A glorious ride on Amtrak’s California Zephyr in the winter
Crossing up and over the fabled Donner Pass in the northern Sierra Nevada and descending to Lake Tahoe is one of those essential rites of passage for Californians. But forget doing it in a car. Now is the time to…
How to date better in messy Los Angeles
To say it’s difficult to date in Los Angeles is almost like saying the traffic is bad. Yes, we know! But what if dating didn’t have to feel so debilitating? What if we could create the healthy and fun dating…
Michael Arceneaux and Jason Parham discuss “I Finally Bought Some Jordans”
Michael Arceneaux at the Hollyhock House. Arceneaux wears Loewe shirt, Isabel Marant denim jeans and jacket, Louis Vuitton shoes, Akoni glasses. (Gabriel S. Lopez/For The Times) Forty-eight hours of torrential downpour betray the natural logic of Los Angeles. Submerged roadways,…
Will there be a superbloom (and how to find wildflowers in Southern California)
Come spring in California, after even a little bit of rain, people start asking the big questions: When does the Wild Flower Hotline start up and will this year be a superbloom? The first question is easy: Theodore Payne Foundation’s…
How to help a friend with a bad breakup
It’s hard to know what to do or say when a loved one is in the throes of a devastating breakup. No matter what you try — talking about it, not talking about it, vilifying the ex, coming up with…
I didn’t cry about what my boyfriend did. I raged
When I opened the door of my apartment, something felt off. The way the click of the lock echoed in the room was wrong. It was too resonant. The furniture usually absorbed the sound. But the couch, the rug, the…
Vince Skelly’s handmade woodworks are functional art
Walking through the garden of designer and sculptor Vince Skelly’s Claremont home is a distinct local sensory experience. Following a decade living in Portland, Ore., “I just want it to feel like Southern California,” he says as he grazes a…
L.A.’s underground art scene is boosting at-home galleries
For some Los Angeles galleries, home is where the art is — or in the laundry room, also known as Quarters Gallery, inside Nina Muccia’s two-bedroom Los Feliz duplex. The 32-square-foot space marked its first anniversary in March with a…
A history of tattoos from an ancient iceman to Dennis Rodman
Book Review Painted People: 5,000 Years of Tattooed History from Sailors and Socialites to Mummies and Kings By Matt LodderWilliam Collins: 352 pages, $21.99If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose…
From Cardi B to Lil Nas X, Sean Bankhead shakes up dance game
With a comfortable stroll, Sean Bankhead stepped into Evolution Studios dressed in a black Nike sweatsuit. It was January and the Atlanta-based choreographer had just completed a day of rehearsals in Los Angeles. He took one whiff of the stuffy…
12 L.A. artists organize their own show at Jeffrey Deitch
A queer bar. A bedroom. A freeway. A swap meet. A billboard. “At the Edge of the Sun” celebrates the places, connections and references that make up a scene of artists and friends in L.A. The self-organized group exhibition showing…
Thai Angel: Restaurant by day, hidden dance party by night
Under red lights, a man in a cowboy hat swings his partner around a crowded dance floor. House and disco play from a makeshift DJ booth. A tattooed woman with long, red fingernails grips a Buddha-shaped beer bottle. A fashionable…
Olive tree inspires gorgeous Silver Lake remodel near reservoir
Under the canopy of the enormous olive tree that shades his home, Daniel Gerwin’s 11-year-old son ascends the tree’s gnarled trunk like an expert climber while his brother, 7, reads a book a few feet away inside the house. Standing…
Sunday Funday with Jay Shetty and Radhi Devlukia
If there was an award for the most wellness-focused couple in Los Angeles, Jay Shetty and Radhi Devlukia would take the cake. In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and…
I met my nerdy-cute match. Was I done with situationships?
As the Ferris wheel reached its apex and Sam leaned in to kiss me, I felt like Meg Ryan or Julia Roberts. After years of singledom, I was having my romantic comedy moment, and I was in shock. But why…
Examine your dirty scalp up close with this viral cleanse
I’ve never given much thought to my scalp. Aside from the occasional subconscious scritch-scratch or vigorous shampooing, it’s kind of just … there. A necessary but often-overlooked cranium cover. But the humble scalp is the focus of an increasingly popular…
Beyoncé reveals psoriasis battle, Cécred hair-care line
Beyoncé revealed she hasn’t always been “flawless” when it comes to her hair. The “Break My Soul” singer got candid about the roots of her new Cécred (pronounced “sacred”) hair-care line, revealing in a cover story for Essence that she…
This L.A. spiritual convention is ground zero for fringe beliefs and crunchy trends
On the first new moon in February, not long after Pluto had entered Aquarius, Shima Moore stood like a priestess in flowing white robes behind a podium in the Los Angeles Ballroom at the LAX Hilton. She was there to…
Happy Valentine’s Day from the most contented single woman you’ll ever know: me
It’s Valentine’s Day, so of course, my thoughts have turned to love. My love of candy. See’s candy, specifically, which I can (and do!) buy for myself. Opinion Columnist Robin Abcarian I’ve been single for 13 years or so, ever…
REI Santa Monica to close, the second downtown location this month
REI will close up shop in Santa Monica at the end of the month, marking the second move out of a busy downtown area this month for the outdoor retail giant. REI Co-op’s location in the heart of Portland closed…
I was avoiding my grief by having a lusty romance
In December 2022, I was at Zara in the Glendale Galleria, helping my sister find a coat suitable for a funeral, when he first messaged. “How are ya?” It was a loaded question. My 27-year-old brother went to sleep the…
A slime museum is coming to L.A. this summer
When it comes to healing from grief, there’s often not a simple answer, but there are some recommended standbys. Therapy, of course, is essential, and maintaining close contact with a community also is often recommended. And maybe, perhaps, a bit…
Spike Jone’s never-before-seen photos of Björk at Chateau Marmont
Mike had me cornered. He’d graduated ages ago, but his tastes hadn’t. He still went to high school house parties to drool over girls who read Sassy and got their braces tightened every four weeks. “Hey,” he said to my…
Pharrell Williams gives Louis Vuitton a Los Angeles edge
Los Angeles is a city that demands you go outside. The weather, the vibes and the ever-present feeling that anything is possible. The only things stopping you are time and traffic. The clothes we wear reflect that, from cargo shorts…
The key to healthy compartmentalizing? Intention
Lynn Bufka isn’t sure how she’s going to get through the next nine months. The licensed psychologist, stress expert and spokesperson for the American Psychological Assn. usually watches the news on TV each morning. But with a contentious presidential election…
What does banter really mean on Tinder, Hinge, Bumble bios?
“Looking for banter!” It’s a dating app standard, among the Billboard Hot 100 of bio banality. Along with a passion for food, travel, plants and “The Office” (yes, still), the ability to banter, whatever that may mean, has become a…
L.A. Affairs: I ran into three of my exes. Was the universe trying to tell me something?
I met one of my exes on Grindr. He was an astrological match, and our Virgo/Taurus vibes were palpable. But was that enough for a real relationship to bloom?
Inside the revamped OG Cannabis Cafe consumption lounge
At first glance, the scene unfolding on a leafy, half-crowded patio in West Hollywood looks like any other gastropub on a Sunday afternoon. In one corner, a table of nine celebrates a milestone birthday around a vase filled with 21…
This volunteer’s Instagram saves dogs from L.A. kill shelters
“Grandfather! Look over here!” calls Rita Earl Blackwell, her New York accent dissolving into the whipping wind. Wearing an electric blue jacket emblazoned with the words “Tell Your Dog I Said Hi,” she crouches low to film a dawdling old…
This exclusive L.A. Pilates class is drawing everyone from Kendall Jenner to Lori Harvey
In a cozy pool house in Holmby Hills, 33-year-old Liana Levi counts backward from 10 as I move my leg in a slow circle. “Think happy thoughts,” she says as the deceptively simple movements cause my muscles to shake on…
12 readers share their favorite trees in L.A.
“At 6601 West 82nd Street, there is the biggest naked coral tree I have ever seen. It’s stunning. Instead of spreading wide, which many do, this tree is both wide and about 50 feet high. In the summer, it’s full…
Invite-only L.A. Moms’ Group is a crowdsourcing powerhouse for parents
At first, Cathlene Pineda was reluctant to join the Atwater Village Moms’ Facebook group. The jazz pianist and composer doesn’t particularly like Facebook, and she’s wary of online communities. But she acquiesced because, as she put it, “Some other moms…
Shag transforms a Midcentury Modern home in Palm Springs
In a neighborhood filled with homogeneous Midcentury Modern residences, Brandon McBurney’s Palm Springs home stands out thanks to its 10-foot-tall lime green doors that face the street. “I wanted something that would stand up to the history of the Palm…
Opinion: This California millionaire is peddling eternal life. Why do people believe him?
For a moment, I fell under the spell of Bryan Johnson. Bathed in early-morning sunlight, the 46-year-old L.A.-based tech centimillionaire and longevity celebrity didn’t look much younger than his age, although he claims to have the wrinkles of a 10-year-old…
Fall in love with animation at Disneyland’s Pixar Place Hotel
They say you shouldn’t sleep where you work, but Pixar chief Pete Docter means it at as a compliment when he says that Disneyland’s reimagined Paradise Pier Hotel — now branded to the Emeryville-based animation powerhouse — is like “walking…
Artist Ozzie Juarez designs NASCAR trophy
When NASCAR reached out to Ozzie Juarez, artist and founder of Tlaloc Studios, to make a trophy for the NASCAR Mexico Series race, inaugurating at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum this Sunday, he knew it had to ring true to his…
I started dating a handsome man who wasn’t my husband
I had been married for six weeks the night I met Anthony. Tall, olive-skinned with electric green eyes, he was so handsome my cheeks were flushed when I walked through the front door of his shared Venice Beach home. I…
U.K. pubs struggle to survive as work, leisure habits shift
LONDON — Over the bar of a 200-year-old pub in southeast London hangs a sign: “For the people of East Greenwich, by the people of East Greenwich.” What might sound like a pithy slogan is in fact the truth. The Star…
What Chinese astrology says about 2024’s Year of the Dragon
My dad was born in 1952, the Year of the Dragon. He’s an immigrant from Taiwan who came to the U.S. for graduate school at San Jose State University, and he worked as an engineer until his retirement. In some…
View tiny homes in Los Angeles in a self-guided tour of ADUs
If you’ve read our coverage of accessory dwelling units, you know that they are one of the most popular housing solutions in California, with almost one-fifth of the newly permitted housing units in 2022 categorized as ADUs. With mortgage rates…
HoloTile Floor, the latest invention by Disney’s Lanny Smoot
Many of Lanny Smoot’s best-known inventions are, at least to nonengineers, more like magic tricks. Floating disembodied heads, a lightsaber that actually expands, retracts and glows and, in his latest sleight-of-hand, a reinvention of the floor. Yes, a floor. Smoot…
4 low-water turf alternatives that are California native grasses
Tearing out your lawn can be a tough decision, especially if you have children or dogs who love to roll and play. Or — no judgment here — maybe you just enjoy the visual serenity of a swath of green…
Tell us: What’s your favorite tree in Los Angeles?
For the story “The greatest trees of Los Angeles,” writer Ryan Bradley and photographer Devin Oktar Yalkin went on a quest to find the city’s most beloved trees. Among their many finds: the coastal live oak in Orcutt Ranch, East…
The greatest trees of Los Angeles
There is a sycamore in the front yard of my grandparents’ house, the house where my father grew up. It is a giant, towering over the home, the yard, the whole neighborhood. Last spring, when my grandmother was fading and…
Try week’s L.A. Times News Quiz
Welcome to the Los Angeles Times News Quiz. I’m Adam Tschorn, senior features writer, former game show question-and-answer man and your weekly quizmaster. Each Friday, I’ll serve up 10 handcrafted, California-focused, multiple-choice questions based on stories that appeared in The…
How to have the best Sunday in LA, according to Kate Berlant
On the stand-up stage, comedian Kate Berlant is a lot — a lot of exaggerated faces, a lot of abrupt free-form physicality and a lot of on-a-dime thematic pivots. She’s brought that same frenetic theatricality to both the small and…
We chatted online for a year. Who would say I love you?
My eyes scanned the crowd in the arrivals area of Terminal 5 at Los Angeles International Airport. Then I saw her face, framed by a curtain of espresso-colored hair, peeking out from behind a cement pillar. We had never met…
Paddleboard without water with this new L.A. core workout
Paddleboarding just got simpler with the omission of one major element: water. Los Angeles’ marinas, canals and channels have long been hubs for paddleboarding activities, but on a recent weekday afternoon in January, boarders flocked to the back patio of…
What to do, see and eat at Disneyland’s Lunar New Year celebration
Festival season has begun at the Disneyland Resort, with the annual Lunar New Year celebration landing at Disney California Adventure. Over the past decade, Disneyland’s Lunar New Year festivities have swelled from relatively modest weekend events to extravaganzas spanning multiple…
The ultimate guide to ice climbing in California
Thwack! Thwack! Thud! Oh, thank god, my whole body exclaimed. After a few swings, the razor-sharp pick I clutched lodged firmly into a cascading frozen waterfall. Shards of ice exploded from the point of contact onto my face. A taste…
Common and Jennifer Hudson confirm romance: ‘Very happy’
Common and Jennifer Hudson, have a lot in — well, common. They’re Grammy, Emmy and Oscar winners. They were raised in Chicago’s South Side. On Monday they both revealed they’re in happy relationships. “I’m in a relationship that is [with]…
Nichelle Dailey documents the uniqueness of style after dark in L.A.
The style gods of Los Angeles walk among us after the sun goes down. (Nichelle Dailey / For The Times) Fashion metaphors are usually forward-facing.You’ve got to look the part. Dress for the role you wish to inhabit. Style is…
Tight Lipped is changing the discussion about vaginal pain
One night as she was lying in bed, Becky Feldman wondered, “Do I remember how to have sex?” It had been at least a decade since the L.A.-based writer and performer tried to have intercourse. She had avoided it throughout…
Take this week’s L.A. Times News Quiz
Welcome to the Los Angeles Times News Quiz. I’m Adam Tschorn, senior features writer, former game show question-and-answer man, and, as of today, your weekly quizmaster. Each Friday, I’ll serve up 10 handcrafted, California-leaning, multiple-choice questions based on stories that…
Mr. Handsome gave me a blank card. How can I find him?
The bar was almost full when I walked into the restaurant. The hostess greeted me with a smile, a slicked-back perfect ponytail and a red lip to finish her look. As she asked if I needed a table, I spotted…
Do you know L.A.? ID these spots by sound alone
Close your eyes and imagine Los Angeles. You might conjure palm trees, beaches and blue skies. Traffic-clogged freeways, the downtown skyline or the taco truck on your corner. You know the looks of this city. But do you know its…
Fashion launches, art, events: What to do in January in L.A.
Louis Vuitton SS24 pop-up in WeHo Louis Vuitton pop-up in West Hollywood. (Brad Dickson) Louis Vuitton has brought the Pont Neuf and its SS24 collection to West Hollywood. Through mid-March, the brand is featuring the first collection designed by Men’s…
Feeling drained? Here’s how to rediscover your childlike wonder
The older I get, the more I enjoy acting like a kid. I jump at every opportunity to do backflips in the pool and absolutely love seeing the circus when it’s in town. I’ll giggle over banana splits at Fluffy…
What can you do with a preschooler at Disneyland?
Jeanette Marantos started writing for the Los Angeles Times in 1999, doing Money Makeovers until 2002. She returned to write for The Times’ Homicide Report in 2015 and the Saturday garden section in 2016, a yin and yang that kept…
SoCal’s forgotten hot springs oasis is finally reopening
Murrieta Hot Springs, a palm-shaded haven of steaming streams and coveted mud just north of Temecula, has been home to a Christian Bible college, a TV-free vegetarian commune and a popular mostly Jewish resort. Now comes a new chapter that…
The Cat Art Show in L.A. celebrates all things feline
Since 2014, a recurring art show dedicated to cats has captured common feline actions (commandeering a pet parent’s lap, unflinchingly staring down an onlooker, shredding upholstered furniture and sweetly nuzzling) and just as many fantastical ones. The Cat Art Show…
He wanted a dominatrix. Could I wear rubber for love?
I packed up my life in New York for Los Angeles, certain love was waiting for me on the other side of Los Angeles International Airport’s highly inconvenient Uber lot. Within 72 hours of being in L.A., I found a…
Searching for the American dream in L.A. suburbia
Photographer Paul Yem illustrates what he calls “manufactured happiness” — how we’ve turned to our houses to give us what we think happiness should look like. (Paul Yem / For The Times) On a visit to Los Angeles, the photographer…
Hard to recycle trash? Ridwell’s subscription service will take it
Since her usual hazardous waste disposal site closed last year, Dashiel St. Damien has accumulated 20 pounds of batteries and a bag full of lightbulbs. St. Damien, 46, a designer who lives in Mount Washington, knows these items shouldn’t go…
How to spend the night in a lighthouse in San Francisco Bay
You might be reluctant to stay at a $475-a-night inn that warns of flashing lights and foghorns throughout the night, or bans one-night guests from bathing, or requires that you be ready to climb a ladder above roiling seas. But…
Stanley or Hydro Flask? What your water bottle says about you
If you’ve spent any amount of time on TikTok or talking to your 12-year-old niece, you’ve probably heard of the Stanley cup by now. The 40 oz. insulated tumbler with a handle has led to long lines, fights and a…
How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Bianca Del Rio
Ten years ago, when Bianca Del Rio was crowned the winner of Season 6 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” it was a different time: The reality competition aired on Logo, not MTV. It was a single franchise, not an extended universe…
Help us find SoCal’s most ‘Asian Costco’ for Lunar New Year
Last weekend, when my family was shopping at Costco, one of the free sample lines caused a shopping cart traffic jam. It was the new Bibigo Korean-style crunchy chicken with sweet & spicy sauce, featured in this month’s Costco coupon…
He was perfect for me. Then his ex told him the baby was his
The thought of the approaching holidays and having to attend the firm’s end-of-year party without a plus-one made me gasp. That’s why I turned my attention to my dating app. Thankfully a blue-highlighted super like from a tall, dark and…
Barry’s, the workout that’s part bootcamp, part nightclub
Arezu Aghaseyedjavadi signed up for her first Barry’s class in 2017, motivated to give the high-intensity workout a try after noticing how fit everyone seemed when she flew from San Francisco to Los Angeles for weekly work trips. She lost…
How to take inspiration from tarot’s Strength card in 2024
Years ago, when they were feeling lost and directionless and leaning too heavily on their vices, Edgar Fabián Frías cast a spell on themself. As part of the process, the L.A. based artist, therapist and magical practitioner decided they would…
Fariha Róisín’s liner notes for an elm tree in Silver Lake
(aliana mt / For The Times) In Silver Lake, there’s a canyon that feels very Middle Earth-esque. Totaling out like a wave, the side slope of the canyon remains grassy and plush all year around, with weeds heralding out like…
Photo essay: The best street style at the Rose Bowl Flea
In L.A., a runway takes on many forms. The Lassens on Sunset: Runway. The Hammer on a weekend: Runway. The stampede pouring out of the Hollywood Bowl after a show: Runway — where you see at least two people you…
Fitness challenges for the new year: long walks, steep hikes
Channel your inner adventurer. You may have seen “Nyad,” the Netflix film about Diana Nyad, in which the American distance swimmer (played by Annette Bening) swims to Florida from Cuba outside the protective confines of a shark cage — at…
Myriam Gurba reflects on the Citadel mall in Southern California
(aliana mt / For The Times) A gruff nun introduced me to the concept of apocalyptic architecture. She was my catechism teacher, and she paced our classroom floor while lecturing that, eons ago, all humans had belonged to the same…
Never feel those L.A. earthquakes? We want to hear from you
Even if you didn’t feel the ground move beneath your feet during Friday morning’s 4.2 magnitude SoCal earthquake, or the 4.1 shaker that rattled nerves (if not windows) on New Year’s Day, you might have felt those quakes — in…
We ended our engagement. How could I heal my heart?
I was a worrier. An overthinker. A planner. But plans don’t always work out. So I shut my eyes and pointed at a map of Los Angeles. I lifted my finger to reveal Mt. Wilson, a 5,710-foot peak in the…
Street style at Camp Flog Gnaw
What’s that old adage? If you want to know what the kids are wearing, go to Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. After a four-year hiatus, the sold-out festival came back with a lineup featuring the likes of Ice Spice, the Hillbillies…
How to get over freeway fears when driving makes you anxious
My New Year’s resolution this year is simple. This weekend — my first back in L.A. after visiting family for the holidays — I will drive to the 101 freeway entrance by my house and I will … get on…
The Hundreds at 20: An oral history of the iconic L.A. streetwear brand
Bobby Kim, left, and Ben Shenassafar, a.k.a. Bobby Hundreds and Ben Hundreds, are co-founders of the brand. Over the last 20 years, The Hundreds has been hundreds of different things to hundreds of different people: a study hall; a clubhouse;…
How to handle holiday party stress when it sounds exhausting
Take a moment to time-travel back to December 2019, when invitations to actual, in-person holiday parties flew fast and furiously and you had to decide which to go to, or whether you’d hit several in one night, and what condition…
Opinion: Resolutions aren’t the key to a happier new year. Here’s where to start
We tend to look to the new year as a new beginning, as an opportunity for a fresh start. Aspiring for something different, something better, we devise resolutions in hopes of making ourselves healthier, more productive, more successful … but…
Disneyland artists share story behind Adventureland Treehouse
Like many a child, no doubt, Kevin Kidney fantasized about living at Disneyland. But he didn’t imagine himself swashbuckling with pirates or cavorting with ghosts. His special place was more serene. Kidney’s spot was the original Swiss Family Treehouse, built…
TMZ has a new selfie tour of Hollywood. Here’s what to expect
Instead of focusing on Hollywood’s boldface names, the new TMZ Selfie Tour gives someone else the star treatment: You. In its first expansion since launching celeb-spotting rides in 2011, the company seeks out some of the city’s most iconic buildings…
Are your sneakers knockoffs? He can tell by the smell
Welcome to My L.A. Workday, a series that takes you inside a day on the job with some of the city’s most fascinating people. Interviews are edited for length and clarity. CoolKicks on Melrose Avenue may look like a simple…
Can you guess what these collectible Nike sneakers cost?
How much would you pay for these kicks? Test your knowledge of the hot collectible sneaker market by guessing what these shoes cost at the CoolKicks store on Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue. Click to the right of each sneaker portrait…
How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to MC Lyte
The thing that first brought MC Lyte to Los Angeles? New York’s historic Blizzard of 1996. “I always said I wasn’t going to do another winter in New York, but then when that snowstorm happened I was like, ‘Oh my…
I broke up with her. She got her revenge another way
“I’ve been immature,” I said during a painstaking call to Madeleine. We’d been friends since meeting at USC film school but had only recently started dating. “I’ve been feckless. I’ve been seeing a girl from Hinge concurrently. She asked if…
How he built an imaginative skinny home on a steep LA lot
When architect Simon Storey’s clients took him to a steep lot of undeveloped land for sale in Silver Lake, he advised them to pass. Storey’s firm, Anonymous Architects, is used to building on difficult sites, but he knew this particular…
My controlling boyfriend was my L.A. guide. But was it enough?
When I read the news that Silver Lake’s Café Tropical had abruptly closed, memories came flooding back — memories of a time, a place and a boyfriend. I met John at a dimly lighted Los Feliz duplex, at one of…
Vintage matchbooks galore at this collector’s paradise
It’s not hard to strike up an illuminating conversation at a meeting of the Angelus Matchcover Club. Just ask someone about their collection. Since its inception in 1951, the club has devoted itself to appreciating all things matchcovers. At one…
How he makes L.A. concert-hopping work using a wheelchair
Saptarshi Majumdar likes to say he always has the best seat in the house. Sometimes it’s next to the DJ booth at Koreatown’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang nightclub, while a music video is being shot. Other times it’s at the…
At these sunset art hikes, you lug the art up Griffith Park
On a recent Sunday afternoon, L.A. gallerist Lauren Powell and about 30 others trekked up a steep, sinuous Griffith Park trail. The group hauled enormous framed paintings 2½ miles to the top of the hill. Nearly everyone was dressed in…
He’s out to photograph every native plant in L.A. County
At first glance, Matt Smith seems too chill to be a knight. His “shining armor” is just a backpack, a floppy bush hat and a pair of hightop Vans skate shoes designed by his friend, pro skateboarder Lizzie Armanto. But…
A new Pixar-themed parade is coming to Disneyland
A new Pixar-themed daytime parade and enhancements to the “Star Wars” attraction Star Tours — The Adventures Continue are coming to the Disneyland Resort in 2024. Numerous festivals and celebrations will also dot the theme park calendar for the upcoming…
What’s new in Death Valley: the lake, sand dunes, reopened roads
Death Valley’s temporary lake, fed by one powerful summer storm, is down to inches as it dwindles in the park’s Badwater Basin. But as it evaporates, other parts of the national park are reopening. In the aftermath of an Aug….
How to avoid overdoing it this holiday season
We often go into the holidays with the best of intentions: We’re not going to spend too much this year. We won’t overcommit. We’ll keep doing all those self-care rituals that prevent us from descending into a rage state at…
She inherited the world’s largest Barbra Streisand collection
Countless iterations of Barbra Streisand currently occupy six storage lockers in the Coachella Valley. There — sandwiched between corrugated metal walls and hefty layers of dust — the star’s iconic profile graces thousands of items, ranging from posters and record…
Responsible California landscaping requires more than drought tolerance
Prevailing notions of responsible landscaping and gardening in California have long focused on a single metric: water use. By ignoring the importance of native plants, this formula disastrously undermines biodiversity. Most of California lies within one of just five temperate…
Flip’s shopping app bets on cash, reviews to get you to buy
Want to know how much your friends are worth? Meet Flip, the shopping app that will put a price tag on every single person in your phone’s contact list. Cajole one of them into signing up for the app, and…
What families do when they don’t celebrate Christmas in L.A.
If you are among the millions of people in Southern California celebrating Christmas this year, let me say that I truly love your holiday. The colorful lights strung across your yards bring me joy each winter. I love your festive…
How to explore L.A. history without leaving home
That discovery sent me down a rabbit hole that not only eventually revealed a clearer backstory to Beverly Grove but also the vast resources that can be mustered in just a few mouse clicks by any L.A. dweller curious about…
Who needs love? I planned to start my family alone
I was still doing an internship across town at SpaceX before I started as a postdoctoral scholar in astrophysics at Caltech. But I managed to snag an invitation to the Caltech department party in Pasadena at astrophysicist Kip Thorne’s house,…
Here’s everything new coming to Disneyland in 2024 — so far
A new parade, resurrected shows and a revamped attraction: Disneyland has laid out its 2024 calendar, and it’s heavy on entertainment and festivals. If you’re planning a trip to the Anaheim parks in the next 12 months, here’s what to…
Supervsn Studios and Union throw an L.A. holiday party
Blxst at the Supervsn and Union holiday party at Soho Warehouse. (Emmanuel Camacho) The line wrapped around Soho Warehouse for the Supervsn Studios X Union holiday party this month. The question was less: Who was all there? And more: Who…
You don’t have to join Soho House to enjoy its free run club
During the middle of a Sunday morning jog through West Hollywood with a run club, marketing executive and digital strategist Mark Baroth exclaims: “I hate running!” Later on, when I mention it to Soho House Run Club founder Raymond Braun,…
The untold history of Santa’s Village
Santa’s Village had become a ghost town, closed for nearly two decades. Rides had been auctioned off, much of its electrical equipment was stolen and bark beetle-infested trees — destined for an incinerator — had once taken up residence in…
How to experience Los Angeles like a poet
I was walking in Venice with poet Tom Laichas when he showed me a hard-to-describe object protruding from the strip between sidewalk and street. It was about the size of a fire hydrant, made of cement and decorated with faded…
Wayfarers wedding chapel is a Los Angeles historic landmark
The Rev. David Brown walked through a shady tunnel of mature redwood trees, past a trio of camera-snapping tourists, and entered Wayfarers Chapel for the weekly Wednesday afternoon prayer service. “Militant atheists who don’t believe in anything feel something in…
Two centenarians share their secret to 82 years of marriage
As a lively group of elderly women scurried onto a shuttle for a shopping day on a recent Tuesday afternoon, Carla and Jack Weingarten could be found snuggled under a blanket inside their Los Angeles apartment, watching “I Love Lucy”…
Vibe guide: Bailey Prado shares inspiration for her designs and holiday gifts
The thing about a Bailey Prado piece is that it feels like it was made by someone who loves you. The designer is known for her handmade crochet, a medium that she extends to matching sets, rhinestone cut out pants,…
A former automotive engineer throws pots in Los Angeles
Throwing pottery on a wheel can be a love-hate relationship. Becki Chernoff knows all about it. “Many people fall in love with clay when they take their first class,” Chernoff says as she sits at the potter’s wheel in her…
L.A. post office box accepts letters to deceased loved ones
. Mail gets sent to the dead all the time — ads, renewal notices, unpaid bills. But if you want to send a letter to someone you’ve lost with the chance that they’ll actually receive it, there’s a box at…
How OnlyFans millionaires live and spend in L.A.
Hometown: Apple Valley, Minn. When did you start doing OnlyFans? I was very early to OnlyFans. I started in 2017 and did it for one year while living in Minnesota, but I made less than $10,000 in one year. It…
The ceramic clowns of Soraya Hannah Yousefi, a.k.a. shy.jpg
Soraya Hannah Yousefi didn’t kick off her career with an internship or an entry level position; she began with a box of air dry clay and an Instagram account. It was May 2020 and her life was feeling upside down…
Artist Angela Nguyen’s rug critiques L.A. infrastructure and transportation
“WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?,” 2023, 84 x 60 in, Maine wool on monks cloth (Angela Nguyen / For The Times) The question “Where do we go from here?” is the center of this entire rug. It’s a saying…
Sunday Funday with Paris Hilton
Of the dozens of Sunday Fundays we’ve published, no celebrity has name-dropped as many sponsorships or brand deals throughout the conversation as effortlessly as Paris Hilton. And that’s to be expected. She is the influencer of all influencers after all….
The L.A. playground is where skaters get their education
Skaters give shape to the divine. From left to right: Robert Neal, Briana King and Junior. (Sam Muller / For The Times) Peer through the fence and squint: The artists on wheels are at work, just doing the damn thing….
Free digital holiday wallpapers by Creativity Explored artists
They are animals familiar to every Californian: a mountain lion, a coyote, a dolphin, hummingbirds and butterflies, rendered in a way you’ve never seen before. The smiling creatures, eyes glinting, float before a constellation of multicolored dots swimming in a…
Heading to Yosemite next summer? Better get a reservation
You’ll need a reservation to drive into Yosemite National Park by day this summer, even if you’re not spending the night. The National Park Service announced Wednesday that it would impose an updated version of the reservation requirement that it…
Vibe guide: Celina Rodriguez shares gift inspiration, favorite designers and 2024 goals
Celina wears Sami Miro Vintage top, Red September pants, Naked Wolfe shoes, Serpenti earrings, Chrome Hearts necklace, Androhmeda cross charm necklace (in hand), Gucci rings. (Jennelle Fong and Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times) You know a Celina Rodriguez joint…
A tribute to step-and-repeats: The L.A. fashion party staple
The step-and-repeat says, “Perceive me, I beg you.” Schiaparelli speaks this same language: of spectacle. (Angella Choe / For The Times) We are drawn to them like moths who want to flex in front of the flame: Step-and-repeats, the backdrop…
Your inner ageist says getting old sucks. Fight back
Connie Zweig first encountered her inner ageist on a cloudless spring day in Santa Monica about seven years ago. The author and retired psychotherapist was enjoying lunch at her favorite vegan restaurant, Real Food Daily, when an old woman walked…
How often should you expect your crush to text you?
When Sabrina Zohar first started dating her boyfriend whom she refers to as “tech guy” in her popular TikTok videos, she was doubtful about their connection for one striking reason. He barely texted her. After matching on Hinge in 2022,…
Los Angeles jazz duo improvises magic with tap shoes, piano
In a quiet backyard nestled in the Sherman Oaks hills, seasoned jazz musician Larry Goldings begins to play the punchy opening notes to Van Halen’s “Jump” on his prized melodica. Standing beside him is dancer Melinda Sullivan, who soon strikes…
Peach Fuzz is the Pantone Color of the Year
After a year of hardship — shootings, war and uncertainty regarding artificial intelligence — the Pantone Color Institute has announced that Peach Fuzz, a warm and fuzzy hue between pink and orange, is the Color of the Year for 2024….
After mastering chess in prison, can he win elite competitions?
Almost every day for the last two years, Vincent “VDogg” Hubbard has stood outside the Louisiana Fried Chicken at Manchester and Normandie avenues with a suitcase full of cocoa butter and a traveling chess set. Slight in stature, with a…
I was looking for a boyfriend. I ignored the red flags
The night I met Buff Ben, I was coming from a Hinge date. The night had started auspiciously. My date was a fellow screenwriter who had worn a Hawaiian shirt, smiled and asked a few good questions. Then he had…
How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Craig Robinson
Actor, comedian and musician Craig Robinson (“The Office,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Hot Tub Time Machine”) is upfront about his ideal L.A. Sunday. “It’s spent at home chilling,” he said. “My day is a blank canvas.” The star of “Killing It,” a…
Vibe Guide: Johnnie Davis, the designer behind New Bedstuy
New Bedstuy “You Are Holy” T-shirt. (Jennelle Fong and Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times) A padded waffle shirt worn by Miguel on the cover of a magazine, a hoodie with a furry mohawk stripe worn by Jay 305 front…
After ‘Nutcracker,’ new L.A. ballet company has big dreams
Back in August, Eris Nezha and Petra Conti stepped in front of a crowd at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre. They looked at each other. Nezha nodded at Conti, who smiled in return. Then, they danced. Through the lifts, twists and…
Artist Yendry shares her creative journey, identity, music
At the tail end of a long studio session in preparation for her first full-length album, the L.A.-based artist known by her monomial Yendry is reminiscing on Zoom. “A lot of things have been happening to me,” she says of…
How to date better in Los Angeles
To say it’s difficult to date in Los Angeles is almost like saying the traffic is bad. Yes, we know! But what if dating didn’t have to feel so debilitating? What if we could create the healthy and fun dating…
From Fruits to Frutas: L.A. street style archive draws inspiration from iconic Japanese underground magazine.
Founded by photographer, director and multimedia artist Bibs Moreno in 2021 with Aloe Garza, Frutas is a living, breathing archive of Latinos and other people of color in L.A. who exist outside the binary, for whom subculture and style are…
You don’t need chemistry on a first date to go on a second
You know that feeling when you’re on a first date with someone and you instantly hit it off? When the conversation is flowing effortlessly about a niche show you both like, you can’t help but grin like a Cheshire cat….
Why boxing is the most stylish sport — and why fashion houses can’t get enough
These days less than before, we gather in a room, my grandpa closest to the TV, and watch as two people beat each other up. There is always food — someone makes pozole, someone brings a Little Caesars Hot-N-Ready. The…
How to become a secure dater no matter your attachment style
In a TikTok that has been viewed nearly 1 million times, a woman explains that her husband’s approach to calming down after an argument is “by being in my skin, attached to me like a bug on a rug.” As…
Vibe guide: Goth Shakira on favorite art, holiday gifts, astrological placements
Goth Shakira wearing Acne Studios dress and gloves, Kachorovska shoes and Jéblanc earrings. (Jennelle Fong and Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times) One might follow Goth Shakira for their “whimsigoth crypto nun” looks posted from the bathrooms of Tom Bradley,…
What to do in L.A. in December: Fashion launches, art, pop-ups
Fear of God and Adidas launch Athletics After three years in the making, Fear of God Athletics has launched. The sports line hearkens back to late ’90s and early 2000s Adidas football gear — think thick stripes and oversize hoodies…
While thrifting in L.A. with my teenage son, I found what my mother missed
My 13-year-old son has entered his thrifting era. It started with an off-chance trip to Goodwill over the summer while he was skating through Glendale with a friend two grades ahead. He came home with a decent pair of Nikes…
Why you should invite a neighbor over for dinner this holiday season
We are living in an age of placeless possibility: a time when we can instantly get in touch with another person no matter where they are on the planet through any number of media. We can catch up with friends…
SoCal resident tickets for Disneyland are back
This holiday season, Disneyland is already looking ahead to 2024, and today announced a new offer for Southern California residents. Each local resident who pays $225 will receive three one-park-per-day tickets to be used on separate visits from Jan. 2…
Paris Hilton’s Thanksgiving ‘surprise’ was newborn daughter
For Paris Hilton‘s family, Thanksgiving dinner offered more than just the traditional turkey and staple sides. The hotel heiress and reality TV star revealed that her newborn daughter, London, made her grand debut last week. “It was the best Thanksgiving…
I wanted to date my mentor’s colleague. Was that a problem?
“I love your work. Are you teaching anywhere?” I messaged the author on Instagram. Her novels were all set in the sun-spilled hills of Los Angeles; I’d read them since I was a teen. To my shock she replied, inviting…
A forgotten amusement park made by famous artists reemerges
Luna Luna was ahead of its time. And in some ways it’s a miracle that it existed at all. The contemporary art world is filled with cynical looks at the themed-entertainment industry: Artists have been distorting Mickey Mouse imagery for…
How to get into pickleball if you’ve got no one to play with
Pickleball leagues around the city host what’s called “open play,” where anyone can show up and jump into a game with strangers. Usually, there’s at least one court reserved for beginner players, with the rest split between intermediate and advanced….
Atheists in Los Angeles seek wonder, awe and community too
ZION NATIONAL PARK, Utah — In the cold dark of a November night, beneath the jagged cliffs of Zion National Park, Dani Hsia posed a question that mystics and religious thinkers have pondered for millenniums. “Why are we here?” she asked,…
Celebrity stylist for Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo and Teyana Taylor shares fashion tips, personal journey
For stylist Tess Herbert, the ideal backdrop to her personal style is Palace Costume — a vintage rental store nestled on Melrose Ave. where she spends most of her time when she’s in L.A. “It’s a magical labyrinth and it’s…
Stressed? Forest therapy may be your unexpected solution
It was a particularly chaotic time. As the war in the Middle East raged on, sparking relentless and horrific news headlines, a family member unexpectedly landed in the hospital here in California. Visits to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, doomscrolling and sleepless…
Vibe guide: Salem Mitchell on favorite designers, gifts, things to do in L.A.
L.A. model Salem Mitchell is finding joy in making steamed soy and ginger fish at home for her homies, and always smelling slightly like a Byredo store. (Jennelle Fong and Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times) One thing to know…
A slim, two-story ADU shows off vertical construction
Walk past the street-facing 1990s duplex and beyond a 1920s Sears Roebuck kit bungalow, and an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, rises before you at the end of the property. It’s a slim, two-story rental clad in inexpensive white vertical…
Visit Carmel, artsy, pricey, gorgeous, quaint and by the beach
In Big Sur, land meets sea in the most amazing ways. Meanwhile just up the road in Carmel, nature meets art, cars, charm, golf and money. It’s hard to look away. And once you get there, hard to leave. At…
The Bumble guy was texting another woman on our date
I had recently finished grad school and was ready to dive into the dating scene, so I downloaded Bumble, the dating app where women make the first move. After swiping for a few days, I started chatting with a match….