What's going on lately in the L.A food scene? Chew on this! Bao gets a twist in the Valley, bloggers will be baking, hot barman Brooke is mixing up fall cocktails, plus a few more nibbles. more ›

In today's LA Times, Martha Groves profiles UCLA Professor and "parking rockstar" Donald Shoup. If you don't know about him, you should, as he's someone local whose ideas about urban planning are affecting cities everywhere. One of his most frequently cited concepts is not subsidizing free parking, putting it at fair market value and using the revenues to improve that neighborhood directly. more ›

A Guide to Great LA Events this Week: Music at the LA Zoo, Outfest, Old Pasadena Film Fest, InkSlam, Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, Grand Performances and Music on the Santa Monica Pier more ›

Walking tours are a convenient way for tourists to learn about the history and architecture of a city. Why not take advantage of these tours to learn about your own town? Los Angeles hosts a variety of walking tours, but one of our favorites is one of the newest. And only partly because they give you Chinese food and cake. more ›

UCLA Professor Donald Shoup has been saying it for years: "inexpensive parking fosters urban decay, contributes to sprawl and motivates people to drive alone." How? It's that circling around effect, you know, when looking for spaces, avoiding valet. "Low meter rates can further congest city streets as motorists search for cheap parking spaces," the LA Times writes. "Studies in New York indicate that motorists on the hunt represent about 28% of all traffic on Manhattan and 45% in Brooklyn." more ›

Many thanks to reader and LAist Featured Photos contributor Movie Lover for contributing these fantastic photos of yesterday's Doo Dah Parade. more ›

On Sunday, PasadenART Weekend concluded with a free seven hour Music Festival, featuring sets by Sara Lov (MySpace), Culver City Dub Collective (MySpace), Dengue Fever (MySpace), Ceci Bastida (MySpace), Jessica Fichot (MySpace), Balaio (a last-minute substitute for Tijuanos), and Jessie Baylin (MySpace), on the One Colorado Courtyard in Old Pasadena. more ›

Ninja Academy, XO @ CIA more ›

Unless otherwise noted, all performances
are free.

SATURDAY, 9/24

• DJs Michael Stock and Benjamin White of Part Time
  Punks continue their two month residency at
  MOCA. The show
  starts at 6pm and it's free with general museum admission. Call (213)
  621-1734.
  
• JB and The Rebellion's play at
  One
  Colorado in Old Pasadena,
  from 9pm to midnight. Call
  (626) 564-1066.
  

SUNDAY, 9/25

• Pianist Sara Naomi Sumitani performs at the Beverly
  Hills Public Library at 2pm. Call (310) 937-7275.
  
• Pianist Marina
  Lomazov plays
  at the LACMA Sundays
  Live Series.
  The show starts at 6pm. Call (323) 857-6234.
  
• Paul Bailey Ensemble performs
  at Mr. T's Bowl at 9pm (323)
  256-7561.
  
• DJs Michael Stock and Benjamin White spin post-punk, mutant disco and
  indie 80s-90s at the echo at 10pm.
  For info, call (213) 413-8200.
  
• Part Time Punks spin the Smiths, Morrissey
  and other Suedeheads all night long. The show starts at 10pm at the
  echo. Call (213) 413-8200.
  

MONDAY, 9/26

• Toys That Kill take the
  echo stage at 8:30pm. Call (213) 418-8200 for
  details.
  
• The Oohlas continue their residency
  at the
  echo. Doors open at 8pm but there's no cover after 10pm. For
  details, call (213) 413-8200.
  
• Run Run Run also continue their
  residency at Spaceland.
  Doors open at 8pm and the show begins at 9pm. Call (323) 661-4380
  
• One of the Loudest Tragedies Ever Heard take
  the stage at the
  Silverlake Lounge at 11pm. Call (323) 666-2407
  

Autumn officially starts this week... what better way to chase away the 5-degree
temperature fluctuation than some hot music? Unless otherwise noted, all performances
are free.

SATURDAY, 9/17

• Listen to Molly Howson & the Grits, Bucksworth, Skeeter Truck, Kingsizemaybe,
  Soda & His
  Million Piece Band, King Straggler, and 50 Cent Haircut at the Third
  Street Farmers Market at 3pm. For details, call (323) 933-9211.
  
• DJs Michael Stock and Benjamin White of Part Time
  Punks continue their two month residency at
  MOCA. The show
  starts at 6pm. Odd Nostrom of Anticon takes the stage at 8pm, followed
  by a screening of Rize.
  The evening is free with general museum admission. Call (213) 621-1734.
  
• Catch the Latin jazz of conguero Francisco
  Aguabella at
  One
  Colorado in Old Pasadena,
  from 9pm to midnight. Call
  (626) 564-1066.
  

SUNDAY, 9/18

• Mews Small & Her Fabulous Females, Brad Kayand Justefanie play
  at Unurban
  Coffeehouse at 1pm. Call (310) 315-0056.
  
• The USC Thornton Wind Ensemble, H. Robert Reynolds, principal conductor,
  and Sharon Lavery, resident conductor, perform works by Lauridsen, Piston,
  Milhaud, Hartmann and Grantham at USC
  Thornton School of Music at 4pm. Call (213) 740-2167.
  
• The Second Annual Bolero Festival features performances by Los Dandy’s,
  Mariachi Divas, Yari More y Su Orquesta, Trio Casablanca and Trio Guadalajara
  in the Exposition
  Park Rose Garden at 6pm. Call (213) 473-2304.
  
• Members
  of Chamber Music Palisades play at the LACMA Sundays
  Live Series.
  The show starts at 6pm. Call (323) 857-6234.
  
• DJs Michael Stock and Benjamin White spin post-punk, mutant disco and
  indie 80s-90s at the echo at 10pm.
  For info, call (213) 413-8200.
  
• Carlos Guitarlos plays at The Liquid Kitty at 10pm. For details, call (310)
  473-3707.
  

MONDAY, 9/19

• The Oohlas continue their residency
  at the
  echo. Doors open at 8pm but there's no cover after 10pm. For
  details, call (213) 413-8200.
  
• Run Run Run also continue their
  residency at Spaceland.
  Doors open at 8pm and the show begins at 9pm. Call (323) 661-4380
  
• One Of The Loudest
  Tragedies Ever Heard take the stage at the
  Silverlake Lounge at 11pm. Call (323) 666-2407
  

Kabuki Japanese Restaurant, 3539 East Foothill Boulevard, Pasadena, with other locations in Burbank, Cerritos, Hollywood, Howard Hughes Center, Old Pasadena, Rancho Cucamonga, and Woodland Hills. more ›

If you hate the winter holidays, now would be a good time to head for a cave. Weekends are filling up with Southland holiday rites and rituals. more ›