Yusra Farzan
covers Orange County and its 34 cities, watching those long meetings — boards, councils and more — so you don’t have to.
Published April 17, 2024 11:33 AM
A rendering of a possible immersive theme park expansion on the existing surface parking area near the Disneyland Hotel, Downtown Disney District and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel.
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Courtesy of DisneylandForward
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Topline:
DisneylandForward, the theme park’s $1.9 billion expansion plan, received unanimous approval from Anaheim’s city council early Wednesday morning. While Disney will not be expanding beyond its approximately 1,078-acre footprint, the approval results in zoning changes which allows the entertainment conglomerate to convert its properties to mixed use “immersive experiences.”
What do we know about the expansion: Disney’s surface parking lots, namely the Toy Story lot and the Downtown Disney parking lots, will give way to new developments like hotels and attractions.
Disney is also looking to replicate parking structures on the east side of the Disney property on the west side too, according to Mike Lyster, Anaheim city spokesperson.
How does the city benefit? City staff said that around 30% of the city’s general fund is currently generated by the resort. That number could increase, they said, with the expansion.
Disney's plan also includes $30 million for affordable housing, $8 million for Anaheim parks, as well as $45 million for street and transportation improvements and $10 million for sewer improvements along Katella Avenue.
Are residents on board? Some residents who spoke during public comment vehemently opposed the expansion, as they worry it will drive up rents pushing residents out of the city. Others were excited the expansion could increase their property value.
DisneylandForward, the theme park’s $1.9 billion expansion plan, received unanimous approval from Anaheim’s city council early Wednesday morning.
While Disney will not be expanding beyond its approximately 1,078-acre footprint, the approval results in zoning changes which allows the entertainment conglomerate to convert its properties to mixed use “immersive experiences.”
Currently, hotels have to be built within the hotel district and attractions like rides are limited to the theme park areas. Much of the development will be centered on surface-level parking lots.
The proposal will come before the city council again in May for a second vote.
An illustrative map of how the DisneylandForward plan fits into the current Disney footprint in Anaheim.
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Courtesy DisneylandForward
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What are some of the proposed changes
Two of Disney’s surface parking lots, namely the Toy Story lot and the Downtown Disney parking lot, will be “giving way to new development, so new theme park attractions, new hotels, new entertainment, retail, and dining versus the surface parking they are today,” Mike Lyster, Anaheim city spokesperson told LAist.
Lyster added that since the new additional theme park attractions could bring more guests, Disney will also replicate the parking structure (Mickey and Friends and Pixar Pals) that are currently on the west side of Disney property on the east side too.
“It would actually do a great job serving those coming from the south,” he said. “So if you were driving up from San Diego, it would be a very easy way for you to come in and get right off the 5 Freeway and go directly into a parking structure of roughly about 17,000 spaces.”
Also included in the DisneylandForward plan is the construction of a pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard, a busy thoroughfare that can carry between 40,000 to 60,000 vehicles daily according to Lyster.
In the plan, Disney looks to purchase three public streets including Magic Way, which carries approximately 15,000 cars daily.
Lyster said a Disney study showed that the majority of the users of the road are visitors to the park and less than 1% use it to cut through to the 5 Freeway.
“We are actually looking to make some improvements to the corner at Ball Road, dedicated right- and left-hand turn lanes, that would make it a lot easier for somebody who may no longer have Magic Way as an option to get to the freeway,” Lyster said.
But longtime Anaheim resident Mike Robbins opposes the plan, including the sale of the streets. Residents, he said, use the street to cut through to the freeway.
“I was told by a specific neighbor who said that he had done both (using Ball Road and Magic Way), that it could be 14 minutes going up to Ball Road and four minutes going down Magic Way to the 5 Freeway,” Robbins said.
How the city benefits from the resort
During Tuesday evening’s meeting that went into the early hours of Wednesday, city staff said that around 30% of the city’s general fund is currently generated by the resort. That number could increase, they said, with the expansion. The general fund, staff said, pays for city services such as the police force, parks, and fire department.
Also included in the expansion plan was a commitment by Disney to the city for $30 million for affordable housing, $8 million for Anaheim parks, as well as $45 million for street and transportation improvements and $10 million for sewer improvements along Katella Avenue.
Disney will give the city $15 million towards affordable housing within one year of the project’s approval, with the remainder of the money to be given within the next five years. And the city has discretion on how to use the funds.
Resident concerns
The meeting on Tuesday evening drew a mix of public speakers: Some residents spoke of the “possible displacement” of Anaheim residents because it could increase rents in the city and “gentrification” of the city because of the expansion.
“No amount of Disney's expensive magic will outweigh the people's right to simply live and survive outside their doors,” one speaker said.
But, other residents spoke of their excitement at their home value potentially increasing because of the expansion.
“When Disney wins, Anaheim and the residents win,” the speaker said.
"Donald Trump is violating the law and constitution. He's ignoring court orders. He has weaponized the Justice Department to go after his enemies. He is letting loose ice troops in our streets that are getting people killed. I will not be attending the State of the Union. I've never missed one. I have always gone both to inaugurations and to states of the Union, but we cannot treat this as normal," he said in his message.
What's next: Instead, Schiff plans to attend The People's State of the Union, organized by Democratic advocacy organizations MoveOn and MeidasTouch on the National Mall that same night, joining a number of Democratic lawmakers who'll also be skipping President Trump's address to the nation on Tuesday.
It's a musical instrument that weighs over 100 lbs
Robert Garrova
explores the weird and secret bits of SoCal that would excite even the most jaded Angelenos. He also covers mental health.
Published February 22, 2026 5:00 AM
Ariel Campos plays the marimba at a recent marimba salon
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Courtesy Ariel Campos
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Topline:
Local non-profit SoCal Marimbas is dedicated to the promotion of marimba performance. And you can catch live performance at a 'marimba salon' near you.
The backstory: A percussion instrument deeply-rooted in African music, the marimba shows up in everything from atonal avant-garde pieces to modern American pop songs. And yes, many people might know about its clear, playful tones through the iPhone ringtone of the same name.
A marimba club? But with its couch-sized layout of wooden bars and metal resonators, it's not always as accessible as say a guitar or more compact instrument.
Ariel Campos, director of Southern California Marimbas, hopes to change that. He and his colleagues put on regular 'marimba salons' where you can hear a wide-array of music performed on the percussion instrument, from pop to atonal music.
Read on ... to learn about the next event, and find out why Campos fell in love with the instrument.
A percussion instrument deeply-rooted in African music, the marimba shows up in everything from atonal avant-garde pieces to modern American pop songs. And yes, many people might know about its clear, playful tones through the iPhone ringtone of the same name.
But with its couch-sized layout of wooden bars and metal resonators, it's not always as accessible as say a guitar or more compact instrument.
Enter a man and a local non-profit on a mission to bring marimba to the masses.
From his home studio, Ariel Campos remembered one of the first times he really got intrigued by the marimba. He was listening to local radio.
“And I hear Tom Waits ‘Swordfishtrombone.’ That was like before Shazam and all that. And I was like, ‘what’s going on over here?!’” he said.
Campos teaches percussion at Mt. San Antonio College and he’s director of Southern California Marimba, a group dedicated to the promotion of marimba performance.
With its roots in Africa, Campos said American history is rich with the sounds of the marimba. That includes musicians like Clair Omar Musser, who toured with the instrument -- which can weigh hundreds of pounds -- back in the 1920s.
In his studio filled with an array of other percussion instruments, Campos explained that the marimba is usually played with two, four or even six mallets. When I met with him earlier this month, he demonstrated the dexterity needed to pull that off on his own antique marimba: A hulking Deagan marimba he estimates was built in the 1920s.
Campos said he’s also interested in the rich marimba heritage of countries like Mexico and Guatemala, where the instrument is still very much alive.
In Guatemala, where the marimba is the national instrument, it’s not uncommon for three or more people to play the same instrument at the same time, Campos said.
“There’s a great band right now from Mexico. They’re called Son Rompe Pera,” Campos said. “Their slogan is like: cumbia is the new punk. And so they play cumbia punk music on the marimba.”
A working musician who’s played marimba with acts like Brooks and Dunn, Campos has a wide repertoire: from classical to pop songs like the Los Bukis classic, “Tu Cárcel.”
For over a year now, Campos and his colleagues at Southern California Marimbas have brought an eclectic array of live marimba music to audiences in L.A. He calls them ‘marimba salons’ and they even include some of his weirder, more avant-garde creations. For some of his atonal pieces, Campos uses his fingers, bare hands and even a bass bow to bring out the more subtle sounds of the instrument.
Campos said his goal with the marimba salons is to bring the marimba out of the academic setting and into neighborhoods where people can experience it up close.
“It’s the idea of bringing people together, especially now, in these times. We need to build a sense of community. And that can look however we want it to look,” Campos said.
“And I think using the marimba to do that is a great opportunity.”
The next SoCal Marimba salon is coming up on Sunday March 22 at 8pm at Sunspace in Shadow Hills.
Mt. San Antonio College will also host a marimba festival and competition July 25-26. Check out Southern California Marimba’s website for more info as it becomes available.
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Fiona Ng
is LAist's deputy managing editor and leads a team of reporters who explore food, culture, history, events and more.
Published February 22, 2026 5:00 AM
Inside East L.A. Film Shop.
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Fiona Ng
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LAist
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Topline:
East L.A. Film Shop started in 2020, when owners Frank Ledezma and Jennyfer Gramajo needed to pivot their event photography business as the pandemic shut everything down. So they started to sell film for old-school cameras.
Why it matters: Unlike many pandemic-era businesses, East L.A. Film Shop not just survived, but thrived after COVID 19. And now, the husband and wife team is turning their shop into a community space for the neighborhood and beyond.
Read on ... to learn about their story, and a cool event happening there Sunday.
In early 2020, Frank Ledezma and Jennyfer Gramajo moved into a new storefront for their event photography business on First Street in East L.A.
But like the story of so many small businesses during the pandemic shutdown, the husband-and-wife team soon found themselves needing to pivot.
"We would do events for quinceañeras, baptisms, weddings," Gramajo said. "At that moment, all of our events were canceled."
Unlike the roller-coaster experiences that have defined so many mom-and-pops, though, their East L.A. Film Shop has been a story of unexpected success.
Inside East L.A. Film Shop.
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Fiona Ng
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LAist
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Selling rolls
Gramajo and Ledezma went from shooting photos to selling film to photographers, during a crazy-making time when there probably wasn't a better way to kill time than to take your camera out and capture a suspended world.
"You couldn't find film. People were still shooting," Ledezma said. "People still wanted to go out and shoot."
The couple was already selling some photo supplies before the pandemic, but not much. After the lockdown, Gramajo said Ledezma asked her if he should pour their savings to go all in on the switch, based off a friend's suggestion, on a wing and a prayer.
"I'm like, 'Well, I think you should just buy a couple of rolls and see how it goes,'" Gramajo remembered.
Frank Ledezma and Jennyfer Gramajo, the husband and wife owners of East L.A. Film Shop.
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Fiona Ng
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LAist
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East L.A. Film Shop
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Fiona Ng
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LAist
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With that, East L.A. Film Shop was born.
The couple started advertising their goods on social media. As word of mouth spread, customers sought them out.
" We started meeting people like at the Jack in the Box parking lot. We would go deliver film like if it was Uber Eats," Gramajo said.
" They were like, 'Oh, go with Frank. They have it in stock. They always have it in stock,'" Ledezma said.
After reopening, the demand for film rolls stayed strong, so much so that East L.A. Film Shop expanded their offering to include film development and other services. Their clientele, Gramajo said, has always run the gamut, from seasoned pros to novices, including an elderly man who needed help loading a new roll into his old camera, or a woman who brought her kid to get a crash course on all the different knobs and buttons.
"Film Foos" hats for sale at East L.A. Film Shop.
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Fiona Ng
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LAist
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Since last year, East L.A. Film Shop has relocated to the storefront next door, a much bigger space to accommodate more equipment and a growing staff.
The extra room also allows the couple to create a community space for music, photo exhibits and more.
On Sunday, East L.A. Film shop is hosting its monthly "Barrios Sunday," where small local vendors are invited to set up shop for the day to sell their goods and get the word out about their business.
The couple is also asking photographers — analog and digital — to post their photos on the walls of the shop. The works will be displayed for a week.
As for Ledezma and Gramajo, they still go out and shoot. It's a kind of second nature — especially for Ledezma, who grew up helping his father, an event photographer himself, on his shoots.
"When I open a fresh roll, like the smell, it takes you back [to] when I was a kid and my dad's like, 'Oh, gimme this roll,’" he said. "You still get that smell of fresh film. You know, it just takes you back."
Barrio Sunday
East L.A. Film Shop 3541 1st St., Los Angeles Feb 22. Sun., 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The Sixth Street Viaduct during the opening ceremony in July 2022.
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Pablo de la Hoya
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Boyle Heights Beat
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Topline:
After copper wire theft left the Sixth Street Bridge in darkness for years, the city of Los Angeles has hired a Pasadena-based engineering firm to restore the lighting, a move aimed at improving safety for Boyle Heights and the surrounding neighborhoods.
The backstory? Aging infrastructure, copper wire theft and delayed repairs led to nearly 2,000 streetlight service requests in Boyle Heights in 2024. Nearly seven miles of copper wire have been reported stolen from the Sixth Street Bridge.
Read on ... for more on the history of the Sixth Street Bridge.
After copper wire theft left the Sixth Street Bridge in darkness for years, the city of Los Angeles has hired a Pasadena-based engineering firm to restore the lighting, a move aimed at improving safety for Boyle Heights and the surrounding neighborhoods.
City officials contracted Tetra Tech to relight the bridge, which has been plagued by copper wire theft since its opening in 2022. The outages have frustrated residents and commuters who use the bridge to walk, run, bike and drive between downtown LA and the Eastside.
Aging infrastructure, copper wire theft and delayed repairs led to nearly 2,000 streetlight service requests in Boyle Heights in 2024. Nearly seven miles of copper wire have been reported stolen from the Sixth Street Bridge.
Tetra Tech began working on the project’s design in January and is scheduled to restore the wiring to all lights along the bridge, including along roadways, barriers, ramps, stairways and arches before the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games come to Los Angeles that summer, according to a Feb. 18 news release from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office.
The firm – which was selected by the city’s Bureau of Engineering – will fortify the pull boxes, service cabinet and conduits to protect against copper wire theft. Tetra Tech will also install a security camera system to deter vandalism and theft.
“When our streets are well-lit, our neighborhoods feel safer and more connected,” Jurado said in the news release. “The Sixth Street Bridge plays a vital role in connecting Angelenos between the Eastside and the heart of the City.”
Jurado – who pledged to look into fixing the Sixth Street Bridge lights when she was elected in 2024 – said the partnership with Tetra Tech “moves us one step closer to restoring one of the City’s most iconic landmarks as a safe, welcoming public space our communities deserve.”
According to officials, the total contract value with Tetra Tech is $5.3 million, which includes work on the Sixth Street Bridge as well as the Sixth Street PARC project, which encompasses 12 acres of recreational space underneath and adjacent to the bridge.
The PARC project will make way for sports fields, fitness equipment, event spaces and a performance stage. PARC’s grand opening is anticipated later this year.
Because the work for the PARC project and the bridge is connected, the Board of Engineers recommended using the existing PARC contract with Tetra Tech to ensure completion ahead of the 2028 Games, officials said.
The cost for the design work on the bridge alone is roughly $1 million.
On Thursday, Jurado announced that her streetlight repair crew had restored lighting and strengthened infrastructure for more than 400 streetlights across her district, including Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, and El Sereno. Next, they plan to tackle repairs in downtown L.A.
