The Brief

Griffith Park has always been more than, well, just a park. It’s been compared to New York’s Central Park and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, but this urban wilderness is in a league of its own.

Its past lives — aside from the over 4,200 acres of natural chaparral and parkland landscape — include an aerodrome, an ostrich farm, public housing, multiple civil rights actions, and of course, the stomping ground for P-22.

If you’ve resolved to explore more in 2024, Los Angeles’ great backyard is worth your time. It’s got great hiking trails, compelling history, and stories that overlap with plenty of cool things (and some not so cool) about this city. Here’s your guide to everything Griffith Park.

A brief early history (and curse)

A view of the Hollywoodland sign (not yet Hollywood!) from Mount Hollywood taken in 1937.

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Herman Schultheis

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Herman J Schultheis Collection, Los Angeles Photographers Collection/Los Angeles Public Library

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Before you get up close and personal with nature, it’s important to appreciate how this vast park came into L.A.’s care.

The San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, also known as the Gabrieleno Tongva people, have been the Indigenous caretakers of the L.A. basin long before it was ever called that.

Archaeologists found artifacts in Griffith Park indicating the mouth of Fern Dell Canyon was once a tribal village, with council meeting grounds and a trading post area. The area has been a L.A. historic-cultural monument since 1973, with a plaque making it under the Fern Dell sign.

A rare look at Bee Rock during a snowy time in 1949.

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Van Yuneo

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Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library

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Things changed under Spanish rule. The area we know as Griffith Park became part of Rancho Los Feliz (yep that Los Feliz), a Spanish land grant owned by José Vicente Feliz. He was a corporal for the Crown who escorted the 11 families who settled L.A. in 1781, so he was a very big deal here.

There’s a bit of lore here too. In 1863, a member of the Feliz family who had rights to the land died of smallpox. Even though his live-in sister and niece were still alive, he gave most of the Rancho to the family’s lawyer, Don Antonio Coronel, in his will.

As lore would have it, Coronel and his lawyer, Don Innocante, “were believed to have dishonestly obtained the dying Feliz’s signature on the will.” In retaliation, his niece Doña Petranilla is said to have gone up to Bee Rock — a peak in the park — to call upon the gods.

“She cursed the land,” said Mike Eberts, a professor and Griffith Park historian. “You know, 'the cattle shall not fatten. There will be pestilence and plague' and so on and so forth. And for the next 50 to 100 years, whenever anything bad would happen in Griffith Park, it’d kind of get blamed on the curse.”

Eberts, who wrote a book on Griffith Park, doesn’t put much stock into the curse and believes a newspaper columnist is responsible for drumming it up. (For a bit of fun, LAist asked the people interviewed for this story if they believed in the curse. Everyone said no, but acknowledged that bad things have happened there.)

In later years, the parkland changed hands a couple more times before falling under the control of a particularly important person in 1882: Griffith J. Griffith.

Griffith J. Griffith’s big role

Griffith J. Griffith, the donor of Griffith Park to Los Angeles, taken in 1910.

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Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library

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As you might’ve guessed, Griffith Park is named after this former owner. Griffith emigrated to the United States in 1865 from South Wales. He was a man with a fortune from California’s gold mines, a fake colonel title and a “complicated personality,” Eberts said. (Fun fact: His business card said G. J. Griffith, Capitalist.)

He enjoyed nature, put an ostrich farm on the grounds and set up an aerodrome. According to Eberts, before Griffith eventually donated the land, someone made a pact with Griffith that if there were any gold doubloons found under today’s park center, they’d “split the booty.” Griffith was never short of dreams.

“Among his insights, Griffith was looking out over Los Angeles in the 1890s, which was, you know, a little bit the backside of nowhere, but growing,” Eberts said. “And Griffith really thought that Los Angeles was going to become a great city.”

He imagined the city growing around a big park, which seemed a bit lofty at the time because Griffith Park in those days wasn’t actually in the city limits. In fact, for the first few years after Griffith and his wife donated the park, it was outside L.A. boundaries.

"Then, with the annexation of Hollywood in 1910, there was a move to make the park accessible from Hollywood," Eberts said. “That led to the development of not just roads, but Fern Dell itself.”

Fern Dell (also spelled Ferndell) is a half-mile trail that is often described as a hidden gem or an enchanting, shaded path that takes you up to the park from Los Feliz Boulevard, winding through a canyon with the same namesake. (That’s also where the Gabrieleno Tongva village was located.)

A vintage postcard shows Fern Dell, so named because it is covered with ferns and other tropical growth.

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Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library

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When Griffith and his wife donated the park to the city in 1896, it was a 5-square mile Christmas gift to Angelenos, given with the intent of it remaining a free park. In later years, Griffith shockingly shot his wife (she lived), which tarnished his reputation with city leaders.

But their donation still impacts L.A., because not only is there a large swath where nature can run free by our concrete home, it’s free for Angelenos to access too.

“It’s serving what the Colonel [Griffith] wanted,” said Marian Dodge, a past president of Friends of Griffith Park and chair of its history committee. “He wanted it to be a relief valve and it really does that.”

A magnet for significant events

Griffith Park has been like the quiet background actor in quite a few big movements in L.A. Here’s a brief look at some of those.

A public housing stint

There are quite a few buildings in Griffith Park, but did you know that a community lived in the park?

At the end of World War II, thousands of people returned to L.A. to build civilian lives. But that influx, combined with an already-growing population of war industry workers, created a severe housing shortage. For military folks, many came here unable to find housing to rent.

In 1946, a temporary response was set up in Griffith Park in just a matter of months: a major city-run public housing project. Rodger Young Village consisted of 750 quonset huts — temporary buildings made of steel — which were intended to house 1,500 families or about 6,000 residents (this took over where that aerodrome used to be).

Children on a slipper slide at Rodger Young Village on Feb. 4, 1952.

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Leonard Nadel

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Housing Authority Collection/Los Angeles Public Library

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A row of quonset huts at Rodger Young Village on July 19, 1950.

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Leonard Nadel

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Housing Authority Collection/Los Angeles Public Library

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“[Rodger Young Village] was not just public housing, but the first real integrated public housing in Los Angeles,” said Sarah Lann, the education director for the Los Angeles Conservancy.

Residents were primarily families of color who were discriminated against in the private housing market, making Rodger Young Village a viable home on many levels. But after public housing lost favor and the housing crisis eased, the village was razed in 1954.

There aren’t any remnants at its spot on the northeast corner of Griffith Park, even though the place had everything you’d expect from a town, like a malt shop to a dental office. The land now holds L.A. Zoo and Autry Museum parking lots. Lann says Rodger Young Village reminds her that if you want to understand L.A., “you poke Griffith Park and some amazing new aspect of history rears its head.”

Dreaming up Disneyland

Another highlight about Griffith Park comes from Walt Disney himself.

As the story goes, Disney would sit on a bench by the merry-go-round as his daughters rode. That lull, observing his kids have fun, gave him an idea: To create a theme park where children and adults could have fun. And boy, that idea took off. Disney Adults are thriving these days.

If you go to Disneyland, look along Main St. USA for a display with a Griffith Park bench and restored merry-go-round horses.

Dean Musgrove

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Herald Examiner Collection/Los Angeles Public Library

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Civil rights moments

That merry-go-round has seen some things. In 1961, it was the site of a protest with people who were angry over the operator’s treatment of Black teens. The kids reportedly jumped on and off the ride without paying, calling themselves “Freedom Riders” and aligning with the Civil Rights protests then happening.

Reportedly, the 75 police officers who were called to shut down the protest used racial slurs — a contentious example of how law enforcement treated Black communities in the ‘60s.

Seven years later, the merry-go-round was the site of a “gay day” in the park. At least three gay-ins were held in Griffith Park, which was a popular cruising spot for men back then, and those in attendance came to hear activists talk about gay civil rights.

Things to do at Griffith Park

Now, onto enjoying nature at the park.

We’ll spare you the usuals — of course Griffith Observatory is a great time. There is a lot to do and see here, ranging from a Bette Davis picnic area to the Travel Town Museum. But there are a few spots that could be new to you.

You could check out Amir’s Garden, which was created after a brush fire swept through the area in 1971. It’s named after Amir Dialameh, a wine merchant who asked the city if he could repair part of the burnt land. Before passing in 2003, he planted a garden to make a scenic rest spot for hikers with more than 60 varieties of trees.

There’s also a Firefighter’s Memorial that commemorates those who died in the 1933 brush fire that took over Mineral Wells Canyon.

Griffith Park has its own official list of attractions. The L.A. Conservancy also has a list of 30 different sites to check out. Out of those, here are a few options we’d recommend:

• The Old Zoo: 4801 Griffith Park Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027
• Bee Rock: No set address, but directions can be found here.
• Feliz Adobe: 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles 90027
• Fern Dell waterfall and bridge: 2333 Fern Dell Drive, Los Angeles 90027
• Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK: No set address. SOUNDWALK is a GPS-enabled, app-based experience where the path you walk dictates what music you hear.

Getting around the park

Want to navigate the park without getting turned around? Keep this Griffith Park map handy, traveler.

A map of Griffith Park.

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Courtesy City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks

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LAParks.org

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You can find Metro, biking and parking information here. Walking directions are available there too.

For activities in the park, such as camp and bike rental locations, check that out here. Griffith Park has maps of trails, current information on trail closures and special restrictions at the Ranger Station.

The park is open from 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Nearby eats to try nearby

And if you’re hungry after a long hike, we got you covered.

Griffith Park Clubhouse

• What: A clubhouse that’s located around the Wilson and Harding golf courses. Anyone can eat at the restaurant, which offers American-style breakfast and lunch favorites, like omelets and sandwiches.
• Where: 5500 Griffith Park Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027
• When: Daily, 7 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Franklin's Cafe and Market

• What: A cafe to pick up snacks and maps, or sit down and get a kimchi bowl or BLT. The cafe also serves wines and crafted beer. (This spot is cash-free.)
• Where: 2650 North Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
• When: Daily, 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.

The Trails

• What: A self-described “rustic” walk-up cafe that specializes in baked goods, coffees and teas. You can pick up quick breakfast and lunch foods to eat outside.
• Where: 2333 Fern Dell Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027
• When: Open Thursday to Monday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Scout’s Honor BBQ

• What: Near the topside of the park, this place is where you can get a more meaty meal. From ribs to burgers, you can get all the barbeque trimmings here.
• Where 1223 West Riverside Drive, Burbank, CA 91506
• When: Daily, 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.

At the center of the 1998 film Practical Magic is a story of sisterhood — and, well, a healthy round of margaritas. In the newly released sequel, Practical Magic 2, the cocktails make their celebrated return.

Margaritas all around in Practical Magic 2

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Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

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For anyone who watched the original midnight margarita scene — with Aunt Franny, Aunt Jet and their nieces, Sally and Gillian Owens, gathering around their warm New England kitchen dancing to the tune of Harry Nilson's "Coconut" — the joyous boisterousness is likely seared well into memory.

As we turn toward Halloween, we figured the ghouls, witches and warlocks of Los Angeles may well be inspired to roam under the cloak of darkness seeking their own midnight margaritas.

Here are the best places to visit across the city that will be open to host your own shenanigans — at midnight and beyond. So go out past 10 p.m., live a little.

Bar Flores (Echo Park)

The hibiscus-infused Flores margarita at Bar Flores in Echo Park.

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Andrea Aliseda

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LAist

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The hibiscus-infused Flores margarita at Bar Flores delights with its pink hue and wonderfully balanced profile. Enjoy it with your choice of agave spirit, share a pitcher with friends, or have a Tommy or Cadillac margarita by request. Owner Karla Flores highlights their humpday special, Margarita Wednesday, where the margaritas are $9.

Daisy (Sherman Oaks)

Daisy's takes on the cocktail include mangoneada and baja slaw.

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Andrea Aliseda

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LAist

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Daisy, the bar in Sherman Oaks dedicated to margaritas, is fashioned as an Angeleno take on the norteño cantinas of Baja California that birthed the drink. Unique versions of the cocktail, like mangoneada margarita and baja slaw margarita, invigorate the experience, but salient standards like the Cadillac and Tommy margaritas make for a well-rounded menu.

Footsies (Cypress Park)

Footsies off-menu options include watermelon, classic lime, and spicy kumquat tamarindo.

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Andrea Aliseda

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LAist

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Footsies welcomes you with its black U-shaped tufted booths, wide dance floor, rustic charm and some quality midnight margaritas. Theirs are off-menu, but consist of watermelon, classic lime and spicy kumquat tamarindo. Beverage director Raul Morales says to look for the rotating chalkboard, which changes once a month, for his seasonally-inspired drinks.

Shim Sham (Filipinotown)

Shim Sham's offers a class margaritas, no strings attached.

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Andrea Aliseda

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LAist

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Count on this lively horseshoe bar, with their idiosyncratic whole dill pickle martini, to give you your midnight margarita fix. Shim Sham's is as classic as it can get, with just tequila, lime juice and sugar on ice. Pay them a visit during their nightly happy hour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for an $8 margarita.

Mermaid (Little Tokyo)

Mermaid's version offers a sweet, tangy, tropical tide of guava and pineapple.

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Andrea Aliseda

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LAist

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Divey and glowing in blue light with an underwater motif, Mermaid in Little Tokyo is the place to go for a seaside take on the margarita. Their cocktail, tropical margarita, offers a sweet and boozy drink that is carried by the tangy, tropical tide of guava and pineapple for a refreshing sip.

People who have never relied on a food bank before are increasingly walking through the doors of Community Space Food Bank looking for something to eat.

Some tell founder Gaines Newborn that their CalFresh benefits have been reduced or ended. Others say they recently lost their jobs and do not know where else to turn.

“I hear the same story — hey I’ve never done this before. I need food. I need to make it a couple days. I’ve never done this before. My food stamps just ended. I have no idea what to do,” Newborn said.

The food bank typically saw between two and 10 new people a day. Since the beginning of this year, Newborn said, that number has climbed to about 30 to 40.

A customer picks up groceries at Community Space Food Bank. The food bank operates a community-choice pantry where customers can select the food they need.

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Hanna Kang

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The LA Local

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That demand is coming as the food bank is dealing with its own financial challenges. Community Space Food Bank is trying to raise $17,000 to cover its expenses for the next two months while also working to buy the building where it operates.

“Every food bank tries their best, but funding is not always there. I think the biggest issue with food banks is that they’re only open once a month, once a week,” Newborn said. “So us being here daily … people thank us everyday and that’s why I’m here everyday. And I can’t see this place go.”

The food bank has been open seven days a week for more than two years, including through a fire last year. It serves about 150 hot meals a day and about 100 families through its pantry, Newborn said.

The pantry operates on a suggested-donation model, and people who cannot afford to pay can still receive food. It is stocked with donations from local supermarkets, restaurants and farmers markets. Newborn said donors include Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Lassens, Lazy Acres and Mother’s Market.

A community fridge operated in partnership with LA Community Fridges sits outside the pantry and is available 24 hours a day.

“Our whole goal is to make sure no one goes hungry, no food goes to waste,” Newborn said. “There’s no ID, nothing required here, just show up for services.”

Keeping the food bank open has also come with a string of setbacks. Two vans were stolen, another broke down recently and three freezers have stopped working, Newborn said. A unit damaged in last year’s fire remains unusable, but the organization is still paying rent on it.

“That’s really kind of eaten into our ability to survive,” he said.

The building where the food bank operates is also for sale. Newborn wants to buy the property so the organization can stay there and have more stability.

Newborn and his wife, Hang, also want to expand the food bank’s freeze-drying operation. They started exploring the technology during the pandemic as a way to preserve surplus food that might otherwise be thrown away.

Hang Newborn said the idea grew out of two problems she saw while working in education: people going hungry and food being wasted.

“That was a way to help us solve two problems, which is there’s too many hungry people, and then there’s food going to landfills and polluting our ozone,” she said.

The food bank currently has eight freeze-drying machines and hopes to eventually have 30.

The idea also became personal for Gaines Newborn after his father died last year at 91. His father had difficulty chewing, so the family began freeze-drying foods that could be broken down and added to soups.

“We started freeze drying and realized you can crumble steak into a soup. You can crumble fruits, veggies, corn, carrots, things that are hard to eat, and he was able to maintain his nutrition,” Gaines Newborn said.

Hang Newborn said the long-term goal is to open a freeze-dry supermarket where people could buy food that can be prepared with hot water rather than relying on a stove or microwave.

“Freeze-drying would help us extend the window in which people could eat … people are given a finite time to eat, and most of the food is tethered to refrigeration,” she said.

Community Space Food Bank is located at 3615 Beverly Blvd. near Beverly Boulevard and Virgil Avenue. It’s open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Donations can be made through the food bank’s website.

The post Local food bank under pressure to expand as cuts to food services fuels demand appeared first on LA Local.

A criminal investigation is underway Tuesday at the burned Lineage Logistics warehouse in Boyle Heights.

Agents with California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control Criminal Investigations Bureau, a law-enforcement unit that investigates potential violations of the state’s hazardous-waste laws, are serving a search warrant at the site. Surveillance video showed law enforcement arriving around 7:30 a.m., and some remained on scene as of midday Tuesday.

An agent with the department confirmed that the Office of Criminal Investigations is the lead agency but declined to comment further. Several investigators with badges from the LA County District Attorney’s office were also present. The office later confirmed it assisted DTSC in serving the search warrant and is supporting the department’s ongoing investigation.

In a statement, Lineage — which operates cold-storage facilities around the world — said that it works collaboratively with various regulatory agencies.

“To be clear, we do not store hazardous chemicals or products in this facility. We store food. Further, the facility’s ammonia refrigeration system was safely pumped out shortly after the fire began and before the fire reached the refrigeration system. The ammonia was subsequently removed from the site. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported no ammonia was detected during its response, and subsequent environmental monitoring has consistently shown results within normal levels for the neighborhood and no ammonia concentrations above health-based action levels. We have shared relevant testing and monitoring information on our website and with regulatory agencies and will continue to do so,” the statement said.

In the weeks after the fire, community testing as well as data from Lineage and the South Coast Air Quality Management District showed elevated levels of ammonia near the warehouse. Community members found the results alarming, though Lineage and regulators stressed the levels didn’t meet the threshold to take action to protect public health.

Last week, Eastside Padres held a press conference outside the warehouse,calling on the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to open a criminal investigation of the warehouse fire after the Los Angeles Fire Department reported that the cause of the fire could not be determined.

A person who works at the facility said the operation started earlier Tuesday morning. Employees initially believed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were involved, but soon found they were not.

Anna Rivas works at Ciclon Pallets across the street from the Lineage parking lot where agents served the search warrant. A man driving a truck and a large trailer had to expertly back into her garage to pick up a load of pallets, dodging the law enforcement vehicles parked nearby.

The business’s surveillance cameras captured a police vehicle with lights and siren pulling up to the facility at about 7:30 a.m., with about 20 unmarked vehicles approaching soon after and entering the parking lot or stopping to block the entrance.

Rivas said the pallet company had to shut down for about a month and a half around the time of the fire, citing respiratory problems for workers and a loss of business.

“We thought we finally had our space back to do our work,” Rivas said. “But no, here we go again.”

She said the police did not question her or her colleagues, and she added she hopes the neighborhood gets the justice it deserves after months of disruption related to the fire.

In a statement, Councilmember Ysabel Jurado said she welcomed the investigation “as a positive step toward the transparency and answers Boyle Heights residents deserve.”

“This community has lived with the consequences of the Lineage warehouse fire for months. Residents deserve to know what happened, what risks remain, and who must be held accountable.”

“Investigators must be able to follow the evidence wherever it leads, and their findings should help give residents the information they need about their health, safety, and the future of this site. I will continue pushing for those answers, a safe and complete cleanup, and accountability for any violations uncovered. Boyle Heights should not be left to shoulder the consequences of this disaster.”

The office of Mayor Karen Bass also acknowledged the investigation, stating:

“The residents of Boyle Heights and East L.A. deserve environmental justice and corporate accountability. Mayor Bass has been working with many agencies to protect this community. In her emergency executive order, Mayor Bass called for the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to investigate and pursue enforcement action at the Lineage warehouse.”

The fire at the cold storage warehouse broke out on June 17 and burned for eight days. The fire and cleanup of millions of pounds of rotting food caused a flood of issues for residents living in Boyle Heights, East LA and surrounding communities, including an infestation of flies and pests, nausea and headaches, higher utility bills and other health concerns.

The Los Angeles Fire Department could not determine the cause of the fire but said solar panels could not be ruled out as an ignition and fuel source.

Boyle Heights Beat reporter Laura Anaya-Morga contributed to this report.

Eva Marie Saint, the pale, willowy actor who won an Academy Award for her first movie, “On the Waterfront,” and starred opposite Cary Grant in the Alfred Hitchcock thriller “North by Northwest,” has died. She was 102.

Saint, whose acting work lasted well into her 90s, died at her home in Los Angeles on Tuesday, confirmed family representative Jeff Sanderson.

Saint had one of the most spectacular debuts in Hollywood history, as the love interest of Marlon Brando’s tormented Terry Malloy in “On the Waterfront,” and her first trip to the Academy Awards was memorable too. Pregnant with her first child, Saint accepted her Oscar from Frank Sinatra and smilingly murmured a unique winner’s speech: “I think I may have the baby right here.” (Her son, Darrell, was born two days later.)

The award for the 1954 classic made her an instant star, but she soon astonished Hollywood with a firm independence that would mark her career. She refused offers of studio contracts and declined chances to follow up on her great success, explaining that she was taking time off to become acquainted with her new son. (A daughter, Laurette, was born in 1958.)

A curated career

In her first decade in Hollywood, Saint appeared in a mere seven films. She declined such top-level productions as “The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit” with Gregory Peck, “Summer and Smoke” with Laurence Harvey and “The Rainmaker” with Burt Lancaster. She credited her husband, TV and stage director Jeffrey Hayden, with persuading her to star in Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest,” the classic 1959 thriller in which Saint plays a spy who seduces Grant, but ends up falling for him.

“I vividly remember him saying, ‘Honey, I think you should find a quiet spot. I’ll take care of the children and I want you to really think about this and reread this script,’” she told Vanity Fair in 2014. “He was so right. And that’s what husbands are for.”

Instead of being put off by her selectivity, studios continued offering her starring roles in such films as “Exodus” (with Newman), “Raintree County” (Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift) and “All Fall Down,” with Warren Beatty.

She turned more to television in the 1970s and enjoyed renewed popularity in the 1980s as the mother of Cybill Shepherd in the hit sitcom “Moonlighting” and as Tom Hanks’ mother in the film comedy “Nothing in Common.” She won an Emmy for the 1990 miniseries “People Like Us,” and had roles in such 21st century movies as “Because of Winn-Dixie,” “Superman Returns” and “Winter’s Tale,” adapted from Mark Helprin’s novel of the same name. In 2021, she played Marisa Tomei’s aunt in the brief audio play “The Bus Ride,” part of “The Pack Podcast.”

Saint was married to Hayden for 55 years, until his death in 2016.

That was her real name

When Saint emerged in the public consciousness, many believed her theatrical-sounding name must have been invented. She was born with it on July 4, 1924, in Newark, New Jersey. The family moved to Delmar, a small town near Albany, New York, where her father was a Goodrich Rubber Co. manager. Eva’s goal was to become a third-grade teacher like her mother, but at Bowling Green State University in Ohio she tried out for a play and won the leading role.

After graduation she lived with her parents in Flushing, Long Island, and began hunting for acting jobs in Manhattan. After a fruitless year, she landed a two-line role as a telephone operator on a radio drama and soon was working steadily on soap operas and nighttime dramas, appearing for two years as Claudia on “One Man’s Family.” Network television was booming in the early 1950s, and her looks and dramatic sense made her a favorite with casting people and producers.

She credited Lee Strasberg with helping her overcome shyness

A critical turn in Saint’s career came when she auditioned before Elia Kazan and was accepted into the Actors Studio, which shaped a generation of method-actor stars. She credited acting coach Lee Strasberg with helping her overcome her shyness.

“Lee Strasberg, when he got to know me a little bit, gave me a scene to do where I had to cry in front of my peers,” she told The Santa Barbara Independent in 2009. “I worried about it, I worked on it, I tried to use what I was learning at the studio. I finally did the scene, and I cried, and my peers were crying with me. It was just an incredible moment for me.”

Saint was rejected for the single female role in the play “Mister Roberts,” but was hired to understudy the actor chosen, Jocelyn Brando, Marlon’s sister. In six frustrating months Saint never got to substitute for Brando. She finally made it to Broadway in “A Trip to Bountiful,” which she had played on television.

Kazan invited her to try out for the female lead in “On the Waterfront” by improvising a scene with Brando. She was told to try to stop a young man from entering her apartment. She told the Los Angeles Times in 2001: “All I know is that Marlon got in the door and turned on the music. We started dancing. He flicked my skirt. Kazan saw the sparks fly, and that’s how I got the part.”

Thomas, a former Associated Press Hollywood correspondent who died in 2014, was the primary writer of this obituary.