Leilani A. Wertens

"The known center of the universe is Ikea... the whole world is built on consuming and shopping," local photographer Bill Owens quipped yesterday during a discussion of his photographic odyssey of 1970s suburban sprawl. Owens' lecture at the USC graduate school of art was the trial run for presentations he will be giving at the MOCA Pacific Design Center today at 3 pm on his solo exhibit and The Getty on Sunday for the...

Though this LAist usually sneers at "best of" issues I was delighted by this week's pirate-themed LA Weekly. Brilliant illustrations by artist Ronald Kurniawan accompany the articles with kooky yet appropriate headlines like "The Cardboard Scalawag's Guide to Pirate's Cove." Its perfect bound magazine format gives it a nice heft and guarantees a place on your bookshelf for the next year. This exhaustive resource covers all the basics-- the homey diner, a dive bar,...

Expect mobs of trendy teens and stylish career women jostling to enter LA's first H&M store today. The Swedish retail chain opens its doors on Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena at 10 a.m. Another outlet is slated to open at the Beverly Center October 26th and in Arcadia's Westfield Santa Anita mall in November. Sorry guys, the Pasadena store will only carry ladies' clothing and accessories, but the two subsequent stores will have items for...

You know it's the end of the month when rotting sofas, teetering stacks of broken down Ikea book shelves, and putrid mattresses start to collect on curbs throughout the city. Unfortunately when a renter's lease is up they are not always responsible enough to cart this trash elsewhere or to simply call The Los Angeles sanitation department to haul it away. These eyesores have gained kitsch appeal with the new LA-based blog, Abandoned Couches....

The 15th Annual Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture at Pt. Fermin Park in San Pedro concludes today. And Tony, we know how much you love chicken on a stick at street fairs, so after the jump we lead the photo essay with a picture of people lining up for the great food that's there....