Descending the lumpy, sub-sidewalk stairs into the courtyard of El Cid is often the beginning, or the end, of a fascinating evening in Silver Lake. Whether the flamenco-optional musical venue / bar / dance club / restaurant / screening courtyard / birthday-party-location-must-have-for-anyone-under-27 / Santa meet-up is packed tight like skinny jeans or awkwardly open with empty seats for a small touring act, there's a good chance you'll be leaving with a story. more ›

LA Public Libraries are closed on Sundays and Mondays due to unruly budget cuts. This includes the historic Central Library - a downtown landmark and one of the largest libraries in the country - in addition to all 70+ LAPL branches. Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Burbank patrons can access their library's resources 7 days a week. How can we fix this? more ›

Just minutes ago President Obama boarded his flight to depart Los Angeles after his brief visit to take part in a fundraiser dinner for the DNC and Senator Barbara Boxer's re-election campaign. On the tarmac were City Council President Eric Garcetti and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the latter of which took one last opportunity to ask the President to speed up funding for Los Angeles' 30/10 transit project, which would bring more ›

We've spent much of the past few weeks reviewing the year that was, in music, movies, TV, food, and more. We've talked New Year's resolutions but now's the time to get real: What is really gonna go down over the next 12 months? Below are some of our early predictions -- what are yours? MTA installs turnstiles at all Metro subway stations, securing millions of dollars of unrealized revenue from erstwhile freeloaders. Construction begins on... more ›

In this city, crime is up and morale is down. more ›

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I've been on some damn crowded, sardine-in-the can, packed-to-the-brim buses before; such as the 200 down Alvarado or the 704 down Sunset. Both exasperating, yet, nothing in comparison to the Pico-Union/Echo Park DASH on a Sunday afternoon. "Can I ask, why are you taking pictures?" a woman asked me as I awkwardly moved my arm around in what must have looked like a modern dance as I tried to get an angle for a... more ›