Maydan Market, the highly-anticipated new food court in West Adams, is now open.
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Ashley Randall for Maydan Market
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In this edition:
AirTalk at the BroadStage, Elbow plays the Wiltern, a Nosferatu-themed puppet show, artists take over the Bradbury Building and more of the best things to do this week.
Highlights:
Following last week’s arrest in the Palisades Fire case, AirTalk host Larry Mantle will sit down with local and state politicians to check in on where fire recovery efforts stand now and how far the city has to go.
English rockers Elbow helped define the British sound coming out from across the pond in the late '90s and have been at it together ever since, with ten studio albums to their name, including their latest release, 2024's Audio Vertigo. This week, the band plays a show at the Wiltern.
A law firm might be an improbable place to see some excellent art, but every year, the Quinn Emanuel Arts Foundation hosts two artists in residence and opens up the space to the public. This year’s works are from artists Rio Phoenix and Adee Robinson.
On the heels of the nine-month marker since the Palisades and Eaton fires, and following last week’s arrest in the Palisades Fire case, AirTalk host Larry Mantle will sit down with local and state politicians to check in on where fire recovery efforts stand now and how far the city has to go. Join us on Tuesday, when we’ll be at the BroadStage in Santa Monica as part of AirTalk’s 40th anniversary with CD 11 Councilwoman Traci Park, State Senator Ben Allen and more to discuss how best to navigate this new reality.
Our friends at Licorice Pizza have a ton of incredible music picks for the week ahead, including British indie darlings Wolf Alice at the Wiltern on Monday, Parcels at the Forum on Tuesday, the recently reunited Rilo Kiley at the Greek, and indie rockers TV on the Radio at the Greek on Wednesday. On Thursday, Japanese band Shonen Knife plays the Roxy, and punk legends GBH are at the Regent.
Thursday, October 16, 7 p.m. Elbow The Wiltern 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown COST: FROM $29; MORE INFO
Guy Harvey of Elbow performs onstage during Kelvingrove Bandstand Summer Nights 2025.
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Martin Grimes
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Getty Images
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English rockers Elbow helped define the British sound coming out from across the pond in the late '90s and have been at it together ever since, with ten studio albums to their name, including their latest release, 2024's Audio Vertigo. They also made one of my favorite U2 covers ever, “Running to Stand Still,” for the War Child charity album in 2009.
Through Wednesday, December 31 'The Other Side of Memory': Photographs by Luis C. Garza Old Orange County Courthouse 211 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana COST: FREE; MORE INFO
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, head to Orange County for a look at rare black-and-white images capturing Chicano activism and community life in the 1960s and '70s. The exhibit is free and open Monday to Friday through the end of the year.
Through Wednesday, October 29, 2025 LA County's Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day 2025 Multiple locations COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Los Angeles Department of Parks & Recreation
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L.A. County Parks are honoring Indigenous cultures throughout the month with community-building activities, drum circles, storytelling and much more. This Wednesday, head to San Dimas for native seed planting at an all-ages event.
October 13-14, 9:30 p.m. Nosferatu’s Sweet 16 The Elysian 1944 Riverside Drive, Echo Park COST: FROM $19; MORE INFO
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Courtesy The Elysian
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Halloween season is upon us, and with it, the weird and wonderful creative minds of L.A. are putting their spin on the fun. Puppet company Freak Nature is hosting Nosferatu’s Sweet 16 at the Elysian Theater, a stage musical and puppet show about “one very interesting vampire family band.” The puppet-and-haunted-house experience will get you in the spooky spirit. Even though it's a show with puppets, it is meant for ages 13 and up.
Wednesday, October 15, 5 p.m. 'Tracing Perfume: A Genealogy of Spice' The Institute for Art and Olfaction 932 Chung King Road, Chinatown COST: $49.87; MORE INFO
Ever wonder how perfume becomes perfume? At the Institute for Art and Olfaction, you can get a hands-on master class in exactly that. Dana El Masri explores the history of fine fragrance through classes that ask how different scents came to be part of the perfumers’ world. This edition looks at spices like cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger, black pepper, pink pepper and saffron. You’ll get a chance to experience the smells and learn about how perfumers make an industry from these now-common kitchen spice rack items.
Through Thursday, October 30 Quinn Emanuel presents Rio Phoenix and Adee Roberson Bradbury Building 304 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
A law firm might be an improbable place to see some excellent art, but every year, the Quinn Emanuel Arts Foundation hosts two artists in residence and opens up the space to the public. This year’s works are from artists Rio Phoenix and Adee Robinson. Phoenix’s lush landscape photographs pair with Roberson’s mix of projects that combine performance, video, painting, and sound. Both take advantage of the Bradbury Building’s unique architecture and relationship with the city around us.
Thursday, October 16, 8 p.m. Live Talks: An Evening With Andrew Ross Sorkin Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center at Vista Del Mar 3200 Motor Ave., Culver City COST: $25-$50 GENERAL ADMISSION, VIRTUAL: $48 (INCLUDES SIGNED BOOK); MORE INFO
Andrew Ross Sorkin speaks during The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2024 at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
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Eugene Gologursky
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Getty Images
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Journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, the bestselling author of Too Big to Fail, is back with his next take on finance history with 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History– And How it Shattered a Nation. Hear him discuss the ripple effects of the crash and how it affected American history in profound ways that still echo today.
Viewing Pick
Wednesday, October 15, 7 p.m. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Barnsdall Gallery Theatre 4800 Hollywood Blvd., East Hollywood COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Barnsdall Gallery Theatre
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Dig deep into the divides within society at this CD 13-sponsored screening of the 1972 film, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre. The Lens on Life series is a regular event led by Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez's office. This edition is partnering with the Luis Buñuel Film Institute and the Democratic Socialists of America, L.A. chapter, for a discussion afterwards.
Dine & Drink Deals
Ongoing Maydan Market food hall opens 4301 W. Jefferson Blvd., West Adams COST: VARIES; MORE INFO
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Ashley Randall for Maydan Market
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The food event of the season! West Adams is now the home of Chef Rose Previte’s ambitious project, Maydan Market. The 10,000-square-foot warehouse space combines a mix of culinary concepts, including Previte’s new outpost of her Washington, D.C., restaurants Maydan and Compass Rose, plus six other local food businesses, including Yhing Yhang BBQ, from Chef Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat of Holy Basil,Lugya’h by James Beard Award-nominated Poncho’s Tlayudas, which originated as a pop-up in South Los Angeles, and Maléna, a new concept by the team behind Tamales Elena.
Tuesday, October 14, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. World Famous Pie Contest Torrance Certified Farmers Market 2420 W. Carson St., Suite 225, Torrance COST: FREE; MORE INFO
I’m a Great British Bake Off fanatic. If you are, too, bake up your best — no soggy bottoms here — and enter it into the World Famous Pie Contest celebrating 40 years of the Torrance Farmers Market. Festivities also include a pie-eating contest (some of us are better at that than making them!) and other prize giveaways.
Jorge "Coqui" H. Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on Wednesady to demand the Dodgers not visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.
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J.W. Hendricks
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The LA Local
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Topline:
Less than 24 hours before season opener, longtime Dodgers fans demand the team divest from immigration detention centers and decline the White House visit.
More details: More than 30 people joined Richard Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. “We are demanding that the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together we have the power to make a change.”
Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium.
“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.
Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.
More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team.
“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”
Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”
Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.
Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.
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J.W. Hendricks
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The LA Local
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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers.
“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.
The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants.
The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.
When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a “slap in the face.”
“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”
According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.
“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”
The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place.
Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.
“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.
Destiny Torres
is LAist's general assignment reporter and brings you the top news you need for the day.
Published March 25, 2026 3:38 PM
The warmer weather and high water flow are causing an early outbreak of black flies in the San Gabriel Valley.
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Courtesy SGV Mosquito and Vector Control District
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Topline:
The warmer weather and high water flow are causing an early outbreak of black flies in the San Gabriel Valley, according to officials.
What are black flies? Black flies are tiny, pesky insects that often get mistaken for mosquitoes. The biting flies breed near foothill communities like Altadena, Azusa, San Dimas and Glendora. They also thrive near flowing water.
What you need to know: Black flies fly in large numbers and long distances. When they bite both humans and pets, they aim around the eyes and the neck. While the bites can be painful, they don’t transmit diseases in L.A. County.
A population spike: Anais Medina Diaz, director of communications at the SGV Mosquito and Vector Control District, told LAist that at this time last year, surveillance traps had single-digit counts of adult black flies, but this year those traps are collecting counts above 500.
So, why is the population growing? Diaz said the surge is unusual for this time of year.
“We are experiencing them now because of the warmer temperatures we've been having,” Diaz said. “And of course, all the water that's going down through the river, we have a high flow of water that is not typical for this time of year.”
What officials are doing: Officials say teams are identifying and treating public sources where black flies can thrive, but that many of these sites are influenced by natural or infrastructure conditions outside their control.
How to protect yourself: Black flies can be hard to avoid outside in dense vegetation, but you can reduce the chance of a bite by:
Wearing loose-fitted clothing that covers the entire body.
Wearing a hat with netting on top.
Spraying on repellent, but check the label. For a repellent to be effective, it needs to have at least 15% DEET, the only active ingredient that works against black flies.
Turning off any water features like fountains for at least 24 hours, especially in foothill communities.
See an uptick in black flies in your area? Here's how to report it
SGV Mosquito and Vector Control District Submit a tip here You can also send a tip to district@sgvmosquito.org (626) 814-9466
Greater Los Angeles Vector Control District Submit a service request here You can also send a service request to info@GLAmosquito.org (562) 944-9656
Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control Submit a report here You can also send a report to ocvcd@ocvector.org (714) 971-2421 or (949) 654-2421
Keep up with LAist.
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Robert Garrova
explores the weird and secret bits of SoCal that would excite even the most jaded Angelenos. He also covers mental health.
Published March 25, 2026 3:28 PM
Jeremy Kaplan and Florence at READ Books in Eagle Rock.
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Courtesy Jeremy Kaplan
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Topline:
Local favorite mom and pop shop READ Books in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say they’re just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.
The backstory: Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and their shop dog Florence.
What happened? The building where Kaplan and his wife Debbie rent was recently sold and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.
What's next? While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.
Read on... for what small businesses can do.
A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.
Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.
Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.
“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.
But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.
Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.
California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.
Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.
What can small businesses do?
Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.
Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.
“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.
She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.
“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.
Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.
While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.
Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.
Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.
By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.
When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.
“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.
“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”
Kavish Harjai
writes about infrastructure that's meant to help us move about the region.
Published March 25, 2026 3:12 PM
A field team member of the Bureau of Street Lighting installs a solar-powered light in Filipinotown.
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Mayor Bass Communications Office
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Topline:
The Los Angeles City Council approved a plan in a 13-1 vote on Tuesday to send ballots to more than half a million property owners asking if they are willing to pay more per year to fortify the city’s streetlight repair budget, most of which has essentially been frozen since the 1990s. The item still requires L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ signature, but her office confirmed to LAist on Wednesday that she’ll approve it.
Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.
Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.
Near unanimous vote: L.A.City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote on Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.
Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.
How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.
Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired.The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.
Topline:
The Los Angeles City Council approved a plan in a 13-1 vote Tuesday to send ballots to more than a half-million property owners asking if they are willing to pay more per year to fortify the city’s streetlight repair budget, most of which essentially has been frozen since the 1990s. The item still requires L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ signature, but her office confirmed to LAist on Wednesday that she’ll approve it.
Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.
Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.
Near unanimous vote: L.A.City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.
Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.
How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.
Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.
