In early December, 52-year-old Robert Painter, a Canadian citizen living in Los Angeles, was hit by a driver while riding his bicycle on Laurel Canyon Boulevard in North Hollywood. The driver left the scene and Painter later died in the hospital (read more about the account on LAist's post). more ›

After being hit by a SUV while riding a bike earlier this month, a 52-year-old North Hollywood man died this weekend due to his injuries. Robert Painter was riding his bicycle through a crosswalk around 5:10 on December 2nd when a dark green or black Jeep Grand Cherokee hit him on Laurel Canyon Blvd. at Archwood Street. more ›

Author and USC professor Gina Nahai and actress Bahar Soomekh (Crash) read from Nahai’s latest book Caspian Rain – about a family falling apart just before the Islamic revolution in Iran. Immediately following, there’s a discussion of the changing lives of women of the Middle East, and relationships between Iran’s Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as how these communities interact in Los Angeles, “home to the largest population of Iranians outside Tehran.” more ›

So many events, so little time. Concete Frequency's latest installment is tonight and there's always Disney on Ice (skaters, not Walt), but here's a sampling of the other good stuff to be done in LA tonight. more ›

I love standing at the front of the Orange Line bus looking out the front window, my eyes being massaged by the passing by landscaped medians, surrounded by Valley apartments and industrial buildings on the outside. Take a ride, here, from the NoHo Arts District station to Laurel Canyon Blvd. Video by Zach Behrens/LAist... more ›

Now why would you want to spend your hard-earned dough this weekend on a flick about Chuck and Larry when you can see live, local theater? Here are LAist's five picks for this weekend... Do Do Love Diana lives alone on disability baking cupcakes in her Burbank studio. Her landlord wants to get her out of the apartment and so sends a hottie of a handyman to disrupt her life and up her rent.... more ›

From our tipster email box we get this from Drew: Here are some pictures of the accident involving an elderly driver plowing through the Gelson's outdoor sitting area on Riverside and Laurel Canyon. i spoke with an officer on the scene and said to the best of his knowledge there were some injured, one man pinned underneath the car but no deaths that he knew of, thankfully! Evidently an elderly driver got flustered and... more ›

On February 28, 1997, two gunmen took 48 Bank of America customers and employees hostage before engaging in an intense gunfight with the LAPD. The 44-minute confrontation resulted in the wounding of twelve police officers and two civilians, as well as the death of the two perpetrators. Today at 4:00 p.m., Mayor Villaraigosa, law enforcement personnel, and elected leaders will gather to honor the bravery and sacrifice of those wounded during the shootout, and... more ›

Hiking Wilacre Park is more like hiking three parks in one without realizing it. Wilacre, Coldwater Canyon and Fryman Canyon parks all sort of merge into each other without any sort of warning of boundary lines. Take the Cross Mountain Park trail system a little further and you'll hit Franklin Canyon Park. There is something simple about going to Wilacre: if you want to get outdoors and "away from things," Wilacre couldn't be easier... more ›

Halloween always means three things. Costumes, candy, and pumpkins. And what better way to enjoy a pumpkin than baked up in a delicious pie? Once you carve the guts out of those suckers, you gotta do something with 'em. And we advocate eating those guts, preferably with a big scoop of whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream. more ›