To celebrate the re-opening of all 73 Los Angeles Public Library locations for Monday hours today, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa made some time to read a story to some kids following a press conference at Central Library. Villaraigosa's Sr. Press Secretary, Sarah Hamilton, whose imminent departure made headlines today, posted this photo to her Twitter. more ›

It was all smiles on this sunny Friday afternoon as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge deplaned and walked the tarmac, greeted by California and Los Angeles political big wigs. Never one to shy away from a clicking camera, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was on hand to shake hands and flash his pearly whites at LAX. Welcome to Los Angeles, William and Kate. Say cheese! more ›

It would figure that everyday would be No Pants Day for Superman and the Black Swan. Thanks Los Angeles for this profoundly confusing and wondrous shot of a typical day on the streets of LA. Why is she saving him with one leg? Cause that's how it's done. more ›

This colorful altar was spotted and snapped yesterday at the Day of the Dead art opening at Self Help Graphics in East L.A. more ›

Think you're a fan of Broadway musicals? Think Again. Caught this week on the 704 Metro Rapid down Santa Monica Boulevard was this guy, complete with tattoos on his legs and arms featuring, not intricate designs, but logos from musicals such as Cats, Oklahoma, Guys and Dolls, Dreamgirls, A Chorus Line, Rumors and 42nd Street. Now that's awesome dedication. more ›

It's street political activism at its best and we're sure many of you agree with this sign that covers a Los Angeles city meter found by LAist Featured Photos contributor Lord Jim. "Stop Feeding Your Government, What Have They Done to Feed You?" reads the sign that shows a fist inside the mouth of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. But no matter how one feels about the issue we're sure everyone will pay to avoid getting a ticket.
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This is a spectacular WANTED sign. It's not looking for a missing puppy, yet it includes drawings to identify the missing objects. The drawing of the shopping cart -- 3-dimensional wiring -- that deserves a prize. We should all send them a dollar to buy new stuff just for that drawing. What's even more amazing is that there is more than one sign. They replicated that drawing by hand. more ›

When a bear sitting some 15 feet high in a tree was shot with a tranquilizer this morning in Porter Ranch, it fell onto a safety cushion that firefighters placed below. The situation was nothing unusual, but the photo LA Times photographer Lawrence K. Ho captured was amazingly cartoony (we love it!) Check out a larger version here. more ›

Spotted on Earth Day along Hollywood Boulevard with no owner in site. A skateboard with various reusable bags precariously balanced, the top one with plants in it. more ›

Here we are on La Brea south of Sunset. What we see is an intersection of freedoms that not all think should be allowed. At one point, the Los Angeles City Council tried to ban lap dances at strip clubs and earlier this year they voted to substantially limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries. As for billboards and other signage... well, they're still working on that. more ›

We spied this humorous photo via Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Twitter feed this afternoon. He's seen here in his office sharing a moment with the ubiquitous Flat Stanley (we've hung out with him too, and advocated for his integrity as a symbol of literacy). more ›

This is just too 'effin adorable to pass up. Travis Kaplow at LA Metblogs scored an amazingly cute photo of a hot pink children's car parked in a space next to a full sized car. "Must be the Mini-Me version of Angelyne," joked blogger David Markland in the comments section. Or perhaps it's the beginning of the next Valley Girl as this was found in Sherman Oaks, home to Galleria and nearby to Frank Zappa's old home. more ›

Holy Merry Christmas! Daily News photographer Michael Owen Baker caught this van loaded with bicycles parked on Glenoaks Boulevards in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Lake View Terrace (say "LVT" to sound like a neighborhood local) in the Northeast Valley. See a larger image here. Found via the new Daily News photo twitter account more ›

There are thousands of stories to tell in Los Angeles, but sometimes a picture says so much more. Thanks to our LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr, here are 7 moments worth taking a second look at in our 7 Reasons to Love L.A. series. more ›

There are thousands of stories to tell in Los Angeles, but sometimes a picture says so much more. Thanks to our LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr, here are 7 moments worth taking a second look at in our 7 Reasons to Love L.A. series. more ›

Forget regular old lit up Christmas Trees or other signs of this festive time of year; it's pretty tough to compete with this local legend of a home and its row of David statues all dolled up for the holidays. It's Norrywood, decked out for Christmas 2009! more ›

There are thousands of stories to tell in Los Angeles, but sometimes a picture says so much more. Thanks to our LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr, here are 7 moments worth taking a second look at in our 7 Reasons to Love L.A. series. more ›

There's a lot of shopping going on this year, and to lure in customers sidewalk signage is out in full force. While this kind of gaffe can happen year-round, this sign-making oops was found just a few days ago outside a South Pasadena beauty shop. That's b-e-a-u-t-y shop. Hopefully they are, in fact, beauty experts, since they aren't evidently spelling experts. more ›

Getting a shot from this vantage point is pretty rare. That's because in recent years, the Hollywood Sign has become more highly guarded than ever before, which means casual explorers, hiking enthusiasts, tormented would-be starlets, pranksters, and enemies of the state are kept at bay from the 86-year-old icon on the hillside. more ›

There are thousands of stories to tell in Los Angeles, but sometimes a picture says so much more. Thanks to our LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr, here are 7 moments worth taking a second look at in our 7 Reasons to Love L.A. series. more ›

Also file this under "Only in L.A," where medical marijuana is in abundance--around 1,000 dispensaries by unofficial count. This canister, still with some weed left in it, was spotted by a kid--what's "kush?" she asked her mother--at Beverly and La Brea over the weekend. The area is rife with dispensaries. more ›

From the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr comes this bizarre chance encounter in Highland Park. Says photog janeray1940 of the episode:

I ran into this guy while walking down York Boulevard. He was a bit borracho and was dancing with his dog. I asked if I could take his picture, and he proceeded to make his dog "spread'em" against the wall as if he were arresting him. All the more ironic since we had just passed a street closure with a major police investigation going on...I still can't decide if the trick was amusing, or if it bordered on cruelty, but the dog seemed to enjoy showing off.

There are thousands of stories to tell in Los Angeles, but sometimes a picture says so much more. Thanks to our LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr, here are 7 moments worth taking a second look at in our 7 Reasons to Love L.A. series. more ›

Forget the gap-toothed grins and the wide-eyed haunted faces; what says Los Angeles on Halloween more than Los Angeles itself on a Jack O'Lantern? LAist readers and Featured Photos pool contributors Sadie and Allison Crabtree set the city on fire...on the faces of their pumpkins. The iconic Hollywood sign gleams while the Griffith Observatory sits majestically on their pumpkin-y perches. Of course, we don't ever want to see those hills burn quite so close to those landmarks--but on a day that's about illusion, trickery, and the darker side, well, why not?
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This photograph looks like it could have been taken anywhere. There was just something so timeless and universal about this moment. Evening had not yet become night, so it was still, but with a quiet bustle all around. Businesses were closing down, carpets were being shaken out and pails of water were being dumped. It's not Bangkok. It's not Mexico City. It's the alley behind Mozza. more ›