In tonight's Extra, Extra, comfort food gets a makeover, and hiring in the food industry rises.Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports. You can also find us on Pinterest, Storify, Foursquare, and Instagram (laistpics).
Extra, Extra: Exotic Sausages Are the New Black
L.A. Shines Brighter With New Solar Powered Street Lights
Following L.A.'s big announcement this week to ban plastic bags, the city will take another step toward a greener environment with the installation of new LED street lights.
Google Will Take Over Gold's Gym in Venice
Google muscled its way into more Venice Beach real estate and will take over Gold's Gym, the local landmark and "mecca of bodybuilding," in July 2014.
Domestic Violence Incident in Venice Leaves Man Shot
A man holding a woman and two children hostage in Venice was shot in the face by police, reports City News Service. The incident went down at about 1:15 this morning, after a neighbor heard a woman screaming for help and called the cops. When they showed up, they were able to see the suspect pinning a woman against a wall inside the house at Penmar Avenue and Lake Street. They heard a gunshot, and called in the SWAT team.
Video: This Coffee Table Doubles As an OG Nintendo Controller
What's the only thing cooler than a coffee table shaped like an OG Nintendo controller? One that actually works, duh.
The Boho Workbench in Venice designed a table that you can put your drinks on or use to play Nintendo (or both!)
Sorry Venice Beach: City Halts Plan to Install 175-foot Ferris Wheel at Windward Plaza
A controversial plan to erect a 175-foot Ferris wheel on Venice Beach has been scrapped, reports Venice Patch, and it was the City of L.A. that pulled the plug.
GQ Names Abbot Kinney 'The Coolest Block in America'
We all know Abbot Kinney Boulevard on L.A.'s West Side is awesome. Rife with eateries, watering holes, clothing stores, swanky home furnishing shops, salons, knick-knack spots, art galleries and public art displays, the bustling strip offers something for everyone. With this fact in mind, it was no surprise - more so a delight - to learn that GQ has dubbed the eclectic Venice locale "the coolest block in America."
Coming Soon To Abbot Kinney: Venice Open-Air Market
Venice's bustling Abbot Kinney Boulevard offers an eclectic mixture of eateries, watering holes, clothing stores, swanky home furnishing shops, knick-knack spots, art galleries and public art displays. Come April, the trendy strip will feature yet another reason to head to the West Side - a new open-air market.
Venice To Probe Silicon Beach: Home To Google, Digital Domain & JibJab
We know you're familiar with NorCal's Silicon Valley, but what about Silicon Beach? How about the Tech Coast? This area, home to an influx of tech companies and startups, is rooted in Santa Monica and stretches south along the coast, halting in Redondo Beach.
Russian Vodka Tycoon Docks World's 9th Largest Superyacht In Venice
If you're enjoying the sun and sea on the Westside today, notably in Venice, you may have noticed a nearly 440-foot long yacht docked off the coast (And if you didn't, we'll safely assume you were day drinking). Apparently, Russian vodka tycoon Yuri Scheffler is also enjoying the SoCal weather, wowing the eyes of beachgoers.
Extra, Extra: Venice is for Lovers, Local Dog Makes Good, and Marriage is Cheap
In tonight's Extra, Extra, Venice gets a romantic designation, a local Australian Shepherd goes to the show, and the affianced can save some dough. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.
Extra, Extra: A Hollywood Gigolo, A Ban on Pot Shops and Jehovah's Witnesses at Cedars-Sinai
In tonight's Extra, Extra, a post-World War II gigolo writes a memoir, a radio station ponders a ban on pot shops, and Jehovah's Witnesses ask that their beliefs be honored. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.
Bike Lane Installation Underway on Main Street in Venice
Main Street in Venice is going on a "road diet" and today crews began the work of removing one car lane in each direction to make room for new bike lanes. The new bike lanes will run between Winward Circle and Marine Street at the Santa Monica border.
Street Closures for Sunday's '13.1 Los Angeles' Half-Marathon That Kicks Off in Venice
The 13.1 Los Angeles half-marathon kicks off tomorrow morning in Venice and heads south down to Playa Vista and loops back. The race kicks off at the Venice Boardwalk at Rose at 7 am Sunday.
Fifth Grade Photogs Donate Their Work to the Environment
Local fifth grade photography students are putting their creative skills to good use this November and December, using their art to benefit the environment. The G2 Gallery's Jared Nigro joined forces with Todd Lesner's class at Westminster Avenue Elementary School in Venice to teach Lesner's students the art of the lens.
Chew On This: Take A Bao, Eat My Blog, Tar & Roses and More
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.
POST NO BILLS Promotes POPaganda
The Abbot Kinney gallery space Post No Bills hosted its first solo show Thursday featuring the dark side of pop culture jabbing at children's sugary cereal to the tragic Marilyn Monroe. ENGLISH 101 is a signature mash-up of pop culture and societal satire by multi-media artist Ron English, who lays claim to the term POPaganda.
L.A. Firefighters Who Participated in Porn Shoot Will Not Be Spanked Thanks to Legal Loophole
Los Angeles City Firefighters involved in providing fire trucks for two adult films will not face disciplinary action, according to an investigation ordered by Fire Chief Brian Cummings.
Spinning, Yoga & Pilates Plus: Revolution Fitness Whips Westsiders into Shape
Sometimes you wanna spin where everybody knows your name. And you're always glad you came. This place is Revolution Fitness. With two locations - Santa Monica and Venice - the boutique style studios invite Angelenos, namely Westsiders, to spin, stretch and pump themselves fit in an embracing, community-focused atmosphere.
Get Out: Tarfest, Abbot Kinney Festival and Photographer Oscar Castillo
Get out, so you can enjoy music on the Miracle Mile, celebrate sustainability in Venice and revisit the Chicano art movement.
See That Multimillion-Dollar Malibu Beach Home? Come 2100, It Could Be Submerged in the Pacific
The rising Pacific has an insatiable, slowly increasing hunger for multimillion-dollar homes. By 2100 the chilly sea could swallow numerous California coastal areas, including Malibu and Venice, according to a state-commissioned study released by San Francisco State University today.
Trio of L.A. Locals 'Outwit, Outplay, Outlast' in 'Survivor: South Pacific'
Angelenos, if you're searching for a reason to watch "Survivor: South Pacific," we have three. A trio of L.A. locals will contend with fifteen other castaways in the 23rd installment of the popular reality series.
Extra, Extra
In tonight's Extra, Extra, we have a complete history of Larry David's on-screen culinary adventures, a would-be burglar gets robbed and Apple's new headquarters get panned. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.
Beach Trash Mosaic Adorns Exterior Wall of Venice Surf Shop
A magnificent yet tedious street art project just wrapped this afternoon in Venice, and passers-by are approvingly snapping photos of the brilliant display. Barefoot Wine, the Surfrider Foundation and four local artists combined forces to create a 14x10-foot "One Beach" film poster mural on the side of Mollusk Surf Shop.
The 'Tourist Bandit's' Vacation is Over
There comes a time when every tourist — bandit or not — needs to pack up his tacky souvenir sweatshirts for good.
The authorities finally caught up with our own tourist bandit, also known as Rex Lutton, 54, who was suspected of robbing banks in Venice and West Hollywood. Those sweatshirts and the kinda touristy locations of his crimes earned him the moniker.
Women Demand Their Equal Rights to Bare Boobs On Annual Go Topless Day
"Boobies are for babies!" cries out a bare bellied, and bare chested, expectant mother amid a small crowd of her topless sisters. It is Venice Beach, on a sunny Sunday, and the cause is laid out for all to see: Women should be allowed to go topless, just like men. This is the annual Go Topless Day protest, march, and gathering.
Chiseled Visage: Venice Street Art Process Captured on Video
Portuguese-born artist Vhils has elevated Abbot Kinney street art to a new level, chiseling a woman's face into the exterior south-facing wall of the Post No Bills gallery in conjunction with the current European Bailout Show.
Investigation Continues Into Venice Pastor's Alleged Sexual Molestation of 14-Year-Old Girl
Police are continuing to investigate a youth pastor in Venice who was charged Friday with the sexual molestation of a 14-year-old girl, according to a news conference held by the LAPD this morning. Demetrius Darnell Allen, 28, allegedly had a year-long relationship with the girl, who was a parishioner at First Baptist Church in Venice.

