Increasingly free of gang violence, it may be getting safer to walk the streets of Watts, the Daily News reports. Homicides in the area have dropped from 24 in 2006 to just 11 last year and many residents are pinning hopes for further neighborhood revitalization on economic opportunities. Hey Magic Johnson, that's your cue! A man died last night after sliding down an escalator at the Hollywood Highland shopping pit of hell today. Apparently......

The last time I went to the Beverly Center on a Saturday, I left feeling more hatred in my heart for the LA masses than I have since Halloween. There was pushing, bumping, waiting, complaining, and honking. Awful. I mentioned my misadventure to a more seasoned shopper friend, wondering if she had any sage advice. She first berated me for going to the Beverly Center on a Saturday--or at all, as far as she......

The LA Times is reporting today that Metro may be seriously looking at an extremely different route for half of the proposed Purple Line subway extension that would take commuters from Downtown to Santa Monica. However, the idea discussed here would take underground riders from the Hollywood/Highland station to Wilshire Blvd. along Santa Monica Blvd., traveling through West Hollywood and Beverly Hills hitting near the Beverly Center mall and Cedars-Sinai:The new concept is still......

Here in the land of stars, we see celebrities all the time. Whether out shopping at the Beverly Center, grabbing a bite at Canter’s, or filling up their ride at the gas station, famous people still have a regular life to live just as much as us “common folk,” even if some celebs view themselves as God's gift to mankind. It’s nice to see these performers outside the context of their onscreen/on-camera/behind-the-mic personas to see......

As Beverly HIlls gets ready for their meeting tonight, Boi from Troy ponders about the city of West Hollywood being the only Westside city without any purple tunnel love:Rather than shoot straight down Wilshire–an easy proposal–why not consider taking to subway to places people want to go? How about building the Subway to the Grove, then to Cedars Sinai/Beverly Center/West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, UCLA, Brentwood then Santa Monica, linking in with the new Exposition......

When I was given the opportunity to review POLA Kirei, the new Japanese skin care salon in Beverly Hills with a facial, I jumped at the chance. Every year I promise myself that when my tax return arrives in the mail, I’m going to treat myself to a massage and facial, yet somehow that money disappears somewhere around the Beverly Center, The Grove and various happy hour deals. My facial was scheduled for a......

Need a one-stop shop for all things fashion? Look no further than Intuition, located at 10581 West Pico Blvd. With trendy clothing for women, men, babies, women who are preggers with babies, lingerie, accessories, body products, and even pet attire -- dealing with the nightmare of the Beverly Center parking garage is a problem no more. Intuition was opened in 1999 by twenty-five year fashion industry veteran Jaye Hersh in an effort to pay......

photo excerpt of "Washing Out" by our common - You know you're old and worthless when you close up shop after 20+ years and no one notices for over a week. Buh Bye Hard Rock Beverly Center - Eater LA - How was your Christmas bonus? Howard Stern got $83 million in his envelope - Reuters - The end of LA Rent Control? - Mayor Sam - "We are the modern equivalent of the......

Though this particular LAist poster isn’t Jewish, the idea of getting gifts for eight nights is totally appealing. So if anyone’s feeling particularly generous, here are a few -– ok eight -– gift suggestions. And remember Hanukkah begins this Saturday tonight...so you still have a few days left to shop: 1. Jeanine Payer jewelry. This San Francisco-based artist loves engraving words and quotes in her silver jewelry. We spied a few of her works......

It's time. As much as we hated seeing silver stars and winter white wonderland at the Beverly Center as early as October (did they completely gloss over Halloween or did we just miss it when they were promoting it back in, say, July?), we must accept that Holiday shopping is indeed upon us now that it's December. To make it easier on us all, LAist has toiled, worn out our mouse clicking fingers, scoured......

H&M today announced that they have pushed back the opening date of their Beverly Center store from October 26 to Thursday, November 9, so that it coincides with the worldwide launch of the Viktor & Rolf for H&M collection, which will be available in the store on opening day. The 20,000 square foot, single-story H&M store at the Beverly Center store will carry fashions for MEN (emphasis mine), women, teens, children and lingerie. That's......

Lines stretched around the block. Helicopters buzzed overhead. It was madness today at the grand opening of the Pasadena H&M, the first H&M retail outlet in Southern California. Tucked between the Tiffany and Apple stores on Colorado Boulevard, the warehouse-like space showcases on two floors H&M's womenswear line. Sorry gents, ladies only. You'll have to wait until the Oct. 26 opening of the Beverly Center H&M. Half an hour before the official noon opening......

Expect mobs of trendy teens and stylish career women jostling to enter LA's first H&M store today. The Swedish retail chain opens its doors on Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena at 10 a.m. Another outlet is slated to open at the Beverly Center October 26th and in Arcadia's Westfield Santa Anita mall in November. Sorry guys, the Pasadena store will only carry ladies' clothing and accessories, but the two subsequent stores will have items for......

No one knows where he will strike but prolific stencil graffiti artist Banksy (aka Robert Banks) from Bristol, England, will make a much anticipated ”Barely Legal” L.A. appearance (or at least his work will) on September 15-17 at a super secret location that won’t be disclosed until the day of the event. - Caroline on Crack we have a date for the first opening of H&M in SoCal: September 21st in pasadena located at......

+ Remember that band 1000 Homo DJs? Seed magazine reports that there are now 450 homo vertebrate species of animals out there. - via Metafilter. So far sports reporters are not on the list, Ozzie Guillen. + Finally a decent hotel in Beverly Hills. The Sofitel re-opens after nine months and $40 million of improvements including a new Randy (Skybar, Whiskey Blue) Gerber lounge called Stone Rose. We're glad that the construction will now......

Mark Sarvas has championed local reading series, excoriated the LA Times Book Review, and tirelessly blogged about all things literary on his site The Elegant Variation. With its smart writing, frequent updates and splashes of wicked humor, it has become required daily reading — for both Angelenos and folks in the Big Established Publishing World in NY. He is also a founding member of the LitBlog Co-Op (more about that below), which announced its latest......

A random sampling of some of our favorite uncategorizables of the year. Stay tuned for a restaurant roundup, our favorite news stories, and some books and bars we love. If we can remember the bars. Best people watching: Arclight lobby (Adrienne) or just plain Best movie theater: Arclight (Lindsay) Best pop culture mashup: Wonka Meets Spock (Carolyn) Best TV shows: Veronica Mars, Battlestar Galactica, My Name is Earl, The Office, Rome, Out of Practice......

It's rivalry week and a cursory view of our blogroll shows the Trojan/Bruin war rages on. Boi From Troy is, obviously, almost all USC all the time this week while Loteria Chicana and Ultratart both wax nostalgic with dreams of past glory. Caroline on Crack wants you to visit Hunky Santa at the Beverly Center. Hunky Santa? What, no Hot Hannukah Harriett dancing the horah for the lovers of ladies? Was that enough alliteration......

And so, The Cheesecake Factory went forth and begat a child, The Grand Lux Cafe, and the child blossomed in LA at the base of the shopper's temple, The Beverly Center. And the hungry masses flocked to her tables and dined on enormous portions of inventive food. And two heathens had a leisurely late Saturday lunch one spring weekend, bestowing (reluctant) praise to the gods of pseudo-luxury dining. We were starving. We'd wandered the......

The Los Angeles Independent reports that suspects have been arrested in connection with a robbery at the St. Regis Liquor store on Third Street, east of the Beverly Center. Two men and two women are accused of the special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of a robbery, which could make them eligible for the death penalty for the killing of Jae Yang Dec. 18 at his liquor store just east of the......

LAist has noticed lately that all types of publications bend over backwards to tell you about the Best of this and the best of that, and personally, we're getting a little tired of hearing about it. The reality is this -- if you live in Los Angeles there are more "great places" to go (i.e. restaurants, clubs, bars, malls, et al) that you'll probably never have to waste your time in the bad places.......

This weekend sees the opening of at least four new movies hitting theaters all across the Southland, and in surveying them LAist can't help but think how Angelenos could experience the same events in said movies around Los Angeles without ever having to pay a cent. After The Sunset, stars Pierce Brosnan as a thief who, along with his girlfriend Salma Hayek, tries their best to take part in illegal activities and avoid getting caught......

Whoever told you it's all happening at the Zoo was way off. If you live in Los Angeles, it's all happening at The Grove. In its short time on our city's cultural landscape, the Grove has become LA's focal point for events big and small, mainstream and offbeat, for hipsters and dweebs alike. There's almost always something going on. Of course, that means if you just want to pick up a t-shirt at the......

When it was being built, Hollywood & Highland was the source of much excitement in its neighborhood. As LA's #1 tourist destination and #1 embarrassment, Hollywood Boulevard was in desperate need of some revitalization. And H&H looked to be just the shot in the arm the area needed. For locals, one of the more promising prospects of the new mall was its planned state of the art multiplex, an offshoot of the world-famous Chinese......

This week's installment of Good Grove/Bad Grove was going to focus on the impact the Grove shopping complex at Fairfax and Third has had on other local businesses, and as it turns out, our timing couldn't be more apt. As anyone who attempted to see the exclusive L.A. engagement of She Hate Me this week (anyone?) discovered this past Sunday, the struggling AMC Beverly Connection cinemas breathed their last breath and, without any warning,......