Are burgers the new cupcake? Los Angeles, I'm Yours posits that burgers are are burgeoning trend, and new burger-centric eateries keep popping up predominantly in one overall geographic area. "The area is totally accessible by Metro and what we are calling the Burger District, a little burgerhood in Hollywood," they explain. more ›

A mountain lion spotted repeatedly in a Hesperia neighborhood is shy, says residents, and scares easily when approached. KABC reports that the animal has been seen in backyards, and even out on the street while kids are riding their bikes. Because of his timidity, experts believe he's simply looking for food and water. more ›

Sometimes to get a handle on Los Angeles' geographic sprawl, you have to draw it yourself. That's exactly what Amoeba employee and blogger Eric Brightwell has done with his colorful, Sharpie-drawn maps of LA and Orange County neighborhoods and cities. more ›

The four-block stretch of 3rd Street between Alexandria and New Hampshire is now an official new neighborhood with a shiny blue sign to prove it. Say hello to Little Bangladesh! Hi!! "The community worked more than a year to gain the official designation, but most stores in the L.A. neighborhood cater to a Latino or Korean clientele," says the LA Times. more ›

The Los Angeles Conservancy has just launched a "Neighborhoods" section of their website that integrates information about historic districts in LA County with a Google map. "With nearly 100 locally designated historic neighborhoods in sixteen cities across the county, these districts represent a range of architectural styles and are an important part of the historic fabric of Greater Los Angeles," explains a press release about the endeavor. more ›

Bargain shopping at Out of the Closet, Sizzler, Jumbo's Clown Room, frequent conflation with neighboring Thai Town, a burning couch, singing cats, and a love gone wrong. It's Christmas in LA's Little Armenia. more ›

It's your day off. You're uninspired and under-funded (aka bored and broke). "But I live in Los Angeles!" you remind yourself. "There's got to be something I can do that won't break the bank." Art, music, museums, theatre, workshops, gardens, and more always seem to come with a price tag, unless you're totally in the know. Well, it's not too complicated to file yourself under the in-the-know column. Free L.A. is a publication that you can keep on your bookshelf to use when you need low-cost fun on the fly, or hand off to those out-of-town couch surfers you're hosting who would otherwise spend their vacation days fondling your remote control and eating you out of house and home. more ›

Metro has intimated that they'll be voting on a preliminary line for their proposed Wilshire extension later next year, and hopes to connect their "current terminus in Koreatown to the Westside," explains MetroRider LA. But where the stops will be are still very much in flux; "one of the stations along the line is still kept as optional: Wilshire Boulevard and Crenshaw Boulevard." more ›

Some residents of West Hollywood and neighboring Beverly Hills are in an uproar about the British-import members-only club Soho, which is poised to open up on the penthouse level of the Luckman Plaza on the Sunset Strip. Those opposing the club fear that it will lead to excessive noise, crowds, and traffic in the area, not to mention increased paparazzi presence aiming to snap a goldmine shot of one of the club's exclusive members. more ›

There are around 50 neighborhood marches, BBQs, block parties taking place throughout the city and country tonight in an annual event meant to connect neighbors with neighbors and to the police officers that patrol their streets. It's National Night Out, "America's night out against crime," as the slogan goes. more ›

In a vote that angered some and brought extreme joy to others, the Los Angeles City Council voted to annex a portion of Van Nuys into Sherman Oaks after residents of the affected area brought forth the idea last year. During the meeting, Don Schultz stood up announcing that he and others will seek for Van Nuys to secede from the city and that by 2011, they will celebrate their independence. There have been also rumors, albeit quite possibly jokes, that a portion of Sherman Oaks will try to annex into neighboring Bel Air. more ›

[UPDATE: Shortly before noon, the City Council voted to approve the annexation. Read more here] 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 ›

Folks who reside in the northern portion of Los Angeles County in the Santa Clarita Valley sometimes suffer a similar "Identity Crisis" to those who have trouble determining just what official City of Los Angeles Neighborhood they live in. A recent article in the Signal, the SCV paper, references to the commonality of residents who face "uncertainty about city-county boundaries." more ›

If you're an area resident and ready to dig in and get your hands dirty (and grow yourself some tomatoes and the like), there's a morning-long (9 a.m. to noon) work day happening today for the Fountain Community Garden at 5260 Fountain Avenue. The garden is the fruit of the neighborhood's labor; they have been working together to transform this empty lot at the southwest corner of Fountain and Mansfield Avenue into a beautiful community garden. Activities today include tree plants, weeding, laying mulch between the garden beds, and meeting new neighbors. The steering committee has finalized an 'application of interest' form for those interesting in securing a plot. Email Edith Darling if you're interested. more ›

Tomorrow, Famima is opening a new store at 700 Wilshire. Next week, another is expected to open at the Roosevelt Building and by the end of May, one more at Union Station. When all is said and done, downtown will have seven Famimas. And beyond that, the company hopes to open 20 in the region by the end of 2009 including ones in West LA and another in Pasadena (however, none are planned for the Valley, sad). The new resurgence of hyper-local convenience stores is a good sign for downtown's growth (not to mention the "upscale" 7-11 that is on it's way), but it comes with unfortunate news: the family owned Bloom's convenience store in the Arts District closed its doors last week after 15 years. Also: Hollywood recently gained an eco-conscious convenience store, called Locali. You can buy vegan condoms there. more ›

When you read something you like on LAist, we love it when you hit the "recommend" button, and we love it even more if you put your two cents' worth in the comments. Getting a dialog going with our readers and making sure we're giving you content you can use are top priorities for us. more ›

On October 1st, the city's Office of Community Beautification quietly launched an improved website tool they should have been much louder and much more proud about. The Anti-Graffiti Request System is an easy and quick way to report graffiti in your neighborhood so abatement teams can come out and clean it up. It comes complete with an e-mail confirmation once your report is submitted and once the graffiti is abated, which is often the next day. more ›

For the past 25 years, local preservation group Hollywood Heritage has been in charge of maintaining Wattles Mansion, a 1907 historic home bought by the City of L.A. in 1968. The preservation group has had an arrangement with the Parks Department for running the property, but now they are being handed their 30-day notice for having "failed to properly maintain the 101-year-old landmark," according to the LA Times. more ›

Adding to the hundreds of official "blue sign" Los Angeles neighborhoods (we estimate it to be around 185), Reseda Ranch in the Valley became the latest to celebrate its individuality. more ›

Today, Assemblymember Paul Krekorian (D-Burbank) officially unveiled signs marking the Valley Glen neighborhood along the 170 Freeway. Most signs posted on freeways in the East Valley generalize the area and say North Hollywood, whether you're actually in Studio City or some other community. “I hope these new signs will encourage people traveling along the Hollywood Freeway to explore Valley Glen and enjoy its businesses, restaurants and ambience,” Assemblymember Krekorian said in a press release. Our Valley Glen restaurant recommendation: Barone's Famous Italian Restaurant -- it's some of the best damn brick pizza we've ever had. more ›

Fresh & Easy opened its 62nd US "neighborhood market" this morning in Manhattan Beach which began with a press conference and store tours and a ribbon cutting ceremony before the waiting crowds descended upon the grocery store to fill their carts. (More story after the jump!) more ›

Undoubtedly, some of the best things about living in Los Angeles are our varied terrain, eclectic architecture, landmarks, and fascinating history. That's why when you've hit treadmill and Stairmaster burnout and can't take another day of watching Montel on closed captioning in your gym, taking things outside and into the city's beautiful hills can be a welcome respite from workout drudgery. One great workout walk combines the best of the city with some kick-ass cardio--and some stunning views to boot; it's a walk through Upper Beachwood Canyon and it includes all 6 of the neighborhood's 85-year-old staircases. more ›

In addition to providing you with an excellent cardio and lower-body workout, the Hollywoodland Staircases Walk also has amazing views of the city, the landscape, and two major landmarks (the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory). Throw some local history (concrete staircases joining hilly residential streets installed in 1923 as part of the Hollywoodland real estate development) and a wide variety of architecture and you have more for your eyes to drink in than you bargained for in just a one-hour, 2 mile walk through the charming Beachwood Canyon neighborhood. more ›

Saturday night was hopping in Chinatown, from Hop Louie's to the Lindy Hop on the dance floor as the iconic neighborhood celebrated their 70th anniversary. A big band was on hand to provide the tunes, folks in 30s and 40s garb milled about, the shops were open, and the Central Plaza was abuzz with young and old alike celebrating Chinatown's history. To learn more about the area's features and stories (like why it's called "New" Chinatown!), check out LAist's Neighborhood Project: Chinatown. more ›

Last August in LAist's Neighborhood Project series we looked at the hidden jewel of Northeast Los Angeles (NELA, for those in the know) called Garvanza. In an area rich in history and craftsmanship sit several majestic old homes, grand dames in the Craftsman style dating back to the late 1800s. more ›

Sherman Oaks has a lot going for it. From movie and TV stars to community activism, from dingy Valley corner strip malls to high-end boutiques, this neighborhood of nearly 52,000 residents is never a bore (come on, Desperate Housewives films a bunch here). It is named after General Moses Hazeltine Sherman, a well known real estate developer who bought a good amount of land in the area and sold it off. The community was... more ›

It has been a long time coming, but after a temporary hiatus, we're happy to announce that today our ongoing Neighborhood Project makes its return to LAist. We're hoping to bring our readers a new neighborhood entry on a (fairly) regular basis. First up in this second round of Los Angeles neighborhood tours is Franklin Village, an entry completely written and photographed by a couple of regular LAist readers (and a few of their... more ›