The Brief

Dillon was just 12 years old when his uncle took him to his first street takeover.

“It was like the first time going to an amusement park,” he said. Pure exhilaration. Cars spinning. Smoke in the air. “People literally do not care.”

If you live in Southern California and you’ve never heard of a street takeover, you’ve probably heard one: Engines rev, tires screech and fireworks explode. These illegal gatherings happen frequently on weekend nights throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties. Cars block major intersections and create space for other drivers to perform reckless maneuvers, including burnouts and donuts. Spectators gather around the middle of “the pit,” filming cars spinning past with passengers hanging precariously out of windows.

Fueled by a social media feedback loop, the phenomenon took off during the pandemic, and events can attract hundreds of spectators. The crowds, often made up of minors, seek out street takeovers to find community. They know the risks, which can be deadly.

A USC reporting lab investigation found that local and state law enforcement are well aware that takeovers have surged, but they have struggled to curb them. Talk to people who live near popular takeover intersections and you will learn about scarred streets, mangled poles, looted stores, injured bystanders and tragic deaths.

How an injury at a takeover led to online fame

To report this story we analyzed 400 social media videos of street takeovers in the L.A. region.

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USC Open-Source Intelligence Reporting Lab

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Dillon was hooked after that first night in 2019. He loved the thrill of rushing away whenever the police showed up and speeding down residential streets to the next address shared in the group chat. He found new friends in the scene, brought old friends with him and often stayed out until 6 in the morning. (LAist is using a pseudonym for “Dillon,” who asked he not be named due to concerns the takeover community would be hostile if it knew he spoke with reporters.)

One night in November 2024, Dillon, then 17, was standing in the crowd at a takeover in north Long Beach when a Corvette entered the pit.

“Everybody saw him coming in hot,” Dillon said. “He was coming in hot as f--k.”

The Corvette drifted toward Dillon. He threw himself backward, only for the crowd to push him back toward the car. As the Corvette swung back toward him, Dillon jumped into the air in one last effort to avoid being hit.

“I landed, feet planted, smack on the middle of the hood,” he said. He then fell to his knees and made eye contact with the driver, who didn’t slow down. “I saw him turn the wheel more.”

The driver’s maneuver flung Dillon onto the ground, and his car spun over his arm. Dillon bounced up and ran away while other spectators followed, filming him.

“Not even my pinky would move,” he said. “I was just freaked out, like my arm might actually be gone. It was just dead.”

His friends put him into a car and sped to the emergency room, where he was sedated and sent to surgery. When he woke up, his grandparents were there, along with the police. He said he refused to give up the identity of the person who hit him and the officers left. The doctors were not optimistic about his recovery and told him he’d be very lucky if he ever got to use his arm again.

Dillon’s injury did not stay private. Footage from that night was shared and reshared across the vast network of social media accounts devoted to street takeovers. USC’s analysis shows the more violent the footage, the more traction it gets, and Dillon’s accident was gruesome. After his friends tagged him in some of the posts, his Instagram profile blew up, and he now gets as many as 1.1 million views a month.

His skin-and-bones injury made him a social media celebrity.

We analyzed social media data. Here’s what we learned about takeovers

Takeovers are not just documented on social media; their popularity is driven by it. Hundreds of accounts on Instagram and TikTok are dedicated to takeover content, with footage livestreamed and then posted and reposted. That content creates a feedback loop, leading to more takeovers in Southern California and across the nation.

Social media posts and streams also provide plenty of data for analyzing the phenomena.

The University of Southern California’s Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Reporting Lab reviewed more than 500 social media videos of takeovers in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Our team determined the precise locations for 400 videos of takeovers between 2020 and 2025 and found more than a dozen repeat hotspots. The city of Los Angeles was the location of 36% of the social media content we verified, while the city of Compton accounted for 29%.

Explore the mapped data

Go deeper: How we investigated Los Angeles street takeovers

Forty-eight of the videos featured at least one person getting “smacked” by a vehicle, with 14 of those incidents involving someone getting run over.

The use of laser pointers, usually aimed at drivers, at takeover events was common, showing up in 84 videos, while fireworks appeared 30 times. Larger fires, including cars set ablaze, appeared at least another 30 times. More than 65 videos featured cars destroyed in some fashion.

In the course of our investigation, we also reviewed more than 93 hours of takeover footage posted on the streaming service Kick by livestreamer Conner Remaly. He did not respond to our interview requests, but his stream led our reporters on a Sunday night over the summer to multiple takeover spots, including the intersection of Santa Fe Avenue and Dominguez Street in Carson, where the roar of engines trumpeted the start of the action. The noise was deafening; our sound meter registered levels as high as 109 decibels, right at the threshold to cause pain.

Street takeovers are chaotic and carry many costs including looted businesses, damaged infrastructure and injuries to adults and teens.

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Kevin D. Reyes

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USC Open-Source Intelligence Reporting Lab

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Local residents, visibly annoyed, emerged from their homes to see the commotion. Hundreds of spectators cheered and jeered, many of them appearing noticeably under 18 years old. We observed attendees huffing nitrous oxide out of balloons and smoking weed and cigarettes. Some people shined laser pointers and lit fireworks, pointing them at the center of the action — known as the "pit" — the crowd, the sky and each other. There was a mix of distinct burnt smells: rubber, fireworks and marijuana. It was an adrenaline-charged, disorienting environment.

At local businesses near takeovers, break-ins and ransacking 

Takeovers like the one we witnessed are a public health issue for the surrounding community, according to Damian Kevitt, executive director of Streets Are For Everyone, an organization that advocates for pedestrian and cyclist safety.

“You can't sleep,” he said. “You can't function.”

Local businesses across Los Angeles and Orange counties suffer too.

Last year, a Compton bakery was ransacked during a takeover, and the business had to deal with more than $40,000 worth of stolen goods and damage. Some businesses, like the Felix Chevrolet near USC, have suffered damage multiple times; the dealership had its windows broken in 2024 and a takeover participant rolled away an iconic Felix statue this summer.

In our analysis of Remaly’s Kick stream, we observed 27 instances of break-ins and/or looting between June 15 and July 11, in Bellflower, Compton, Long Beach and South Los Angeles, along with the unincorporated areas of East Rancho Dominguez and Florence-Firestone.

Andrew Swank, an officer with the California Highway Patrol, told us just “being at a takeover is illegal.” He said once someone is participating in a takeover, additional illegal activity is common, adding, “It just all kind of goes downhill into the criminal element.”

A staple of SoCal culture that took off during the pandemic

Street takeovers are a California original, born from the same automotive culture that produced classic car shows, car clubs, Chicano lowriders and drag racing.

The earliest versions of street takeovers were called sideshows, and they took shape in Oakland in the 1980s. What started as informal gatherings where residents showed off their restored American muscle cars and performed stunts, soon evolved into vibrant community events.

Over time, sideshows became takeovers, spreading into the streets, influenced in part by films like Grease and The Fast and the Furious, along with the video game Grand Theft Auto V, all of which glorified street racing around Los Angeles.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, takeovers ballooned in popularity, with the scene spreading across the United States. Young people had spent so much time in lockdown “sitting and watching and not doing” that they released all that pent-up energy into the streets, said Johnathan Lawson, a car enthusiast who is working on creating a legal venue for takeovers.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 15 states have enacted new laws since 2020 that target “exhibition driving,” which includes street racing and takeovers.

The deadly consequences

Here in Southern California, injuries have been common, and sometimes drivers hit many people at once.

“They call it striking, like bowling,” Dillon said. “Everybody goes flying like bowling pins.”

In November 2024, two 19-year-olds, Efrain Rodriguez and a person described as Richmond D. in court records, were run over by a driver performing donuts at a takeover in Anaheim.

An extremely graphic, close-up video of the aftermath made the rounds on social media. We were unable to track down Richmond, and Rodriguez did not respond to requests for comment, but his sister described his condition on a GoFundMe page seeking $50,000 for medical care: “Rodriguez had to recover from multiple fractures in his shoulder, hips and spinal cord” and has had many surgeries, “including skin grafting.”

On the night of Christmas 2022, Elyzza Guajaca was watching a street takeover at Crenshaw Boulevard and Florence Avenue, in South Los Angeles, when she was struck by a Camaro. She was taken to the hospital and died from her injuries. She was 24 years old. The driver, Dante Chapple Young, fled the scene, but authorities tracked him down the following month in New Mexico. In August 2025, he was sentenced to 13 years in state prison for vehicular manslaughter, as well as assault with a deadly weapon, his car.

The fatalities at takeovers are not limited to drivers hitting spectators.

In November 2021, hundreds of spectators gathered for a takeover at the intersection of Bullis Road and Pine Street in Compton. Among those spectators were 22-year-old Juan Antonio Orozco and 19-year-old Javier Carachure Menchaca, both of whom were shot and killed in a car at the scene. Orozco’s body was discovered with the car door open and one foot on the ground. Menchaca’s body was found a few steps from the car. He had been shot from behind.

Karen Orozco says she still thinks about her brother every day.

“He had such a big heart,” she said. “He would always think of others before himself.”

No arrests have been made and the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department case remains open. The L.A. County Board of Supervisors is offering a $60,000 reward for information on the homicides.

For some, the takeovers mean community

To outsiders, street takeovers may appear as chaos just for the sake of chaos. The reality is more complicated — and organized.

Takeovers are not just random weekend throwdowns. They are often organized by close-knit groups of young people with assigned roles: Some send out addresses; others monitor for police activity; others are sometimes charged with acquiring “stolos,” or stolen cars; while others, known as “spinners,” drive the cars and perform the stunts. Social media is a big part of the process, with a lot of the filming done by spectators, aka “servers.”

Street safety advocates say the gatherings often attract young people who are drawn in by the thrills and stay for the sense of belonging. 

“This is their support network,” said Kevitt, of the nonprofit Streets Are For Everyone. “They don’t care if it’s legal or illegal. They’re just there for camaraderie.”

Our interviews with participants confirmed this sentiment. Dillon went to takeovers to hang out with friends. We heard from other participants that the community feels like family.

Law enforcement’s response

Those working to curtail takeovers know that tapping into that sense of belonging has to be central to solutions.

“We’re talking about youth who have found community with each other,” said Lili Trujillo Puckett, founder of Street Racing Kills. “You have to educate them. You have to help them. You have to talk to them.”

Trujillo Puckett’s connection to the issue is personal. In 2013, her daughter was killed riding in a car that crashed during a street race.

Both Trujillo Puckett and Kevitt, of Streets Are For Everyone, are involved in L.A. County’s Street Takeover Reduction Workgroup, a collaboration between law enforcement and other organizations inside and outside of the government. The group released an action plan in February 2025, focusing on various solutions, including changes to road infrastructure and stronger legal enforcement. The most recent update of the plan was published in December 2025.

The plan calls for installing barriers at popular intersections to deter cars from a skidding maneuver known as "drifting." The estimated cost is $10,000 for each leg of an intersection.

They are not popular with takeover enthusiasts. In June, Remaly posted a video from the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Compton Boulevard, a popular takeover spot that now has plastic barriers running along its center lanes. In the clip, he held his arm out of the car window and grabbed hold of a barrier.

“This is the s--t that ruined the spot,” he said. “We can’t have fun no more.”

Some takeovers now happen one block north at Atlantic Avenue and San Luis Street.

A few miles from that intersection, at Alameda Street and El Segundo Boulevard, California Highway Patrol officers swarmed a takeover in the early morning hours of July 12. According to CHP Capt. Joe Diaz, officers made 28 arrests and issued 16 citations that day, along with towing 25 vehicles and seizing three firearms. Diaz said the show of force was not a new approach, but Remaly and another Kick streamer were shocked by the number of patrol cars that showed up with blaring sirens and flashing lights.

“Oh, my god, there’s so many,” said Remaly, filming as he ran back to his car.

“I’m telling you right now,” one street participant said, “the police don’t do s--t at all. The only thing they do is show up, turn on their sirens, and everyone leaves.”

Participants don’t necessarily go home after the police arrive at an intersection. They often just move to the next address, or “addy,” and start up the action again. Our analysis of Remaly's Kick stream found an average of seven successful takeovers each night he filmed.

County Supervisor Holly Mitchell’s district, which extends from Koreatown to the South Bay, was the location of 74% of the takeovers on the stream. She told us she believes accountability is critical, across the board.

"If you organize, participate or you are a spectator, you’ll face consequences," she said. "If you’re the audience, you are also contributing to the problem.”

For some safety advocates, the larger solution can be found in providing youth with legal alternatives to taking over streets.

“No matter how many arrests, no matter how many times these guys go to jail, there’s always somebody new coming into the scene,” said Fabian Arroyo, longtime member of the Brotherhood of Street Racers, an organization formed in 1960s South Los Angeles to channel street racing into safe, legal events. “The best way to solve the problem is to have everybody go to a place, a venue somewhere where they can just do it legally.”

Donald Graham, the deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, agrees.

“We live in a county where the city of Long Beach turns their entire downtown into a Formula One racetrack every year,” Graham told us. “So how can we not figure out a way to use the existing infrastructure to do pop-up tracks and pop-up burn boxes to allow people to express themselves in this way, but do it safely?”

Authorities have their eyes on the social media promoters

In February, police arrested Erick Romero Quintana, on allegations the 22-year-old helped organize takeovers. Romero Quintana ran the Instagram account @privatemeetz, which prosectors said shared locations for 16 gatherings across South L.A. between December 2022 and November 2023.

One of the gatherings he allegedly promoted was the Christmas night takeover at Crenshaw Boulevard and Florence Avenue where 24-year-old Elyzza Guajaca was killed. Prosecutors argue Romero Quintana’s social media activity played a central role in drawing large crowds to this and other high-risk events. He is charged with 16 counts of conspiracy to commit reckless driving. If convicted, he could face more than a decade in prison.

L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman discussed Romero Quintana’s case at a press conference in August and emphasized Romero Quintana was not the driver.

“He was the promoter, the social media promoter, who thought that by hiding behind his computer, by hiding behind the internet, we weren't going to find him. Maybe he thought we didn't care about what he was doing on social media to go ahead and promote this illegal, destructive and ultimately deadly type of practice. But we do care,” Hochman said.

Romero Quintana currently is banned from social media as a condition of his release and is due back in court in January. He did not respond to our request for comment, but his attorney, Bart Kaspero, said he believes the case sets a dangerous precedent.

“I’ve never seen anyone charged just for posting videos where crimes happen,” he said. “It’s kind of like passing out flyers to a house party.”

Quintana’s case is part of a larger push by L.A. officials to hold social media companies and users accountable for profiting off videos of street takeovers. County officials have contacted social media companies and asked them to remove posts that promote illegal activity. We reached out to Meta, the parent company of Instagram, but did not receive a response.

Deputy Chief Graham also spoke at Hochman’s press conference, lamenting that the city still saw three young people die this year in “street racing-related activities.” Then he called out social media executives.

“You are monetizing this criminal, dangerous and deadly behavior,” he said. “So maybe, just maybe, before you cut a check, maybe look at the content that you're sending out.”

The message driven home by Hochman, Graham and other speakers was that there will be consequences for everyone in the takeover scene: drivers, organizers and spectators.

"Enough is enough," Hochman said. “We will not yield the streets.”

The question remains whether participants will listen to that message.

“I don’t think things will change,” said Dillon, after we texted him about Hochman’s comments. He recently bought a car and is now a driver at takeovers.

Another street takeover participant wrote back, “And yet we will STILLL be outside EVERY WEEKEND.”

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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Cesar Hernandez

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LAist

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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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Brian Feinzimer

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LAist

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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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Isaiah Murtaugh

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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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Jakob N. Layman

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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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Courtesy of L.A. County Natural History Museum

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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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Ronaldo Bolaños

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Getty Images

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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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Mario Tama

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Getty Images

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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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Steve Saldivar

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The LA Local

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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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Los Angeles Times

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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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Throne

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Courtesy Metro

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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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Brian Feinzimer

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LAist

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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.