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  Featured image credit: Chris Cooke If you’ve been to the movies in the last 50 years, you’re familiar with the LA River. Now, whether you recognized it as a river when you saw it is debatable. It’s where the T-100 and John Connor tried to outrun or outgun a semi-driving T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day . It was the center of the real-life water wars that inspired Chinatown’ s conflict. Stained with Grease ’s grease and Blood In Blood Out ’s blood, the LA River survived countless car chases, drag races, shoot-outs and blow-outs. Throughout it all, its concrete hasn’t cracked. Not significantly anyway. So what’s the story behind the river that looks nothing like a river? And could it one day return to nature?  There Was a Time When the LA River Belonged to Mother Nature Photo credit: California Historical Society Collection, USC It may surprise you to learn the LA River wasn’t always a brutalist waterway of unyielding concrete. As recently as the 193...

  All imaged credited to: Whitaker Studio Normally, a house like the one we’re looking at today would get a feature in our home spotlight series. But to make it into that column, a house needs to actually exist. And outside of a concept, that’s not the case with the Starburst House. Perhaps you’ve seen it featured on CNN , Business Insider , Homes and Gardens , or the countless other publications where it appeared. If not, you’ve certainly caught glimpses while scrolling through your social media poison of choice. Either way, the Starburst House is the most famous modern house to never break ground. But that could change any day now.  A Rising Star James Whitaker is the founder behind Whitaker Studio, a London-based firm that more or less designs odd, unconventional, and beautifully weird buildings. But even he was taken aback when commissioned to create an office building in Germany using shipping containers as his building blocks. Still, it didn’t t...

  Featured image credit: Elizabeth K. Joseph Few companies have risen quickly in the esteem of patrons by offering a truly terrible experience. It’s not the only distinction that sets Terrible’s apart from other businesses. You may better recognize the brand as Terrible Herbst or the Terrible Herbst Convenience Store; a mainstay of Las Vegas life since 1959. Terrible’s made its name by keeping people moving through their daily lives with an extra spring in their step. And they often deliver their countless services in quirky ways that fit the non-conformist anything-goes spirit of the city. Today, we take a closer look at the most terrible brand in the West.  “The P.T. Barnum of Gasoline” Photo credit: Coolcaesar It was in 1938 that Edward R. Herbst opened the far less memorably named Martin Oil in Chicago. It was his first gas station and he already had big ideas for it. In those days, gas stations were primarily focused on providing gasoline to mot...

  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...