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  Featured image credit: Arzuman Brothers “Living in your parents’ basement” may not be the roast it once was. At least not if your parents own a multi-million-dollar iceberg home. What is an iceberg house? It’s one of the names assigned to a somewhat recent trend among the wealthy: stately homes built upon colossal luxury basements. And when we say “luxury basement” we basically mean an entire subterranean wing of the home. In a city not exactly known for its cellars, these uber basements are hot ticket items according to LA’s luxury home contractors. And they’re offering an extravagant way to significantly boost a luxury home’s value.   From Iceberg Homes to the Lower Level Photo credit: Arzuman Brothers Los Angeles isn’t the first major city to prioritize the luxury basement. In fact, Southern California is a little late to the game. The trend already took off overseas and in cities like San Francisco where building up and out just couldn’t co...

  Featured image credit: CAL FIRE_Official The rain has finally arrived in Southern California, but January’s historic wildfires continue to cause turmoil. But this time, the problems are legislative. Last week, Los Angeles city officials dismissed a proposed citywide rent freeze. The suggested changes follow allegations of price gouging that also inspired a slew of stricter price gouging laws.  The Rejected Rent Freeze Ordinance Photo credit: Envato On Tuesday, February 4, the Los Angeles City Council passed new laws protecting fire victims from rent increases and, even in some cases, evictions. The action follows reports of landlords evicting tenants who housed unauthorized guests impacted by the fires. Some of these guests also brought along pets expressly forbidden by the rental terms. Clarifying the city’s position, councilmember Traci Park stated at the meeting, “During this emergency, acts of kindness and compassion should not be punished....

  Some of you are eagerly looking forward to it. Probably a bigger portion of you are dreading it. But, like it or not, Valentine’s Day 2025 is fast approaching. And in a city like LA, if you don’t have your reservations dialed in well in advance, you’re looking at a wild night, one way or another. Especially this year, with Valentine’s Day falling on a Friday. You’ll still need to do the legwork, but we can get you started with some Valentine’s Day date ideas for those celebrating in the LA area.  Enjoy the City’s Natural Wonders Photo credit: Guerinf When compared to the rest of the U.S., LA stands a solid chance of a sunny Valentine’s Day. So why not plan to enjoy our enviable California sunshine with a cute start to the holiday? Plants can be surprisingly sexy. Just something about those petals and clinging vines and bountiful blossoms… okay, we’re not going to let this devolve into ThornHub. But if you or your partner think plants are hot , the Hun...

  Featured image credit: The Strat While there’s no better city for gambling than Las Vegas, it may be better to hedge your bets this Valentine’s Day with a lovely evening at a restaurant guaranteed to make hearts flutter. And if a few stomachs growl in the process, all the better. We’ve assembled 12 of the most romantic restaurants in Las Vegas, listed here for your convenience. But full disclosure: you’ll probably need an ace up your sleeve to get a reservation at one of these spots this close to the big day! Barry’s Downtown Prime 8 Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101 Photo credit: Circa Serving as the Circa Resort & Casino’s steakhouse, Barry’s Downtown Prime is easily one of the most lauded steakhouses in the Las Vegas area. And while steakhouses don’t necessarily make the most romantic restaurants in Las Vegas, Barry’s exudes an accessible midcentury sexiness that makes it a perfect spot for date night. The charm of vintage Las Vegas can be fou...

  Featured image credit: Dietmar Rabich  /  Wikimedia Commons  /  “Amboy (California, USA) — 2012 — 4”  /  CC BY-SA 4.0 About 200 miles east of Los Angeles and 100 miles northeast of Palm Springs sits a remote Mojave Desert town that exists out of logic and reason. It was built near a dead volcano, along a highway (that died), with a gas station (that died), a cafe (that died), and a motel (that died) at its center. And yet, this Googie graveyard continues to rise from the dust, attracting visitors with its alien charm. Today, Amboy, California is a tourist attraction that’s not really near anything . It stands on nothing but its own foundation. And it largely started with a man named Roy Crowl who just wanted to open a gas station. From Hole-in-the-Ground to Tourist Hot Spot Photo credit: Unknown – James R. Powell Route 66 Collection It was 1938 when, to capitalize on motorists crossing the Mojave Desert on the still...

  eatured image credit: mbtrama It’s not often that we get to witness experiments in architecture while they’re in motion. Yet, that’s exactly the experience case study houses offer. Arts & Architecture magazine challenged notable architects to create affordable homes to address the U.S.’s residential housing boom. With World War II finally coming to an end, millions of soldiers were returning home to start families or pick up where they’d left off. The need for new housing was crucial. Arts & Architecture funded the experiment which ran just over two decades from 1945 until 1966. While one of the homes was built in Northern California and another in Phoenix, Arizona, most were erected in the Southern California region. Today, we take a closer look at this innovative moment in California’s housing history.  Update January 2025 – Case Study House #25 Considered for Historical Status Though Case Study House #25 wasn’t among those included in our...