If your idea of a fun hiking trip involves maximum view for minimal effort, the site of the former Topanga Fire Lookout is a good destination. A quick walk on a fire road provides views of the Santa Monica Mountains, the San Gabriels, the Simi Hills, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, downtown L.A., the Santa Ana Mountains and San Gorgonio Mountain. more ›

The L.A. Sheriff's Department rescued a hiker who was trapped on the face of a Topanga cliff last night, according to a statement. The 24-year-old woman was stuck directly above a 300-foot drop. At about 6:30 p.m., a helicopter pilot and a paramedic lifted her up from the cliff. more ›

Early Tuesday morning a man walked into Topanga Area Community Police Station and told front desk officers that he'd killed his girlfriend. more ›

It was all but officially confirmed until this week. Costco will be the anchor store for The Village at Westfield Topanga in West San Fernando Valley. The news comes after letters sent to community members last month saying the grand vision for the upscale mixed-use project had been scaled back due to the economy. Originally, the $700 million plan to connect the Topanga and Promenade malls was said to rival Century City. more ›

Alone, on a dark stage with just a symphony of crickets in support, Mike Peebler slowly intoned the most important soliloquy in the English language. "To be or not to be," he asked the audience, and, though most could recite the speech by heart, we waited breathlessly for the answer. So it went in Topanga Canyon one summer's eve, where Hamlet, a play performed so often it risks cliche, unfurled through two-plus hours on the strength of a splendid cast who played off each other to create a stirring quilt of a drama. And the good news? They're their all summer. more ›

Tonight through Sunday are a few events to take you far enough away from the city to make you feel like you're on a trip without the Coachella traffic experience. more ›

So far, the threat of major mudslides remains just that. No large-scale evacuations have been ordered or mudslides have occurred. However, there have been some incidents here and there. Topanga Canyon Road, some five miles up from the coast, was shut down this morning due to a small rock slide, the Daily News reported. Sharp rocks flattened the tires of several cars. At 11 a.m., the road reopened. more ›

KNBC's lead morning reporter, Robert Kovacik shared this humorous fact today: "#Canoga Park: #Marijuana growing site found 25 ft from the back door of the #LAPD Topanga station. Topanga townhall w/ Beck scheduled Thurs." No doubt, cops were tipped off to the smell. more ›

When Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger saved state parks from closing, it didn't mean he saved them from service cuts. Today, state park officials announced how they would deal with a $14.2 million budget cut: Superintendents for each district (for example, many of L.A.'s nearby parks are in the Angeles District, beaches in the OC and Ventura County are in the Orange Coast and Channel Coast districts, respectively) had to share the sacrifice and find cuts on a park-by-park basis. more ›

The new Neiman Marcus slated to officially open this Friday in Canoga Park is expected to be a big one. It's the "centerpiece of the final phase of a $500 million renovation of Westfield Topanga," it will have "couture salons" (something not even the the NM in Beverly Hills has) and more than 100 pieces from the "The Art of John Lennon" will be on display this weekend at the store. "I'm proud of every work that's there," Yoko Ono told the Daily News. "I hand-picked them for good reason. They had to be artistically good and reflect his spirit." In Pasadena, Ono's Wish Tree project at One Colorado continues through November. more ›

Note: Robert Francis plays tonight at The Troubadour.

Last month, the singer-songwriter supergroup trio The Living Sisters (MySpace), comprised of The Bird and the Bee (MySpace)'s Inara George (MySpace), Eleni Mandell (MySpace), and Lavender Diamond (MySpace)'s Becky Stark, performed at the 35th Annual Topanga Days Festival (MySpace). more ›

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For most of the 5.5-mile Pacific Palisades hike at the popular Paseo Miramar trail towards Parker Overlook, you can see the ocean. Located two blocks east of Pacific Coast Highway on Sunset (map found below), the hike is a popular one, often leaving the dense hillside neighborhood at the top of the street strapped for parking, which means hikers must prepare to walk an extra quarter to half mile uphill through winding streets before it hitting the packed dirt path. more ›

Who said emergency preparedness has to be boring? If you live, work or spend a good amount of time in Topanga, this free downloadable document is a must. The team that designed this 17 chapter disaster guide did an extremely beautiful job putting this visually exciting document together. And why did they do it? Here is the introduction from County Supervisor Yev Zaroslovsky: I am honored to present the inaugural edition of the Topanga... more ›