Erin Stone
covers climate and environmental issues in Southern California.
Published September 4, 2025 3:45 PM
Smoke from the Eaton Fire fills the sky in La Cañada Flintridge.
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Jules Hotz
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CalMatters
)
Topline:
Cellphones these days are for everything, including emergency alerts. But phones have limits, and that has led some communities to consider adopting an older technology — sirens.
Why it matters: January's fires revealed the limits of cellphone alerts. Emergency management officials and a fire battalion chief told LAist outdoor sirens can be a life-saving tool when cell service goes out or amid widespread power outages. But they're no silver bullet, and there are big limitations.
Read on ... for more on the pros and cons and why the cities of Malibu and Paradise made different choices about sirens.
Cellphones these days are for everything, and one of their most important functions has become emergency alert systems.
Cellphone alerts are far from foolproof, though, as we experienced during January’s devastating fires. In west Altadena, warnings came too late or not at all. Cell service went out in many cases. Not everyone has access to a smartphone or is signed up for alerts.
And if a disaster hits in the middle of the night, cellphones are likely to be off or silenced.
After January’s fires, many survivors I spoke with asked: Why don’t we use tornado sirens like communities in the Midwest to warn of fires?
The answer, as usual, is complicated. Like any alert system, public education — and trust — is key. And sirens can’t replace cellphone alert systems, which are more targeted and can be easily accessed by most people, if they're signed up.
Emergency management officials and a fire battalion chief said sirens can be a life-saving tool when cell service goes out or amid widespread power outages.
While sirens may make sense for certain communities and can fill gaps in digital emergency alerts, they’re far from a silver bullet. Experts cautioned that sirens have limitations, such as:
They can be impossible to hear from inside double-pane or triple-pane windows, especially with a TV on or for people with hearing impairments.
Topography that blocks cell service — rolling hills, mountains — can also block the sound of sirens.
They’re expensive and require ongoing maintenance.
LAist asked the L.A. County Office of Emergency Management if officials might consider sirens, but it declined to comment until an after-action report about the January fires is complete.
“The McChrystal After-Action Review is taking a comprehensive look at the capabilities the county possesses to alert and warn the public during emergencies,” a spokesperson for the office wrote to LAist. “Upon release of findings, we will look at the recommendations to see what improvements or enhancements to our alerting tools can best serve our communities.”
A brief history of sirens
Sirens were first developed for another type of disaster — war. You can find remnants of World War II and Cold War-era air raid sirens in citiesacross Southern California. In the mid-20th century, such sirens were novel technology. Some cities and towns eventually used them to alert other disasters and to call volunteer firefighters to stations.
But between the 1980s and mid-2000s, many of these aging sirens were decommissioned because they required costly maintenance — and because newer, more targeted technologies replaced them.
An air raid siren that was installed in Van Nuys in 1956.
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Courtesy L.A. Public Library
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At the same time, these sirens became less effective as cities sprawled and buildings modernized. For example, newer standards of double- and even triple-pane windows makes it hard to hear even today’s sirens from inside with the windows closed, said David Acuña, a battalion chief and public information officer with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
With the rise of pagers, and then cellphones, sirens largely went out of vogue, he said.
“Sirens were the technological advancement in the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s. Instead of having to go door-to-door, now we get to have the siren,” Acuña said. “Technology has surpassed that since then.”
Communities across California still use sirens to alert their residents of a variety of emergencies.
Here in Southern California, sirens are mostly used in coastal areas, historically to warn of tsunamis. For example, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach all have audible outdoor siren systems. Torrance also uses sirens for emergencies, including for leaks or explosions at nearby oil refineries. The decommissioned San Onofre nuclear plant once had sirens to warn of a meltdown.
When it comes to fire, more cities are considering sirens – if they can fund it. Beverly Hills, for example, installed a network of 12 sirens after destructive fires across the state in 2018 and 2019.
Sirens in an age of worsening wildfire
As wildfires grow hotter and more destructive, and the limits of cellphone alerts continue to be revealed, many communities are reconsidering sirens.
Take, for example, Paradise in Northern California’s Butte County. In 2018, the Camp Fire razed the town, killing at least 85 people. At the time, Paradise had the CodeRED phone alert system (and still does), but that fire led to cell service going out, and many people said they didn’t receive alerts.
The community is still recovering today. As part of that recovery, Paradise decided to invest in 21 sirens, which, nearly seven years later, are up and running.
An outdoor warning siren in Paradise, Calif.
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Courtesy Paradise
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The new warning sirens in Paradise can be disguised as trees.
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Courtesy Paradise
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The sirens sound up to 90 decibels and can be operated manually via internet or satellite. They’re hardwired to power underground, but also have solar and battery backup power.
But they are really only audible outside, and the ability to hear them can decrease dramatically just a slight distance away, said Mayor Steve Crowder, who lives about a quarter mile from one siren and couldn’t hear it well from inside his house during tests.
“People were looking to be able to hear them from inside, with windows closed and not all of them have hit that mark,” he said.
To solve for that, the town got additional funding to purchase transmitters that can be placed inside residents’ homes. If the sirens go off, those will too. Paradise plans to distribute them this year, Crowder said.
“It's not going to be a cure all, but it's sure going to make it a lot more efficient and I think make everybody a lot safer,” Crowder said.
But the cost is high: The sirens were a little over $3 million, funded by a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant. The town found additional funding for the transmitters.
The rest of Butte County decided to go another route — a technology called AlertFM, which uses FM radio signals instead of cell service. (The county also still uses CodeRED mobile alerts — redundancy is key in emergency planning, experts say).
An AlertFM receiver.
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Courtesy AlertFM
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The county has so far distributed more than 1,500 receivers for free, and received an additional $400,000 grant to distribute another 1,500 units. People can also buy their own for about $100.
“ A majority of the citizens, the sheriff and the board felt that AlertFM was the best bang for the buck — of course, as long as people adopt them,” said Butte County Supervisor Doug Teeter.
That technology has similar limits as cellphones and sirens — FM signals can be blocked by terrain.
“ How do you reach folks that don't have their cellphone? That's the purpose of the sirens and AlertFM,” Teeter said. “I don't think there's going to be a perfect solution. It's just a challenge that we face in trying to be able to reach everyone at a moment's notice.”
It’s why emergency experts say the most important thing is for individuals to be aware of their surroundings, have their own escape plan (and practice it), and expect that sufficient warning or help may not come in the case of a catastrophe.
Why Malibu decided against sirens
The city of Malibu also considered installing sirens after the 2018 Woolsey Fire. But a feasibility study found residents couldn’t hear them in high winds, hilly terrain and indoors.
The 20- to 30-foot towers can also be an eyesore, and the cost was estimated to be from $426,000 to nearly $2 million.
“The problem we're trying to solve for is how do we wake up people in the middle of the night when cell service is out,” said Susan Dueñas, the city’s public safety director. “Depending on the wind, the construction of your home, your hearing, all these factors, you may not hear it. So they are a very expensive investment for something that didn’t look like it was going to solve the problem.”
The types of warning sirens can vary. But terrain and modern building standards can mean that they are difficult to hear indoors.
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Malibu Siren Feasibility report
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The city also considered AlertFM, but that came with its own set of challenges and an upfront cost for a five-year licensing agreement of $960,000. And the main radio station in the area, KBUU, had too weak of a signal to reach most of Malibu’s residents. So the city invested in the station, installing a booster antenna last year.
“The coverage is better, but people aren't able to hear it in their homes, so that's a problem,” Dueñas said. “The signal's not strong enough to get into somebody's home.”
That’s why the city is currently surveying residents about AlertFM reception. The city of L.A. is also giving Malibu two mobile speaker trailers. L.A. purchased six through a federal grant.
But none of this is meant to replace cellphone alerts, home hardening or plain old preparation and awareness, Dueñas said.
“We wish there was a magic answer that would just solve the problem. No matter what we do, we're going to have to use a number of tools, not just one,” she said. “Government can't be there to save every person, sadly. That's why people need to have a plan.”
Gab Chabrán
covers what's happening in food and culture for LAist.
Published June 7, 2026 5:00 AM
A selection of wings and fries at Wings 2 Go in Inglewood.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
)
Topline:
Tens of thousands of international soccer fans are about to descend on Inglewood for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. SoFi Stadium is one of the tournament's premier venues — but the best reason to spend time in the neighborhood has nothing to do with what's happening on the pitch.
Why it matters: Inglewood's food scene reflects a city where Black and Latino residents make up nearly 90% of the population. These aren't tourist traps — they're the spots locals have been eating at for years, from a James Beard-recognized soul food diner open since 1983 to a carnitas truck with roots in Michoacán.
Why now: The World Cup runs through July. Matches at SoFi mean game-day crowds and long waits elsewhere. These eight spots — spanning BBQ, Jamaican, Mexican, Italian-American, and more — are worth knowing before you go.
Thousands of international soccer fans are about to descend on Inglewood for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. SoFi Stadium is the tournament's premier venues — but the best reason to spend time in the neighborhood has nothing to do with what's happening on the pitch.
Inglewood's food scene reflects a city where Black and Latino residents make up nearly 90% of the population. These aren't tourist traps — they're the spots locals have been eating at for years, from a James Beard-recognized soul food diner open since 1983 to a carnitas truck with roots in Michoacán.
Here's where to eat before the whistle blows.
Wings 2 Go
Lemon pepper chicken wings from Wings 2 Go in Inglewood.
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Cesar Hernandez
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LAist
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Wings 2 Go is a small but mighty wing shop that sits in a tiny strip mall along Crenshaw Boulevard, attracting wing fanatics from far and wide looking to get a fiery bite. The menu at Wings isn't huge by most standards but it still manages to pack a punch when it comes to offering a variety of tastes and flavors.
Opt for the six-piece ATL Special with hot lemon pepper seasoning, $10.91. Upon the first transformative bite of a wing, suddenly you're Jordan after clinching his first NBA finals win in 1991, celebrating in ecstasy. The sticky, crunch-fried wing is drenched in the perfect amount of sauce, then sprinkled with galactic bits of salty, citrusy lemon pepper seasoning that will leave your lips tingling.
If you're looking to broaden your flavor horizons, there are also jerk BBQ, aji verde, and Cajun rub as sauce options. Whichever fiery selections you choose, wash them down with lemonade or sweet tea, or go for a hole-in-one with an Arnold Palmer to quench your thirst.
Location: 10925 Crenshaw Blvd. #101, Inglewood Hours: Open Mon–Fri 11 a.m.–7:30 p.m., Sat 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
Country Style Jamaican Restaurant
The exterior of Country Style Jamaican Restaurant.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Our love for Jamaican-style take-out restaurants knows no bounds, and the city of Inglewood has some of the best Jamaican food in Los Angeles.
This particular casual walk-up counter establishment has a particular place in our heart. The welcoming, joyous atmosphere is infectious as soon as you enter. The walls are painted the same dark green as the Jamaican flag. Images of Black luminaries are featured next to maxims extolling a virtue-filled life.
To get the most for your buck, we recommend choosing any of the mini plate options. Our personal favorite is the curried goat ($14.50). Stewed bone-in pieces of goat have been cooked in a dark yellow curry full of aromatic spices. The chunks of meat are spicy, juicy, and fatty, and fall off the bone onto a bed of rice and beans that's also saturated with maximum curry flavors.
Location: 630 N. La Brea Ave., Suite 111, Inglewood Hours: Open Mon, Tue, Thu–Sun 10:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m. Closed Wednesdays.
Carnitas El Artista
Plates of tacos at Carnitas El Artista.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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While it might be easy to pledge one's allegiance to the culinary wonder that is carnitas, how often do you take it upon yourself to dive deep into the different parts of the pig? Each has its own unique textures that delight with every helping. Carnitas El Artista is where such dreams can come true, thanks to the hard work of owner Gustavo Chavez and his family, who are from Michoacán, the Mexican state known as the birthplace of carnitas.
With Mexico entering the World Cup as one of the tournament's most celebrated footballing nations, this is where to eat in their honor. Their tacos de carnitas ($4.95 each) are the best option: choose the mix that includes all the different cuts of pork.
The sizable taco manages to pack all the flavor and texture of each aspect of the protein, providing an extremely nuanced bite that combines sticky, fatty, and chewy elements. Serve the meat on a fresh tortilla with crisp-tasting salsa, topped with thin shards of red onion, for the right amount of acidity to cut the richness of the pork.
It's a showtime taco for the masses, if ever there was one. Pro tip: they offer a 2-for-1 deal on tacos Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to close.
Location: 510 N. La Brea Ave., Inglewood Hours: Open Mon 8 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; Tue, Thu–Fri 9 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sat–Sun 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Closed Wednesdays.
Woody's Bar-B-Que
The inflation fighter (3x) lunch special at Woody’s Bar-B-Que.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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If you've spent any time in Inglewood, there's a good chance you've seen Woody's Bar-B-Queon Market Street. If not, you've definitely smelled it. The unmistakable aroma of delicious grilled and smoked meat is the unofficial scent of that part of town. It's not uncommon for lines to wrap around the small business, spilling into the moderately sized parking lot.
It's never not a joyous occasion at Woody's as you wait in line to place your order at the walk-up window, where overhead speakers play booming deep cuts from the '80s and '90s R&B or Madlib's Shades of Blue, helping set the mood.
Our favorite aspect of Woody's is the lunch special menu, which feels like a trip back to when the restaurant opened in 1975. Names like Inflation Fighter, Business Man's Lunch, and Lady's Lunch all add to its charm and cost $10.95.
All plates come in a brown paper bag, giving the vibe of the school lunch that your mom used to pack, along with two slices of white bread and a small container of a side of your choice.
Location: 475 S. Market St., Inglewood Hours: Open daily 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
El Capitalino
Quesadilla fritas from El Capitalino MX food truck.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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What if the quesadillas from your youth were, in fact, a gateway into a large quesadilla universe that's actually larger than what you might have originally considered? El Capitalino achieves just that. Owner Ivan Gomez was inspired by the quesadillas he saw prepared during a trip to Mexico City and by his mother and grandmother, who grew up making the meal. For $5, each thick corn tortilla is made by hand, usually by Ivan's mom, Norma Ramirez. She takes the raw masa and forms it into a flat disk, then stuffs it with cheese.
The tortilla is then folded and fried in oil. After it's done cooking, the quesadilla is removed, pulled apart, and packed with a filling of your choice — chicken tinga, hongos, rajas con queso, carne asada, or chicharrón prensado — then fried with guajillo salsa and stuffed with lettuce and cream. No matter what the filling is, you'll get a unique griddled cheesiness, accented by expertly flavored fillings, that makes for one of the best-tasting quesadillas we've ever had.
The Serving Spoon has been an Inglewood cornerstone for four decades, dishing up grilled corn bread and fried turkey chops.
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Isaiah Murtaugh
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The LA Local
)
Founded in 1983 by Harold E. Sparks — a young man from Hamilton, Ohio who traded a steady foreman job at General Motors for his dream of opening a soul food restaurant in Inglewood — The Serving Spoon is now in its third generation of family ownership and a recent recipient of the James Beard Foundation's America's Classics award.
The Foundation called it a "vital social and cultural anchor," which feels right the moment you slide into one of the red leather booths or take a seat at the wooden counter.
Go for breakfast: the catfish and waffle, the salmon croquettes, the grits. Plates run $15–25, depending on your protein. Come early on weekends or expect a wait.
If you're visiting from out of town and want to understand Inglewood's cultural legacy in a single meal, this is the place to start.
Cheesy garlic bread at Sunday Gravy, the Italian-American spot on Centinela Avenue in Inglewood.
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Courtesy Sunday Gravy
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In the early 1970s, the Bashirian family opened their first restaurant, Jino's, in this very same Centinela Avenue location — aiming to give the people of Inglewood something different from the big chains.
Their children Sol and Ghazi have continued building on that foundation with Sunday Gravy, a modern red-sauce Italian-American spot serving fresh pasta from Florentyna's and artisan breads from Cadoro Bakery, both made in Inglewood.
Italy is one of the world's great football nations, and this is about as close as the neighborhood gets to a proper Italian-American Sunday table: meatballs with whipped ricotta, short rib ragù, Caesar salad with Calabrian pepper aioli.
South L.A. hasn't traditionally been known for its vibrant restaurant scene, but that's slowly changing — and Somerville, opened by actor and entrepreneur Issa Rae along with partners Yonnie Hagos and Ajay Relan of GVO Hospitality, is one of the reasons why.
Technically a short drive from SoFi, the name refers to Hotel Somerville, a focal point for the Black jazz scene on Central Avenue in the 1930s and '40s that regularly hosted Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, and Billie Holiday. "I just wanted to be able to dress up, hang out, and eat well in my neighborhood," Rae has said.
The menu honors the spirit of the original hotel: start with Parker House rolls with truffle butter ($19) or the fried chicken and caviar sliders ($29), then move on to the collard green lasagna ($36) or paccheri pasta with short rib ragù ($36). It's a dressed-up night out in a neighborhood that's long deserved exactly that.
Location: 4437 W. Slauson Ave., Los Angeles. Hours: Open Wed–Sat 6–11 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m.–2 p.m. (brunch) and 6–11 p.m.
Bridget “Biddy” Mason became one of Los Angeles’ first Black woman landowners, building wealth through real estate.
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LaMonica Peters
/
The LA Local
)
Topline:
From the city’s Black founders and their fight to be free from slavery to a Black architect who designed thousands of buildings throughout the city, L.A.'s first Black residents has had lasting influence.
Why it matters: Los Angeles is often celebrated for its warm weather, Hollywood glamour and championship sports teams, but the city’s foundation has a powerful Black history that is often overlooked.
Read on ... for a look at seven key Black history sites you can visit.
Los Angeles is often celebrated for its warm weather, Hollywood glamour and championship sports teams but the city’s foundation has a powerful Black history that is often overlooked.
From the city’s Black founders and their fight to be free from slavery, to a Black architect who designed thousands of buildings throughout the city, L.A.’s first Black residents have had lasting influence.
The LA Local traveled around the city to unearth some of the intriguing Black history facts. Here we highlight seven sites in Los Angeles that show the contributions of Black people in Los Angeles.
Bridget ‘Biddy’ Mason Memorial Park
Situated behind an office building on South Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles is a tribute to Bridget “Biddy” Mason. She was born enslaved in Mississippi and was brought to California by her owner Robert Marion Smith — even though slavery was illegal in California. After being enslaved in the state for five years, Mason won her freedom in 1856 by challenging her enslavement in court. Thirteen other family members were also freed, according to the National Park Service..
She became one of L.A.’s first Black woman landowners building wealth through real estate. Her net worth was said to be about $3 million in the 1860s, which would equate to nearly $60 million today. She also provided housing and food for the poor, acted as a midwife and helped establish the city’s first Black church, NPS noted.
The memorial park stands near property she once owned.
First African Methodist Episcopal Church
The First African Methodist Episcopal Church, also known as First AME or FAME, was co-founded in 1872 by Mason and other Black leaders. It was first located on Spring Street in Los Angeles, according to the National Park Service. The church was then moved to Harvard Boulevard, where it still stands today. It became a spiritual, political and organizing hub for Black Angelenos during segregation, according to the church’s website.
Most recently, the church was pastored by the Rev. Cecil Murray from 1977 to 2004. Under his leadership the church grew from 250 members to 18,000 at the time of his retirement, according to the Los Angeles Sentinel.
The first home built by architect Paul R. Williams
Though he faced racial discrimination, Paul Revere Williams became one of the most celebrated architects in L.A., whose legacy reshaped the city’s skyline and luxury design culture.
He was the first Black member of the American Institute of Architects. He designed thousands of buildings during his career, including The Beverly Hills Hotel and homes for Hollywood stars like Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball. Williams was also part of the team that designed the iconic Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport, as reported by LAist.
His first home sits in South Central and is designated as a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy. He lived in this home for about 30 years until racial covenants were outlawed in the 1950s.
African American Firefighter Museum
On Central Avenue in South Central sits the historic fire station and museum that honors the Black firefighters who broke racial barriers in the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The museum “resides inside Fire Station No. 30, one of two segregated firehouses in Los Angeles between 1924 and 1955,” according to the museum’s website. The museum also notes that Sam Haskins was the first Black man to join the L.A. Fire Department in 1892 and died three years later fighting a fire.
The museum was founded in 1997 and is a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument. It is also registered with the National Register of Historic Places.
Before taking office, he worked as a janitor for the city’s Department of Water and Power, according to LA City Parks.
Elected in 1963, Lindsay represented District 9 for nearly 30 years. He supported civil rights and fought for economic investment, infrastructure improvements and services in historically underserved Black neighborhoods. He also served on the board of directors of the NAACP.
28th Street YMCA
The 28th Street YMCA building was designed by Williams, the renowned architect.
It was originally constructed to serve Black residents in L.A. who were banned from other facilities during segregation, according to the LA Conservancy. It won a Conservancy Preservation Award in 2013.
It became a hub for housing, community programs and social gatherings. Today, it serves as affordable housing for low-income adults and is listed with the National Register of Historic Places.
The Ralph J. Bunche House
The former home of Ralph J. Bunche, the first Black person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, is located in South Central on East 40th Place. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bunche played a key role in negotiating the 1949 Arab-Israeli armistice agreements through the United Nations. He also helped organize the civil rights march in Montgomery, Ala., in 1965, the Nobel Peace Prize organization said.
Born in Detroit, he moved to L.A. with his family and later became valedictorian at Jefferson High School. He attended UCLA on an athletic scholarship and “graduated in 1927 summa cum laude, valedictorian of his class, with a major in international relations,” the Nobel Peace Prize organization said. He also received a master’s degree in political science from Harvard in 1928. The Ralph J. Bunche Center was established in 1969 at UCLA in his honor.
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Tiffany Ujiiye
is an editor on LAist's mighty and nimble daily news desk, leading coverage from bald eagles to local government.
Published June 7, 2026 5:00 AM
Griffith Observatory at night (Photo by m3th0s via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr. Tag #LAist on Instagram if you want to see your photo featured here)
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images
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Topline:
When the sun goes down it’s easy to spot the bars and clubs where the parties happen in Los Angeles. But summertime is (possibly) the best time to explore the region’s not-so-obvious nightlife offerings.
What to expect: Want to explore the cemetery through music or take a night ride with thousands of bicyclists? What about joining citizen scientists to study urban bats or stare at the stars (not the ones in Hollywood)?
Read on... for LAist's handy guide to help visitors and locals alike.
When the sun goes down it’s easy to spot the bars and clubs where the parties happen in Los Angeles. But summertime is (possibly) the best time to explore the region’s not-so-obvious nightlife offerings.
Want to explore the cemetery through music or take a night ride with thousands of bicyclists? What about joining citizen scientists to study urban bats or stare at the stars (not the ones in Hollywood)?
LAist prepared a handy guide to help visitors and locals alike make the most of our summer nightlife.
Gear up with citizen scientists
Yuma myotis is another possible bat candidate and one of the bats recorded in the Backyard Bat Survey.
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Courtesy of L.A. County Natural History Museum
)
The Natural History Museum of L.A. County conducts its annual Bat Roost Count, a community led science project where teams study bat roosts and give biologists, policymakers and activists information about bat populations and activity in the region.
Registration is open for those 14 and older. You need to RSVP to join the June 13 survey or the June 14 survey. If you miss out on June, you can register for the July survey in August.
For families, the museum plans to offer separate bat roost events sometime in August or September. People of all ages will be able to learn about bats, roosting behavior, watch a bat and learn how scientists are studying them. Those interested should fill out a form for details.
Concerts in the cemetery
The sun sets at the Hollywood Forever cemetery on Dec. 4, 2025.
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Ronaldo Bolaños
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Getty Images
)
Hollywood Forever is one of the most iconic cemeteries in the world and it’s more than just a resting place for the famous. The sprawling 60-acre grounds also host cultural events, film screenings and evening concerts. Big names such as Olivia Rodrigo, Tame Impala and Lana Del Rey have performed at the cemetery.
Grab a flashlight and go on a night hike in Griffith Park.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images
)
The Griffith Observatory is considered one of the most visited public observatories on the planet and offers plenty of things to do for night owls.
Once a month, the Observatory partners with local telescope groups and hosts a Star Party. Dozens of telescopes set-up on the lawn and the observatory says there’s always something to see. Check out the dates here.
If you can’t make a Star Party, the observatory is open Tuesday to Friday from noon to 10 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The observatory is closed on Mondays.
Cyclists gather for the monthly Critical Mass rides in Koreatown on Nov 8th, 2025.
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Steve Saldivar
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The LA Local
)
Join thousands of bikers in one of the largest community bicycle rides in the U.S. The evening ride happens on the last Friday of every month on the corner of Western and Wilshire. Check the routes, they change each month.
Aboard the Queen Mary
The Queen Mary is lit at night on Nov. 2, 2025 in Long Beach.
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Getty Images
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Los Angeles Times
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At sunset the Queen Mary in Long Beach provides a host of spooky experiences. The ship is rumored to be haunted and there are tours and ship walks to investigate the claim.
The cheapest ticket is the Haunted Encounters Tour with general admission costs around $58 with Graveyard Tours starting at $89.
VIP Tours are also available starting at around $200.
Cato Hernández
knows more about L.A.'s bathrooms than they probably should.
Published June 7, 2026 5:00 AM
L.A. does have some public bathrooms — you just have to look in the right places.
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Kelley L Cox
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Getty Images
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Topline:
When most people need to use a bathroom on-the-go, they head to a place like a grocery store or restaurant to take care of business. But there are other options: Real public bathrooms.
Why it’s like this: Most of the bathrooms you’ll find away from home are actually inside private businesses, ergo not actually public. You can thank a movement to ban pay toilets and slow-moving plans to offer free ones.
So where are public bathrooms? The L.A. City Controller’s Office put together a map of available stalls at places like parks, libraries etc. It’s not comprehensive, but it pulls from the city’s major departments that oversee bathrooms in public facilities. Metro also has its own program, as does StreetsLA.
Are there downsides? They may close at certain times, like some parks do at sunset.
Hidden benefit: Many folks don’t think of these places when they need to go — so that means you’re unlikely to have to stand in line.
Read on…. to see places where you can take care of business.
Nature’s call waits for no one, but with mega-events like the World Cup attracting even more people, where do you go when you have to go?
For out-of-towners, we’re sorry to say — it’s complicated. For reasons we’ll go into below, we don’t have a robust stock of outdoor restrooms, like the pay toilets you see in Europe.
Instead, people largely rely on bathrooms in stores, like Starbucks or Target. You just have to pray you’re gifted with the holy grail of restroom codes.
If that doesn’t work, there’s a hodge podge of other options. For those times when you're caught short, check out the handy maps we’ve put in this guide.
Find a bathroom
The few public bathrooms we do have are run by different city departments. Here are some examples.
Throne bathrooms at Metro stations give you 10 minutes of use.
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Throne
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Courtesy Metro
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This started as a pilot program in 2023 and has now expanded to more than 20 station locations along Metro lines (find the map here). The stalls are generally open from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m., and are opened via a mobile app. They give you a 10-minute window of use. According to the Metro website, the program will increase to 64 locations through 2028.
A public toilet on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr Blvd and Avalon Blvd in Historic South Central.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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This is a small network of 14 bathrooms that you’ll find on the sidewalk. They’re largely in downtown L.A. and the San Fernando Valley and are open 24/7.
Other places with bathrooms
We also have bathrooms at public places maintained by the local government. You can check this map from the the L.A. City Controller’s Office, which includes bathroom and water fountain locations from multiple departments, including Metro, city and county parks departments and the Los Angeles Public Library system.
One of the downsides to be aware of is that most of these spots are subject to varying open and closing hours. For example, some parks close at sunset.
Sometimes, these locations can be a gem because — although they’re actually public — many people don’t think about stopping at a park to pee. (Reporter’s note: words I never thought I’d type.)
If you’re feeling adventurous, you could find a loo with a view. It includes Burbank, downtown L.A., Hollywood and North Hollywood, Koreatown and Pasadena.
Keep in mind, this is a blog. Still, we thought the in-depth ratings on cleanliness and “secrecy” (ahem, taking a leak in peace) made it worth the visit.
When in doubt, pull out your phone.
You could also go the obvious route and just type “restroom” into your phone’s map app to find even more options. Enjoy your visit to the can!
Why is it like this in L.A.?
Free public toilets have a long, fraught history in the city of L.A., but California used to have pay toilets in a lot of places. Issues arose over fees between men’s and women’s bathrooms, and the barrier it caused for people without money.
In 1974, assemblymember March Fong Eu, along with free toilet activists (yes that’s a thing), successfully fought to get rid of pay toilets. At the time, the thought was that local governments would step in to build a network of free public toilets. Spoiler: That hasn’t happened yet to a level that could support 4 million residents.
A snapshot of the issue can be seen in the 2026 ParkScore Index from the nonprofit Trust for Public Land. They evaluate the quality of parks across different cities, including how many amenities each city has. The nonprofit found that L.A. has 1.4 bathrooms in its parks for every 10,000 residents.
