Heavy Manners co-founder Matthew James-Wilson organizes library books in the Echo Park shop.
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Dañiel Martinez
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LAist
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Topline:
Heavy Manners Library, a multipurpose event space in Echo Park, is moving. The organization hosts classes, music shows and more.
Why now: The library is getting too big for its current space, but still wants to remain in Echo Park. Staff were able to find a place nearby.
What's next: Heavy Manners will be holding shows and workshops until the end of the month. It plans to reopen at its new location by mid-July and will hold volunteer moving days over the next two weeks.
Read on to find details …
Heavy Manners Library, a beloved multipurpose event space on Alvarado Street, is hitting a big milestone. The organization, which hosts classes, music gigs and art exhibits, has outgrown its current location.
Defying the fate that has befallen many small operations in rapidly changing neighborhoods, Heavy Manners is staying in Echo Park.
Yulia Cymbura, head librarian at Heavy Manners Library.
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Dañiel Martinez
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LAist
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Book by book
Co-founder Matthew James-Wilson came up with the idea for the space while doing research for a book he wanted to write about the evolution of art in the internet age. During the process, he had an epiphany.
Why write just one book when you can provide access to hundreds of them? Why not start a library that doubles as an art space too?
“ You could imagine a gallery show happening in a library, or you could imagine a poetry reading happening in a library,” said James-Wilson.
An illustration by artist Patrick Kyle.
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Dañiel Martinez
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LAist
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Mixed media collages from artist Patrick Kyle's "How To Be Mean" exhibit.
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Dañiel Martinez
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LAist
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The name “Heavy Manners,” James-Wilson said, pays homage to a concept in reggae music that goes back to '70s deejay Prince Far I’s album Under Heavy Manners.
“ Sort of in reference to British colonial culture imposing this etiquette, or heavy manners, on Jamaican culture,” said James-Wilson.
Heavy Manners was just a couple of shelves when it opened in 2021, but through donations by artists and community members, its stacks grew.
The library has hosted more than 1,000 events, from drawing and sewing lessons to live music shows.
A room in Heavy Manners Library where events and workshops are held.
Interior of Heavy Manners.
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Dañiel Martinez
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LAist
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A small stage where events are held.
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Dañiel Martinez
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LAist
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“The space has taught me, as long as you can keep the calendar full and you can get things that people are excited about, people will share it with more people,” James-Wilson said.
Keep the calendar full
Carly Jean Andrews has been teaching nude figure drawing at Heavy Manners since 2023.
“Yeah, you have all the knowledge in the world on the internet, but it's so much more useful to just come here and have it be really literal,” Andrews said.
Carly Jean Andrews and Bijou Karman, instructors at Heavy Manners, posing in front of one of an art show.
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Dañiel Martinez
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LAist
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Bijou Karman teaches clothed figure drawing classes and has published zines and books of her fashion drawings through Heavy Manners.
“Today, I was here hand-assembling one of the books, and Carly was very kindly helping me assemble. It's a very community-oriented space where you actually meet people and learn new things,” said Karman.
Bijou Karman's recent art book "Images De Mode" is displayed near the entrance of the library.
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Dañiel Martinez
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LAist
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Changes on the block
Heavy Manners has been looking for more room to grow its library and event offerings.
The dream was to stay in the area and keep its relationship to Echo Park, despite the changes to the neighborhood, starting with the very block where Heavy Manners sits.
A book nook with a bench and a view of the outside street.
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Dañiel Martinez
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LAist
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The nearly century-old restaurant Taix is being demolished, while Silverlake Flea, which ran out of the French Bistro’s parking lot, has moved to Atwater Village.
“ It's a construction site that may be ongoing for a long time. You can sort of feel the sense of change happening, just on our block in general,” said James-Wilson.
Heavy Manners Library, 1200 N. Alvarado St., Unit D, Los Angeles
Days & hours: Mondays, and Thursdays to Sundays, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
Membership: $8/month or $75/year. Tickets are available for purchase for individual workshops and events
Heavy Manners Library will remain at its current location through the end of the month.
Volunteer moving days are planned for June 23, 26 and 30. Here's how to sign up.
Luckily, James-Wilson saw a nearby building on Sunset within Heavy Manners' budget and went for it. Their new home, about 400 feet away from the current location, is bigger and more wheelchair accessible. It also has an outdoor area that employees want to convert into a garden, or use for nature-oriented workshops.
Its current space won’t sit vacant though; Whammy Analog Media, a VHS video store expanding from a small backroom to a full-fledged shop, will be taking over.
A shelve with analog media available for check out.
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Dañiel Martinez
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LAist
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It takes a village
Recently, Heavy Manners put out a call for volunteers to help move its many books and zines in time for a planned mid-July reopening.
A "Free Zine Library" inside the space.
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Dañiel Martinez
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LAist
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“Because it's really close by, I'm kinda hoping to have just sort of a parade of people each carrying a box across the street,” said James-Wilson. “It takes a village to foster something like this, that is not lost on me.”
Nicolas Perez
is one of the producers for AirTalk and FilmWeek, hosted by Larry Mantle.
Published October 19, 2026 3:44 PM
Installation photo from "Home of the Future, 1925–1985: Designing Domestic Utopias"
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Jonathan J. Urban
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Courtesy LACMA
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The exhibit:
LACMA’s new exhibit, "Home of the Future, 1925–1985: Designing Domestic Utopias," explores visions of how designers imagined technologies would transform life in American homes. Some of these predictions, like rooms centered around television sets, would come to pass while ideas like self-cleaning kitchens remain tantalizingly out of reach.
Why it's interesting: “For the past 30 years, I've been inspired by a quote from the historian Marshall Berman, who defined modernity as a struggle to make ourselves at home in a constantly changing world,” curator Wendy Kaplan said during a conversation on AirTalk, LAist 89.3's daily news show. "The reason our exhibition starts in 1925 is that you have this post-World War I optimism and also a need to apply the technologies that were developed during World War I by the military."
Don’t miss: the Kohler electric sink from 1926 on display, which promised better living through electric dishwashing but did not catch on at the time.
When to see it: The exhibit runs through March 14, 2027, in LACMA's Resnick Pavilion, located at 5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Listen to the conversation with the curator:
Listen
10:06
New LACMA exhibit looks at past visions of the future homes
Kavish Harjai
writes about how people get around L.A.
Published October 19, 2026 2:27 PM
The protected bike lanes are just one part of a longer-term project to increase mobility on Fountain Avenue, including sidewalk widening.
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The city of West Hollywood
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Topline:
The West Hollywood City Council will consider a motion Monday evening that thwarts long-planned and nearly shovel-ready protected bike lanes along Fountain Avenue out of concerns that the cyclist improvements will eliminate too much street parking.
The motion: The motion was introduced by West Hollywood City Councilmember Lauren Meister. If passed, it would direct city staff to evaluate an alternative design for Fountain Avenue, one that maintains the road’s existing parking capacity and adds a center turn lane — but doesn’t include protected bike lanes.
Participate in Monday's meeting: The West Hollywood City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. October 19. The meeting will be held in the City Council Chambers located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. You can also watch online at www.weho.org/wehotv. The agenda, which includes instructions on in-person and remote public comment, is available here.
Read on ... to learn more about the plan West Hollywood City Council approved last year.
The West Hollywood City Council will consider a motion Monday evening that thwarts long-planned and nearly shovel-ready protected bike lanes along Fountain Avenue out of concerns that the cyclist improvements will eliminate too much street parking.
The motion was introduced by West Hollywood City Councilmember Lauren Meister. If passed, it would direct staff to evaluate an alternative design for Fountain Avenue, one that maintains the road’s existing parking capacity, reduces the road to one travel lane in each direction and adds a center turn lane — but doesn’t include protected bike lanes.
“Continued investment in bicycle infrastructure elsewhere would remain a separate consideration,” according to a copy of the motion.
Meister did not respond to LAist’s requests for comment about her motion.
How to participate on Monday
When: The West Hollywood City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. October 19. Where: City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Watch online: www.weho.org/wehotv. Agenda: The agenda, which includes instructions on in-person and remote public comment, is available here.
The project
Introducing protected bike lanes to Fountain Avenue was approved by City Council in 2025 as part of the first phase of the Fountain Avenue Streetscape Project.
The approved designs include reducing the road to one travel lane in each direction, installing pedestrian improvements and creating a bike lane separated from vehicular traffic by concrete curbs.
The goal of the road redesign is to increase safety. Between 2013 and 2024, there were 35 collisions resulting in severe injuries and five fatal collisions, according to the city. Last year, Blake Ackerman, a 27-year-old attorney, died while biking on Fountain Avenue in a hit-and-run collision.
But to make room for the reimagined Fountain Avenue, city staff said they would need to remove 60% of the road’s street parking. To mitigate that loss, city staff has suggested allowing residents with parking permits to use nearby parking lots.
Although it was ultimately approved, the issue caused disagreement among the five members of the City Council. Two voted against it — Meister and West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman.
The election
The future of Fountain Avenue has been a political issue at play in recent city elections, and this year is no different.
Meister and Heilman are termed out, and there are three seats on West Hollywood City Council up for grabs. 14 candidates are vying for a spot, and their views on the bike lane debate are front and center.
Incumbent Chelsea Byers, who is an advocate for the protected bike lanes, is running to retain her seat.
Several candidates have spoken out against Fountain Avenue’s planned bike lanes, including Kyle Brazeal.
Brazeal has earned the endorsements of Meister and Heilman. He told LAist he isn’t against bike lanes and believes there are other West Hollywood streets that are better candidates for cycling infrastructure.
The timeline
West Hollywood officials said construction for the first phase, including the protected bike lanes, is scheduled to begin before the end of 2026. That schedule would change if the City Council decides to pursue an alternative design.
Officials said in a report that changing the project’s scope could “jeopardize” the nearly $5 million in state grant funding it’s planned to use for construction.
City staff said in the report that if the motion is approved, it would seek clarity on how any design changes would impact grant funding and if the city would need to find alternative funding sources.
How to reach me
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And if you're comfortable just reaching out by email I'm at kharjai@scpr.org
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Faheem Khan
is an Associate Producer for AirTalk and FilmWeek, assisting with live radio production and in-person events.
Published October 19, 2026 2:04 PM
West Hollywood has been a hub of the LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles for decades.
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Samanta Helou Hernandez
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LAist
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Topline:
Over the last century, Southern California’s gay and lesbian bar scene has helped build cultural hubs throughout the region. From the Coast Inn’s historic Boom Boom Room in Laguna Beach to The Boulevard in Pasadena, many historic venues have since shut down due to a sharp decline in standalone gay and lesbian bars.
Joseph Hawkins, former director of ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, the largest LGBTQ+ repository, joined AirTalk, LAist’s daily news program, to talk about the legacy and current state of these spaces.
Economic woes: As the story goes with a lot of local businesses right now, gay and lesbian bars are suffering the same economic challenges due to rising costs and a decline in alcohol consumption.
“Masses of people who can go to a bar and sustain it over a long period of time has become more and more difficult,” Hawkins said. "Some bars don't have the clientele that they used to because of the internet.
Tony in Anaheim called into AirTalk and shared a funny story about showing up embarrassingly early (8 p.m.) for a night out at the Abbey in West Hollywood, but ultimately remembered it as a safe place to make friends after moving to Los Angeles.
Jeff in Palm Springs called in to say bars in his city seem to be thriving thanks to an older population and tourists.
Hawkins said there may be a silver lining in the shift we're seeing.
"Maybe we're not losing gay bars; what we're doing is opening up other spaces where gay people can be included," he said.
Listen to the full conversation for more history and insight.
Listen
20:25
The economic downfall of gay and lesbian bars
Topline:
Over the last century, Southern California’s gay and lesbian bar scene has helped build cultural hubs throughout the region. From the Coast Inn’s historic Boom Boom Room in Laguna Beach to The Boulevard in Pasadena, many historic venues have since shut down due to a sharp decline in standalone gay and lesbian bars.
Joseph Hawkins, former director of ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, the largest LGBTQ+ repository, joined AirTalk, LAist’s daily news program, to talk about the legacy and current state of these spaces.
Economic woes: As the story goes with a lot of local businesses right now, gay and lesbian bars are suffering the same economic challenges due to rising costs and a decline in alcohol consumption.
“Masses of people who can go to a bar and sustain it over a long period of time has become more and more difficult,” Hawkins said. "Some bars don't have the clientele that they used to because of the internet."
Tony in Anaheim called into AirTalk and shared a funny story about showing up embarrassingly early (8 p.m.) for a night out at the Abbey in West Hollywood, but ultimately remembered it as a safe place to make friends after moving to Los Angeles.
Jeff in Palm Springs called in to say bars in his city seem to be thriving thanks to an older population and tourists.
Hawkins said there may be a silver lining in the shift we're seeing.
"Maybe we're not losing gay bars; what we're doing is opening up other spaces where gay people can be included," he said.
Listen to the full conversation above for more history and insight.
Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school.
Published October 19, 2026 1:20 PM
The 2026 breach exposed the information of 5.7 million students currently enrolled in transitional kindergarten through high school and those enrolled since 2023.
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Mariana Dale
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LAist
)
Topline:
Hackers stole personal and demographic information about millions of California public school students in a data breach revealed Friday by the California Department of Education.
The backstory: Hackers allegedly accessed the information through the company ETS, which conducts standardized testing, including the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress tests that start in third grade. Between May 22 and Sept. 18, 2026, an “unauthorized party” copied student information files, according to the California Department of Education website. However, ETS’ investigation did not find that the information has been made public.
Why it matters: The breach exposed the information of 5.7 million students currently enrolled in transitional kindergarten through high school and those enrolled since 2023. Students who left California since 2006 without notifying the state they transferred to another school are also affected. That information could include student names, birthdays, SSID numbers, addresses and other information. The breach is not reported to include parent or guardian information, Social Security numbers or driver’s license numbers.
Get help: ETS is emailing and sending letters to affected students and families to notify them of the breach and offer two years of free identity protection services. Separate services are available for minors and adults — both have a March 19, 2027 deadline to apply. It’s important to know that not getting notified does not necessarily mean a student’s data is safe. Families can call a dedicated helpline — 833-931-8488 — from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Hackers allegedly accessed the information through the company ETS, which conducts standardized testing, including the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress tests that start in third grade. Between May 22 and Sept. 18, 2026, an “unauthorized party” copied student information files, according to the CDE website.
However, ETS’ investigation did not find that the information has been made public.
What information was taken?
The breach exposed the information of 5.7 million students currently enrolled in transitional kindergarten through high school and those enrolled since 2023. Students who have left California since 2006 without notifying the state that they transferred to another school are also affected. That information could include:
Student names, birthdays, addresses and schools
Statewide student ID numbers (SSID)
Demographic information, including race or ethnicity, gender, country of origin and English learner status
A student’s disability and related academic support
Whether a student is low-income or unhoused
Statewide testing results
The breach is not reported to include:
Parent or guardian information
Social Security or driver’s license numbers
Financial information
ETS is working with cybersecurity experts and law enforcement and is monitoring whether the students’ information appears publicly.
The California Department of Education is also collaborating with state cybersecurity experts and reviewing whether ETS complied with data security and requirements included in its contract with the state. The state has also set up a website with more information.
How to get help
ETS is emailing and sending letters to affected students and families to notify them of the breach and offer two years of free identity protection services. Separate services are available for minors and adults — both have a March 19, 2027 deadline to apply.
It’s important to know that not getting notified does not necessarily mean a student’s data is safe. Families can call a dedicated helpline, 833-931-8488, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
