Are you looking to be more mindful about where you spend your money? If you want to shop local this holiday season, we can help with this guide to some of our favorite places to drop some dough IRL.
Why now? Because the day after Thanksgiving is Small Business Saturday, a reminder that while we all love the convenience of online shopping, there's still something to be said for supporting the local stores, shopkeepers and boutiques that breathe so much life into our neighborhoods.
Why it matters: These days, retailers take a risk in establishing a brick-and-mortar location to showcase their collections and share their vision. Reward their courage with your presence, positive feedback and sense of community. Every shop represents a dream in the making.
What's next? Check out a few of our favorite places to #ShopLocal in L.A., hitting a variety of locations, wares and price points. You'll also find over 100 other local retailers in the LAist Holiday Gift Guide, which curates dozens upon dozens of gift ideas to help you shop local this holiday season.
Shopping online may be efficient, but there is no substitute for the experience of stepping through the entrance of a well-considered store and delighting in the joy of discovery in person.
These days, retailers take a risk in establishing a brick-and-mortar location to showcase their collections and share their vision. Reward their courage with your presence, positive feedback and sense of community. Every shop represents a dream in the making.
As a counterpoint to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we're highlighting just a few of our favorite places to #ShopLocal in L.A., hitting a variety of locations, wares and price points.
But this is just a starting point: You'll find over 100 other local retailers in the LAist Holiday Gift Guide, which curates dozens upon dozens of gift ideas to help you shop local this holiday season.
This season, meet not only the makers, but the merchants in your neighborhood and celebrate their contribution to making SoCal so uniquely our own:
Tía Chucha’s in Sylmar
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Courtesy Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore
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Located in Northeast San Fernando Valley, Tía Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore is dedicated to making culturally relevant books and literacy available to an intergenerational and diverse BIPOC community.
Established by Los Angeles Poet Laureate Luis J. Rodriguez in 2001, the mission of the founder and his impassioned retail team is to highlight literature and storytelling that puts an emphasis on Xicanx and Latinx history and culture with an eye toward social justice and transformative healing. Home to more than 7,000 books, including bilingual children’s books, art, poetry, antiracism, queer/LGBTQIA, social change and more, the booksellers also offer book clubs, literary arts workshops, author events, and children’s story time. Some stores offer more than merchandise and this is one of them.
Museum stores are the perfect place to shop for unique and thoughtful gifts and Southern California has some of the very best. One of our favorites is the Huntington Store at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens due to its extensive and ever-changing mix of creative, quality merchandise with wide ranging appeal.
Inspired by the institutions’ many gardens, art collections, geography and local interests, home decor, art, books, jewelry, personal care items, kid stuff, gardening products and more are displayed in a bright and airy atrium designed with warm natural wood. The store also stocks exclusive collections of botanical prints and logo merchandise as well as books, keepsakes and ornaments specific to the museum’s collections and tea room.
Don’t miss the opportunity to take a stroll through the art and gardens while you are there for a truly enriching experience — consider it the mental health break we all need in this busy season! Consider becoming a member, too, to receive store discounts starting at 10% and up depending on membership level. It makes a great experiential gift for those who don't want more "stuff."
Move over Willy Wonka, Letterpress Chocolate has gold tickets too. David and Corey Menkes, the Los Angeles-based artisanal makers who roast and stone-grind every small batch of their intricately hand pressed treats, offer discovery tours that include an inside look at the cacao tree and fermentation process, sampling of cacao juice and beans, and an introduction to the machines to see how the magic is made.
Tours at their Robertson Boulevard location are $20 for ages 12 and up, and finish in the Letterpress boutique where the chocolate equivalent of sweet sommeliers guide you through a tasting of dark chocolate bars — and you'll also find a wide assortment of gift sets. We can’t think of a better way to select holiday gifts this season — or next. If you're still hungry after visiting Letterpress, here's a list of places to dine nearby. You can save some chocolate for dessert! Here are 20 more gift ideas for the foodie on your holiday gift list.
A “Refill Station” in modern terms is a store aimed at helping consumers reduce plastic consumption and waste by allowing us to bring our own containers (or purchase a reusable container) and buy refills on everything from lotion, shampoo and conditioner to laundry detergent and dish soap when the bottle is empty. No more buying giant plastic jug after giant plastic jug, destined for the landfill when finished. With three locations in Long Beach, BYO Long Beach offers a wide selection of refillable products in addition to a well stocked supply of eco-minded merchandise, home goods, clever gifts, plants and more. Encourage a greener world with less waste by supporting the refill station closest to your home or consider a visit to a BYO Long Beach branch. It’s a gem. Also, check out our list of 17 gifts that are also kind to the planet.
The Last Bookstore in downtown L.A. is not just a place to shop, it’s an experience to be savored. A nirvana of sorts for book lovers since 2011, the 22,000 square-foot literary gorilla in the Spring Arts Tower is organized into creatively conceived sections to display more than a quarter-million books inside the century-old bank building. Yes, the store is a gold mine for IG selfies, but stopping only to take photos of the book tunnel, the fantastical sculptural displays and vintage architectural details would be telling only half the story. The store is a treasure trove for readers looking for everything from graphic novels and travel guides to rare books, vinyl records and beyond. Book clubs, author events and sleepovers at the iconic institution are also on offer. It's in-person shopping at its finest. And if you find yourself in DTLA, here are LAist's recommendations for where to grab a bite. Check out more book gift ideas here.
Founded by Los Angeles artist Angie Myung and her partner, husband Ted Vadakan with the launch of a colorful pocket-sized wallet in 2003, Poketo has evolved into a creative powerhouse brand collaborating with forces such as Nike, MOCA, the Guggenheim, and Disney.
Their flagship Santa Monica store reflects that energy. Guided by the philosophy: Art for you every day, the bright, cheerfully designed store with a crisp, modern feel is a ray of sunshine no matter what the forecast. The store also serves as a hub for the community of artists and makers Poketo seeks to inspire, and as a result, the team received the Edge Award for Positive community impact from the Los Angeles Design Festival. Poketo's wares also land on our holiday list of best gifts to thank a party host or hostess.
Do you know a hopeless romantic? This is the place to experience the meet-cute of your dreams — not to mention getting your hands on the perfect holiday gift. The Ripped Bodice Bookstore — as the name suggests — is devoted entirely and passionately to the celebration of romance novels. The store is proudly woman and queer owned by sisters Lea and Bea Koch, and the well-built shelves heave with a lusty selection of diverse and LGBTQIA+ inclusive fiction as well a wide and deep selection of gift items with a focus on supporting independent, woman-owned businesses. In addition, the bookstore team undertakes several large projects to advance their genre each year including, The Ripped Bodice State of Racial Diversity in Romance Report, the Read, Romance, Repeat subscription box, which would make a great holiday gift, and the development of television projects based on romance novels in association with Sony Pictures Television. In 2023, the store unveiled their second location in Park Slope, Brooklyn — and the adventure continues. We have suggestions for places to dine in Culver City, too, without breaking the budget (so you'll have more to spend on holiday gifts).
The home goods and textiles designed by Los Angeles-based creative Heather Taylor have been featured in publications such as Vogue, House Beautiful, and Domino and are stocked by trendsetting retailers such as John Derian, Nickey Kehoe and Le Bon Marche but the best place to experience them is in Taylor’s own brick and mortar store in Westwood Village.
Opened in 2018, Heather Taylor Home features not only her namesake collection, handcrafted in Chiapas, Mexico, but also a well-curated merchandise mix aimed at complimenting and enhancing her signature, eclectic style. For more shopping inspiration, check out our list of 17 unique, handcrafted gifts you can find right here in L.A.
It’s a store, it’s a studio, it’s an experience. Shopping at the 5,000 square-foot Match Stoneware showroom in Culver City means browsing the finished collections on display while a team of artists work on creating new pieces nearby. Visitors are welcomed to enjoy a personalized tour of the studio space and offered insight into the process of how the work is created. It is as close as you can get to making the pottery without tying on an apron and getting your hands in the clay.
In addition, the handcrafted, contemporary platters, plates, cups and bowls can be seen gracing the tables of some of the finest restaurants in the region owing to collaborating with chefs across the city, including at restaurants such as Vespertine, Destroyer and Somni, to name a few. If it’s good enough for chefs Mei Lin and José Andrés, we’re in. Allow yourself enough time to shop as well as to watch the artists practice their craft. For the budget-minded, the showroom also offers a number of one-off pieces that have been discounted for slight imperfections. Score! Here are 20 more gift ideas for the foodie on your holiday gift list.
The place to go for first-edition books. Located just off the Sunset strip, the store exclusively stocks first editions and first state copies of collectible literature and boasts an abundance of books signed or inscribed by their authors — including Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Ernest Hemingway, J.K. Rowling and Dr. Seuss. In addition, the store also offers shooting scripts signed by the authors as well as the celebs who headlined the film adaptations. Actor Michael Caine once said the shop is, “like the most wonderful museum, except you get to buy the exhibits.” If you are looking to browse for something special where Oprah, Angelina Jolie, Bono, Nicole Kidman and others also shop, this is the place. Dark glasses optional. And since you love clearly love reading, check out our list of 17 picture books that make great gifts for kids — and adults, which also includes a guide to other children's book stores across L.A.
With their luscious Los Angeles area locations (Beverly Grove, Culver City, Studio City, and the OC pop-up at Coco Republic), Rolling Greens has established a signature style that captures the essence of the aspirational California lifestyle. At once elegantly luxe and relaxed, the stores offer plants, decor and home goods creatively displayed inside spaces you’ll want to move into. Browse for gifts, greenery or inspiration and soak in the style. To linger longer, check out the schedule of workshops or meet with a botanical barista at the Arrangement Bar to create something completely unique. Also check out our list of the 15 best L.A. gifts for plant lovers.
Inspired by a heritage of adventure and travel, Joanna Williams established Los Angeles-based Kneeland Co. Rarities on West Adams Boulevard as a tribute to her family’s passion for discovery. Located in the West Adams neighborhood, her store offers an eclectic mix of globally sourced home goods, jewelry, art and textiles. The location also serves as the headquarters for Williams’ textile archive, online website and advisory service for both residential and commercial clientele. Rarities, William’s word for the one-of-a-kind art and decor she curates from around the world, can be shopped according to country or featured artist and her passion for design and spirited style infuses the store with a meaningful sense of place. For more unique gifts, check out our curated list of artisanal gifts you can only find right here in L.A.
Vintage items have soul. They are also a great way to imbue your space with personality and individual style. Southern California has some of the best vintage markets in the country — in fact you’re likely to see them featured on design shows like HGTV’s Flea Market Flipand topping vintage shopping lists on the regular. Go for the people watching (celebrities, designers, trend setters), hidden treasures, and the fascinating stories behind the merchandise. The vendors know their stuff. Find out everything you can about what you are buying — and return home with stories of your own. Here are a few of our favorites:
It's spring break season in the U.S. — and travelers are facing long airport lines as security screeners work without pay while the Department of Homeland security is shut down.
How we got here: Congressional Democrats have declined to fund the agency in an attempt to force reforms of federal immigration enforcement practices.
Where things stand for travelers: Wait times at major hubs in Houston and Atlanta reached two hours on Friday, while New Orleans's Louis Armstrong International Airport advised passengers to arrive at least three hours before their scheduled departures. In Philadelphia, airport officials closed three security checkpoints entirely this week because of short staffing.
Read on... for the latest from President Donald Trump and how to cope in the meantime.
It's spring break season in the U.S. — and travelers are facing long airport lines as security screeners work without pay while the Department of Homeland security is shut down.
Congressional Democrats have declined to fund the agency in an attempt to force reforms of federal immigration enforcement practices.
Wait times at major hubs in Houston and Atlanta reached two hours on Friday, while New Orleans's Louis Armstrong International Airport advised passengers to arrive at least three hours before their scheduled departures. In Philadelphia, airport officials closed three security checkpoints entirely this week because of short staffing.
On Saturday, President Trump threatened to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to staff airport security lanes if Democrats don't "immediately" agree to fund DHS. A bipartisan group of senators has been negotiating with the White House over immigration enforcement and ending the shutdown.
"I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before, including the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country," Trump posted on Truth Social. In a follow-up post he said he told ICE to "GET READY" to deploy to airports on Monday.
Why are wait times so long?
Officials say wait times are unpredictable and can fluctuate sharply as airports struggle with Transportation Security Administration staffing shortages.
TSA staffers are considered essential workers, so about 50,000 have been working without pay due to the shutdown that started Feb. 14. Last week, they missed their first full paychecks. The Department of Homeland Security says more than 300 TSA officers have quit. More than half of TSA staff in Houston called out sick and nearly a third called out in Atlanta and New Orleans last week, DHS said.
The staffing shortage comes as travel has also been disrupted by severe weather, and as schools across the country close for spring break.
Some 2.8 million people were projected to travel on U.S. airlines each day in March and April, adding up to a record 171 million passengers, according to the industry group Airlines for America.
What do officials say?
Transportation officials are warning the situation could get worse if the shutdown isn't resolved. A second missed paycheck would put even more strain on TSA workers, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNN on Friday.
"If a deal isn't cut, you're going to see what's happening today look like child's play," Duffy said. "Is it still safe as you go through the airport? Yes, but it takes a lot longer because we have less agents working." He added that some smaller airports may be forced to temporarily close if more staff calls out.
In the U.K., Foreign Office officials are also warning travelers of "travel disruption" caused by "longer than usual queues at some U.S. airports," and recommended passengers check with their travel provider, airport, or airline for guidance.
On Saturday, billionaire Elon Musk weighed in with an offer to personally pay TSA staff.
"I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country," Musk posted on X early Saturday morning.
U.S. law generally bars government employees from receiving outside compensation for their work.
Even with disruptions, travel demand is still high
On top of long security wait times and weather impacts, travel is being affected by the war in Iran, which is driving up global oil prices.
On Friday, United Airlines said it would cut some flights over the next six months after jet fuel prices doubled in recent weeks. Capacity cuts are likely to send airfares even higher, even as ticket prices are already rising, said Clint Henderson, a spokesperson for the travel website The Points Guy.
Still, he said, none of that seems to be deterring Americans from flying.
"The appetite for travel is insatiable," he said. "People seem willing to endure a lot of stuff to travel. And I don't see any signs of that decreasing."
How can travelers prepare?
Travel experts say it's not just long wait times that travelers should prepare for — it's the uncertainty.
"Every day this goes on, it's getting worse and worse and worse," Henderson said.
Here are some tips on how to prepare for upcoming air travel:
1. Know before you go
Many airport websites list estimated security wait times. That should be the first place you check to get a sense of how long lines might be, Henderson says. (TSA also estimates wait times on its website and app, but that's not being regularly updated because of the shutdown, he added.)
"Knowledge is power," Henderson said. "You should know what's going on at your local airport."
He noted there are 20 U.S. airports where security screening is done by private contractors, not the TSA — and they are not experiencing staffing shortages or long waits. Some are smaller regional airports, but the list also includes some larger hubs, including San Francisco International Airport and Kansas City International Airport.
"There's big, big, big metropolitan areas where it's not an issue at all," Henderson said.
2. Budget extra time
If you're someone who shows up at the airport when your flight starts boarding, think twice, says travel writer Chris Dong.
"I'm the type of traveler who usually arrives pretty last minute," Dong said, "but I think that that advice would not be sound for the current situation."
Even if wait times are listed as short, things can change on a dime. Dong recently flew out of John F. Kennedy Airport in New York and found the TSA PreCheck line unexpectedly closed.
"So then everyone that was funneled through the regular line, it was an extra like 20, 30 minutes," he said. "I was sweating it out because I usually arrive super last-minute. And those levels of uncertainty are just higher now with the shutdown."
3. Consider biometric screening
Henderson typically recommends signing up for TSA PreCheck or the Global Entry program to move through airport security more quickly — and to opt in to biometric screening. That has to be done in advance, and travelers also have to choose biometric screening in their airline apps.
"Make sure if that's an option that you're opted in for that, because that will save you so much agita," he said.
For those who haven't signed up in advance, there is a last-minute alternative: the private CLEAR program, which allows people to enroll at the airport. Henderson notes it's pricey — annual membership costs $209 — but that some credit card companies will refund that fee.
"For me to skip a three-hour line is probably worth the membership fee, especially if you know your credit card will pay you back for it," he said.
That said, expedited screening lanes are not always faster than regular screening, both Henderson and Dong warned. Always check what all the lanes look like when you arrive at the airport.
4. Make a plan B
If you miss a connection or your flight is canceled, be proactive about rebooking. "Have all the tools available to you in the toolbox in case things go wrong," Henderson advises.
That includes installing your airline's app on your smartphone and writing down their customer service number, so you aren't scrambling to find it.
"And then, you know, obviously have a plan B," Henderson said. "Know what other airlines fly the route that you want to take in case, you know, you missed your Delta flight and American is offering a flight you can take later that day."
He says while airlines don't generally like to rebook passengers on competitors' flights, it's worth asking. He also recommends having the information at hand to give to customer service agents, including flight number, airline and departure time.
And if an airline cancels your flight in the U.S., you're entitled to a refund, according to the Department of Transportation.
Copyright 2026 NPR
Robert Mueller, the ex-FBI director and former special counsel who led the high-profile investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump, died Friday at 81.
Family statement: "With deep sadness, we are sharing the news that Bob passed away" on Friday night, his family said in a statement Saturday shared with NPR. "His family asks that their privacy be respected."
Updated March 21, 2026 at 17:36 PM ET
Robert Mueller, the former FBI director and special counsel who led the high-profile investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and the possible obstruction of justice by President Trump, died on Friday at 81.
"With deep sadness, we are sharing the news that Bob passed away," his family said in a statement Saturday shared with NPR. No cause of death was given.
Mueller had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease four years ago, his family told The New York Times in August.
Trump, who openly despised Mueller and his investigation, celebrated his death on Saturday.
"Good, I'm glad he's dead," the president posted on social media. "He can no longer hurt innocent people!"
WilmerHale, the law firm where Mueller served as a partner, remembered Mueller as a "friend" who was "an extraordinary leader and public servant and a person of the greatest integrity."
"His service to our country, including as a decorated officer in the Marine Corps, as FBI Director, and at the Department of Justice, was exemplary and inspiring," a spokesperson for WilmerHale told NPR in a statement. "We are deeply proud that he was our partner. Our thoughts are with Bob's family and loved ones during this time."
Former President Barack Obama on Saturday called Mueller "one of the finest directors in the history of the FBI, transforming the bureau after 9/11 and saving countless lives."
"But it was his relentless commitment to the rule of law and his unwavering belief in our bedrock values that made him one of the most respected public servants of our time," Obama wrote on social media. "Michelle and I send our condolences to Bob's family, and everyone who knew and admired him."
Path to public service
Born on Aug. 7, 1944 in New York City, Mueller was raised in Philadelphia and graduated from Princeton University in 1966. He received a master's degree in international relations from New York University.
Mueller, throughout his career, ran toward tough assignments. Following the lead of a classmate at Princeton, Mueller enrolled in the Marines and served in the Vietnam war. He earned the Bronze Star for rescuing a colleague. Mueller said he felt compelled to serve during that conflict, an idea he returned to throughout his life.
Law professor and former Justice Department lawyer Rory Little knew Mueller for many years.
"Bob is kind of a straight arrow, you know, wounded in Vietnam," Little said. "You keep wanting to hunt for where is the crack in that façade — 'Where is the real Bob Mueller?' — and after a while you begin to realize that's the real Bob Mueller. He is exactly who he appears to be. This kind of sour-faced, not a lot of humor, sort of all-business guy. That's him."
But with his closest friends, Mueller let down his guard. They teased him — saying Mueller would have made an excellent drill instructor on Parris Island, where Marine recruits are trained.
Instead, Mueller went to law school at the University of Virginia. He joined the Justice Department in 1976. There, he prosecuted crimes, big and small, for U.S. attorneys in San Francisco and Boston. He was a partner at Hale and Dorr, a Boston law firm now known as WilmerHale.
He later became a senior litigator prosecuting homicides at the U.S. attorney's office in Washington, D.C.
Head of the FBI
In 2001, President George W. Bush nominated him to serve as the director of the FBI. Mueller was sworn in a week before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"I had been a prosecutor before, so I anticipated spending time on public corruption cases and narcotics cases and bank robberies, and the like. And Sept. 11th changed all of that," Mueller told NPR during an interview in 2013.
He shifted the bureau's attention to fighting terrorism. He staffed up the headquarters in Washington. He pushed those agents to try to predict crimes and to act before another tragedy hit.
"He directed and implemented what is arguably the most significant changes in the FBI's 105-year history," said his former FBI deputy, John Pistole.
Along the way, Mueller drew some criticism when his agents erred. During the investigation of the deadly anthrax attacks, the bureau focused on the wrong man as its lead suspect.
Mueller left the bureau in 2013.
Return to the national spotlight
After Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, Mueller in May 2017 was appointed by then Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as special counsel to oversee the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible connections to Trump associates.
Trump called the investigation "a witch hunt" and Republicans in Congress started to attack the investigators.
When then the investigation eventually concluded in March 2019 with the more than 400-page "Mueller report," the special counsel said the investigation did not establish that Trump's campaign or associates colluded with the Russian government to influence the 2016 election. The report did not take a position on whether Trump obstructed justice.
Mueller said the report spoke for itself. But Democrats wanted more and insisted he testify. A reluctant witness, Mueller once again fulfilled his duty. He was visibly older than at the time of his appointment and kept his testimony restrained.
"If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so," Mueller later told Congress.
In the end, the team charged 37 people and entities, including former campaign chair Paul Manafort, national security adviser Michael Flynn and 25 Russians.
Trump went on to grant clemency to or back away from criminal cases against many of the people Mueller's investigators had charged.
Copyright 2026 NPR
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At the Koreatown Senior and Community Center, people were used to seeing Keum-soon Lee arrive early. When she didn’t show up for the 11 a.m. group harmonica class at the center last Friday, people took notice.
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Chase Karng
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The LA Local
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Top line:
At the Koreatown Senior and Community Center, people were used to seeing Keum-soon Lee arrive early. When she didn’t show up for the 11 a.m. group harmonica class at the center last Friday, people took notice.
Members of the center later learned that Lee, 73, was critically injured in a hit-and-run crash while biking home in Koreatown after attending early morning prayer at her church. She died in a hospital March 13 from her injuries, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The background: Lee was born in 1952 in South Korea and immigrated to the United States in 1998. She was an elder at Saehan Presbyterian Church in Pico Union and is survived by her husband, Sang-rae Lee, and son, Young-jo Lee.
Why now: The senior center, where Lee was a fixture and known as a reliable friend, has designated March 20 as a day of mourning. On Friday, Lee’s church held a funeral service, where members of the harmonica ensemble performed the hymn, “Nearer My God to Thee,” in her memory.
Read on ... for more on Lee's life and memory.
At the Koreatown Senior and Community Center, people were used to seeing Keum-soon Lee arrive early. When she didn’t show up for the 11 a.m. group harmonica class at the center last Friday, people took notice.
“She would always be there first,” said conductor Eun-young Kim. “If she couldn’t come, she would tell me ahead of time. This time, I didn’t receive any messages from her. I thought, something isn’t right.”
Kim tried calling and sending messages. She didn’t get a response.
Members of the center later learned that Lee, 73, was critically injured in a hit-and-run crash while biking home in Koreatown after attending early morning prayer at her church. She died in a hospital March 13 from her injuries, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
“I was shocked,” said Jin-soon Baek, who has played with Lee for years. “We’ve been friends for a long time. We ate together, practiced together. She was like a sibling to me.
“She was so hardworking. Always the first one there to sign in for class. She’d walk ahead of me and I’d follow behind. That’s how it always was.”
Baek, who is in her 80s, said the two also shared something more personal: Both had cancer.
“I had cancer years ago, and she was going through treatment recently,” Baek said. “We understood each other.”
“I think I’ve almost fully recovered,” Lee told journalist Chase Karng at the hockey game. “Even while receiving chemotherapy, I felt encouraged when I heard that I could perform here.”
At the Koreatown Senior and Community Center, people were used to seeing Keum-soon Lee arrive early. When she didn’t show up for the 11 a.m. group harmonica class at the center last Friday, people took notice.
Lee was born in 1952 in South Korea and immigrated to the United States in 1998. She was an elder at Saehan Presbyterian Church in Pico Union and is survived by her husband, Sang-rae Lee, and son, Young-jo Lee.
The senior center, where Lee was a fixture and known as a reliable friend, has designated March 20 as a day of mourning.
On Friday, Lee’s church held a funeral service, where members of the harmonica ensemble performed the hymn, “Nearer My God to Thee,” in her memory.
“I usually don’t attend funeral services, but I had to come for hers,” said Alice Kim. “Whenever I came to church, I would see her watering the grass, bent over, and she would smile and say, ‘You’re here, Alice,’ and hand me the Sunday bulletin.”
In her eulogy, elder Gyu-sook Lee said the sudden loss has hit the congregation hard.
“She always greeted everyone with a warm smile,” she said. “She was the kind of person who always stepped forward first to do the hard work that no one else wanted to do. And when she took something on, she saw it through to the end.”
At the Koreatown Senior and Community Center, people were used to seeing Keum-soon Lee arrive early. When she didn’t show up for the 11 a.m. group harmonica class at the center last Friday, people took notice.
“She still had so many years ahead of her,” Baek said. “She was younger than us. Full of hope. It feels like it should have been me instead.”
According to police, Lee was riding through a crosswalk when a white Dodge Ram truck turning right struck her around 6:40 a.m. near Olympic Boulevard and Vermont Avenue. The driver briefly stopped, then drove away, authorities said.
Investigators found the truck and are looking into whether the driver was impaired on drugs or alcohol. The truck was seized and there was no information about the driver.
Kim, the conductor, said Lee was the first person to reach out to her when she started to lead the ensemble in September.
“She sent me a message saying thank you for coming,” Kim said. “She was such a special person to me.”
At Friday’s service, speaker after speaker described Lee as someone who was a light in every community she was part of.
“The way she served the church behind the scenes became a lesson in faith for all of us. There isn’t a single part of this church that hasn’t felt her touch. Her warmth, her love, her dedication — I can still feel it,” Gyu-sook Lee said.
By LaMonica Peters and Isaiah Murtaugh | The LA Local
Published March 21, 2026 10:00 AM
When Gilbert Lindsay became the first Black person elected to Los Angeles City Council in 1963, it gave the residents of the predominantly Black District 9 someone who understood the challenges they faced living in South Central.
The background: This area was the center of Black political power in LA because it was one of the few places in the city Black people were allowed to live and thrive due, in part, to housing restrictions.
Why now: The list is a reflection of the demographic shift of the area, but candidates also told The LA Local that it shows the strength of the district’s Black-Latino political coalition. And with the civil rights gains since the 1960s, while some locals are concerned that issues facing Black voters won’t get the attention they need, others who live in the district said they’re less concerned with what their representative looks like. Instead, they said they want someone who listens and gets things done.
Read on ... for more about the changes in District 9.
When Gilbert Lindsay became the first Black person elected to Los Angeles City Council in 1963, it gave the residents of the predominantly Black District 9 someone who understood the challenges they faced living in South Central.
This area was the center of Black political power in LA because it was one of the few places in the city Black people were allowed to live and thrive due, in part, to housing restrictions. For the next 63 years, voters in this district — which includes historic South Central, Exposition Park and a small portion of downtown Los Angeles — consecutively chose a Black representative.
That will end with Curren D. Price Jr., the current District 9 councilmember who can’t run again due to term limits.
The list is a reflection of the demographic shift of the area, but candidates also told The LA Local that it shows the strength of the district’s Black-Latino political coalition. And with the civil rights gains since the 1960s, while some locals are concerned that issues facing Black voters won’t get the attention they need, others who live in the district said they’re less concerned with what their representative looks like. Instead, they said they want someone who listens and gets things done.
“As long as you do good in the community, we’re going to be happy,” said Dennis Anya, who works on Central Avenue and has lived in the district for nearly 40 years.
What the demographic shifts in District 9 mean for the June election
The upcoming election comes as the demographics have changed in District 9 and South LA. The Black population in South Los Angeles was 81% in 1965, according to a special census survey from November 1965 of South and East LA.
Officials have predicted the district’s shift for years. Former City Councilmembers Kevin De León and Nury Martinez discussed the district’s future in the leaked 2021 audio — checkered with racist remarks — that the LA Times reported in 2022.“This will be [Price’s] last four years,” De Leon said at one point in the conversation, the transcript of which the LA Times published in full. “That eventually becomes a Latino seat.”
Erin Aubry Kaplan, a writer and columnist who traces her family’s roots to South Central, told The LA Local that because District 9 has historically voted for a Black candidate, there is some anxiety amongst Black voters about losing Black representation in Los Angeles.
“I would hope that whoever wins, will carry the interest of Black folk forward,” she said.
Manuel Pastor, a USC professor and co-author of “South Central Dreams: Finding Home and Community in South LA,” told The LA Local that traditionally, voters are older. While District 9 is now home to a younger, immigrant community, they may not vote at the same rate as older generations, and undocumented residents are ineligible to vote.
Pastor said it’s likely for this reason that the current District 9 candidates are not emphasizing being Latino but are modeling their campaigns after other city leaders and focusing on Black-Latino solidarity.
“Just because the demographics have changed, doesn’t mean that the voting population has changed,” Pastor said.
Here’s what the candidates say about the transformation of District 9
Chris Martin, one of the two Black candidates who campaigned for the seat but did not qualify for the ballot, said he believes the city’s Black elected officials should have supported Black candidates in the race. Martin said he will challenge the city clerk’s decision on his nomination petition in court.
“The story of Black political power in the city of Los Angeles is dying,” Martin said. “I felt like I had a good chance of keeping it alive.”
When Gilbert Lindsay became the first Black person elected to Los Angeles City Council in 1963, it gave the residents of the predominantly Black District 9 someone who understood the challenges they faced living in South Central.
Michelle Washington, the other Black candidate who also did not qualify, did not respond to a request for comment.Price, the current District 9 councilmember, endorsed his deputy Jose Ugarte in the race and wrote in a statement that this election is about solidarity.
“As a Black man who has served a majority-Latino district, I know that progress in South Central has always come from Black and Brown families moving forward together,” Price wrote. “We’ve had to fight harder for housing, safety, opportunity and the basic investments every neighborhood deserves. And when we’ve made gains, it’s because we stood united.”
Five of the six candidates who qualified for the ballot told The LA Local that not having a Black candidate on the ballot doesn’t diminish the place of the district’s Black community. (Candidate Jorge Hernandez Rosas did not return requests for comment.)
“It has always been a Black community and will always be a Black community. This isn’t about a passing of the baton or one community taking over another. It’s about building a solidarity movement,” Estuardo Mazariegos said.
Elmer Roldan, who carries endorsements from LA Mayor Karen Bass and City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, said the district needs a councilmember who won’t leave anyone behind.“We have to avoid at all costs contributing to Black erasure and Black displacement,” Roldan said.
Ugarte said that the major quality of life problems — like dirty streets and broken street lights — affecting the neighborhood’s Black and brown communities haven’t changed since he was a child living in the district.
“The same issues are still here,” he said.
Here’s what happens next
If you haven’t registered to vote and you want to receive a vote-by-mail ballot, you must register to vote by May 18.
Results from the primary election will be certified by July 2. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates will move on to the general election on Nov. 3, according to the City Clerk’s website.
The winner of District 9 will begin a four-year term Dec. 14.
