Local band Radars to the Sky recently took to Hancock Park and rocked the home of a rather musical family, including an adorable young boy with a talent for shaking it and beating his drum to the gentle acoustic rhythm of "You Take It To Heart." more ›

No, it is not beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And it will not feel like Christmas in Los Angeles this year, because the House of Davids is now just another nice enough home in Hancock Park. more ›

President Obama has had a busy 24 hours in Los Angeles. So far, he's spoken at two fundraising dinners in Hancock Park, eaten some classic SoCal fare, and is now heading to NBC studios to tape a segment with Jay Leno. We won't know what he says to Leno until later, but CBS News reports that during his dinners, the President laid out what he's accomplished so far during his tenure in the Oval Office. more ›

If you work or live between Westwood and Hancock Park, prepare for a commute nightmare this evening, courtesy President Barack Obama, who arrives in town just in time for rush hour fun. We list some affected streets (and share some Twitter bitching for amusement/comfort). more ›

He's back, again! President Barack Obama returns to Los Angeles Monday for another one of his less-than-24-hour-long visit to raise some funds and shake some hands and secure some votes for the 2012 election. more ›

The bubbling La Brea Tar Pits will welcome the ninth installment of TarFest, a free indie art and music celebration, on Sunday, September 25. Shining on emerging talent, the spotlight features live music, live painting, art installations and environmental sculpture. Musical performances include Saint Motel, Everest, Obi Best, A House for Lions, Infantree and Ash Panda. more ›

They landed, they were greeted by grinning politicians, they motorcaded, they mingled with venture capitalists, they were received at a Hancock Park garden party. Ah, what a first day for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Los Angeles. more ›

The Royals are coming, the Royals are coming! Los Angeles is rolling out the red carpet for a British Invasion of an altogether other kind: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Newlywed couple Prince William and his bride Kate arrive this afternoon in L.A. for a whirlwind weekend of do-gooding and glad-handing. more ›

Will & Kate plus 8 million paparazzi means that a plan for the pushy photogs needed to be implemented in anticipation of the arrival of the royal newlyweds. Ambitious paparazzi hoping to take shots of the royal couple in certain parts of Hancock Park could face a potential jail stay, according to the L.A. Times. more ›

President Obama's arrival may have gridlocked traffic on the Westside, but a protest outside the fundraiser he's attending in Hancock Park tonight has a different purpose: immigration. more ›

Shortly before 1:30 this afternoon, LAPD Commander Andrew Smith sounded the siren of a squad car and got on the loudspeaker to declare the protest at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Highland Avenue an unlawful assembly. more ›

Traffic has come to a halt around Wilshire and Highland as a protest about Arizona's immigration law, which goes into effect today, becomes more out of control. Initial reports indicated some 30 to 40 protestors were lying in the street, according to Weho Daily, which monitors police broadcasts, but a further report by the LA Times says about 200 people laid down in the street. 14 people who chained themselves on a downtown street were arrested in a similar type of protest in May. more ›

In what has become a yearly tradition, Youngwood Court, aka "The House of Davids", located in Hancock Park at the intersection of 3rd St. and Muirfield Rd., has been decorated for the holidays. This year's decor is the most extensive yet, complete with sidewalk snow, an African-American Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus sitting together on a throne, a large crown and "NORRYWOOD" sign on the roof, and a larger-than-life representation of the house's owner, Norwood Young. And yes, each of the nearly 20 Davids have been costumed with matching Santa hats and jackets. more ›

It was the early morning on February 8th--Grammys night--when Chris Brown lashed out at his girlfriend Rihanna in Hancock Park. What exactly happened is unknown, but ABC says Rihanna will reveal publicly what happened on Good Morning America this Thursday and Friday (also on 20/20 on Friday evening) in an interview with Diane Sawyer. Brown eventually apologized publicly on YouTube after entering into a plea agreement. He was slapped with five years of probation and 180 days of community service. He also has to take a one-year domestic violence class and stay 50 yards away from Rihanna. more ›

It’s Super Tuesday and Mardi Gras. What other reason do you need to celebrate with LAist? Come to Seven Grand tonight to watch election returns. (Who knew that primaries would be this exciting?) You never know…people may start flashing for beads after a few Glenlivets. For questions or to RSVP: events@laist.com (Note: Seven Grand is a 21+ bar. We apologize for any inconveniences). more ›

Through 10 a.m. this morning, here are the rain and snow totals in inches from the National Weather Service. more ›

Sometimes the news really does paint our wonderful town as something of a racial powder keg, which makes it all the more gratifying when you stumble across a truly diverse neighborhood. Hugging the western border of Koreatown, just south of tony Hancock Park and just north of West Adams, sits a neighborhood where true diversity is a reality. Just how diverse is Country Club Park? Ask yourself this; where else in town can you find a vegetarian soul food restaurant steps from a Goth club, across the street from a Korean church, next door to a Mexican market, up the block from a Korean BBQ, next door to a sushi place? It’s no wonder the LA Legal Defense Fund calls this neighborhood home. Every group in the city seems to be represented. And though the tenuous presence of gangs and pockets of poverty cause hiccups, homesteaders of all backgrounds seem eager to discover this unusual urban enclave. more ›

You know it's Christmas season in LA when the owners of Youngwood Court (an estate that pays homage to ivory off Third Street near Hancock Park) dress up their 12 David statues in Santa hats. This year, a huge 2008 sign also adorns the front lawn, which is covered in a layer of faux snow. A stylin' Santa and Mrs. Claus seem to be riding in a comfy sleigh, too. more ›

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... more ›

If you have been thirsty lately and don't know why, perhaps it was the news that the Metropolitan Water District is about to cut water to Southern California agriculture by 30 percent. As a result, your bill could rise of 10 percent. It may be time to move into the ocean. "Nasty," Aggravating" and "Snotty" are words usually meant for our beloved President from critics near and far. Well, if Bush was the Santa... more ›

NOHO Scene Saturday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.: Promising a new, improved take on the NoHo Arts Festival. Free theater, dance and music , art exhibits, film screenings and workshops, plus food and goods from NoHo merchants. Proudly sponsored by your CRA/LA. Free. MAP Brewery Art Walk Sat-Sun 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.: This twice-a-year event is all the reason you need to explore The Brewery, conveniently (though conspicuously) located north of Chinatown. Lots... more ›

Stop searching all the gossip blogs, here is the deal: 1. Brit Brit passed out at a Las Vegas night club on New Year's, adding that much more evidence for K-Fed to claim custody of the kiddies. But lets give her a break -- maybe she was celebrating Justin breaking up with Cameron….-defamer 2. Justin broke up with Cameron. This is fantastic news for me…and Britney. -perezhilton 3. "The OC" and "The Megan Mullally... more ›

There's nothing like an over-elaborate Christmas lawn display to get us in the spirit of the season. Unfortunately, it seems that this year there has been some neighborly discord regarding a particular display in Hancock Park. You see, a nice Jewish lady in this nice Jewish neighborhood appears to have more of a sense of humor than her neighbors and, among other things, has erected a large Santa in her yard that asks rhetorically,... more ›

Let's face it, Angelenos, we're all a bunch of gossips. How else to explain that peculiar L.A. habit of looking up at each new customer who crosses a restaurant's threshold, assessing their attractiveness and/or celebrity. In certain dining establishments around West Hollywood, the atmosphere is akin to a high school cafeteria. One keeps expecting restaurant patrons to break out in song like in that scene in the film, “Gigi,” where guests seated at Maxim’s restaurant chant out the latest gossip on each new diner entering the establishment. more ›

The new head of LAMCA is a handsome young swashbuckler of the art world, according to his profile in the LA Times. The byline is from NY — we can't tell exactly when Michael Govan will be moving into the Hancock Park home that comes with his job. more ›

The Daily News looks at the legacy of African-Americans in the valley (it's a little grim). Our favorite part is the story of Ida Kinney, now 101 years old; her grandparents were slaves in Arkansas. She was the first African-American woman to get a job at Lockheed's Burbank plant during World War II, and got a white friend to front for her in order to buy her home on an all-white block. Where she still lives with her family. Our hats off to you, Ida. more ›

In the crowded field of public relations, marketing, specialty novelty/luxury items, and events, Kerith Elizabeth Henderson has her own thing going. Kerith’s experience of developing her own business is a noteworthy tale for folks trying to find their way and forge careers in creative, non-traditional ways while having fun. Plus it’s a reminder to us all that publicists are people too, ahem. more ›

The Los Angeles General Services Department's efforts to unload a couple libraries at auction further proves that nothing is sacred in this hot real estate market. The former Durant Branch on Gardner in Hollywood and the erstwhile location of the Westchester Branch on Sepulveda Eastway are going on the block next month. Minimum bidding on each starts at $1,000,000. more ›

You've probably already noticed that we've got a couple of new contributors here at LAist. So without further ado... more ›