Explore LA

Jacaranda season is upon us. But wait, how do you pronounce ‘jacaranda’?

There are different pronunciations for the beloved South American tree in English, Spanish and Portuguese. LAist breaks them down.

Listen 0:49

A treet with purple leaves is in the foreground with L.A.'s distinctive city hall with a white exterior beyond.

Artists take over LA billboards with dreamy portraits and orange sunsets for annual show

The Billboard Creative’s 2026 exhibition brings the work of 19 artists to billboards stretching from near MacArthur Park to West Hollywood.

A photo of a bright orange sunset is seen pasted on a billboard. There are trees below and foothills in the background.

LA28 to award billions in Olympic contracts. City officials worry local businesses won't get a slice

The dispute at a City Council meeting Tuesday is yet another sign that the relationship between LA28 and its host city is fraying.

Two flags with multi-colored rings and circles are displayed in wooden cabinets and sit behind glass. A person is walking towards them with their back against the frame.

How Koreatown Run Club accidentally built one of LA’s largest running communities

A decade after its first run, the Koreatown group now draws hundreds each week and has expanded far beyond the neighborhood.

People running down a sidewalk past businesses. There is motion blur in the image.

A self-proclaimed pet psychic is selling out pop-up readings in LA

Cynthia Okimoto has traveled across the U.S. and even to Japan and Korea to help people connect with their pets.

Listen 1:46

A man wearing a salmon colored t-shirt sits in a chair with a small white poodle in his lap. A woman wearing a leather jacket sits across from him. A small sign says 'Pet Psychic Readings: $35'

The rise and fall of the Marlboro Man that once ruled the Sunset Strip

There once was a giant cowboy cutout standing above L.A. at the entrance of The Strip.

Listen 4:12

A billboard with a cowboy smoking a cigarette for Marlboro above another billboard featuring a pair of legs.

Can’t tell if this is a food bank or farmers' market? That’s the point

People who are food insecure can choose farm fresh produce at Pasadena, Canoga Park, San Fernando food banks.

Listen 1:25

A female presenting person puts vegetables into a paper bag held by a female presenting person.

Ontario’s big play: Building a sports empire in the Inland Empire

The Inland Empire city is experiencing rapid changes — the latest addition being a mega sports complex. Here's what residents and visitors can expect.

The front gate of a modern, small baseball stadium.

Olympics CEO says more $28 tickets will be released in later drops. The question is, how many?

Reynold Hoover also said LA28 wasn't using dynamic pricing yet, but could in future sales. In other words, tickets could get even pricier.

Listen 27:14

A man in a dark suit and tie stand behind a podium and microphone. He stands next to a flag with five colorful rings.

'The vastness of the sky': encountering the desert for the first time

LAist Senior Editor Suzanne Levy, who grew up in the UK, recalls encountering an alien landscape in her ongoing series American As A Second Language.

Listen 2:36

A line of silver Airstream trailers sit on desert land. The sky is full of pink and purples at sunset

A botanist searches for the seeds of the rare Death Valley Sage

For more than 15 years, Naomi Fraga of the California Botanic Garden has been trying to collect the seeds for safekeeping in a vault of native California seeds.

a pair of hands searches through a bush of sage flowers

LA's Chinatown has no laundromats. Enter this laundry truck

Many lower-income residents wash clothes by hand or have to travel outside the neighborhood for laundry.

Listen 4:18

A woman with black hair and wearing a pink shirt and striped black and white leggings has her back turned to the camera as she stands in front of vehicle painted with the words "The Laundry Truck LA."

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