Metro announced today that they have finished installing twin tracks for the six-mile Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension from downtown to East LA. To that, Metro bragged that "the $899 million project is ahead of schedule, under budget, and has logged 3.4 million hours of construction without a lost time injury, an unprecedented safety record for a major public works project." But don't get too excited just because the project is 87% completed. You'll still......

I live on the Westside. I like it pretty well. It's cooler (temperature-wise) and a little less...precious than the Eastside. I like the Eastside -- it attracts a higher number of cooler (and less expensive) bars, restaurants and boutiques. It's just a fact. Sometimes, I take a 'staycation' and spend the day over there. But when I want a little of that without circling the whole city on the freeway to get there, I go......

Priscilla Ahn plays at her CD Release Show last night at the Hotel Cafe. Tonight she'll play on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. | Photo by Koga/LAist In the comments section of yesterday's post on changes at The Viper Room, concert goers are hoping for Indie 103.1's Check One... Two moves eastward while saying such things as "the Sunset Strip is dead." To that, owner of The Roxy, Nic Adler commented back: "True......

Igloo Tornado is an East Side based art collective (they actually call it a Fraternity, which when you account for their frequent references to beer, can probably be taken in both the Classical Greek and Collegiate meanings) featuring the work of Levon Jihanian, Tom Neely, Gin Steven and Scot Nobles. They formed in 2004, had their first show as a group in 2006 and after a two year hiatus, they're back with an Eponymously......

What are your favorite breakfast spots in Los Angeles? Who's got the best cup of coffee? The yummiest pancakes? The thickest slabs of bacon? Who's overrated and who's overlooked? We're determined to find out -- so wake up with us, won't you? Enjoy L.A.'s Best Breakfasts!!!...

Because he's too shy (and way too busy) to announce it here himself, I am proud to do the honors: Zach Behrens has officially accepted the Editor position here at LAist and he'll be starting on December 17th. BloggingLA has the announcement, as well as a nice picture of the new editor's "Sexy Face." That's how you get your Canadian fanbase, Behrens!!! Rain. Please. Rain. Effects of the strike are starting to ripple out......

FARMERS MARKET: Downtown’s latest farmers market takes place in the Fashion District. So hit up some holiday shopping then treat yourself to some of the freshest foods around. 4-7 pm // Fashion District // 716 S. Los Angeles St., Downtown // Free. ART: Diego Cardoso is the Executive Officer of Transportation Development and Implementation for the MTA who headed the East Side Gold Line project. He's also on the city planning commission. But his......

Sometimes it seems like the only people who actually eat at Taix are the musicians. Taix is kind enough to actually give the performing bands drink and meal tickets. I've never even eaten in the restaurant itself, but I've spent a lot of time in the homey wine bar, where I can listen to local bands while I dine. Whenever I cozy up in the warm brick-interior listening to the edgy jazz, I wonder......

There is no question that El Tepeyac Cafe, a fifty-plus-year-old Mexican establishment in Boyle Heights, is legendary. Stories swirl amongst foodies, local and otherwise, about the monumentally oversized burritos and equally over-the-top owner, Manuel. My parents tell tales about the "poor old days" when they would hungrily dig into one of the "Manuel's Special" burritos, whose four pounds of meat, rice, and beans was enough to feed two skinny kids for days on end.......

We're still kind of obsessed with the cooking videos over at imcooked, especially the oddly soothing clips of Thai street vendors cooking their wares: in the video above, check out a fried mussel dish prepared in less than four minutes. The LA Times heads north this week to seek out culinary finds in Ventura and Santa Barbara, respectively: first at new vegan restaurant, Mary's Secret Garden, and then at the Santa Barbara outpost of......

Eric Richardson of Blogdowntown snaps the above shot from a downtown commercial shoot yesterday: "Pictured is one scene from the commercial being shot, where a gaggle of females drop their workout to come press up against the window and see some brown guy. I would hope this'll make more sense by the time we see it on TV." Out best guess is that he is made out of chocolate. Los Angeles could soon be......

We at the Gothamist network would like to express our heartfelt wishes to the people of Minnesota in the days after their tragic bridge collapse. We're not trying to discount the severity of the accident by making note of it in opposition to our usual -Ist lightheartedness - we just wanted to take a moment and recognize those affected last week. After the Minneapolis bridge collapse, Bostonist did a little research and found that Massachusetts......

Thanks to our buddy, the LA City Nerd, for pointing out the newest hot blog on the scene -- Militant Angeleno. The anonymous blogger first started posting a week ago Friday and we like this rule of thumb for living in Los Angeles: Yes, I own and drive a car, but I'm not obsessed with it. In order to save money, gas, congestion and wear and tear on my car, I walk to places......

Happy Father's Day! For those of you who have dads, are dads, or know dads, this one's for you, from all of us at the Gothamist network. It was a week of bizarre, embarassing headlines at DCist. The trial of the local administrative law judge who sued his cleaners for $54 million over a pair of missing pants left everyone shaking their heads. Then the capital city was nearly brought to its knees, twice, by......

On June 5, Virgin/EMI will release The Best Of David Bowie 1980-1987: Sight & Sound. It's one of those CDs with a DVD snuck in there. 19 audio tracks of Bowie’s best '80s jamz like "Blue Jean" , “Let’s Dance,” “Modern Love,” and “China Girl”. Plus 15 videos from that era plus DVD release debut vids for “The Drowned Girl” and “When The Wind Blows.” Virgin/EMI will also re-release the Bowie classic Young Americans,......

I live in East Hollywood. I get my mail at the Los Feliz post office. The neighborhood sign near my apartment says Little Armenia. My zip code says 90027. You'd think a magazine called Los Angeles would know which part of the LA I lived in. But perhaps the publication is outsourcing its subscription-hustling duties to the same guys covering the Pasadena city council meetings because not only did Los Angeles mail me an......

Wednesday, January 17 - Thursday, January 18 In the bizarre, muddled Ciao! Manhattan art imitates life as glamorous socialite-turned-model-turned-Warhol-icon Edie Sedgwick, who died at age 28 from an overdose, plays Susan Superstar, a former model-turned-underground-screen-siren-turned-alcoholic who has retreated to her mother's house. The New Beverly is screening the film alongside Kiss of the Spider Woman. WHEN: 7:30 pm; January 17 - 18 WHERE: The New Beverly, 7165 West Beverly Blvd., LA, CA 90036 ADMISSION:......

Sunday. Usually, a quiet, contemplative day in the Blogosphere. But not here in the Ist-a-Verse. Nonono! Just look below and see all of the wild and crazy stuff our staffs are up to. In Austin, bands are beginning to confirm for SXSW and the rumor mill is up and running. Good thing, too, because we all know how much Austinites love live performances. Austin also found itself in the national spotlight, with Longhorn Legend......

"Artie Lange's Beer League" soundtrack (Lakeshore) A Shoreline Dream - Avoiding the Consequences (LateNight WeekNight) Clay Aiken - A Thousand Different Ways (RCA) Joseph Arthur - Nuclear Daydream (digipak; Megaforce) Black Crowes - Freak 'N' Roll ... Into the Fog (two CDs; Eagle) Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Thug Stories (Koch) Canada - This Cursed House (digipak; Quite Scientific) Kenny Chesney - Live (BNA) Chingy - Hoodstar (Capitol) Damnation - Resist (Metal Mind) Chris Difford -......

Celebrate Ben Franklin's 300th birthday with the Bikini Bandits and Phillyist! (NSFW). Speaking of Mr. Franklin, send in a picture of Ben (or Ed Rendell) with a red tongue and win a free t-shirt. And they might have the next YearlyKos in Philly. You know who's going to be upset about those Bikini Bandits? The Houston school system. Houstonist also reports on some redevelopment shenanigans over a landmark theater. LAist's sex advice column on......

Maybe you should think about buying a ticket to the Second Annual Hullaballo benefitting the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. The benefit, at the Edendale Grill on June 21, promises to be a swank eastside evening. Rob Zabrecky, who led Possum Dixon and is a magician, will be MC. There will be a dinner buffet, open bar and, of course, live music. Expect performances from the conservatory, Catherine & Jonathan Karoly from the LA Phil......

Theresa Duncan is a writer and filmmaker who lives in Venice Beach. She is also adept at communicating her vision in any media. A veteran game designer before the age of 30, Theresa has authored several popular multimedia games for girls, including the cult classic video game "Chop Suey." In 1998, she made her first film, called The History of Glamor, an animated musical satire tweaking the pretentions of the worlds of fashion, art, celebrity......

In 1999, Los Angeles writer Janet Fitch's first novel White Oleander became a national bestseller, aided in part by its selection as a title read by Oprah Winfrey's influential book club. Deemed an "overnight success" at the age of 43, Janet obtained fame and recognition after spending more than 20 years quietly honing her craft as a writer. White Oleander showed readers unique and underexposed aspects of life in the county of Los Angeles......

Forget tonight's celebratory chat between Leno and Schwarzenegger. On Monday, President Bill Clinton will visit the Daily Show to rap with John Stewart about his book and the election. The bad news here is that his appearance with Stewart seems to be a replacement for his rumored-but-quashed potential guest spot on Saturday Night Live. Too bad - it would have brilliant to see him in a debate with some satirized version of a Republican luminary.......

The homey Defamer has the scoop on the end of the Eastside's indie cred... Hipsters, say goodbye to your East Side Fortresses of Indie Rock Solitude. Spaceland, The Echo, Silverlake Lounge: They're all targets of a coming invasion of celebrities looking to colonize your empire of thrift-store t-shirts, faux-hawks, and sweatbands. Lock up your babies! Hollywood is hungry for your blood! The panic comes after Christina Ricci + boyfriend were spotted at a recent Spaceland......