing project with bars on its windows? And that landmark? They're the......

Forget Malibu. Forget the Hollywood Hills. Forget Mulholland Drive. Downtown is the new hot LZ for A-list celebrities, at least for the beloved Johnny Depp. He looked and bought into the $2-million property six months ago, but still hasn't moved into the Art Deco Eastern Columbia Building on Broadway, which has reportedly been having problems selling all the units. To that, the LA Times gives you the hard sell:It's not too late to become......

Yvonne Braithwaite-Burke doesn't trust you to pay your Metro fare; NPR reports on moves to make Metro's honor system history. Is the city of LA feeling the writers' strike in its wallet? Today reps from the WGA and SAG will talk with LA economist Jack Kyser and the City Council Housing, Community and Economic Development Committe about the economics of the strike. (The MPAA has been invited, but hasn't RSVP'd yet). A lil' shake......

Mayor Tony calls the federal government's failure to address issues such as poverty, housing, and infrastructure "absolutely criminal" in this short video interview produced by The Nation and The Drum Major Institute.......