Holmby Hills

5 Hottest Rental Neighborhoods in Los Angeles

Competition for apartments and rental homes in this town is fierce. At least according to the online rental marketplace Lovely, which crunched the numbers for L.A. recently. It found that a mix of upscale and hipster neighborhoods made up Los Angeles' most-competitive areas for people seeking to re ... More >>

Top Zip Code For Top-Dollar Home Sales Includes City Of L.A?

Beverly Hills real estate is often overshadowed by pricier digs in Holmby Hills, home to the Playboy Mansion, Bel Air, which boasts of many 10,000-square-foot-plus abodes, and Pacific Palisades, where Arnold Schwarzenegger and many other celebs live. But the gilded city is back in its rightful plac ... More >>

Echo Park: Greatest Neighborhood in Los Angeles, Which has 87 of Them

By Hillel Aron Echo Park is, depending on your point of view: the poor man's Silver Lake, the rich man's Highland Park, the Williamsburg of the West Coast, a 40,455-personl working-class burg full of diversity and a wee bit of gang violence. Or, it's that strange little neighborhood you drive throu ... More >>

Kevin James' Mayoral Dreams Get Legs

Gay Republican moderate attracts big GOP cash in Los Angeles

L.A. Neighborhood Wants to be Absorbed by Beverly Hills (Good Luck With That)

How would you like it if your stretch of L.A. could join up with the city of Beverly Hills and enjoy that town's great schools, sub-three-minute police responses and smooth-as-a-baby's-behind streets? Yeah, you'd like that. So would pretty much everyone else in Los Angeles. Even the folks who live ... More >>

Project X Teen Parties All The Rage in SoCal

There are many ways to party, from bottle service lounges to superclubs, beach soirees to after-hours undergrounds. But the latest thing, it seems, is to break into someone's empty house and go apeshit. Teens are being inspired, maybe, by the spring teen flick Project X, a movie about one almighty ... More >>

Twitter Parties Are The Rage With Teens, LAPD Chief Beck Warns

Concerned, apparently, by last weekend's Project X-style house party in Holmby Hills, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck expressed concern about teenage "Twitter parties." That's right, in the gang capital of the nation, where serial killing is sport, the big crime problem is teens' raging in unoccupied homes ... More >>

Project X-Style Party in Holmby Hills Swarmed by 500 Teens, Busted by Riot Cops

A massive, Project X-style teen party in Holmby Hills was busted by police over the weekend. The Twitter account LAScanner reported that as many as 500 people gathered at a home in the 1300 block of Holmby Avenue Saturday night, drawing officers from across the LAPD's western divisions. Arriving ... More >>

Facebook Encourages Teen Partying? USC Study Seeks Answers

Everyone knows that having friends is healthy, especially if you're going through tough times. Any psychotherapist will tell you that you need people to confide in. It's healthy. Except when those people are encouraging you to party, do drugs and have risky sex. Such is the conundrum for Facebook ... More >>

Obama's Speech at Holmby Hills Mansion: President Admits 'It's Not Quite as Cool to Be on the Obama Bandwagon' as in 2008

While Occupy 90210 protested along Sunset Boulevard, Obama wooed a crowd of celebs and big Hollywood money at a $40K-per-plate fundraiser last night, hosted by some soap opera producer at his gorgeous mansion in the Holmby Hills. And, though we're generally on Occupy's side -- re: this whole corpor ... More >>

'Occupy 90210' to Protest Outside Obama's $40K-per-Plate Campaign Fundraiser in L.A.

Unlike the people's beloved First Lady -- who stops by Inglewood groceries when she's in town; so humble! -- President Obama is notorious for never letting his limo stray beyond L.A.'s lavish Westside. Especially now that election season is drawing near, and so many deep Hollywood pockets have yet ... More >>

Playboy Officially Moving Editorial Operations Where They Belong: L.A., Land of Hef's Girls

E!Hef's girls (and not a Latina in sight).​It's official. Following rumors about the transfer, Playboy magazine says it's official: It is moving its editorial operations from its Chicago birthplace to Los Angeles, the company confirmed to LA Weekly this morning. It's about time. Chicago hasn' ... More >>

Lindsay Lohan Nude Playboy Photos Leak One Week Early: Oops.

Editor's note: The photos of Lindsay Lohan previously published in this post have been removed at the request of Playboy Enterprises International, Inc. ("Playboy"), which did not grant permission for use of its materials. Updated at the bottom: Hef decides to release the issue early after making ... More >>

Teflon Sheriff Lee Baca Has a Shadow Leader in Paul Tanaka, Report Says: Jail Beating Problems Lead Back to Him?

LASD / WitnessLATanaka.​The decade-long accusations of unjust inmate beatings by deputies at the L.A. County Jail has only recently caught the attention of the man we call the Teflon Sheriff, Lee Baca. We had our doubts when the elected lawman said he really didn't know what was going on in t ... More >>

World-Record Dreidel-Spinning Rager in L.A. This Weekend

Beastie Boys​Updated at the bottom: The attempt's a FAIL. First posted at 12:57 p.m. on Dec. 2. Sunday, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!!! Jews, JEWS, JEWS!!! If you're not burned out after raging on Saturday night, the Sinai Temple in Holmby Hills is where the after-party is. The world-record-breaking afte ... More >>

Playboy Mansion Denies Claim of Unfair Cover Charges: Men Pay up, Average Women Are Half-Price, And Hotties Are Free

Brian WalshFree / pay / half price.​Seems to be a regular thing at the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills: Hot chicks get in for free; sugar daddies and not-so-attractive women pay -- a lot. Playboy Enterprises International Inc., owner of the grounds, says this week it has nothing to do with th ... More >>

Conrad Murray Guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter of Michael Jackson

Conrad Murray.​With Jackson family members Joe, Katherine, La Toya and Germaine inside the courtroom and hundreds of fans outside the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles, a court clerk announced that jurors have concluded Dr. Conrad Murray is guilty of involu ... More >>

Plenty to Occupy in L.A. as Area Ranks Near Top of List of Wealthy Cities in Amerca

L.A. to the bone.​Occupy L.A. is often cast as an offshoot of the epicenter of the movement -- Occupy Wall Street, where protesters are shining a light on the mess bailed-out big banks have made of the nation's economy. But there's plenty to Occupy right here in Southern California. As we not ... More >>

Party House Crackdown: New L.A. Ordinance Targets Notorious Ragers in the Hills

Lina Lecaro"Kandyland" at the Playboy Mansion​It's no secret: An almost institutionalized circuit of L.A. house parties has long operated in the sprawling estates above Ventura and Hollywood Boulevards. Druggy, boozy, Sheeny "privates" have become integral to city nightlife for a number of re ... More >>

Jeff Carr, L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa's Chief of Staff, Calls it Quits

streetgangs.com / YouTubeJeff Carr.​Jeff Carr, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraiogsa's chief of staff, announced he's stepping down from the gig. Interestingly, he said he didn't have another job lined up, but that he wanted to return to the nonprofit world. (No "more-time-with-the-family" for this ... More >>

'Playboy' Magazine Moving to Los Angeles? Looks Like It

Here and now.​Is Playboy magazine moving to Los Angeles? What, you ask? You didn't even know the publication wasn't here? It's based in Chicago, its birthplace, with its "Studio West" offices in Santa Monica. And yeah, the founder, Hef, is here too, in his Holmby Hills Playboy Mansion, as we ... More >>

Pneumonia Outbreak at the Playboy Mansion: Could It Have Festered in the Grotto?

Girls of the Grotto: Worth subsequent diarrhea?​Updated after the jump: At least one "model" (is that what they're calling 'em these days?) who worked the Febuary 3 Playboy event contracted the bug. VIDEO of her harrowing tale, and more proof it came from the grotto. Update: The infection cou ... More >>

Bed Bugs Getting Stronger as a Result of Our Attempts To Kill Them: Check Your Bed, Scratch Your Head

Sit 'n SleepYou're itching me, Larry.​First we hear that bed bugs are invading Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Holmby Hills. Now comes news that they're the new roaches -- as in, they won't die, no matter how much you gas them. Great. In fact, one of the reasons the critters are in the news, besi ... More >>

Hef Admits To Not-So-Safe, Condom-Free Sex With Multiple Girlfriends (Like A Porn Star) At The Playboy Mansion

playboy.comShocking: Crystal Harris, Hef's bride-to-be, is blonde.​In the wake of his announcement that he'll marry a 24-year-old girlfriend, Angeleno Hugh Hefner defended himself against regurgitated dirt about life at the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills, although he seemed to confirm many of ... More >>

When Bed Bugs Attack: New Wave Of Critters Reported In L.A. County, Beverly Hills Area

Ah, the luxurious bed bug of Beverly Hills.​As if you don't have better things to worry about -- unemployment, global warming, the latest revelation on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills -- L.A. County health officials report that more bed bugs are invading the metropolis, particularly the t ... More >>

A Matter of Impressions

The Frank and Jamie McCourt Divorce — and the Dodgers' Future — May Well Come Down to Indentations From Signatures

Michael Jackson One-Year Tribute Event Happening In Beverly Hills

​An event marking the one-year anniversary of the death of Michael Jackson will take place Saturday at the Beverly Hilton hotel. With ticket prices of $150 to $500, the public was invited to check out performances by the Chi Lites and Randy Jackson's daughter, Genevieve Jackson. When the Week ... More >>

Conrad Murray Could Get His California Doctor's License Pulled

​Conrad Murry could be stripped of his ability to practice medicine in California Monday if the state's medical board gets its way in Los Angeles Superior Court. The board is asking Judge Michael E. Pastor to prevent the doctor from practicing in the Golden State pending the outcome of his man ... More >>

Did Michael Jackson Give Himself A Fatal Dose?

​TMZ is reporting that the legal team of the doctor charged on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson is preparing to argue that the King of Pop gave himself the final and fatal dose of an anesthetic drug. Doctor Conrad Murray's defense team, however, denied the ... More >>

Michael Jackson's Doctor Allegedly Delayed CPR To Collect Possible Evidence

Michael Jackson's doctor stopped giving the pop star CPR and delayed dialing 911 in order to collect drug vials in Jackson's residence as Jackson headed toward his demise last June, according to a witness account unearthed by the Associated Press. Alberto Alvarez, Jackson's logistics director, gave ... More >>

Jerry Brown Files To Prevent Michael Jackson's Doctor From Practicing In California

Attorney General Jerry Brown.​State Attorney General Jerry Brown on Tuesday announced that he has formally asked the Los Angeles Superior Court to suspend the state license of Michael Jackson's doctor until the involuntary manslaughter case against him is completed. Brown filed documents on b ... More >>

Jackson Doctor Prohibited From Administering Heavy Sedatives

​Conrad Murray, the doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death, can still practice medicine, but he's been prohibited from administering heavy sedatives, a spokeswoman for the California Medical Board told LA Weekly. Candis Cohen of the Medical Board says the board and the Los Angeles County D ... More >>

Jackson Doc Facing Involuntary Manslaughter, According To Report

​The Associated Press is reporting that the doctor who was with Michael Jackson when he apparently went into cardiac arrest shortly before his June death will be charged with involuntary manslaughter by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office. Conrad Murray, who reportedly admits t ... More >>

Playboy Magazine Could Move To L.A.

​We know -- you're thinking, Playboy already is in Los Angeles. Nope. That's just Hef, who's been known to approve proofs of the adult glossy from the comfort of his robe at home in Holmby Hills. The bread-and-butter work on America's nude-girl-next-door mag has been done out of editorial hea ... More >>

Top Entertainment Stories of 2009 Named; Jackson, L.A. Dominate List

​The death of Michael Jackson topped a list of top-ten entertainment stories for 2009, and headlines emanating from Los Angeles dominated the list. The survey of news editors was conducted by Associated Press. Its top stories: 1) The death of Michael Jackson; 2) the rise of singer Susan Boyle ... More >>

L.A. Country Club Pays Ultra Low Property Tax Rate; Faces Possible Review

​The Los Angeles Country Club, protected under Prop. 13 limits and loopholes, pays an ultra-low rate of about $200,000 a year in property taxes based on 313 acres of prime Westside property that could be worth nearly $20 billion or even more if it were developed, according to the Garment & Cit ... More >>

Associate of Bush, Villaraigosa Pleads Guilty In Kickback Scheme (Felony Charge Of Helping To Make Crap Movie Pending)

Kickback money can be bad for the enviroment.​Holmby Hills' Elliott Broidy has been called "the mystery man of the Israeli economy," but he's had more friends than Tila Tequila, including President George W. Bush (whom he's hosted at his Westside home) and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigos ... More >>

The Last Michael Jackson Party?

Queer Town: President Barack Obama and the Gays

Almost a year ago to the day, I stood in the large kitchen of an elegant mansion in the Pacific Palisades at a political fund raiser, waiting to the shake hand of our future president, Barack Obama. When he approached, I said hello and immediately told him I was gay. I then asked Obama to include ga ... More >>

Michelle Obama's Night Out in L.A.: Malia and Sasha Meet the Jonas Brothers

Dream come true for Malia, and indirect reference to Sarah Palin from Michelle, who says her husband is "not afraid of smart people."

Queer Town: The Obama Pool Report

Rather than watch the Republican National Convention or the U.S. Open in tennis, I covered Michelle Obama's visit to Los Angeles on Wednesday night as a "pool reporter." A pool reporter is someone who's chosen by a political campaign to cover an event that would otherwise be closed to the press. I ... More >>

Here Comes the Pride!

What to do in L.A., June 6-12

Culture Clash

John Mack and Connie Rice have looked at corruption from both sides now

Fantasy Islands

Remembering Aaron Spelling

The Erik Cheeseburger Menace

War and Peace in Watts

A gang treaty implodes and the killing resumes

Spiritual Living: God Is in the Peacocks

Genteel L.A.: Life on the Lawn

Schmooze Dot Com

My season on the Internet party circuit

Polls, Pols and Propositions

Twenty years of political coverage