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  Despite the housing shortage in California (and beyond), stringent restrictions in building codes continue to stifle investment in multi-family housing. But a new proposal brought before the Los Angeles City Council could provide relief by re-assessing modern construction guidelines. Lawmakers are asking the city to reconsider the way we think about single-staircase buildings. Could changes to the Los Angeles building code be on the horizon?  Is the Los Angeles Building Code Outdated?  Photo credit: Alfred Twu Throughout the 1900s, growing safety concerns, particularly those involving fire risks, led to lawmakers establishing tighter regulations. Among these was a requirement that buildings exceeding three stories provide multiple staircases. In the event of a fire, residents could now double or triple their escape options. But these additional staircases didn’t just cost money to build. They sacrificed living space. Single-staircase buildings...

  Featured image credit: Glendora Village If you’re seeking a slice of small-town Americana but can’t quite give up the big city, a search for houses for sale in Glendora, California may be in your near future. Though it’s firmly a part of Los Angeles County, Glendora has a quaint and timeless feel to it. When you cross the border of Glendora, it’s hard not to recount that old adage “You can’t go home again.” Except, this foothill town dares to say “Sure you can.” Christmas parades, classic car shows, wine walks… Glendora needs no excuse to come together as a community. Here’s what else to keep in mind when considering houses for sale in Glendora.  A Small City with a Lot of Heart Photo credit: jaymanuel Measuring just under 20 square miles, Glendora isn’t a large city. But it makes efficient use of what it’s got. As of the 2020 Census, 52,558 people hung their hats in Glendora, snug in the enveloping embrace of the foothills of the San Gabriel Mounta...

  Featured image credit: Envato For months, people have been asking a question that no one could answer: “When will the entertainment industry in Los Angeles rebound?” In fact, the question has hung in the air for so long that several professionals have started to doubt we’ll ever see the city reach the production heights of its pre-pandemic days again. But we finally have some good news as Hudson Pacific Properties, the largest landlord of soundstages on the west coast, shared their stats with CoStar last week.  Numerous Problems Facing the Los Angeles Entertainment Industry Photo credit: The Humm Collection The average Angeleno is well-informed on the woes that crippled the city’s once seemingly unsinkable entertainment industry. With television and film production at the city’s core, every industry feels the impact when entertainment flounders. But over the last several years, the obstacles to production have seemed relentless.  First,...

  Featured image credit: Disney It seems almost every American child fantasizes about running away to Disneyland, using their wits to evade cast members and night security, and enjoying the rides as the rest of the world sleeps. While living at a Disney park still isn’t in the cards, the next best thing is coming to the Coachella Valley. Dubbed Cotino, the ambitious project launches Disney’s maiden community under its StoryLiving by Disney banner. On the verge of Cotino Rancho Mirage welcoming its first residents, we take a look at what this unique development brings to the area.  What is Cotino Rancho Mirage?  Conveniently located beside the 10 freeway and near the Annenberg Sunnylands Estate, Cotino Rancho Mirage is a 600-acre residential housing development with mixed-use commercial space planned for a city center. Disney has been hard at work developing the site since April 2022. Once completed, it will offer close to 2,000 residences, a 24-...

  Photo credit: Los Angeles We may not often feel like we have the time to stop and smell the roses in Los Angeles. But we’ve definitely got the place. It’s a sunken garden measuring just over 7 acres and presenting roughly 20,000 bushes in bloom from March through November. The hyper-organized beauty of the Exposition Park Rose Garden numbers it among the state’s most beloved public sanctuaries; a florid, perfectly arranged paradise open to all at no charge. Yet it grew from seedy origins. And we mean that in more ways than one.  The Days (and Nights) of Agricultural Park Photo credit: LA Parks It’s difficult to envision Exposition Park out of its modern context, engrained in our minds by our community experiences with the Natural History Museum, Coliseum, BMO Stadium, and the many other attractions that populate its 160-acre grounds. But just a little over 100 years ago, Exposition Park wasn’t a thing. Rather, Los Angeles had Agricultural Park. And...

  Featured image credit: Thomas Wolf Perched atop Mount Lee just 1,708 feet above Los Angeles, the Hollywood sign can be seen all around the world. Figuratively speaking, of course. Obviously, it needs no introduction. But this global icon only exists today because of the efforts (and considerable donations) of nine unlikely individuals, each vowing sponsorship for one of the sign’s 44-foot tall letters. It’s a tale carved into Hollywood legend, yet one that still raises the eyebrows of the uninitiated.  The Crumbling Ruins of the Hollywood Sign Photo credit: Unknown Starting its watch over the city in 1923 as the “Hollywoodland” sign, the civic icon was intended to promote a housing development of the same name. And it wasn’t supposed to remain standing in the Santa Monica Mountains for over a century. The sign endured public efforts to remove it, natural disasters, and the abrasive hands of time before it attained its sacred status. At times, it eve...

  Featured image credit: Konrad Summers Being a school that got its start specializing in agricultural studies, Los Angeles Pierce College is a greener campus than most. It’s a surreal feeling when you first see its campus farmhouse as you’re rolling across Victory Boulevard. But within an obscure fenced-off grove of unkempt trees, you’ll find something stranger than a big city barn. And, depending on who you ask, more disturbing. Because, though they’ve gone to great lengths to hide it, Pierce College is the current resting place of one of the most embattled folk art installations in California: the decaying remnants of the Old Trapper’s Lodge statues. And if you walk up on these statues unprepared, your heart is likely to skip a beat. Or three.  The Legend of the Old Trapper Photo credit: Konrad Summers The story of the Old Trapper’s Lodge statues begins with the self-stylized Old Trapper himself, John Ehn. Born in 1897, he was likely too young to ...

  Featured image credit: Friends of Big Bear Valley It’s estimated that around 100,000 people flock to the mountainous resort town of Big Bear every year. Yet, your best chance of seeing the most illustrious seasonal residents is by staying glued to your computer. That’s because no one in Big Bear is as popular as the renowned bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow. Since 2017, the power couple have been the stars of a live camera situated at their nest allowing the world to watch each season as they struggle to bring new eagle fledglings into the world. It can be an emotional watch. Yet, each autumn, as Jackie and Shadow return to their stomping grounds, thousands upon thousands tune in to witness their latest 8-month chapter unfold.  An Eaglet Named Jack Photo credit: Gerry Atwell There’s nothing new about eagles visiting Big Bear during the winter months. As the northern climes grow frozen and inhospitable, bald eagles migrate to the unfrozen waters ...