Chinatown ushered in the year of the dragon with its annual Golden Dragon Parade this weekend. more ›

The price of coffee at Philippe's in Chinatown is going to quadruple in price starting next Thursday—which means it's going to go up an entire 36 cents. Since 1977, the price of coffee at Philippe's has been only 9 cents, but the legendary restaurant on Alameda Street (that claims to have invented the French dip) posted a notice today letting its customers know that coffee was going to cost a little more than it used to. more ›

Say you have a turkey emergency today, e.g., the turkey's burned, frozen or you just never bothered picking one up because you weren't in the Thanksgiving mood. But now you're feeling a little more festive and need ideas...quick. LAist already posted a a more traditional restaurant list, but if you're not craving the turkey and trimmings this year, we offer you this alternative: a Chinese-themed Thanksgiving with Peking (or the more politically correct, Beijing) duck. more ›

CicLAvia returns to the streets of Los Angeles on October 9th, and the organization has made just a few slight changes to their expanded route map. When it comes to the route, this time around they kept the same 7.5-mile route from the last two events, but added offshoots into Chinatown and the Fashion District. The Chinatown route had to be modified slightly after it was initially announced. more ›

Bummed about Sunset Junction being cancelled and you now have a block of free time on Saturday night? Well just head a little more East for an alternative: Chinatown Summer Nights takes over Chinatown in DTLA tomorrow night from 5 pm to midnight on Broadway. more ›

Artist Edith Abeyta is in the process of gathering materials for her latest work titled, “Long Beach Garment Manifestation” - a large scale, site-specific installation. Tomorrow night she is holding a collection extravaganza for this very purpose called "No Love Lost" at The Public School in Chinatown with live music, light refreshments and an interactive performative clothing actions by the Cake and Eat It Collective. Admission is two articles of clothing. more ›

The Chinese community in Los Angeles is preparing the usher in the Year of the Rabbit tomorrow, and the festivities begin tonight and carry on for several days. Midnight temple ceremony, the Golden Dragon Parade, a two-day festival in Chinatown, a big fancy feast, special cupcakes and more can be a part of your Lunar New Year celebration in Los Angeles. more ›

At the peak of the January art fair agenda, Art Los Angeles Contemporary promises a greater outcome for it’s second year of programming. This year the fair has abandoned the blue whale we call The Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood for The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. more ›

I think the first thing that impressed me about Andrew Gibbs was his youth and energy. I’ve been reading his blog, thedieline.com, for the last couple years, and it’s so comprehensive, professional, and full of content, I somehow assumed he had to be older than 25. But he’s been ahead of the curve since he graduated high school early at 16, so he’s been out and about longer than most guys his age. more ›

An 11-year-old boy was the victim of an attempted kidnapping in Chinatown on December 14th, and thanks to his quick thinking and good memory, the LAPD have released a composite sketch of the suspect. The boy was accosted near a popular youth sports and recreation park on Yale Street. He pulled away after the suspect grabbed him, and was able to fight him off. The LAPD say their suspect "is Black with a small growth of beard under his chin, and was wearing do-rag on his head," and was dirty; he could be living on the street in the area. "The suspect is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, about 135 pounds, and in his late twenties to early thirties." more ›

While out shopping for strawberry and whipped cream birthday cakes, LAist spotted Miss Chinatown and her merry band of pretty princesses hanging out at Wonder Bakery! The beauty queen (in the gold dress) was nice enough to strike a pose in front of Chinatown's first Christmas Tree in Central Plaza. more ›

Officers responding to a call this afternoon discovered a deceased female body, reportedly in a bag. A 3:05 p.m., the police were alerted to a death investigation at a recycling center on the 1000 block of North Main Street (map), according to LAPD Officer Rosario Herrera. The location is north of downtown in an industrial area abut Chinatown. KTLA, which reported it "near" Dodger Stadium, said the body was found inside a bag. more ›

Saturdays Off the 405 features outdoor music and views of the city atop the hill of the Getty Museum. This week's installment features performances by The Antlers and Dublab founder DJ Frosty. Enjoy libations, like the Gety-tins or other drinks, from the cash bar, and dine at the cafe, all of which are open until 8:30pm. You can also participate in the free Spotlight After Dark tours, a 20-minute exploration and discussion of art with a Getty Museum educator, which depart at 6pm and 7pm. more ›

As state officials figure out how to put a high speed train under or around Los Angeles State Historic Park (aka the "Cornfield"), another project surrounding the rare piece of downtown open space has been proposed. Owners of the nearby San Antonio Winery have proposed a public-private partnership with Metro, developing a mixed-use space on a thin steep strip of land between Metro Gold Line Tracks and Broadway Avenue (map), according to blogdowntown. more ›

With recently-released proposals showing where tracks could be placed throughout Los Angeles as part of California's high speed rail project, some residents and environmental groups are ready to fight at least one possible route. That's because it could temporarily shut down Los Angeles State Historic Park, one of the few green spaces around downtown, for several years, according to the Downtown News. more ›

Police want residents in the Elysian Park and Chinatown area to be on alert after a pair of con men scammed their way into a residence, making of with $2,000 in cash. A 92-year-old Chinese women and her adult niece answered the door last week to find two men posing as AT&T employees with fake work orders. Once inside, one distracted the women while the other searched for valuables and cash. more ›

As plans and fundraising move forward to cap the 101 Freeway in Hollywood, a similar idea in downtown will take a step next month when Park 101 District organizers host a community meeting and open house. The event, which dovetails with the Downtown Art Walk is on May 13th from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Caltrans District 7 building. more ›

One of the best ways to enjoy dim sum is on the move. It is ideal street food. Walking around shopping for paper lanterns, Snap Pops and Chinese herbs as you wander from one dim sum deli to the next makes for a perfect late morning or early afternoon. You can even work off some of that pork and sugar. This map is not all-inclusive; it is my own personal jaunt. Feel free to chime in with your own favorites. more ›

Gung hay fat choy! Are you ready for the Year of the Tiger? As part of the celebration to welcome in the Chinese New Year the annual Golden Dragon Parade filled the streets of Chinatown yesterday... more ›

Tonight is Chinese New Year's Eve, and Los Angeles' thriving Chinese community is preparing to usher in the Year of the Tiger tomorrow with a week's worth of activities, many of which everyone can take part in. Things get underway tonight at 11 p.m. with a Midnight Temple Ceremony at the Chuan Thien Hau (Cam Au) Temple [map] in Chinatown. Celebrations get really exciting a week from today with the annual New Year's Parade & Festival. more ›

Talk about bad timing. The day the city-at-large learned that the owner of Phillipe's died was the same day health inspectors responded to complaints of a cockroach investigation and closed it for 48 hours. William "Bill" Binder, 94, died of natural causes on January 28th, but word didn't surface until this past Wednesday when his obituary popped up in the news. more ›

FILM To anyone who has ever had a dream and seen that dream gone unfulfilled, I implore you to see Anvil!: The Story of Anvil and perhaps re-discover the inspiration to continue pursuing that elusive prize. Some have described Sacha Gervasi's hilarious doc as a real-life version of Spinal Tap, but the reality goes much deeper. So many would-be artists pursue success only to give up after a few years of failure. The boys of Anvil demonstrate how a true love of your craft compels you to never quit. Oh, and did I mention it was also fucking funny? more ›

On Saturday night, Councilman Tom LaBonge showed off prototype neighborhood sign for the maybe-future Little Italy neighborhood in the downtown area. "The borders of what would make up a Little Italy would certainly take debate," noted Ed Fuentes of blogdowntown. "The Italian community in Los Angeles was originally centered in land that is today occupied by Chinatown." Last weekend's 1st Annual Taste of Italy was held at Italian Hall where in 2010, a museum is slated to open with exhibits intended to educate the public about Italian-American Angelenos. more ›

It's been closed for a handful a years, but the Downey Pool between Chinatown and Lincoln Heights has begun construction and is expected to open next year June. The $2.2 million project includes a 3,000-square-foot lap pool, an 1,800-square-foot splash pad, and a 500-square-foot structure that will house new pumps and filter equipment, and chemical rooms. A pool in this park was original built in 1919, according to city documents. more ›

Story by Gareen Darakjian, Special to LAist more ›

Sewer work on a small section of Cesar E. Chavez Ave. between North Broadway and New High will resume today lasting up to two weeks (.pdf). Crews will reduce traffic lanes on North Broadway and Cesar E. Chavez Ave. to rehabilitate aging pipeline as part of a $2 billion settlement agreement with the EPA and Santa Monica Baykeeper. In 2001, the Environmental Protection Agency sued the city of Los Angeles over frequent sewage spills, which were reported to happen on average two times a day. Between 1994 and 2004--when the settlement was reached--it was estimated that Los Angeles had experienced more than 4,500 spills. more ›

Jerry Seinfeld will be returning to TV as the producer and creator of "The Marriage Ref", a new series for NBC. No premiere date or time slot has been selected. more ›