The Brief

July 14th marked five years out from the opening ceremony for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in L.A. Planning is begin to ramp up, as the city anticipates an influx of thousands of spectators and athletes from around the world.

LAist's public affairs show AirTalk, which airs on 89.3 FM, talked with local officials and experts familiar with the preparations about what's in the works, what's expected to be done when, and how we'll gracefully press pause on many of these massive projects for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Transportation

Los Angeles CA March 27

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Los Angeles is known for many things, but zippy and convenient public transportation isn't one of them. The 2028 Olympics Games may help change that. The Olympics often offer host cities the opportunity to work on and prioritize long-standing projects that may not otherwise have the necessary public support or financing.

Seleta Reynolds, chief officer of Strategic Innovation at L.A. Metro, is overseeing the agency's Olympic efforts and she hopes these large projects will get a much-needed surge in support as the games approach. One of those projects is the Purple Line out to UCLA, where most—if not all—the athletes will be housed. The airport connector is another one.

"Those are going to be game changers," Reynolds tells us.

The region will be transformed, transportation experts like Reynolds say. "With or without the games, the voters endorsed [these projects] as part of measure M," Reynolds said about some of the current construction already taking place in the city. L.A. is also hosting the 2026 World Cup, and Reynolds said the city will have to "gracefully keep our construction projects moving" while also making sure spectators have a great experience at that event.

The Olympics is a car-free event, Reynolds notes. City transportation officials have their work cut out for them.

Economics

Historically, most Olympic host cities don't turn a profit, and instead end up in debt with a glut of empty venues that have little purpose beyond hosting Olympic events. After the 1984 Summer Games, however, Los Angeles had a surplus of $230 million. This was unprecedented and may have been one of the deciding factors that helped the city win its bid for the 2028 games.

"The economic opportunity is immense," said Dean Baim, an economics professor at Pepperdine University. Baim, who has studied the impact of sporting venues and written about the financial impact of Olympics on host cities, warns of the common pitfall — a misstep in construction leading to large and unexpected expenditures. Fortunately for L.A., most of the sporting venues already exist and just need to be updated.

In the case of L.A., Baim says, the economic prospects might outweigh the downsides. The Olympics could pump money into the local economy and be a huge win for the hard-hit mom-and-pop stores that squandered during the pandemic. The job opportunities will be plentiful as well, he says.

Housing

Homelessness is far and away the biggest issue of concern for Angelenos, and is one that will only become more urgent the closer we creep to the games. So, how will the city house tens of thousands of people in five years? It's a question local officials are still working on answering.

"Remember that we all have to be a part of the solution. It's all hands on deck," Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis said. Wraparound services are necessary to prevent people from returning to homelessness, she says. State and federal funding are expected to help with job training. Solis said it's also important to expunge people's records, making it easier for them to find and keep work.

As for event housing, athletes will be at UCLA, which has spent a lot of money upgrading the dorms. Housing athletics has historically been one of the biggest price tags of the Olympic Games. Los Angeles is fortunate to have housing available. Media will be housed at USC, along with other officials.

Venues

The 1984 Summer Olympics was the most viewed event in television history at the time, with more than 180 million Americans tuning in to watch. At the time, L.A.'s Memorial Coliseum was the most fit location for the opening and closing ceremonies. It was the focal point for athletic events as well.

Runners in the Men's 3,000 meter steeplechase final compete on August 6, 1984 during the Track and Field competition of the 1984 Olympic Games at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Visible at left wearing red is Brian Diemer of the USA, the eventual bronze medalist; Julius Kariuki of Kenya is at center right, wearing red shorts and red shoes; Joseph Mahmoud of France is at center rear midair above torch.

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This next Olympics has more options for venues. SoFi Stadium will take on the bookend ceremonies, but not entirely. The Inglewood-based arena will kickoff the opening ceremony and the torch will make its way to the Coliseum in a nod to the 1984 Games.

Other local venues will include the Kia Forum, where we'll see several gymnastics disciplines like trampoline and artistic gymnastics, the Honda Center in Anaheim, which will host volleyball, and the Rose Bowl, which will be the home of the final rounds of the soccer tournament (BMO Stadium, where LAFC plays, will host the preliminaries).

Arts and culture

In 1984, L.A. was eager to transform its image, and its infrastructure, from laid-back surfer town with heavy congestion to world-class economic and cultural epicenter with state-of-the-art facilities and venues. Fortunately for the city and its residents, it did just that.

The legacy of the '84 Summer Games continues to this day in many ways, maybe most visibly in the LA84 Foundation, which administers the surplus money generated by the 1984 games and distributes it in the form of grants to non-profit youth sports organizations. Its success resonated for years and decades beyond its summer hosting responsibilities. Now, cultural ambassadors, economists and city planners are eager to build on that success.

"We want to pick up what we learned from the 1984 Olympics, because there were so many cultural activities," said Solis, who authored a motion this past May to uplift arts, culture, and recreation during the '28 summer Olympic Games.

While L.A. City is the official host of the games, Solis says she understands that the county also has a great opportunity to buttress neighborhoods and communities, and her hope is that L.A. Metro and L.A. County can integrate their efforts. "This work really needs to happen now, even five years out from the Olympics."

A mural reveals the new LA28 logo, with the "A" designed by Orlando Pride player Alex Morgan, at the Delano Recreation Center on September 01, 2020 in Van Nuys.

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Kristin Sakoda, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, agrees on the need to build on the successful history of the 1984 games. From a policy perspective, arts and culture are core to our economy, she reminds us. The games, she said, are "an opportunity to increase and celebrate our local cultural diversity that speaks to the world."

The 1984 Olympics pulled off an arts festival that brought communities together throughout the county. Solis and Sakoda are working to make the '28 games reflect the rich and diverse ecosystem of arts in L.A., that visitors from around the world might not otherwise see and experience. They remind us too, that no single arts entity can pull this off alone, and that it will take a phenomenal amount of planning and collaboration, which is in its nascent stages.

The International Olympic Committee does periodic check-ins with every host city, typically done in person to get a real-time sense of the progress. L.A.'s next meeting has been planned on Zoom, which local officials say suggests things are going well.

While five years might seem far away, in Olympic years it's right around the corner.

Listen to the conversation

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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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.

Country Style Jamaican Restaurant

The exterior of Country Style Jamaican Restaurant.

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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.

Carnitas El Artista

Plates of tacos at Carnitas El Artista.

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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.

Woody's Bar-B-Que

The inflation fighter (3x) lunch special at Woody’s Bar-B-Que.

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If you've spent any time in Inglewood, there's a good chance you've seen Woody's Bar-B-Que on 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.

El Capitalino

Quesadilla fritas from El Capitalino MX food truck.

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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

The Serving Spoon has been an Inglewood cornerstone for four decades, dishing up grilled corn bread and fried turkey chops.

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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.

Sunday Gravy

Cheesy garlic bread at Sunday Gravy, the Italian-American spot on Centinela Avenue in Inglewood.

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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.

Somerville

Somerville's homage to the past

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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.

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.

Gilbert W. Lindsay Recreation Center

The Gilbert W. Lindsay Recreation Center on East 42nd Place is named in honor of the first Black member of the Los Angeles City Council, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

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.

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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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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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.

Check out their events here.

Star parties above L.A.

Grab a flashlight and go on a night hike in Griffith Park.

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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.

You can also catch other evening events here.

L.A.’s Critical Mass 

Cyclists gather for the monthly Critical Mass rides in Koreatown on Nov 8th, 2025.

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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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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.

View the times and dates here.

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.

• Metro’s Throne bathrooms, currently at more than 20 stations

Throne bathrooms at Metro stations give you 10 minutes of use.

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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. 

• StreetsLA’s standalone stalls

A public toilet on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr Blvd and Avalon Blvd in Historic South Central.

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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.)

• Check out bathroom reviews from (pardon our French) the blog Where to Shit in Los Angeles.

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.