The Brief

For all the crazy game schedules, relocations, and years of splitting the court with their rival team, the L.A. Clippers finally have a place to call home.

The basketball team’s shiny new $2 billion Intuit Dome officially opens today, with a Bruno Mars kickoff concert. According to Clippers owner and billionaire Steve Ballmer, “fans and players together deserve the ultimate home court. You’re going to have it here in Inglewood.”

Here’s everything there is to know about the Intuit Dome — how to get there, what’s inside, and what's on the menu before the inaugural home game on Oct. 14.

Bruno Mars performs the Intuit Dome's inaugural concert.

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Brian Feinzimer

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LAist

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Getting there

The Intuit Dome is located next door to SoFi Stadium between the 405 and the 110 freeways. Once you’re there, leave your car at the main parking structure on Prairie Avenue and 102nd Street. It connects directly to the Dome’s plaza entrance with a pedestrian bridge.

If you aren’t on four wheels, don’t worry. Intuit is surrounded by 10 bus stops. The Metro 117, 211 and 212 buses will all get you within a short walk.

Refik Anadol 's digital artwork, 'Living Arena,' looms over a public basketball court at the Intuit Dome.

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Brian Feinzimer

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When you arrive

Once you enter the plaza, you’ll see the massive, paneled dome. It's one of the world’s most expensive arenas, and it shows. It's designed to look like the net of a basketball hoop, and at night, it’ll be lit up with thousands of lights that move in animated sequence, bringing the structure to life.

But wait! Don’t be so quick to get to your seat just yet. There’s a ton to do in the outdoor plaza before the game. Looking like something out of Dune, it’s bordered by Roman steps and will include two bars, a restaurant, and a 5,000-square-foot team store. The entrance is anchored by a full-sized regulation basketball court — open for public use — with a screen that stretches key-to-key.

So have a drink, grab a jersey, or catch a pickup game before letting the professionals take the rock.

Kyungmi Shin’s mural, 'Spring to Life,' is one of six public art installations at the Intuit Dome.

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Courtesy Los Angeles Clippers

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The Clippers spared no detail in sourcing six public art installations by local artists for the plaza. Many of the pieces serve as a reflection of the city. The digital artwork "Living Arena" of Refik Anadol uses flight information from LAX and Inglewood weather data. "Cultural Playground" a mural by Michael Massenburg captures LA’s cultural identity, and Kyungmi Kim’s stained glass mosaic,-"Spring to Life," draws inspiration from Centinela Springs, an ancient water source that supported the Tongva people. At the entrance of the dome itself, you can’t miss Glenn Kaino’s “Sails,” a giant clipper boat that recalls the origins of the team’s name. And of course there's the graphic motion of the Dome itself, which comes alive thanks to Jennifer Steinkamp’s "Swoosh."

Under the Dome

Now comes the real fun. Once you’re through the gates of the Dome, you’ll see the indoor concourse lined with thousands of framed jerseys. There's one for each high school team in California, so try to find your alma mater on the way to your seat.

The Halo Board at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood is lit up for the first time at its unveiling July 19.

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Brian Feinzimer

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On the inside of the arena, watch where you’re going. You’ll likely be distracted by the 40,000-square-foot double sided Halo Board dominating your view. That's a full acre of a quarter billion LED lights. If you still can't visualize that, just imagine 4,000 60-inch TV’s floating in a ring above your head. No matter where you sit, you’re going to feel like you’re hovering over the court, and you won’t have to squint to catch replays, player stats, or fan-cams.

The inspiration for Intuit comes from an unlikely source — an 87-year-old calculus teacher in Detroit. Jerry Hansen was Ballmer’s math teacher and football coach in high school. He gave Ballmer the idea behind Intuit Dome.

“He said ‘Don't forget the real fan. Don't forget the folks who sit up high. Don't make it all about the folks who are just paying a lot of money,’ and that really meant a lot to me,” Ballmer said at a media event last month.

Settle in for the show

Once you’re at your seat, the coziness of the stadium might surprise you. That’s because a seat in row 20 is about a half-court closer to the action than it is at the Crypto.com arena.

The arena offers the most leg room in the NBA, whether you’re sitting court side or in the upper bowl. Each seat has a USB port to charge your phone, a built-in controller to play games on the halo, and a decibel meter that gauges the movement and sound of each individual fan. The loudest and rowdiest will be rewarded with discounts on food and merch.

When you get to your seat, make sure to scream and stomp until you turn blue. If your decibel levels are high enough, you’ll get a notification on the Clippers app that you earned half-off on an L.A. street dog, or a Kawhi Leonard bobblehead, for example.

K-Town Chicken and waffle fries at the self service concession area at the Intuit Dome.

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Brian Feinzimer

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What to eat and where to get it 

The concessions at Intuit are fully automated, and grab and go markets are everywhere. You'll just pick what you want from a buffet and walk right out. Tap your phone at the gate to check out, or you can pay with lung power by cashing in your well-earned discount through your Clippers account.

The entire journey was designed to take two minutes or less, and there are 200 shot clocks stationed around the Dome so you don’t miss a play.

Solar Panels atop the Intuit Dome in Inglewood generate power for the fully electric arena.

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Courtesy Los Angeles Clippers

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A net-zero stadium

After buying the Clippers in 2014, Ballmer made the decision to build a new, fully carbon neutral home court for the team before the 2024-25 NBA season, when their lease at Crypto.com arena was set to expire.

To pull that off, the Dome was blanketed in solar panels which generate most of its energy. What it can’t produce, the Clippers purchase from renewable sources, powering everything down to the electric cooking equipment. Plus, the arena is “naturally acclimatized” so as to use less energy on cooling. The team even bought 26 fuel-friendly tugboats for the Port of Los Angeles to offset emissions.

“We actually took carbon dioxide out of the environment and put it into the concrete foundation in this building,” Ballmer told LAist.

How to get tickets 

Tickets aren’t on sale just yet for the upcoming NBA season, unless you’re planning to buy a season membership. Single game tickets will likely be available for purchase later in August.

You can check out the Intuit Dome website for this season’s concerts. It’ll kick off this week with back to back Bruno Mars shows. Heavy hitters Olivia Rodrigo and Usher are scheduled to perform in the coming months.

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena and Pasadena’s music community have really shown up to support fire survivors, especially fellow musicians who lost instruments and record collections.

That effort continues this weekend with a special donation concert at a Pasadena record store, with the aim of getting vinyl records back in the hands of survivors who lost their collections.

“You know, our name is Healing Force of the Universe, and I think that gives me a pretty clear direction… especially after the fires,” said Austin Manuel, founder of Pasadena record store, where Sunday’s show will be held.

The record donation effort is the brainchild of musician Brandon Jay, who founded the nonprofit Altadena Musicians after losing his home and almost all of his family’s instruments in the Eaton Fire. Through Altadena Musicians’s donation and registry platform, Jay said he and his partners have helped some 1,200 fire survivors get their music instruments back.

Brandon Jay.

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Robert Garrova

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LAist

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Now, that effort has fanned out to restoring vinyl record collections.

“All of that stuff evaporated for thousands of people,” Jay said. “Look at your own record collection and be like, ‘Wow, what if that whole thing disappeared?’”

You might know Jay from several bands over the years, including Lutefisk, a 1990s alt-rock band based in Los Angeles. He and his wife, Gwendolyn Sanford, composed music for TV shows, including Orange is the New Black and Weeds.

Jay plans to play some holiday tunes at Sunday's record donation show (which LAist is the media sponsor), along with fellow musician Daniel Brummel of Sanglorians. Brummel, who was also a founding member of Pasadena’s indie-rock sensation Ozma, said he was grateful to Jay for his fire recovery work and to Manuel for making Healing Force available for shows like this.

Brummel, who came close to losing his own home in the Eaton Fire, recalled a show he played at Healing Force back in March.

Ryen Slegr (left) and Daniel Brummel perform with their band, Ozma, on the 2014 Weezer Cruise.

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Even Keel Imagery

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“The trauma of the fires was still really fresh,” Brummel said. After playing a cover of Rufus Wainwright’s “Going to a Town,” that night — which includes the lyrics “I’m going to a town that has already been burnt down” — Brummel said his neighbors in the audience told him the rendition hit them hard. “It felt really powerful. And without that space, it just wouldn’t have occurred.”

Details

Healing Force of the Universe Record Donation Show
Featuring: Quasar (aka Brandon Jay), Sanglorians (Daniel Brummel) and The Acrylic.
Sunday, Dec. 14; 2 to 5 p.m.
1200 E. Walnut St., Pasadena
Tickets are $15 or you can donate 5 or more records at the door. More info here.

Topline:

The case: In September, the city settled a lawsuit brought forward by two brothers in their 70s who said they suffered serious injuries after an LAPD officer crashed into their car. Days before the $18 million settlement was reached, lawyers for the brothers said Feldstein Soto called an expert witness testifying for the plaintiffs and “attempted to ingratiate herself with him and asked him to make a contribution to her political campaign,” according to a sworn declaration to the court by the plaintiffs’ attorney, Robert Glassman.

The response: Feldstein Soto did not respond to an interview request. Her spokesperson said the settlement “had nothing to do” with the expert witness. Her campaign manager told LAist the city attorney had been making a routine fundraising call and did not know the person had a role in the case, nor that there were pending requests for her office to pay him fees.

What Jurado says: In a statement to LAist, Jurado said she wants to “make sure that the city’s legal leadership is guided by integrity and accountability, especially when their choices affect public trust, civic rights and the city’s limited resources."

What’s next: The motion needs to go through a few committees before reaching the full City Council. If it passes, the motion calls for the city attorney to “report to council in closed session within 45 days regarding the ethics breach violation and give updates to the City Council."

Every year in Santa Ana, Luis Cantabrana turns the front of his home into an elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe that draws hundreds of visitors.

Along the front of the house, the multi-colored altar is filled with lights, flowers and a stained-glass tapestry behind a sculpture of the Lady of Guadalupe. Cantabrana’s roof also is lit up with the green, white and red lights that spell out “Virgen de Guadalupe” and a cross.

Visitors are welcomed with music and the smell of roses as they celebrate the saint, but this year’s gathering comes after a dark year for immigrant communities.

Luis Cantabrana stands in front of the stunning altar he built in front of his home in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe. Every year, his display draws hundreds of visitors.

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Destiny Torres

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Why do they celebrate? 

In 1513, the Virgin Mary appeared before St. Juan Diego between Dec. 9 and Dec. 12, asking him to build a church in her honor. Her image — a brown-skinned woman wearing a green veil with her hands together in prayer and an angel at her feet — miraculously appeared on his cloak.

To celebrate in Santa Ana, worshippers gathered late-night Wednesday and in the very early hours Dec. 12 to pray the rosary, sing hymns and celebrate the saint.

Cantabrana has hosted worshippers at his home for 27 years — 17 in Santa Ana.

The altar started out small, he said, and over the years, he added a fabric background, more lights and flowers (lots and lots of flowers).

“It started with me making a promise to la Virgen de Guadalupe that while I had life and a home to build an altar, that I would do it,” Cantabrana said. “Everything you see in photos and videos is pretty, but when you come and see it live, it's more than pretty. It's beautiful.”

The Santa Ana home's elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe draws hundreds of visitors each year.

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Destiny Torres

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LAist

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Gathering in a time of turmoil 

Many also look to the Lady of Guadalupe for protection, especially at a time when federal enforcement has rattled immigrant communities.

“People don’t want to go to work, they don’t want to take their kids to school, but the love we have for our Virgen de Guadalupe,” Cantabrana said. “We see that la Virgen de Guadalupe has a lot of power, and so we know immigration [enforcement] won’t come here.”

Margarita Lopez of Garden Grove has been visiting the altar for three years with her husband. She’s been celebrating the Virgencita since she was a young girl. Honoring the saint is as important now as ever, she said.

“We ask, and she performs miracles,” Lopez said.

Claudia Tapia, a lifelong Santa Ana resident, said the Virgin Mary represents strength.

“Right now, with everything going on, a lot of our families [have] turned and prayed to the Virgen for strength during these times,” Tapia said. “She's a very strong symbol of Mexican culture, of unity, of faith and of resilience.”

See it for yourself

The shrine will stay up into the new year on the corner of Broadway and Camile Street.