City Landmarks
Dramatic Art
How soap opera scribe Maria Arena Bell came in just in time to rescue L.A.’s MOCA
Right Makes Might
How a dogged civil-rights lawyer, an ex-gangster and a risk-taking LAPD captain helped skirt a Rodney King riot repeat
Bay Watch Bars
by CAMPER ENGLISH Comstock Saloon / comstocksaloon.com This bar pays tribute to the turn-of-the-century Barbary...
Bay Watch Art + Architecture
by MAYER RUS San Francisco Museum of Modern Art / sfmoma.org The museum’s big expansion—designed...
Troubadour of Troubled Times
Finding beauty in the most unlikely of California’s corners, Dave Alvin proves he’s far more than a blast-from-the-past roots rocker.
Editor’s Note
Our May issue hones in on the arts of architecture and design—two always seen but not always appreciated applications of practical magic.
Pretty Tough
Originally victims and femme fatales, the women of today’s mystery fiction are now as damaged and complex as their male counterparts.
Sunset on Sunset
A street of dreams, a time of day, a state of mind...and an LA exclusive graphic tale.
Printed Matter
A library of design surprises awaits at vintage-furniture emporium Reform.
Editor’s Letter—January 2011
Much is made of the differences between L.A. and New York—perhaps more should be spoken of their similarities.
50: Snow Domes
California landmarks preserved in mini winter wonderlands. Shake...and awe.
Consuming Passion Dinner with
Michael Voltaggio
The Top Chef master sits down with the Pulitzer-winning food writer to savor what’s next on his menu.
The Fall of Troy
USC football fans are shocked—shocked!—by their school's severe NCAA sanctions...Turns out they shouldn't be.
50: Homes of the Stars
Vintage postcards from Hollywood’s golden age—wish you were here.
A New Leaf
For photographer Emily Shur, the eerie wonder of cell phone towers have become the new classic landscape.
Tastemakers Frederick + Laurie Samitaur-Smith
Can real-estate development be a path to progressive social action? Frederick and Laurie Samitaur-Smith believe so and are proving it in Culver City.
Burning Man
John Long will do anything to get your kids hooked on what he’s peddling at L.A.’s Museum of Natural History—the joys of discovery, the glories of science and the wonders of life itself.
Matinee Idol
The ArcLight extends its reign over L.A. movie theaters with a new branch in Pasadena.
Seoul Mate
Pierre Koenig’s modern-architecture masterpiece Case Study House No. 21 exhibits global balance with an owner who showcases Eastern art through a series of visiting installations.
On the Edge of Nothing
There's no metropolis more perfect to serve as noir’s backdrop than the frontier’s end—the “last city,” Los Angeles.
Drai for Night
Victor Drai is no stranger to Los Angeles—and his new club atop the W Hotel in Hollywood proves it.
(Fish) (Delicious)
There is no town more sushi crazed than Los Angeles. But just what is it about raw fish that sends us into such a frenzy? Turns out true sushi mastery can be discovered through the most unexpected sources—like my acupuncturist.
Walk This Way Boyle Heights
Lyrics to the Missing Persons song aside, people do walk in L.A., chief among them indefatigable city council president Eric Garcetti. To echo the point, he steps out of the office to stroll nearby Boyle Heights.
Where There’s Smoke...
Santa Monica's Tinder Box tobacco shop goes back a long way. But to diehard smokers, it's just as fresh and welcoming as the day they walked in. Who cares if the world is changing around it?
Riding Tall with Compton’s Jr. Posse
In 1988, Mayisha Akbar founded an after-school equestrian program that gives inner-city kids a running start.
