MacArthur Park

L.A. Activists Claim Fraud in Mexico's Presidential Election: Downtown Rally Planned for Saturday

Obama may have embraced Enrique Peña Nieto as Mexico's new president-elect this week (even before all the votes had been counted; awkward), but a coalition of immigrants in Los Angeles won't be so easily convinced. "We're very concerned by a growing list of situations... that seem to indicate that ... More >>

Fast Times at L.A. City Hall: Pot-Shop Ban Pushed Forward After Shady Closed Session

What happened behind closed doors at yesterday's L.A. City Council meeting? Given the whole closed-door thing, it's hard to say. What we do know is that before L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson formed a secret huddle that lasted for over half an hour, a soft/sane proposal for pot-shop regulat ... More >>

Ana Tijoux: "Recording is like flirting with your songs. Touring is the relationship"

See also: *Viva Los Dodgers 2012 Lineup Announced: Ximena Sariñana, Ana Tijoux, More *Reviewed: Ana Tijoux performs at MacArthur Park, 8/11/11 Having grown up in political exile in France during Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet's reign, it seems natural that rapper Ana Tijoux -- now 34 -- would c ... More >>

CicLAvia: Bike, Eat, Repeat En Route Establishments and Food Truck Finishes

The fourth CicLAvia bike event opens the streets of downtown L.A. to non-motorists this Sunday, April 15. Originating in Bogota, Columbia, in 1974, the South American event now reserves a whopping 75 miles of street for cyclists and pedestrians. Here at home, we'll see a 10 mile web with 5 branches ... More >>

It's Pronounced "Cic-la-VEE-a"

Street Food Vendor Protest TODAY

Guzzle & NoshStreet food vendors in Tijuana, Mexico.​ Street food vendors are staging a protest today at 4:30 p.m. outside the Metro subway station on Alvarado and Seventh streets (that's near Langer's, for you gluttons) to protest the LAPD's crackdown on allegedly illicit street food vendors. ... More >>

Marijuana Dispensaries in L.A. Targeted For Closure: Here's The List

This is how Amsterdam does it.​L.A. still has a near-record high number of marijuana dispensaries despite efforts by the City Council to control them. (And we do mean high). But one-by-one the office of City Attorney Carmen Trutanich is knockin' 'em out. (Unfortunately, one of his assistant c ... More >>

Jose Duarte, Who Worked With Boys From Westside to South L.A., Molested at Least Three Kids, Cops Allege

LAPDDuarte.​A boys soccer coach was charged with child molestation this week and, unfortunately, authorities say the suspect had access to lots of kids. In fact, 42-year-old Jose Duarte coached teams at MacArthur Park, nearby Vista Hermosa Park, and at he Gilbert Lindsey Recreation Center in ... More >>

Bus-Only Lane Will Run 7.7 Miles Down Wilshire Boulevard -- Conveniently Sparing Westwood's 'Condo Canyon'

LAStreetsBlogThe 720 -- home free!​Screwed year-in and year-out by rail-happy L.A. politicians and transportation officials, the Bus Riders Union finally gets to pop the bubbly tonight -- in celebration of a 7.7-mile bus lane it's taken them six years to win. (That is, if it's approved by L.A ... More >>

Q & A With Gilberto Cetina: Chichen Itza, His New Cookbook, The Scoville Scale The Happiness of Chowhound Guys

Facebook/Gilberto CetinaGilberto Cetina​Anyone who loves cochinita pibil, the Yucatecan dish of pork roasted in banana leaves, knows the well-traveled route to Chichen Itza in the Mercado La Paloma near USC just south of downtown, which also houses Ricardo Zarate's Mo-Chica. Chef-owner Gilbert ... More >>

Dance Club Pick: Don't Leave the Cake Out in the Rain

Sheriff Joe Arpaio Visits SoCal, Says We Get All the 'Illegals' Because 'Nobody Enforces the Law Around Here'

Joe.​"America's Sheriff" Joe Arpaio was in the area this week to speak at the Nixon Presidential Library & Museum, and he didn't waste too much time insulting Southern Californians. The Maricopa County, Ariz. lawman known for his support of Arizona's controversial immigration law and for hous ... More >>

L.A. Journalists Invited to Get Asses Kicked as Part of Police-Beat Training

Police Investigative Media Academy​Turns out some journalists do have first-hand experience with police displaying "use-of-force" techniques. There was that little incident in 2007 in which a line of LAPD cops pushed over people in MacArthur Park, including a few journalists. (Some sued and wo ... More >>

Car-Free Eating

Nondrivers should look to downtown

Mysterious, 1930s-Era Remains Of Babies Found In Westlake Tied To Janet M. Barrie Through DNA, LAPD Says

MacArthur Park, formerly Westlake Park, in the heart of Westlake.​It was a case that fascinated L.A. in the dog days of summer: Two fetuses were found wrapped up inside a steam trunk in a 1920s-era apartment building in the Westlake district near downtown in August. The identities of the circ ... More >>

Jon Stewart's Rallies, Including One In L.A., Help Restore Comedy Central's Ratings

Ted SoquiComedy Central's ratings cup runneth over.​ See Ted Soqui's slideshow from the L.A. rally here. Call it the "Rally to Restore Ratings." Jon Stewart's "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear," which was based in Washington, D.C. and had a satellite event at L.A.'s MacArthur Park Saturda ... More >>

Sweeps in Los Angeles Suburbs Create Fear, say Anti-Police Brutality Activists

San Gabriel Valley TribuneWilmington raids net 41 suspects​ Probation violators received some unexpected guests on Thursday after county probation officers, along with state and federal agents, descended upon multiple locations throughout Covina, Glendale, Monrovia, Pasadena and San Gabriel, ... More >>

BETTER LIVING THROUGH FREE MUSIC

Tonight: My Morning Jacket, Avi Buffalo, Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal, Coheed and Cambria, Porcupine Tree, Budos Band, Hot Club of Cowtown

​ My Morning Jacket, Avi Buffalo at the Greek "Of late, My Morning Jacket singer Jim James has been devoting the majority of his time to projects sporting his inexplicable Yim Yames moniker, so it's a bit of a relief to find him once again at the helm of the exceptional band that first put the ... More >>

Brick's Picks: Someone Left the Salsa Out in the Rain

Journalist Gets $1.7 Million In Suit Against LAPD Over 'May Day Melee' Response

Fox 11 News' Christina Gonzalez.​A journalist who claimed she suffered physical and emotional damage after she was mowed down by Los Angeles police during the "May Day Melee" in MacArthur Park in 2007 was awarded $1.7 million by a jury. According to UPI, Fox 11 News camera operator Patricia B ... More >>

May Day Melee Settlements Expected From City Of L.A.

Fox 11's Christina Gonzalez is still suing.​The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday was expected to settle several lawsuits that were brought against L.A. following the "May Day Melee" of 2007 in which Los Angeles police officers allegedly knocked down and roughed up bystanders, including me ... More >>

Massive May Day Rally Expected In Downtown L.A.

​Los Angeles officials are expecting a massive crowd for Saturday's "May Day" workers and immigration rally. Organizers have been encouraging a show of hands in response to Arizona's new law that allows police to ask people on the street for proof of their immigrations status. Quoting police, ... More >>

Where's Antonio? Lunching at the Getty, Talking Immigration at a Private Club

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was light on public events this week, which may be a good thing if he was rolling up the sleeves and working instead.Villaraigosa hangs at swanky City Club at Wells Fargo Center.​Then again, maybe not -- read more about the recent fruits of his labor in an L. ... More >>

City Legal Payouts Enough To Hire 1,200-Plus Cops

Here's a doozy: The city of Los Angeles paid out as much money in legal fees and lawsuit settlements as it would have spent to hire of 1,271 much-needed Los Angeles police officers.​The calculation comes from the nonprofit group California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, which states that Los Ange ... More >>

Cops Felonious In May Day Melee? D.A. Says No Way

Police who roughed-up and injured people in the so called "May Day Melee" in MacArthur Park in 2007 might have caused the city to pay out nearly $13 million in settlements but they didn't commit any crimes, the county district attorney announced today.Fox11Fox11 reporter Christina Gonzalez was pushe ... More >>

Public or Charter? Two MacArthur Park Schools Examined

MacArthur Park Media is featuring a new interactive page in response to the fight of Esperanza Elementary School teachers against the "very likely" charterization of their Westlake District school. (The L.A. Unified School Board recently put Esperanza up for bid, even though, its teachers claim, the ... More >>

Chichen Itza Closes Its MacArthur Park Location: Tonight's Last Supper Will Be A Celebration

Photo credit: Anne FishbeinSous-chef Jose Chan finishes a plate of cochinita pibil​Chichen Itza, the highly-regarded Mexican restaurant near downtown L.A.'s MacArthur Park that specializes in the food of the Yucatán, is closing as of tomorrow. It's the economics, said chef-owner Gilberto Ceti ... More >>

Mo-Chica: The Best Peruvian Ceviche Might Be in a Warehouse South of Downtown

Raw deal

Now They're Blaming MacArthur Park for Earthquakes!

The Eastsider L.A. reports that a Caltech seismologist is referring to last night's quake as part of the "MacArthur Park earthquakes." Seems there were four "micro quakes" spread out over a few days. The biggest one was a 2.5 job that came Tuesday, a little after 10 p.m. The jolt, which felt like a ... More >>

Martin Kersels: Big Frame

The Other Martin K

Best Lost Art Found: Aardvark Letterpress

Best Tranny Bar: The Silver Platter

Arabian Prince: A Jheri Blossoms

Electro pioneer who quit N.W.A weeks before Compton now makes beats for Grand Theft Auto

From Echo Park to MacArthur Park: Neighborhood Noise

Plus, UCLA Live's David Sefton weighs in

Brick's Picks: Otmaro Ruiz, Katia Moraes, Daby Touré and more

Jazz in L.A., August 1-7

Al Langer: The Counterman

1913–2007

MacArthur Park Showdown

LAPD clashes with immigrant-rights marchers

Saved in MacArthur Park

Best Pirated-Loot Spots

Best Post Cards From the Lake’s Edge

Journey From the Center of the World

Lover Come Back

Ask Mr. Gold

Drive, He Said

Counter Intelligence throws a party — or 10 tips for no-cook entertaining

Ask Mr. Gold

Then and Now

People’s Podium

A protester’s guide to the Democratic convention

Down for the Good Life

A Unified Revolution Called Jurassic 5

Leisure alternatives for those who covet the indirect ray