Photo by ask via Flickr One of the debates that swirls around Los Angeles is a basic one that has been going on for over a century: how to pronounce the City's name. We've given you a pronounciation guide for L.A. leaders, so here's a little more on the City's name pronounciation... In 1923, Will M. Cressy of San Francisco wrote that there were 26 ways to mispronounce Los Angeles, to which columnist Jack... [continue]

Los Angeles has a lot of interesting places with interesting histories. Take, for instance, Dodger Stadium and how it came to pass in Chavez Ravine. But just adjacent to Dodger Stadium is another place that has an interesting history and purpose in the CIty, and around the world. Located at 2000 Stadium Way, Barlow Respitory Hospital was founded in 1902 as the Barlow Sanitarium to treat the tuberculosis epidemic that swept the nation. In fact,... [continue]

Photo via Sha in LA's James M. Wood Blvd. Walk on Flickr In Los Angeles, there are some important streets named for some important people. Beaudry, Wilcox, Van Nuys, Lankershim, Wilshire, Micheltorena, and hundreds of others named for leaders, developers, owners, and others. But, in Los Angeles, there are streets that have been changed in honor of an individual. Santa Barbara Avenue in South Los Angeles was changed to honor civil rights leader Dr.... [continue]

Every year about this time, the Los Angeles Wheelmen sponsor a bike ride up Fargo Street. This climb, which is this Sunday, draws attention every year for the feat these cyclists attempt and complete (last year's record was 90 accents!). From their website: Once a year cyclists gather from all over to match their legs and skill against Fargo Street Hill, reportedly the steepest hill in Los Angeles. It's only a couple of blocks long,... [continue]

Legend says that Echo Park got its name from workers building the original reservoir said their voices echoed off the canyon walls. However... After years of searching, LAist has found the “echo” of Echo Park. And wouldn’t you know, it wasn’t even in that neighborhood. No, Echo Park’s “echo” has been trapped at the birthplace of Los Angeles: at Olvera Street. In the plaza there, inside the only bandstand in the City, an echo lives... [continue]

With an online guide for names like "Villaraigosa", we thought it's time to help educate Angelenos on other elected officials whose names often get mis-pronounced. Now,we don't have an handy audio files like the Mayor has for his name, but we've done our best to help you pronounce their last names phonetically. Councilman Tom LaBonge: luh-BONJCounty Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky: yaar-o-SLAV-skeeCouncilman Jose Huizar: WEE-sarDon't even get us started on how to pronounce the City's name (or... [continue]

With the near completion of the Central Los Angeles High School #9, or the LAUSD High School for the Visual and Performing Arts, on Grand Avenue more folks are talking about the architecture stylings of Coop Himmelblau and the monument to the arts that they’ve created. Driving along the 101, people have speculated as to the meaning and purpose of the tall structure that creates an entry along with the Cathedral bell tower across... [continue]

Photo by emdot via Flickr. Today being Valentine's Day in the City of Los Angeles, what better day than today to extol the virtues of the great City on a day when a date means so much? So, what follows are five simple reasons that the City of L.A. makes a better date: 1. L.A. goes slow 2. L.A. has many cultures and claims them all 3. L.A. is shapely (have you ever taken... [continue]

A reader, Zach, submitted a question last week about RVs parking on his street in Hollywood: I live on Gower, south of Sunset, and my street is always filled with homeless people living in RVs. Is there any recourse I can take to get them to leave? Are they breaking any laws?Technically, these folks are not breaking the law... yet. And all this can change in a matter of a few months all because LADOT... [continue]

A reader submitted a question last week about pigeons in Downtown: pigeons droppings are a major nuisance and a health hazard here in downtown LA, where people keep feeding the birds. Please let me know if there is an ordinance against that, and as a private citizen where does one go to enforce it. Thank you. So, to answer this question, we turn to the Los Angeles Municipal Code (that pesky LAMC that is... [continue]

As Cloverfield set a box office record for a January opening this holiday weekend, we Angelenos should be glad at the local economic boost, but we should also question if it could have been even more successful had the film been set in Los Angeles. Yes, the New York setting drew memories of 9/11 and classic monster movies, but Los Angeles is the city in which this monster would have done so much better... [continue]

Before everyone was bitten by the "green" bug, there were those in LA (or who visited) who had a vision for sustainability. Paul Glover was one of them. After creating the local currency that is Ithaca Hours, Paul opined about a way to bring ultra-urban Los Angeles into a sustainability community - all based on closing some alleys. After closing alleys, Glover lays out six more steps for reducing the carbon footprint and building a... [continue]

Starting a business in Los Angeles is what thousands of people do. In fact, in the City alone there are over 300,000 registered business, which means their is one business for every 13 residents (no matter their age). Starting a business is the realization of a dream for many, and can be lifechanging. But how do you start? Like LAist reported early this week, many people look at the new year as the time to... [continue]

Los Angeles is the Cultural Capital of the 21st Century. From visual art to cutting edge music to innovative theatre and live performances to some of the world's leading cultural institutions - we truly have it all. But all great cultural capitals have - in addition to the arts and culture as mentioned - a forum for public discourse. The Greeks had the agora for assembly, education, and interaction; and though we have our... [continue]

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