History
The female powerhouse who developed 1920s Downtown LA
A former plumber who wore a white rose beneath the brim of her hat, Florence Casler rose to meteoric success in a field dominated by men.
When Nat King Cole moved in
The entertainer found his dream home in picturesque Hancock Park—but the neighborhood had a dark side.
Q&A: The struggle to desegregate LA neighborhoods
A new book documents how black residents battled violence, abuse, and discrimination in LA’s housing market for nearly a century.
Watch the strange growth of Los Angeles, from 1877 to 2000
This animation shows how the city sprawled out over time.
City committee approves landmarking some—but not all—of Times Mirror Square
The committee did not support historic status for the unpopular 1970s-era addition by modernist William Pereira.
Renaissance or urban travesty? 50 years of high-rise living on Bunker Hill
In the 1960s, the city leveled Bunker Hill and its Victorian mansions in the hopes of luring "suburban-loving" Angelenos to new apartment towers.
How Malibu grew
For decades, one family fought to keep Malibu to themselves—but its natural beauty proved irresistible.
Here’s how the Woolsey Fire stacks up to LA’s most destructive wildfires
The massive blaze is truly historic.
Touring the recreated 1969 birthplace of the internet at UCLA
This is where it all began.
Ghost stories from LA’s old Civil War barracks
"It was a very dark, very sad feeling as you walked through... And it was just the kind of a building that was saying, ‘Help me.’"
60 years of cheering on the Dodgers in Los Angeles
In honor of the playoffs, we’re taking a look back at Dodgers fans through the ages.
New exhibit captures memories of ’90s teen culture in East LA
Guadalupe Rosales is creating a new historical record—where the people included control the narrative.
Why Long Beach oil derricks are disguised as islands
Major oil companies are pulling "wool over your eyes."
The glitz and glamour of Hollywood Park
LA’s flashy new football stadium is rising on the grounds of a legendary racetrack once described as too beautiful for words.
History series Lost LA returns, taking a look at places Angelenos go to get away
Yosemite, desert ghost towns, Venice Beach, and Disneyland.
Los Angeles isn’t known for its streetlights. It should be.
Get turned on to LA’s remarkable streetlamp designs—you’ll never see the city the same way.
How a rag-tag group of surfers changed Malibu forever
Surfers were an afterthought until "Gidget" burst onto the scene.
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LA’s strange and wonderful lost amusement parks
Once upon a time, Los Angeles was home to dozens of freewheeling amusement parks, including an alligator farm.
How the Los Angeles Times built LA
Its publishers had their hands in every LA honeypot, owning stakes in oil wells and investing Goodyear Oil and Tire, and real estate.
20 vintage photos of LA beaches
Back when elaborate bathing costumes and parasols constituted standard beachwear.
How Old Hollywood and starchitecture built Santa Monica’s Gold Coast
The stars of the silver screen collided with the stars of architecture on a small strip of beachfront in Santa Monica.
Hancock Park estate built for Vernon’s founder seeks $10.9M
On the market for the first time, the six-bedroom property includes beamed ceilings, spacious grounds, and retro tilework.
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An introduction to Googie, SoCal's signature architectural style
The bold designs captured the spirt of post-war futurism and enticed passing drivers to slow down and stop in.
Silver Lake gas station moves toward landmark status
That could prevent apartments from rising in its place.
Are cosmetic upgrades coming to the Hollywood Walk of Fame?
With all the new developments cropping up in the neighborhood, a City Councilmember says the Walk of Fame needs to take it up a notch.
The dreams and myths that sold LA
How city leaders and real estate barons used sunshine and oranges to market Los Angeles.
The LA lawyer who won housing rights for all Americans
Loren Miller was the go-to lawyer for black homeowners fighting discrimination in the housing market.
The Fair Housing Act hasn’t yet desegregated LA
We interviewed Richard Green, director of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, about why racism persists in LA’s housing market.
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Martin Luther King Jr. left his mark on Los Angeles
Here are some of the places the civil rights legend visited around LA.
Off the coast of San Pedro, a Japanese community erased
When the clock struck midnight on February 27, 1942, hundreds of families in the fishing village of Fish Harbor had to leave their homes and businesses forever.
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The East LA blowouts of 1968, mapped
Over a period of two weeks, thousands of Mexican-American students protested their unequal education—we’ve mapped the most pivotal locations.
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The Central Avenue jazz clubs that made LA swing
From the 1920s to 1950s, "the Avenue," as it was lovingly called, was the hub of the West Coast jazz scene.
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The thrill of Sugar Hill
In the 1940s, black entertainers not only revived West Adams—they challenged racist covenants and laid the groundwork for the Fair Housing Act.
Landmarking Arts District lofts ignores Japanese American history, artists say
Since the 1970s, the old factory on Traction Avenue has been an incubator for Japanese American artists.
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17 Southern California buildings with presidential ties
Reagan, Nixon, Kennedy, and others all spent plenty of time in the LA area. Here's a look at some of the spots where you might have found them once upon a time.
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Ghost towns of the desert
They went boom, then bust, but some of the desert’s early settlements haven’t entirely disappeared. Here’s a guide to five ghost towns near Mojave.
Take a look back at LA when the 1984 Olympics came to town
Only 34 years have passed, but a lot has changed.
The future of Historic Filipinotown
What will become of the changing neighborhood—and who gets to decide its fate?