Next Year, Los Angeles will gain another museum and cultural center and it will be quite unique for anyone curious about the early days of the city and its roots. When LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes opens on April 15th, it will be housed in what was once the tallest building in the city -- five whole floors! -- and near where the city was founded in 1781. more ›

There's been a lot of bicycle talk on LAist today and here's one more: the idea of bicycle sharing in Los Angeles has been mulled over about quite a bit and next week, a city panel will examine (.pdf) using a site near Olvera Street and Union Station for a variation that theme--bicycle rentals. From a motion introduced last month: more ›

Yesterday it was (the best) taquitos (in the city) from an Olvera Street stand; today it is flautas from an upscale Downtown restaurant, as photographed by LAist Featured Photos contributor hinducow. Normal flautas these are not -- try this on for California size: they are Chicken flautas filled with avacado from Noe at the Omni Hotel on Olive Street. more ›

LAist Featured Photos contributor kpeII submits this Eye Nosh photo with a bold statement -- these taquitos from Cielito Lindo on Olvera Street are the best in town. Well, their website certainly boasts it and Yelpers seem to agree. more ›

Did you know today is the 226th birthday of El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina de Los Angeles -- aka L.A.? The old bitch is looking pretty good for her age! Although the city did not incorporate until 1850, September 4th, 1781 is the date that 44 Mexican pobladores set out from San Gabriel with a military escort to settle alongside a great river -- then called the Rio de Porciuncula, later to... more ›

As the Sunday morning sunrise warmed the lawn of the San Gabriel Mission, dedicated celebrants gathered with the Pobladores 200 to recognize LA’s upcoming 226th birthday by retracing the steps of the original settlers who established El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles in 1781. San Gabriel is quite proud of its contribution to the “birth” of Los Angeles and a significant contingent of enthusiastic San Gabriel volunteers were on hand to outfit and... more ›

To some, Elvira Arellano is a leader among pro-immigration rights activists who think the federal government' immigration and trade policies are unfair. To others, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Arellano is just another attention-grabbing, "criminal alien and immigration fugitive," unfairly using her American-born son as an Elián González-like prop for pro immigration activism . Arellano spent an entire year inside Adalberto United Methodist Church on Chicago's West Side, defying a federal order to report... more ›

Yes, like Ventura's split from its original name (San Buenaventura) or San Diego's true Spanish meaning (a whale's vagina), Los Angeles comes from a much larger city name - El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula (The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels on the River Porciúncula). And like other rare departments in the landscape of city government (Port of Los Angeles or Neighborhood... more ›

*Updates listed at the top. L.A. Celebrates 225th Birthday With Historic Nod (CBS2) LA Celebrates 225th Birthday With Traditional 9-Mile Walk (NBC4) Officials Take 9-Mile Walk To L.A. To Celebrate City's Birthday (KABC) Happy Birthday LA! (Fox 11) Happy 225th, L.A.! (LA City Beat) In the beginning: The founding of Los Angeles (Tidings Online) The Settlement of Los Angeles (Los Angeles Almanac) Original Settlers of El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles (Los... more ›

While many people have been celebrating this year's Dia de los Muertos since earlier last week, today and tomorrow are the days when Olvera Street calls all spirits, living and dead, for the sights and sounds of this hallowed ritual. And at the end of this spooky first week of Novemeber, one more local happening celebrates Dia de Los Muertos with a free family festival. Here are the details: more ›

7:15 p.m. on Thursday, December 23rd and Friday, December 25th more ›

LAist loves Thanksgiving. more ›