Zach Behrens

In 2009 when West Hollywood gave Sunset Strip business owners the blessing to close it down for a rock festival, 10,000 people came shelling out $50 to access numerous stages and tons of music acts. It was a big step in the comeback of famous artery that once was the rock and roll mecca, and before that in the 30s and 40s, a Hollywood hangout. In 2000s, L.A.'s noted music scene -- although a very...

Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist The news of L.A.'s recent parking policy at new coin and card meters had a lot of people talking last week. Via LA Observed, we find Jonathan Dobrer at the Daily News' opinion blog sound off on the issue. "Our unfair [the] city is now demanding that even if we have lost money in a parking meter, we have to move and try another one, or get a ticket. This...

Photo by Lucyrk in LA via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Today the Los Angeles City Council will consider transferring money that by law has to improve streets to fund a staffmember that will partially focus on improving streets. The item was uncovered by the blog Hollywood Unbound, which pays particular attention to the little-talked about Street Furniture Revenue Fund, an account funded by ads placed on bus shelters and other pieces of street...

Before Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger leaves office this year, he'd like to leave a legacy and one that isn't poisoned by that "deficit" word. Too late on that one. He could, however, leave somewhat of a mark on the development of high speed rail. At the very least, he's trying really hard. Back in June he announced a vision of having a demonstration high speed line between L.A. and San Diego by year's end. Talk of...

Hector Tobar at the LA Times last week penned a column about the August 23rd massacre of 72 U.S.-bound immigrants in Northeastern Mexico and makes an interesting Los Angeles/immigration debate connection: To stop SB 1070, we've seen Angelenos drive across the desert to Phoenix to march, to denounce both the governor of Arizona and the mad sheriff of Maricopa County, Joe Arpaio. But I've yet to hear of any rallies at the Mexican consulate...

"Sundown on Sunset" | Photo by Mark Luethi via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Toyota drama heads to Orange County: "Santa Ana will be ground zero for sudden-acceleration lawsuits against Toyota Motor Corp. after a panel of judges last week consolidated the cases to the federal court there." A weekend downtown shooting in the Historic Core that left a 14-year-old injured may have gang ties. Learn how to protect your bicycle from this former...

A city redevelopment project to improve 3.5 miles of Figueroa Street in the downtown area is its beginning stages. It's purpose is to study how people use the street, which is home to the busiest Metro station, L.A. Live, USC and Exposition Park. In the end, how can improvements better support quality of life, economic development and mobility, especially pedestrians and bicycles, and link the communities together?

On some Los Angeles streets, you can use a smartphone app to report graffiti, potholes and other problems. In the Santa Monica Mountains you can help the National Park Service document invasive plants that need to be eradicated with your smartphone. Now another project from the University of California, Davis, is getting some attention, thanks to the New York Times. The University of California, Davis, has citizen scientist document roadkill throughout the state. There's...

Remember "ticketgate" from back in June? Since taking office in 2005, it was found that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had accepted free tickets to some 80 events, including high profile ones such as the Oscars or Lakers games with courtside seats. The estimated value of all the freebies, as determined by LA Weekly, was $100,000. It irked people because a gift from a company seeking business with the city could influence a politician's decision making process....

Photo by ~db~ via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Just a few months ago, Homeboy Industries had to layoff the majority of its employees. Times were tough and the money wasn't coming in. The move left around 330 workers, mostly former gangmembers learning new job skills -- Homegirl Cafe, Homeboy Bakery, Homeboy Maintenance, etc. -- without much-needed intervention, social services and tattoo removal that was part of the program for many. Basically, "nothing stops...