Today was the day that the first Barbie doll made her debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York in 1959. Make fun of her all you want, but Barbie's an icon whose life has been far more interesting than any reality show, and yes we know if she were real her head wouldn't be supported by her body dimensions or some such thing, but come on. Even Dolly Parton named her newest record "Backwoods Barbie." more ›

One had never seen so much commotion on Robertson Boulevard, even on a day when Paris or Lindsey are nowhere in sight. Yesterday British designer Anya Hindmarch's limited edition, ecologically-friendly bag took center stage. All this for $15!! I had heard of the first edition of these bags long after they had sold out. I checked out the website to see what all the fuss was about. There one could register for the waiting... more ›

Australia Week is a celebration of all the great things about Australia including food, wine, film, arts, lifestyle and culture and it's returning to Los Angeles from January 10-15. Started in LA in 2004, G'day USA has events going on all over town where you can get into the "down under" mind set or just inhale all of the accents, turn on the charm and see what happens. more ›

In order to provide more space for drag queen street races, and due to the Annual West Hollywood Halloween Parade, the following streets will be closed from 1pm to 6am: -- Santa Monica Boulevard between La Cienega Boulevard and Doheny Drive. -- Robertson Boulevard between Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. -- San Vicente Boulevard between Cynthia Street and Melrose Avenue. From 6 p.m. through 6 a.m., La Cienega Boulevard will be closed between... more ›

There's a sort of art form to a good breakfast, and LAist is extremely dedicated to unearthing the city's best. We take our breakfast seriously. We like choices, quality, substance, invention of ingredients, and that hard-to-come by feeling of satisfaction after a morning meal. A good cup of coffee and efficient service helps, too. Recently we made the foray down to the restaurant-heavy section of West Third Street, past The Grove and on the way to shopping heaven, AKA Robertson Boulevard, and to Doughboys. more ›

We half expected to trip over clatches of camera-burdened paparazzi lying in wait outside The Ivy's chaotic patio, or outside the beckoning glass doors of Kitson, but no such luck. In fact, aside from a couple of dour-faced town car chauffeurs and a whole lot of faces that had a whole lot of work done, our shopping excursion down the blocks of Robertson Boulevard between Third and Beverly was fairly uneventful. This little strip of boutiques has been getting a lot of press lately, mostly because today's tabloid fodder (Jessica! Paris! Nicole! Lindsay!--and by "Lindsay!" we don't mean us. Er, uh, me, that is) knows they can score some goods and some major photo ops on the sidewalks there. The December issue of Los Angeles magazine is devoted to where young Hollywoodites do their shopping in LA, which can be at times akin to an art form, for those with the time, money, and patience to devote to the indulgent passtime. Of course, this time of year, most of us--even the reluctant--find ourselves having to shop until we drop, either out of frustration, poverty, or exhaustion. But if you're willing and able, grab some quarters for the parking meters, and head on down to Robertson. more ›

The next few days are all about classes aimed at getting folks in the kitchen and their hands dirty in preparation for holiday feats and foodie gift-making. Check out some of these holiday how-tos: more ›

Aaah, lucky number thirteen. Well, here on LAist, there's no such thing as an unlucky number, although there is such a thing as a coffee shop that's famous. You know, in sort of a trendy, wannabe, Paris Hilton kind of way. more ›