How LA Got The Borders It Has Today (And Other Headlines)

When I lived in East Hollywood and inevitably got the question, “Where are you from?” I typically kept my answer short and simple by saying, “I live in L.A., near Los Feliz.” But now, I’m thinking: is East Hollywood part of the city of L.A.? Or is it just L.A. County? Or is Hollywood its own city? Have I been wrong this whole time?

Designing Los Angeles

My colleague Caitlin Hernández cleared up my confusion with this story about the differences between the city of L.A., L.A. County and the unincorporated parts of L.A. County. As you might guess, the history is very complicated. Here’s something that stood out to me from this story:

There are 88 cities in the county, but not every patch of land under the L.A. County umbrella is a city. Some places have their own police forces. Some don’t. Some have their own fire departments. Some don’t.

Read the full story here to learn more, including the role water played in creating L.A.’s borders. Oh, and I asked Caitlin, and they said: Yes, East Hollywood is in the city of L.A. Phew.

Bonus: Since I mentioned Los Feliz, another thing I often get asked is, “How do you pronounce it?” Here’s a guide on the most debated and mispronounced words in Los Angeles.

Stay safe, L.A. There’s more news below — just keep reading.

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More news

(After you stop hitting snooze)

• The Rose Bowl Stadium, the Hollywood Bowl and other historic entertainment venues across California will soon be able to invest some sales tax revenue back into their properties thanks to a new state law. This will allow designated venues to reinvest a portion of sales and use taxes for their own infrastructure improvements.
• Last week, a video on social media surfaced of a man carrying what appeared to be a red-crowned parrot, captured in a net, to his car in a Temple City parking lot. Animal control has since removed multiple nets hung in trees across the city.

• Sunset Beach in Huntington Beach will be closed today until 4:30 p.m. due to aggressive shark activity. Beachgoers can still be on the sand, but they’re being asked to stay off the shoreline and out of the ocean.
• Attention all Metrolink riders: All Metrolink trains including Arrow will be out of service for four days starting Dec. 26.
• The conflict between Israel and Hamas has reached a gruesome milestone: More than 10,000 people have died in Gaza in the four weeks since the conflict began.

Wait... one more thing

Time Change Giving Us FOMO?

Astra Lumina lights up the night sky at the South Coast Botanic Garden.

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SPF STUDIOS

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Courtesy of the Moment Factory

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OK, I will admit, I thought I was going to adjust easily to the time change. Maybe it’s just that I’m getting older, but it felt more glaring than usual to see it so dark before 5 p.m. (This meme sums up how I felt on Sunday.)

But something about the extreme change is making me want to do more things after work. So here are some of my picks from our weekly to-do list that I may or may not want to do this week. You can see the full list here.

• Hot Tub With Kurt & Kristen, Permanent Records Roadhouse, Cypress Park: Kurt Braunohler and Kristen Schaal host this weekly variety show featuring comedy, music and the unexpected.
• Astra Lumina: An Enchanted Night Walk Among the Stars, South Coast Botanic Garden, Palos Verdes Estates: Instead of reaching for the stars, let the stars come down to you through projections, lighting and music.

5th Annual Coast Film & Music Festival, Laguna Beach: The Coast Film & Music Festival is an annual showcase of adventure and documentary films that brings together a "community of creators, change makers and fans to celebrate adventure, the human spirit, conservation and the art of story."